cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A practical look at Wood Decay

The natural durability of the central core of heartwood in trunks of many trees within the forest primeval was recognized by American pioneers who chose black locust, cedar, and chestnut for fence posts and put cypress, redwood, and longleaf pine into construction that has endured for hundreds of years. Decay of wood is caused by fungi, and heartwood in these and some other species contains substances which are toxic to fungi. Formation of heartwood is a function more of tree age than of tree size, and trees in virgin stands spent centuries in competition with their neighbors for limited amounts of nutrients and sunlight. Hence most of the lumber from virgin stands of decay-resistant species was composed of heartwood. The supply of heartwood remained reasonably abundant until 20 or 30 years ago; therefore, our own fathers could often succeed with building practices which today must be considered unsound. For much lumber cut now is from trees that have grown so fast that they consist mostly of sapwood, and no sapwood of any species has any decayresistance worth mentioning. Not even cypress. This principle is exemplified by the southern pines. The heartwood of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) is decay-resistant (Clark, 1957; For. Prod. Lab., 1967), and much durable construction was achieved with "hard" or "fat"
The simulation extrapolation method for fitting generalized linear models with additive measurement error

W e discuss and illustrate the method of simulation extrapolation for tting models with additive measurement error. We present this discussion in terms of generalized linear models (GLMs) following the notation dened in Hardin and Carroll (2003). As in Hardin, Schmiediche, and Carroll (2003), our discussion i ncludes specied measurement error and measurement error estimated by repli- cate error-prone proxies. In addition, we discuss and illustrate three extrapolant functions. This paper describes software for analyzing measurement error mode ls. Software pro- duction by StataCorp was funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Busi- n ess Innovation Research Grant (SBIR). The goal of the work described in the grant is t he production of software to analyze statistical models where one or more covariates are measured with error. The software development includes two major features. The rst development feature is the development of the Stata program to support communication to dynamically linked user-written computer code. StataCorp was responsible for this development, and support for user-written code in the C/C++ programming languages was added to Stata version 8. Stata refers to compiled user-written code as plugins and maintains documentation on their web site at http://www.stata.com/support/plugins. See Hardin and Carroll (2003) for notational conventions and an introduction to the t opic of measurement error models. The project described was supported by Grant Number R44 RR12435 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources. The contents of this article are solely the respon- sibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Research Resources.
Primary prevention of stroke. Recognition of risk factors.

This article focuses on the prevention of stroke the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. It provides a list of nonmodifiable risk factors - age gender race and family history. In addition it lists modifiable risk factors which can be addressed with medical and lifestyle interventions. It also provides potentially modifiable risk factors - sleep disorders alcohol and drug use oral contraceptive use metabolic syndrome and inflammatory processes.
Digoxin: its role in contemporary medicine

Digoxin has been a key therapeutic for heart failure and atrial tachyarrhythmias for over 200 years following Withering's groundbreaking work depicting the therapeutic benefit of the common botanical foxglove in his 1785 monograph. The use of digoxin preceded any randomised evidence or even basic understanding of its mechanism of action. Over the past two decades, there has been mounting evidence further challenging the safety and efficacy of digoxin, while multiple other therapies for both heart failure and atrial tachyarrhythmias have proven to be more effective and safe. Altogether, digoxin still has an important role in contemporary pharmacotherapeutics, though its role remains controversial and should be reserved for selective patients and clinical situations, with careful attention to serum concentrations.
Improving value in primary total joint arthroplasty care pathways: changes in inpatient physical therapy staffing

Background An early physical therapy (PT) care pathway was implemented to provide same-day ambulation after total joint arthroplasty by changing PT staffing hours.
Supernumerary Teeth in Pleistocene, Recent, and Hybrid Individuals of the Spermophilus richardsonii Complex (Sciuridae)

A supernumerary distal upper molar, always expressed bilaterally, occurred in Pleistocene (one of 204) and Recent (five of 1,667) specimens of the Spermophilus richardsonii complex. Among Recent specimens with the abnormality, three of four with known provenance came from adjacent colonies with hybrids of S. richardsonii (Richardson's ground squirrel) and S. elegans (Wyoming ground squirrel). Elsewhere, the trait was rare in S. richardsonii (one of 947) and absent in S. elegans (out of 668). Affected individuals exhibited normal P3-M2, but two aberrant teeth distal to M2. Aberrant teeth exhibited a mosaic of features typical of M2, M3, and atypical of any normal tooth. The trait was inferred to be hereditary.
Advances in cell surface glycoengineering reveal biological function

