cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Involvement of a Heptad Repeat in the Carboxyl Terminus of the Dihydropyridine Receptor β1a Subunit in the Mechanism of Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscle

Chimeras consisting of the homologous skeletal dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) beta1a subunit and the heterologous cardiac/brain beta2a subunit were used to determine which regions of beta1a were responsible for the skeletal-type excitation-contraction (EC) coupling phenotype. Chimeras were transiently transfected in beta1 knockout myotubes and then voltage-clamped with simultaneous measurement of confocal fluo-4 fluorescence. All chimeras expressed a similar density of DHPR charge movements, indicating that the membrane density of DHPR voltage sensors was not a confounding factor in these studies. The data indicates that a beta1a-specific domain present in the carboxyl terminus, namely the D5 region comprising the last 47 residues (beta1a 478-524), is essential for expression of skeletal-type EC coupling. Furthermore, the location of beta1aD5 immediately downstream from conserved domain D4 is also critical. In contrast, chimeras in which beta1aD5 was swapped by the D5 region of beta2a expressed Ca(2+) transients triggered by the Ca(2+) current, or none at all. A hydrophobic heptad repeat is present in domain D5 of beta1a (L478, V485, V492). To determine the role of this motif, residues in the heptad repeat were mutated to alanines. The triple mutant beta1a(L478A/V485A/V492A) recovered weak skeletal-type EC coupling (DeltaF/F(max) = 0.4 +/- 0.1 vs. 2.7 +/- 0.5 for wild-type beta1a). However, a triple mutant with alanine substitutions at positions out of phase with the heptad repeat, beta1a(S481A/L488A/S495A), was normal (DeltaF/F(max) = 2.1 +/- 0.4). In summary, the presence of the beta1a-specific D5 domain, in its correct position after conserved domain D4, is essential for skeletal-type EC coupling. Furthermore, a heptad repeat in beta1aD5 controls the EC coupling activity. The carboxyl terminal heptad repeat of beta1a might be involved in protein-protein interactions with ryanodine receptor type 1 required for DHPR to ryanodine receptor type 1 signal transmission.
Virtual Fusion: Hybrid Process Simulation and Emulation-in-the-Loop

When developing a new manufacturing system or reconfiguring an existing system, it is desirable to have a simulation model for test and evaluation. However, there is often a disconnect between the real system and the simulation model; it is difficult for them to have exactly equivalent behavior. The highest-fidelity “model” is always the system itself. In this paper we propose a framework in which modular models of the manufacturing system components (robots, machines, conveyors, controllers) can be interchanged with their real counterparts, forming a hybrid process. We focus on both the connections between components and the most pertinent aspects of the processed parts. The transfer of parts between the real and virtual domains is particularly challenging; we describe how parts can transition between real and virtual without making substantial changes to the system itself. We discuss how the proposed hybrid process simulation can be used for the design of new manufacturing systems. As the new machines and components are built and installed, they can be “swapped” in for the virtual machines, and testing can be done incrementally. We also discuss how the proposed hybrid process simulation can be used for the upgrade or reconfiguration of existing manufacturing systems. When a new machine or cell is added, or the part flow is reconfigured, the relevant new parts of the system can first be built in simulation and tested as part of the hybrid process, with the new machines. A case study describing the implementation of the hybrid process simulation on the Reconfigurable Factory Testbed at the University of Michigan is presented.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
What have we learned from the kilowatt IR-FEL at Jefferson lab?

Recent work at Jefferson Lab has demonstrated the concept of same cell energy recovery to attain high average power in a free-electron laser (FEL)[1]. Since this device was the first of its kind, we learned a great deal about how to design such systems as we learned to operate the prototype. We are in the process of building a laser with an average power in excess of 10 kW in the infrared and have point designs for even higher power. This talk will summarize the problems which were thought to exist before the IR Demo lased and what we have learned since the laser operated successfully. The upgrade has its own challenges and these will be described and the proposed solutions will be described. The changes required in the electron beam transport [2] will be summarized. A new optical cavity has been designed which allows much higher power than the IR Demo. The design details will be covered.
Geochemical and biological aspects of sulfide mineral dissolution: lessons from Iron Mountain, California

Abstract The oxidative dissolution of sulfide minerals leading to acid mine drainage (AMD) involves a complex interplay between microorganisms, solutions, and mineral surfaces. Consequently, models that link molecular level reactions and the microbial communities that mediate them to field scale processes are few. Here we provide a mini-review of laboratory and field-based studies concerning the chemical, microbial, and kinetic aspects of sulfide mineral dissolution and generation of AMD at the Richmond ore body at Iron Mountain, California.
FCS/nORB: A feedback control real-time scheduling service for embedded ORB middleware

Object Request Broker (ORB) middleware has shown promise in meeting the functional and real-time performance requirements of distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) systems. However, existing real-time ORB middleware standards such as RT-CORBA do not adequately address the challenges of (1) managing unpredictable workload, and (2) providing robust performance guarantees portably across different platforms. To overcome this limitation, we have developed software called FCS/nORB that integrates a Feedback Control real-time Scheduling (FCS) service with the nORB small-footprint real-time ORB designed for networked embedded systems. FCS/nORB features feedback control loops that provide real-time performance guarantees by automatically adjusting the rate of remote method invocations transparently to an application. FCS/nORB thus enables real-time applications to be truly portable in terms of real-time performance as well as functionality, without the need for hand tuning. This paper presents the design, implementation, and empirical evaluation of FCS/nORB. Our extensive experiments on a Linux testbed demonstrate that FCS/nORB can provide deadline miss ratio and utilization guarantees in the face of changes in platform and task execution times, while introducing only a small amount of overhead.
Uveitis-Glaucoma-Hyphema (UGH) Syndrome - A Complex Complication

Uveitis-Glaucoma Hyphema syndrome is a condition involving cataract extraction complications. It is important to understand this rare complication of cataract extraction in order to preserve a patient’s vision. Misdiagnoses of UGH syndrome can cause excess testing and may eventually lead to loss of vision. This case report reviews the management of Patient 0 from the Illinois Eye Institute who suffered from UGH PLUS, details of his disease process along with clinical management employed throughout a 4-month span are described.
Three-dimensional warping registration of the pelvis and prostate

We are investigating interventional MRI guided radio- frequency (RF) thermal ablation for the minimally invasive treatment of prostate cancer. Among many potential applications of registration, we wish to compare registered MR images acquired before and immediately after RF ablation in order to determine whether a tumor is adequately treated. Warping registration is desired to correct for potential deformations of the pelvic region and movement of the prostate. We created a two-step, three-dimensional (3D) registration algorithm using mutual information and thin plate spline (TPS) warping for MR images. First, automatic rigid body registration was used to capture the global transformation. Second, local warping registration was applied. Interactively placed control points were automatically optimized by maximizing the mutual information of corresponding voxels in small volumes of interest and by using a 3D TPS to express the deformation throughout the image volume. Images were acquired from healthy volunteers in different conditions simulating potential applications. A variety of evaluation methods showed that warping consistently improved registration for volume pairs whenever patient position or condition was purposely changed between acquisitions. A TPS transformation based on 180 control points generated excellent warping throughout the pelvis following rigid body registration. The prostate centroid displacement for a typical volume pair was reduced from 3.4 mm to 0.6 mm when warping was added.
VP Structure of Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA, imaged with local earthquake tomography

We present a new P-wave velocity model for Mount St. Helens using local earthquake data recorded by the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Stations and Cascades Volcano Observatory since the 18 May 1980 eruption. These data were augmented with records from a dense array of 19 temporary stations deployed during the second half of 2005. Because the distribution of earthquakes in the study area is concentrated beneath the volcano and within two nearly linear trends, we used a graded inversion scheme to compute a coarse-grid model that focused on the regional structure, followed by a fine-grid inversion to improve spatial resolution directly beneath the volcanic edifice. The coarse-grid model results are largely consistent with earlier geophysical studies of the area; we find high-velocity anomalies NW and NE of the edifice that correspond with igneous intrusions and a prominent low-velocity zone NNW of the edifice that corresponds with the linear zone of high seismicity known as the St. Helens Seismic Zone. This low-velocity zone may continue past Mount St. Helens to the south at depths below 5 km. Directly beneath the edifice, the fine-grid model images a low-velocity zone between about 2 and 3.5 km below sea level that may correspond to a shallow magma storage zone. And although the model resolution is poor below about 6 km, we found low velocities that correspond with the aseismic zone between about 5.5 and 8 km that has previously been modeled as the location of a large magma storage volume.
Chain Length Dependent Polymer End-End Reaction Rate Constants in the Reaction of Polystyryllithium with a Styrene-Terminated Fluorescent-Labeled Polystyrene