Cell surface glycans are critical mediators of cell-cell, cell-ligand, and cell-pathogen interactions. By controlling the set of glycans displayed on the surface of a cell, it is possible to gain insight into the biological functions of glycans. Moreover, control of glycan expression can be used to direct cellular behavior. While genetic approaches to manipulate glycosyltransferase gene expression are available, their utility in glycan engineering has limitations due to the combinatorial nature of glycan biosynthesis and the functional redundancy of glycosyltransferase genes. Biochemical and chemical strategies offer valuable complements to these genetic approaches, notably by enabling introduction of unnatural functionalities, such as fluorophores, into cell surface glycans. Here, we describe some of the most recent developments in glycoengineering of cell surfaces, with an emphasis on strategies that employ novel chemical reagents. We highlight key examples of how these advances in cell surface glycan engineering enable study of cell surface glycans and their function. Exciting new technologies include synthetic lipid-glycans, new chemical reporters for metabolic oligosaccharide engineering to allow tandem and in vivo labeling of glycans, improved chemical and enzymatic methods for glycoproteomics, and metabolic glycosyltransferase inhibitors. Many chemical and biochemical reagents for glycan engineering are commercially available, facilitating their adoption by the biological community.
Experimental effects on IR reflectance spectra: particle size and morphology

For geologic and extraterrestrial samples it is known that both particle size and morphology can have strong effects on a species’ infrared reflectance spectra. Due to such effects, the reflectance spectra cannot be predicted from the absorption coefficients alone. This is because reflectance is both a surface as well as a bulk phenomenon, incorporating both dispersion as well as absorption effects. The same spectral feature can even be observed as either a maximum or minimum. The complex effects depend on particle size and preparation, as well as the relative amplitudes of the optical constants n and k, i.e. the real and imaginary components of the complex refractive index. While somewhat oversimplified, upward-going amplitude in the reflectance spectrum usually results from surface scattering, i.e. rays that have been reflected from the surface without penetration, whereas downward-going peaks are due to either absorption or volume scattering, i.e. rays that have penetrated or refracted into the sample interior and are not reflected. While the effects are known, we report seminal measurements of reflectance along with quantified particle size of the samples, the sizing obtained from optical microscopy measurements. The size measurements are correlated with the reflectance spectra in the 1.3 – 16 micron range for various bulk materials that have a combination of strong and weak absorption bands in order to understand the effects on the spectral features as a function of the mean grain size. We report results for both anhydrous sodium sulfate Na 2 SO 4 as well as ammonium sulfate (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ; the optical constants have been measured for (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . To go a step further from the laboratory and into the field we explore our understanding of particle size effects on reflectance spectra using standoff detection at distances of up to 160 meters in a field experiment. The studies have shown that particle size has a strong influence on the measured reflectance spectra of such materials; successful identification requires sufficient, representative reflectance data to include the particle sizes of interest.
On-the-fly homomorphic batching/unbatching

We introduce a homomorphic batching technique that can be used to pack multiple ciphertext messages into one ciphertext for parallel processing. One is able to use the method to batch or unbatch messages homomorphically to further improve the flexibility of encrypted domain evaluations. In particular, we show various approaches to implement Number Theoretic Transform (NTT) homomorphically in Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) speed. Also, we present the limitations that we encounter in application of these methods. We implement homomorphic batching in various settings and present concrete performance figures. Finally, we present an implementation of a homomorphic NTT method in which we process each element in an independent ciphertext. The advantage of this method is we are able to batch independent homomorphic NTT evaluations and achieve better amortized time.
Exact Solutions to the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

A review of a recent method is presented to construct certain exact solutions to the focusing nonlinear Schrodinger equation on the line with a cubic nonlinearity. With motivation by the inverse scattering transform and help from the state-space method, an explicit formula is obtained to express such exact solutions in a compact form in terms of a matrix triplet and by using matrix exponentials. Such solutions consist of multisolitons with any multiplicities, are analytic on the entire xt-plane, decay exponentially as x → ±∞ at each fixed t, and can alternatively be written explicitly as algebraic combinations of exponential, trigonometric, and polynomial functions of the spatial and temporal coordinates x and t. Various equivalent forms of the matrix triplet are presented yielding the same exact solution.
Bilateral Morgagni Hernia: A Unique Presentation of a Rare Pathology

Morgagni hernia is an unusual congenital herniation of abdominal content through the triangular parasternal gaps of the anterior diaphragm. They are commonly asymptomatic and right-sided. We present a case of a bilateral Morgagni hernia resulting in delayed growth in a 10-month-old boy. The presentation was unique due to its bilateral nature and its symptomatic compression of the mediastinum. Diagnosis was made by 3D reconstructed CT angiogram. The patient underwent medical optimization until he was safely able to tolerate laparoscopic surgical repair of his hernia. Upon laparoscopy, the CT findings were confirmed and the hernia was repaired.
Countertraction retrograde urethrography in women: an improved diagnostic technique.