Gel permeation chromatography with fluorescence detection has been employed to measure polymer-polymer chain end reaction rate constants. In this study, polystyryllithium (PSLi 1) of varying chain lengths (degree of polymerization N varying between 31 and 246) has been reacted with a styrene- terminated polystyrene 4 (degree of polymerization M 22) which is labeled with the fluorescence probe pyrene. This study, which was performed in a good solvent (benzene) at the dilute/semidilute threshold and extending into the semidilute regime, reveals a concentration dependence on 1 of this reaction that is close to first order (0.9 ( 0.1). Interestingly, the reaction rate constant at fixed concentration of polystyryllithium (c ) 0.3 g/mL) increases with increasing chain length, from 3.6 M -1 min -1 at N ) 31 to 10.3 M -1 min -1 at N ) 246. Possible reasons for this unexpected rate increase with chain length are discussed in the context of aggregation and supramolecular effects.
Alternans and Arrhythmias: From Cell to Heart

The goal of systems biology is to relate events at the molecular level to more integrated scales from organelle to cell, tissue, and living organism. Here, we review how normal and abnormal excitation-contraction coupling properties emerge from the protein scale, where behaviors are dominated by randomness, to the cell and tissue scales, where heart has to beat with reliable regularity for a lifetime. Beginning with the fundamental unit of excitation-contraction coupling, the couplon where L-type Ca channels in the sarcolemmal membrane adjoin ryanodine receptors in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, we show how a network of couplons with 3 basic properties (random activation, refractoriness, and recruitment) produces the classic physiological properties of excitation-contraction coupling and, under pathophysiological conditions, leads to Ca alternans and Ca waves. Moving to the tissue scale, we discuss how cellular Ca alternans and Ca waves promote both reentrant and focal arrhythmias in the heart. Throughout, we emphasize the qualitatively novel properties that emerge at each new scale of integration.
Electrophoretic Elution from Monoclonal Antibody Immunoadsorbents: A Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Controlling Parameters

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the mechanism of electrophoretic elution is described. The rate of elution of bovine serum albumin from monoclonal antibody immunoadsorbents was observed to increase with increasing electric field, increasing fractional saturation, and decreasing height of the immunoadsorbent column. Slower elution rates were observed from immunoadsorbents possessing higher affinities and capacities. A reaction-migration mechanism is proposed in which the packed bed is modeled as a continuous hydrogel and in which the electrical field causes antigen that has spontaneously dissociated to migrate through the column under conditions of bound-free equilibrium. Good qualitative and quantitative agreement is obtained between experiment and the predictions of a numerical model. A membrane device suitable for large-scale application of this technique is discussed.
SUMO-1 targets RanGAP1 to kinetochores and mitotic spindles

RanGAP1 was the first documented substrate for conjugation with the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO-1. However, the functional significance of this conjugation has not been fully clarified. We sought to examine RanGAP1 behavior during mitosis. We found that RanGAP1 associates with mitotic spindles and that it is particularly concentrated at foci near kinetochores. Association with kinetochores appeared soon after nuclear envelope breakdown and persisted until late anaphase, but it was lost coincident with nuclear envelope assembly in telophase. A mutant RanGAP1 protein lacking the capacity to be conjugated to SUMO-1 no longer associated with spindles, indicating that conjugation was essential for RanGAP1's mitotic localization. RanBP2, a nuclear pore protein that binds SUMO-1–conjugated RanGAP1 during interphase, colocalized with RanGAP1 on spindles, suggesting that a complex between these two proteins may be involved in mitotic targeting of RanGAP1. This report shows for the first time that SUMO-1 conjugation is required for mitotic localization of RanGAP1, and suggests that a major role of SUMO-1 conjugation to RanGAP1 may be the spatial regulation of the Ran pathway during mitosis.
UTILIZING DOMAIN-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR PROCESSING COMPACT TEXT

This paper identifies the types of sentence fragments found in the text of two domains: medical records and Navy equipment status messages. The fragment types are related to full sentence forms on the basis of the elements which were regularly deleted. A breakdown of the fragment types and their distributions in the two domains is presented. An approach to reconstructing the semantic class of deleted elements in the medical records is proposed which is based on the semantic patterns recognized in the domain.
Industrial/Organizational Psychologists as Expert Witnesses in Employment Discrimination Litigation: Descriptions and Prescriptions

Industrial/Organizational (I-O) psychologists can make positive contributions to the process of employment discrimination litigation, but may not know much about the judicial process, their roles as expert witness, or attorneys' and judges' perceptions of their testimony. We synthesize information from published analyses, interviews with experienced expert witnesses, and comments and written opinions of federal judges related to expert witness work by I-O psychologists. We present 10 specific recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of expert witness testimony in employment discrimination litigation.
Intimate partner violence and depression among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics

Abstract Purpose To examine the relationship between intimate partner violence and depression. Methods A household probability sample of Whites (n = 616), Blacks (n = 377), and Hispanics (n = 592) age 18 or older was interviewed in 1995. The response rate was 85%. Logistic analysis is used to identify predictors of depression. Results Among men, Black (OR = .29; 95% CI, 0.13–.65) and Hispanic (OR = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2–0.8) ethnicity were protective against depression. Factors of risk for men included victimization by female to male partner violence (OR = 4.04; 95% CI, 1.15–14.11), unemployment (OR = 7.65; 95% CI, 1.59–16.39), and living in a high-unemployment neighborhood (OR = 4.6; 95% CI, 1.86–11.37). Among women, the predictors are perpetration of moderate (OR = 4.08; 95% CI, 1.33–12.47) or severe (OR = 6.57; 95% CI, 1.76–24.52) female to male partner violence, and impulsivity (OR = 1.82; 95% CI, 3.87–20.71). Conclusions Knowledge from surveys using general population samples is important for developing prevention interventions in the community. Because predictors of depression in these samples are both individual and contextual at neighborhood level, prevention interventions to be effective must address not only individual factors of risk but also structural conditions in the environment where individuals live.
A Knapsack Secretary Problem with Applications

We consider situations in which a decision-maker with a fixed budget faces a sequence of options, each with a cost and a value, and must select a subset of them online so as to maximize the total value. Such situations arise in many contexts, e.g., hiring workers, scheduling jobs, and bidding in sponsored search auctions. This problem, often called the online knapsack problem, is known to be inapproximable. Therefore, we make the enabling assumption that elements arrive in a randomorder. Hence our problem can be thought of as a weighted version of the classical secretary problem, which we call the knapsack secretary problem. Using the random-order assumption, we design a constant-competitive algorithm for arbitrary weights and values, as well as a e-competitive algorithm for the special case when all weights are equal (i.e., the multiple-choice secretary problem). In contrast to previous work on online knapsack problems, we do not assume any knowledge regarding the distribution of weights and values beyond the fact that the order is random.
Role of Stepovers in Strike-Slip Tectonics: ABSTRACT