AbstractBecause of the uncertainties of the history, and physical and endoscopic examinations one must rely on urethrography for a definitive diagnosis of urethral diverticula in women. A new technique of countertraction retrograde urethrography is presented, which elongates the urethra and better demonstrates diverticular abnormalities in the female patient.
Investigating Safety of a Radiotherapy Machine Using System Models with Pluggable Checkers

Formal techniques for guaranteeing software correctness have made tremendous progress in recent decades. However, applying these techniques to real-world safety-critical systems remains challenging in practice. Inspired by goals set out in prior work, we report on a large-scale case study that applies modern verification techniques to check safety properties of a radiotherapy system in current clinical use. Because of the diversity and complexity of the system’s components (software, hardware, and physical), no single tool was suitable for both checking critical component properties and ensuring that their composition implies critical system properties. This paper describes how we used state-of-the-art approaches to develop specialized tools for verifying safety properties of individual components, as well as an extensible tool for composing those properties to check the safety of the system as a whole. We describe the key design decisions that diverged from previous approaches and that enabled us to practically apply our approach to provide machine-checked guarantees. Our case study uncovered subtle safety-critical flaws in a pre-release of the latest version of the radiotherapy system’s control software.
Power control and scheduling for interfering links

In a wireless network, co-channel interference among links can significantly deteriorate the performance. Power control and link scheduling provide mechanisms to manage interference. Transmission power consumption is critical to the lifetime of a wireless device. For the sake of conserving power, our goal is to manage the interference to meet the system performance requirement most efficiently. The objective is to find a transmission strategy that minimizes the power consumption while maintaining a prespecified average data rate on each link. We model the problem as a convex optimization and attempt to get a solution from its dual. Unlike previous work which assumed a linear relationship between instantaneous data rate on a link and signal to interference plus noise ratio, we use a logarithmic relation as suggested by the Shannon capacity formula. The dual problem is solved sequentially using a combination of a "difference of convex function (DC) program" and a dual computational method. We find that the optimization of power control can be decoupled from link scheduling. Any power allocation solving the dual problem is a candidate for a component of the optimal solution, and we call it a transmission mode. Our analysis shows that an appropriate time-sharing among these transmission modes, which achieves the required average data rate, is an optimal strategy. Simple numerical examples suggest that when the interference is low, the best policy is to transmit on all the links simultaneously with appropriate power control. As the interference becomes severe, the best policy is to schedule the links in a TDMA manner.
Efficacy and retention of Basic Life Support education including Automated External Defibrillator usage during a physical education period.

The American Heart Association (AHA) advocates for CPR education as a requirement of secondary school curriculum. Unfortunately, many states have not adopted CPR education. Our aim was to investigate a low-cost, time effective method to educate students on Basic Life Support (BLS), including reeducation. This is a prospective, randomized study. Retention was assessed at 4 months post-initial education. Education was performed by AHA-certified providers during a 45-minute physical education class in a middle school in Florida. This age provides opportunities for reinforcement through high school, with ability for efficient learning. The study included 41 Eighth grade students. Students were randomized into two groups; one group received repeat education 2 months after the first education, the second group did not. All students received BLS education limited to chest compressions and usage of an Automated External Defibrillator. Students had skills and knowledge tests administered pre- and post-education after initial education, and repeated 2 and 4 months later to assess retention. There was a significant increase in CPR skills and knowledge when comparing pre- and post-education results for all time-points (p < 0.001). When assessing reeducation, a significant improvement was noted in total knowledge scores but not during the actual steps of CPR. Our study indicates significant increase in CPR knowledge and skills following a one-time 45-minute session. Reeducation may be useful, but the interval needs further investigation. If schools across the United States invested one 45–60-minute period every school year, this would ensure widespread CPR knowledge with minimal cost and loss of school time.
Novel somatic KIT exon 8 mutation and response to imatinib in a patient with mucosal melanoma: A case report.

e20000 Background: Primary mucosal melanoma represent approximately 1.3% of all cases of melanoma in the US. The sinonasal location is the most common primary site. KIT gene mutations occur in 10-22% of patients. Tumor response to imatinib mesylate has been reported in about half of patients with tumors harboring mutations in KIT, Responses are almost exclusively restricted to tumors with KITexon 9 or exon 11 mutations. We present a case report of a patient with a sinonasal mucosal melanoma with a novel exon 8 mutation who had dramatic initial response to imatinib. Methods: A 63 year-old Caucasian female presented with a right paranasal mass. Subsequently she developed a large left anterior chest wall and other distant sites of metastases. She underwent treatment with ipilimumab, CTLA-4 antibody, without response. Mutation analysis performed on tumor found it to be BRAF V600 wild-type, but to contain a has KIT mutation at codon 443 (C443S). Imatinib treatment produced a dramatic initial response within 2 ...
Neurotransmitters in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius Mediating Cardiovascular Function

The importance of the nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS) in the regulation of cardiovascular function has been known for a long time. However, the role of different neurotransmitters in this region in mediating cardiovascular functions is just beginning to be delineated. The carotid chemoreceptor afferents terminate predominantly in a midline area around the calamus scriptorius in the commissural subnucleus of the nTS while the baroreceptor and cardiopulmonary receptor afferents terminate in a region more rostral and lateral to the chemoreceptor projection site. There is a general consensus that glutamate is the neurotransmitter released at the terminals of baroreceptor, cardiopulmonary and chemoreceptor afferents in the nTS. However, cholinergic, GABAergic, and opioidergic mechanisms are also present in the nTS. Activation of glutamatergic and cholinergic mechanisms in the nTS elicits depressor responses while the activation of GABAergic and opioidergic mechanisms elicits pressor responses. Although, the precise physiological role of cholinergic, GABAergic, and opioidergic nTS mechanisms in regulating cardiovascular function remains to be elucidated, there is a general consensus that these mechanisms may play a neuromodulatory role in the nTS.
Metabolism and Photolysis of 2,4-Dinitroanisole in Arabidopsis

New insensitive munitions explosives, including 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN), are replacing traditional explosive compounds to protect soldiers and simplify transport logistics. Despite the occupational safety benefits of these new explosives, feasible strategies for cleaning up DNAN from soil and water have not been developed. Here, we evaluate the metabolism of DNAN by the model plant Arabidopsis to determine whether phytoremediation can be used to clean up contaminated sites. Furthermore, we evaluate the role of photodegradation of DNAN and its plant metabolites within Arabidopsis leaves to determine the potential impact of photolysis on the phytoremediation of contaminants. When exposed to DNAN for three days, Arabidopsis took up and metabolized 67% of the DNAN in hydroponic solution. We used high resolution and tandem mass spectrometry in combination with stable-isotope labeled DNAN to confirm ten phase II DNAN metabolites in Arabidopsis. The plants separately reduced both the para- and ortho-nitro grou...
Contrapower Harassment in the Sport Management Classroom

Sexual harassment and incivility in the workplace are the unwanted sexual attention and bullying of employees by their superior. There are times, however, when the roles are reversed and the superior is the target of such behavior. Contrapower harassment refers to subordinate incivility and/or sexual attention directed toward a superior. The focus of this study was in the higher education classroom, more specifically the male-dominated sport management classroom. More than 90% of female faculty have reported experiencing acts of incivility, and 25% have experienced at least one act of sexual behavior shown toward them by a student (Lampman, 2012). This study explored the issue of contrapower harassment in the sport management classroom through semi-structured interviews with 10 female sport management faculty members. Contrapower harassment was described by all but one respondent based on each individual’s lived experiences. These incidents occurred in the form of verbal or written comments and in physica...
Piezoelectric polar nanoregions and relaxation-coupled resonances in relaxor ferroelectrics

It is a generally accepted fact that the unique dielectric properties of relaxor ferroelectrics are related to the formation of polar nanoregion (PNRs). Less well recognized is the corollary that, because they are polar and therefore lack inversion symmetry, PNRs are also piezoelectric at the nanoscale and can therefore behave as nanoresonators. Using the particular relaxor ferroelectric ${\mathrm{K}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Li}}_{x}{\mathrm{TaO}}_{3}$ (KLT), we show that, when electrically excited into oscillation, these piezoelectric nanoresonators can drive macroscopic electromechanical resonances. Unexpectedly, however, pairs of coupled resonances corresponding to a particular type of oscillation are observed, with one of the resonance exhibiting a characteristic Fano-like line shape. The complex resonance spectra can be described equally well by two alternative but complementary models both involving two resonances coupled through a relaxation: a purely classical one based on two coupled damped harmonic oscillators and a semiclassical based on two discrete excitations coupled to each other through a continuum. Together, they provide complementary perspectives on the underlying physics of the system. Both reproduce the rapid evolution of the resonance spectrum across three wide temperature ranges, including a phase transition range. In the high-temperature range, the coupling between modes is due to the collective $\ensuremath{\pi}$ relaxation of the lithium ions within PNRs and, in the phase transition range, to ``heterophase relaxation'' of the surrounding lattice between its high-temperature cubic and low-temperature tetragonal phases, both coherent effects. The coupling is suppressed in the intermediate range of the collective $\ensuremath{\pi}/2$ relaxation of the lithium ions. Incidentally, the measured dielectric spectra are shown to bear a surprising but justifiable resemblance to the optical spectra of certain atomic vapors exhibiting electromagnetically induced transparency.
Analyses of the thermal hydraulics in the NUPEC 1/4-scale model containment experiments