We show that the key to understanding the tectonic complexity of large strike-slip fault systems is fault stepovers. Secondary structures such as folds, thrust or reverse faults, cracks, dikes, normal faults, or smaller strike-slip faults, known to occur in strike-slip environments, localize in stepovers between en echelon faults. Two types of en echelon geometry are recognized: (1) strike-slip faults that are en echelon in map view with discontinuities along the strike of faults; (2) strike-slip faults that are en echelon in cross-sectional view with discontinuities along the dip direction of faults. Depending on the sense of stepover, discontinuities along the strike of faults result in pull-apart basins and push-up ranges, several examples of which are presented to illustrate the associated structures and their complexities. Discontinuities along the dip direction of strike-slip faults are poorly known because of the lack of field observations. Data from seismicity, however, can be used to fill this gap. One example of such en echelon fault geometry is found along the Calaveras fault, California. It is inferred that stepovers along the dip direction of strike-slip faults may produce secondary strike-slip faulting on inclined planes connecting the en echelon segments of the major fault. As the amount of overlap increases, features similar to pull-apart basins or push-up ranges ar expected to occur. Causes for the formation of discontinuities and control of the sense of stepover are not well known. Some possible factors are: spatial variability of the coefficient of friction, spatially variable elastic moduli, high pore pressure, and interaction between neighboring faults in an array of faults. The first two would give rise to both senses of stepover, whereas the last two lead only to one sense of stepover, which induces pull-apart basins. End_of_Article - Last_Page 450------------
Dynamic splinting home therapy for toe walking: a case report.

Serial casting is frequently prescribed for toe-walking but that does not allow continued physical therapy (PT). This report described a child and family who chose dynamic splinting (DS) with concurrent PT for treatment. The patient presented with right hemiparesis; below average motor skills and a gait pattern of toe contact (without ankle foot orthosis). Four months of PT plus 6 hours/night of DS as home therapy, the patient's passive dorsiflexion increased 14° and she gained the ability to walk in "flat foot" contact without the Ankle Foot Orthosis. This concurrent treatment achieved improved gait pattern and strength training not possible with casting.
A monolithic decode-drive circuit for magnetic memories

The highly replicated decode-drive circuitry of magnetic memories is being produced at a very low cost with batch-fabricated integrated-circuit technology. This has resulted from judiciously reconfiguring traditional circuit forms in order to optimize their fabrication. A new monolithic circuit function and its application are described. The circuit is used for low-cost high-speed 400-mA switching in magnetic memories. The functions of address decoding and timing control are also incorporated into the circuit. The address scheme employs no transformers and possesses the advantages of miniaturization. Details of the circuit configuration, topology, and packaging are described and illustrated.
Central Nervous System Effects after Systemic Injection of Opiate Peptides

The discovery of opiate receptors in the brain by Goldstein et al. (1971), Simon et al. (1973), Pert and Snyder (1973), and Terenius (1973) was soon followed by the discovery and sequencing of endogenous opiates by Hughes et al. (1975) and Terenius and Wahlstrom (1975a,b). After the confirmation of the existence of brain opiates, several groups began to focus on the role of these peptides in modulating behavior. The initial work by Jacquet and Marks (1976) and Bloom et al. (1976) reported that central injections of brain opiates produced profound analgesic and muscular effects. Subsequent attempts at producing comparable effects with systemic administration of the same peptides were not successful, however, with a resulting focus of interest on the use of central injections (e.g., Kosterlitz and Hughes, 1977).
Ethanol-induced GABAA receptor alpha4 subunit plasticity involves phosphorylation and neuroactive steroids

GABAA receptors containing α4 subunits are widely implicated in acute ethanol sensitivity, and their spatial and temporal regulation prominently contributes to ethanol-induced neuroplasticity in hippocampus and cortex. However, it is unknown if α4-containing GABAA receptors in the thalamus, an area of high α4 expression, display similar regulatory patterns following ethanol administration, and if so, by which molecular mechanisms. In the current study, thalamic GABAA receptor α4 subunit levels were increased following a 6-week-, but not a 2-week chronic ethanol diet. Following acute high-dose ethanol administration, thalamic GABAA receptor α4 subunit levels were regulated in a temporal fashion, as a decrease was observed at 2h followed by a delayed transient increase. PKCγ and PKCδ levels paralleled α4 temporal expression patterns following ethanol exposure. Initial decreases in α4 subunit expression were associated with reduced serine phosphorylation. Delayed increases in expression were not associated with a change in phosphorylation state, but were prevented by inhibiting neuroactive steroid production with the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride. Overall, these studies indicate that thalamic GABAA receptor α4 subunit expression following acute and chronic ethanol administration exhibits similar regulatory patterns as other regions and that transient expression patterns following acute exposure in vivo are likely dependent on both subunit phosphorylation state and neuroactive steroids.
Arteriography of the Foot in Congenital Deformities