The CONTAIN code was used to predict the helium concentrations, gas temperatures and pressures, and wall temperatures of four experiments performed in the NUPEC 1/4-scale model containment. These experiments investigated the thermal-hydraulic effects of helium and steam source flow rates, source elevation, and internal water sprays. Two CONTAIN flow solvers and two nodalization schemes were assessed. One NUPEC test, International Standard Problem 35, was investigated in detail, including the pretest heating phase. The thermal hydraulics of this test were dominated by internal water sprays. A modeling approach based on the assumption that the water sprays generated a large air vortex yielded the best results. Reasons for deviations between the predictions and data are suggested based on experimental uncertainties, different analysis methods, and nodalization schemes.
Impact of salinity on predicted transmission loss

Often ocean sound speed profiles are estimated using a temperature profile measured, for example, with an expendable bathythermograph (XBT) combined with a database value for salinity. The prevalence of this approach is due to the added expense and limited availability of sensors that can simultaneously measure both temperature and salinity profiles, for example conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) probes. When predicting acoustic performance of a sonar system, using the sound speed profile based only on measured temperature is not always sufficient. This study examines when and where the use of temperature-only profiles is adequate as well as potential improvements to typical sound speed profiles that can be made using limited conductivity measurements (i.e. measurement at a single depth or a small segment of the profile) or with database values based on oceanographic models or chosen based on matching the temperature profile rather than the geographically nearest value. The assessment of a profile's ade...
15 – CHEMICAL KINETICS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses atoms, molecules, or ions as they collide, the conditions under which they might react with each other, and the energy changes involved. It explains how the concentration of the reactants, the temperature, the amount of contact among the reacting substances, and catalysis can affect reaction rates. The chapter further explains chemical kinetics. It discusses reaction mechanisms and the interpretation of rate equations. It discusses the transition state theory and presents that reaction rate varies with nature of reactants, concentrations, temperature, contact, and catalysis. A catalyst increases the rate of a chemical reaction, but can be recovered in its original form when the reaction is finished. The reaction rate is the speed with which the products are produced and the reactants are consumed in a specific reaction. It is usually discussed in terms of the rate at which one component of the mixture is used up or formed. A rate equation gives the relationship between the reaction rate and the concentration of the reactants. The chapter illustrates first order reaction and second order reaction.
The Search for M1 Strength

Current knowledge of M1 transition strength in nuclei is reviewed by studying selected examples. Attention is focused primarily on inelastic electron scattering, but information obtained using other techniques is also discussed. It appears that the utility of (e,e′) as a spectroscopic tool for determining M1 strength is mainly restricted to nuclei with A<100. For nuclei below A≃40, the total measured M1 strength is in good accord with detailed shell model estimates, however, heavier nuclei show a strength deficit in comparison with model predictions.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress as a Primary Pathogenic Mechanism Leading to Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multi-factorial disease and a leading cause of blindness. Proteomic and genetic data suggest that activation or de-repression of the alternate complement cascade of innate immunity is involved in end-stage disease. Several lines of evidence suggest that production of reactive oxygen species and chronic oxidative stress lead to protein and lipid modifications that initiate the complement cascade. Understanding the triggers of these pathogenic pathways and the site of the primary insult will be important for development of targeted therapeutics. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress from misfolded mutant proteins and other sources are an important potential tributary mechanism. We propose that misfolded-protein-induced ER stress in the retinal-pigmented epithelium and/or choroid could lead to chronic oxidative stress, complement deregulation and AMD. Small molecules targeted to ER stress and oxidative stress could allow for a shift from disease treatment to disease prevention.
Descartes and Mastery of Nature

The common judgment is that Francis Bacon is the originator of the concept of “mastery of nature,” which is so indispensable in the technological crisis of this century. Attempts to trace the Baconian concept to anterior origins in Renaissance magic or Christian theology have touched upon but one or two aspects of his argument, which is moreover an indelibly philosophical one. On the other hand, the concept has never proved central to the interpretation of Descartes, the generally acknowledged “founder of modern philosophy.” It is often noted, to be sure, that Descartes in a celebrated passage in Discours VI advocates the replacement of “the speculative philosophy of the schools” by “a practical [philosophy]” which will make us “like masters and owners of nature” ([6], pp. 61–62). But nowhere else does this phrase, or a similar one, occur in the Cartesian writings, whereas in Bacon’s works the mastery concept is ubiquitous. The Meditations, Descartes’ central philosophic writing, asserts in its title and in its preface, its place in the traditions of speculative “first philosophy” and Christian apologetics. We have no weighty efforts to bring its metaphysical doctrines into significant connection with the mastery concept of the Discours. Historians may observe the importance of scientia proper potentiam for Hobbes, but they do not stress mastery of nature as a thematic goal of modern philosophy. The influence of Baconian “mastery” remains dormant, it is usually held, until the sciences break away from their philosophic parentage, and develop their technological potential — most obviously in the nineteenth century.
Predictors of survival in neurometastatic Merkel cell carcinoma

Abstract Background Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous malignancy of neuroendocrine origin, with about 30 cases of brain metastasis (BM) reported in the literature. Historically, the treatment of neurometastatic MCC has largely included chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The aim was to investigate predictors of overall survival (OS) in neurometastatic MCC. Methods In this retrospective study, we surveyed institutional databases and conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify cases reporting on management of distant MCC BM. A pooled survival analysis was performed on the institutional and literature cases to assess predictors of OS. Results Forty cases were included for analysis, describing operative [14] and non-operative [26] management. Median time to central nervous system involvement was 17.0-mos (interquartile range 10.5–26.5), and most patients had a single BM (62.5%). Management of intracranial disease included radiotherapy (82.5%), systemic therapy (59.5%) and surgical resection (35%). Operative management was associated with a lower intracranial burden of disease (BoD), but similar systemic BoD. Both neurosurgery (hazard ratio [HR] 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06–0.54, p = 0.002), having RT (HR 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14:0.93, p = 0.04) and having a single BM (extensive intracranial BoD: HR 2.51, 95% CI: 1.12–5.6, p = 0.03) conferred an OS benefit on risk-unadjusted analysis. Only, neurosurgical resection was an independent predictor of OS (HR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03–0.49, p = 0.003), controlling for age, BoD and radiotherapy. Conclusions Resection of MCC BM may confer a survival benefit given appropriate patient selection. Prospective investigation of multimodal management of neurometastatic MCC is warranted, especially given the promise of new immunotherapy agents in treating MCC.
Anxiety Management on Campus: An Evaluation of a Mobile Health Intervention

Mental illness is highly prevalent among young adults in the USA, with anxiety disorders affecting a growing number of college students every year. Despite the availability of effective treatments, rates of help-seeking remain low among undergraduate students. One possible solution to overcoming the barriers to treatment-seeking is the use of mobile health (m-health), a set of electronic applications that aim to improve physical or mental health. This study aims to identify an alternative to formal treatment for anxiety disorders in order to best reach students who do not often use formal resources. In the present study, 18 undergraduate students utilized MindShift™, an anxiety-reducing phone application (app), for three weeks. Participants completed assessments at three time points measuring somatic anxiety, general anxiety, depression, and panic symptoms, and responded to open-ended questions evaluating app usability and satisfaction. Analyses of variance showed significant reductions in somatic anxiety (F3, 45 = 7.75, p = .001), general anxiety (F3, 45 = 15.90, p < .001), and depression symptoms (F3, 45 = 6.48, p = .004). In regard to app acceptability, participants reported a general satisfaction with MindShift™ with some critiques including technical difficulties and repetitive content. This study provides preliminary support for the efficacy of MindShift™ in managing anxiety symptoms and acceptability among college students. MindShift™ or similar apps should be further investigated as a tool for colleges and universities to use to combat the high levels of stress and anxiety their students are facing.
Recovery of fine-size coal from impounded wastes

Over the years, Alabama’s coal industry has generated, during mining and cleaning operations, about 150 million st of fine waste coal, with this total increasing at a rate of 2 million stpy. Reclamation of the fine-size wastes (containing 20%–60% clean coal by weight) provides, free of charge, mined and crushed feed stocks for coal recovery. Also, the removal or recovery of pyrite from the tailings should eliminate a major source of acid-water pollution. Tests were made on the impounded wastes and current plant discharges to recover the coal fraction by sizing, gravity and flotation techniques. Gravity separation of the +100-mesh material produced commercial-grade coal averaging 7.6% ash, 0.8% sulfur and 13,471 Btu/lb. However, thecoalyield, at about 31%–56%, was relatively low. Froth flotation, using mechanical and froth column methods, gave similar coal products at much higher coal recovery rates of 87%–93%. This coal analyzed 10% ash and 1.1% sulfur.
Erratum. Incidence, classification, and treatment of angiographically occult intracranial aneurysms found during microsurgical aneurysm clipping of known aneurysms