Angiography of the feet in four children with bilateral congenital club foot and in one child with congenital convex pes valgus revealed vascular abnormalities which may increase the risk of vascular insufficiency after corrective procedures for deformities of the feet. Preoperative vascular mapping of the feet can be helpful in planning patient management.
Influence of the Lower-Hybrid Drift Instability on Magnetic Reconnection in Asymmetric Configurations

Using fully kinetic 3D simulations of magnetic reconnection in asymmetric antiparallel configurations, we demonstrate that an electromagnetic lower-hybrid drift instability (LHDI) localized near the $X$ line can substantially modify the reconnection mechanism in the regimes with large asymmetry, a moderate ratio of electron to ion temperature, and low plasma $\ensuremath{\beta}$. However, the mode saturates at a small amplitude in the regimes typical of Earth's magnetopause. In these cases, LHDI-driven turbulence is predominantly localized along the separatrices on the low-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ side of the current sheet, in agreement with spacecraft observations.
477 VISUALIZATION OF X AND Y CHROMOSOMES OF RABBIT CHONDROCYTES USING FLUORESCENCE IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION.

Objective FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) is a valuable cytogenetic testing method that employs fluorophore-labeled DNA probes to identify the presence or absence of specific target genes. The objective of the study is to visualize the X and Y chromosomes of rabbit chondrocytes using FISH. Successful identification of the sex chromosomes will lead to subsequent studies of host and donor cellular interactions in fresh osteochondral allograft transplantations using male and female rabbit models. Methods FISH were performed on paraffinized tissue sections of Dutch Belt rabbit male femoral trochlea. Slides were treated with Dako antibody, denatured for 2 minutes 30 seconds at 85°C and hybridized overnight with Cambio Y-FitC or X-Cy3 whole chromosome paints. They were then visualized using fluorescence microscopy. Results Preliminary results indicated slides treated with Y-FitC had ≈30 to 40% of nuclei labeled with strong green signals. Slides treated with X-Cy3 had ≈30 to 40% of nuclei labeled with strong orange signals and increased background. Comparison between Y-Cy3 and Y-FitC probes did not yield any detectable probe binding difference. Conclusion Our preliminary data suggest that visualization of X and Y chromosomes of rabbit chondrocytes using FISH is achievable and accurate.
Technical Discussion on Desktop Terminal Security Improvement by Cloud Terminals for Power Enterprises

With the generalization of the SG-ERP project intensive management of State Grid Corporation of China(SGCC)in recent years,and with the increasing of enterprise information stored in personal computers,information security becomes more and more important.Thus,the desktop terminal security for power enterprises has also been one of information security top priorities.The aim of this technical discussion on desktop terminal security improvement by cloud terminals for power enterprises is to reduce maintenance cost and improve management efficiency.Through some measures of cloud terminal,such as a centralized management and mandatory password,the issue of the weak password of desktop terminal will be solved and the desktop terminal security for power enterprises will be also be improved.It is also a very significant way to prevent confidential information leaking.
Endoscopic stents and drains in the management of pancreatic and bile duct obstruction.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) helps the surgeon by yielding a precise road map of the biliary tree and pancreatic duct prior to abdominal surgery. Recently, the use of the Seldinger technique, adapted directly from vascular radiology, has helped to surmount problems in the therapeutic use of ERCP. Endoscopic drains or stents can be used to relieve infection and jaundice or obstructive pancreatitis prior to operation.
UNIVERSALIZABILITY, IMPARTIALITY AND THE EXPANDING CIRCLE

This paper deals with the question of whether the universalizability of moral judgment, and impartiality in ethics, would require us to expand our scope of moral consideration to cover all sentient beings, human or non-human, as de Lazari-Radek and Singer wish to establish in their new volume on Sidgwick and contemporary ethics. I will argue that the former two concepts, universalizability and impartiality, may not entail the third concept, the expanding circle. De Lazari-Radek and Singer’s arguments may presuppose their moral intuitions that are not entirely self-evident, and the philosophical foundation of ethics Sidgwick presented does not necessarily lead us to their version of utilitarianism.
Small intrahepatic peripheral cholangiocarcinomas as mimics of hepatocellular carcinoma in multiphasic CT.