OBJECTIVE During the microsurgical clipping of known aneurysms, angiographically occult (AO) aneurysms are sometimes found and treated simultaneously to prevent their growth and protect the patient from future rupture or reoperation. The authors analyzed the incidence, treatment, and outcomes associated with AO aneurysms to determine whether limited surgical exploration around the known aneurysm was safe and justified given the known limitations of diagnostic angiography. METHODS An AO aneurysm was defined as a saccular aneurysm detected using the operative microscope during dissection of a known aneurysm, and not detected on preoperative catheter angiography. A prospective database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients with AO aneurysms treated microsurgically over a 20-year period. RESULTS One hundred fifteen AO aneurysms (4.0%) were identified during 2867 distinct craniotomies for aneurysm clipping. The most common locations for AO aneurysms were the middle cerebral artery (60 aneurysms, 54.1%) and the anterior cerebral artery (20 aneurysms, 18.0%). Fifty-six AO aneurysms (50.5%) were located on the same artery as the known saccular aneurysm. Most AO aneurysms (95.5%) were clipped and there was no attributed morbidity. The most common causes of failed angiographic detection were superimposition of a large aneurysm (type 1, 30.6%), a small aneurysm (type 2, 18.9%), or an adjacent normal artery (type 3, 36.9%). Multivariate analysis identified multiple known aneurysms (odds ratio [OR] 3.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.16-5.49, p < 0.0001) and young age (OR 0.981, 95% CI 0.965-0.997, p = 0.0226) as independent predictors of AO aneurysms. CONCLUSIONS Meticulous inspection of common aneurysm sites within the surgical field will identify AO aneurysms during microsurgical dissection of another known aneurysm. Simultaneous identification and treatment of these additional undiagnosed aneurysms can spare patients later rupture or reoperation, particularly in those with multiple known aneurysms and a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Limited microsurgical exploration around a known aneurysm can be performed safely without additional morbidity.
Nonprofit public libraries and technical efficiency: An application of data envelopment analysis to technology-based outputs

Abstract Nonprofit public libraries (NPPLs) with technically efficient production functions attain greater program and service outputs per registered user in comparison to peers with less efficient production functions. An output-oriented nondiscretionary data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with variable returns-to-scale is used to assess the technical efficiency of 339 NPPLs in the United States (US) in attaining electronic-, physical-, and Internet-based program and service outputs. Based on the output-oriented DEA analysis, 46% of the NPPLs are technically efficient in producing program and service outputs per registered user. On average, US NPPLs are moderately inefficient in attaining their program and service outputs. The DEA analysis also reveals that the inefficient NPPLs should increase their electronic, physical, and Internet service levels per registered user to achieve technical efficiency as annual input levels are held constant.
Combining DNA Damage Induction with BCL-2 Inhibition to Enhance Merkel Cell Carcinoma Cytotoxicity

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly lethal skin cancer. MCC tumors rapidly develop resistance to the chemotherapies tested to date. While PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated success in MCC treatment, a significant portion of MCC patients are nonresponsive. Therefore, the pressing need for effective MCC chemotherapies remains. We screened a library of natural products and discovered that one compound, glaucarubin, potently reduced the viability of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV)-positive MCCs, while remaining nontoxic to primary human fibroblasts and MCPyV-negative MCC cell lines tested. Protein array and Western blot analyses revealed that glaucarubin induces DNA damage and PARP-1 cleavage that correlates with the loss of viability in MCC cells. However, high basal expression of the antiapoptotic factor BCL-2 allowed a subpopulation of cells to survive glaucarubin treatment. Previous studies have shown that, while targeting BCL-2 family proteins significantly decreases MCC cell viability, BCL-2 antisense therapy alone was insufficient to inhibit tumor growth in patients with advanced MCC. We discovered that treatment with an FDA-approved BCL-2 inhibitor in the context of glaucarubin-induced DNA damage led to near complete killing in multiple MCPyV-positive MCC cell lines that express high levels of BCL-2. The combination of DNA damage-induced apoptosis and BCL-2 inhibition thus represents a novel therapeutic strategy for MCPyV-positive MCCs.
Magnetic Field Effects on the Vishniac Overstability in Scaled Radiative Blast Waves

We report experimental results on the stability of a magnetized laser-launched blast wave scaled to simulate a late-stage supernova remnant. We extend previous results to show the effect of a dynamically significant magnetic field on the spatial mode spectrum of the instability. We find that magnetic fields reduce instability growth, possibly influencing turbulent feedback to the interstellar medium.
Invisiborders: Wearable Politics

We present the design, creation, and evaluation of a wearable technology for critical engagement with invisible borders in everyday civic life. Inspired by contestations over gerrymandering in the United States, Invisiborders engages wearers in embodied experiences of these borders, aiming to provoke reflection on the nature of political borders in daily life. We draw on DiSalvo's agonistic design and Kaye's evaluative techniques for experience-focused HCI in design and deployment of this proof of concept trial.
Sending and Receiving Safety and Risk Messages in Hospitals: An Exploration into Organizational Communication Channels and Providers' Communication Overload.

This study explores hospital workers’ experiences with workplace communication overload and its implications for effective safety and risk messaging in hospital organizations. We use a multi-step t...
Simultaneous amplification of guided wave modes in polymer pipes via a structurally embedded gradient index lens

In this paper, we present structurally embedded gradient-index lenses integrated with a polymer (PVC) pipe for amplification of guided wave modes. The gradient-index lens is composed of equally spaced cylindrical metal inserts embedded into the pipe wall. All the inserts have the same height which is equal to the half-thickness of the pipe. The insert diameters are tailored in circumferential direction to realize hyperbolic secant distribution of refractive index around the circumference of pipe. We numerically demonstrate simultaneous amplification and focusing of the three commonly used pipe wave modes for ultrasonic inspection, namely L(0,2), L(0,1) and T(0,1), within a single lens design. Ultrasonic guided wave inspection of polymer pipes is challenging because of the high material damping which limits the sensor spacing and inspection range. To this end, we further investigate the damping properties of the PVC pipe through experiments. The structurally embedded design is promising in terms of long range transmission of ultrasonic signal which can remedy the attenuation problem in polymer pipes.
Preoperative Modified Spermatic Cord Block PREDICTS SUCCESS in Candidates for Microscopic Spermatic cord denervation.

OBJECTIVE To examine the utility of a modified spermatic cord block (MSCB) that targets known contributors to refractory chronic scrotal content pain (CSCP) at predicting postoperative pain relief following a microscopic spermatic cord denervation (MSCD). METHODS A MSCB was performed in all patients with refractory CSCP. This was performed by injecting anesthetic circumferentially around the vas deferens and over the external ring. Patients with >50% pain reduction were offered MSCD. Baseline, post-block, and postoperative pain was assessed. Age, prior groin surgery, and post-block pain free period were recorded. A multivariate linear regression model was used to determine predictors of surgical success. RESULTS Fifty-two patients underwent a MSCB. Forty-six (88%) had an adequate response and underwent MSCD. All patients saw improvement in pain postoperatively with an average reduction of 80% (4 < 50%; 7 50-69%; 35 ≥ 70%). On multivariate linear regression analysis, pain reduction following MSCD was an independent predictor of postoperative improvement (P < 0.001). No other factors, including post-block pain free period or prior surgery predicted success. CONCLUSIONS The described MSCB can be utilized as an independent predictor of success following MSCD. Post-block pain free period was not associated with postoperative pain level. The MSCB may help identify candidates for MSCD that would be missed with the traditional block.
UNIT 1.26 Characterization of Cannabinoid Receptors

This unit describes the use of cannabinoid radioligands in competitive binding assays for determining affinity parameters (IC50, Ki) of unlabeled compounds at transfected CB1 and CB2 receptors expressed in cell lines. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 63:1.26.1-1.26.10. © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: cannabinoids; receptor binding; GPR 55
Reducing Escape without Escape Extinction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Escape-Based Interventions

Individuals with disabilities may engage in challenging behavior to escape aversive stimuli, like academic tasks or non-preferred foods. Interventions to reduce these behaviors often employ escape extinction; that is, the implementer withholds escape following challenging behavior. Escape extinction can increase risk of injury, restrict autonomy, and worsen the learner–implementer relationship. To mitigate collateral effects, interventions can use strategies without escape extinction (i.e., escape-based); that is, implementers can provide escape contingent on challenging behavior during intervention, in conjunction with other intervention components. However, no comprehensive syntheses of these interventions have been conducted. We identified 39 articles that included escape-based interventions, which contained 273 single-case designs. Escape-based interventions were associated with lower levels of challenging behavior and higher levels of adaptive behavior than baseline conditions. Most comparisons between escape-based and escape extinction interventions showed no functional relation, indicating that escape extinction may not add substantial benefit to intervention efficacy.
Reforming Student Loan Bankruptcy Procedure

Student loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy unless “undue hardship” is present. Courts almost universally have placed the burden of showing undue hardship on debtors, justifying this decision on the ground that such debtors are typically at the “nadir” of their earning power because they have just graduated from school with an education that will fuel steadily rising pay. Empirical research shows, however, that the median debtor seeking to discharge student loans is in their mid-40s and earns under $25,000 per year. Evidence and civil procedure scholarship teaches us that the probability of a matter in question should be a critical determinant of the burden of proof on that matter, and the probability is that a debtor who seeks student loan relief will endure undue hardship. Other considerations relevant to allocation of the burden of proof – access to evidence bearing on the matter in question and underlying policy considerations – do not support placing the burden on the debtor. Creditors have better access than debtors to much of the evidence relevant to undue hardship, and there is no clear expression of congressional policy to allocate the burden of proof to debtors. Appellate courts could fix the burden-of-proof problem by reconsidering unhelpful precedents en banc. Another possible avenue for relief would be the bankruptcy rulemaking process. But courts can also act immediately. Although in most jurisdictions lower courts cannot place the burden of proof entirely on the creditor, they can shift the burden once the debtor makes a specified showing. For example, they could determine that if the debtor shows that student loans have been causing hardship for the past five years, they will discharge the loans unless the creditor provides significant, case-specific evidence that the debtor’s condition will change. At present, student loan debtors are often called upon to prove that long-existing disabilities will continue far into the future, or that they need bankruptcy discharge now because loan forgiveness decades hence under an alternative repayment program will generate tax liability. Reform of the burden of proof could remove these pointless obstacles to relief for suffering student borrowers.