Liver transplant guidelines for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do not mandate pathologic confirmation; instead, ‘classic’ imaging features alone are deemed satisfactory. Intrahepatic peripheral mass forming cholangiocarcinoma (IHPMCC) is a relative contraindication for transplantation due to high rate of recurrence and poor prognosis. This study examines the imaging findings of IHPMCC, to aid in the identification and differentiation from potentially confounding cases of HCC. After IRB approval, 43 tissue-proven cases of IHPMCC on multiphase CT were retrospectively reviewed by 2 fellowship-trained radiologists. Tumor size, presence of cirrhosis, tumor capsule, vascular invasion, tumor markers, and enhancement pattern were assessed. A grading system was assigned as determined by enhancement pattern to background liver on arterial, portal venous, and equilibrium phases, ranging from typical HCC to typical IHPMCC enhancement pattern. Analysis based on our grading system shows 5 (11.6%) tumors demonstrating grade 1–2 enhancement, 9 (21%) grade 3–4 enhancement, and 29 (67.4%) grade 5 enhancement. Kruskal–Wallis test comparing CA19-9 between the five groups, Wilcoxin rank-sum test comparing tumor markers with presence or absence of tumor capsule, vascular invasion and cirrhosis, and nonparametric Pearson’s correlation coefficient comparing tumor markers to tumor size were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Typical enhancement pattern of IHPMCC consisting of arterial phase hypoenhancement with progressive, centripetal-delayed enhancement is present in the majority of cases (68%). Five cases (11.7%) showed enhancement features potentially mimicking HCC, all of which are under 3.5 cm in size. Thus, small hyperenhancing lesions in a cirrhotic liver should be carefully scrutinized in light of differing therapy options from HCC, particularly in transplant situations.
Retrospective Analysis of Thrombocytopenia in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma Patients

Abstract Abstract 5073 Introduction Despite improvement in patient (pt) outcomes in recent years, multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable and nearly all pts relapse after initial response to therapy. With disease progression and cumulative exposure to chemotherapeutic agents, pts with relapsed MM frequently develop cytopenias that represent a significant clinical challenge. At present, management of high-grade thrombocytopenia at our institution consists of supportive platelet transfusions. We hypothesize that thrombocytopenia is a highly relevant variable in the overall management of relapsed MM. As there are currently no studies in the myeloma literature that assess the impact of thrombocytopenia, we conducted a retrospective, chart-review study to evaluate the impact of thrombocytopenia in relapsed MM. Methods Participants included all pts with relapsed and/or relapsed-refractory MM who participated in clinical trials at Dana Farber Cancer Institute from January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2009. Many pts participated in more than one clinical trial during this time period. In this analysis, therapy administered to a particular patient in the context of one clinical trial is referred to as a “treatment regimen.” The overall incidence of thrombocytopenia (platelet count Results To date, data has been abstracted on 43 treatment regimens in 23 pts. Fifteen pts had previously undergone autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), including two who had undergone tandem auto-transplant. The overall incidence of thrombocytopenia (platelet count Conclusion Thrombocytopenia is a common problem in this pt population, particularly in pts that begin treatment with a platelet count Disclosures: Richardson: Millennium:; Celgene:; Johnson & Johnson:; Novartis:; Bristol Myers Squibb:. Anderson: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria.
SMALL SAMPLE STUDIES FOR LINEAR DECREASING MEAN RESIDUAL LIFE

The linear decreasing mean residual life (LDMRL) failure model has been proposed as an alternative to the popularly used failure models. This paper presents several small sample studies involing the LDMRL model. The small sample powers of the Hollander-Proschan test statistic (for constant mean residual life versus decreasing mean residual life) and the Gnedenko test statistic (for constant failure rate versus increasing failure rate) are compared for the alternative LDMRL distributions. We use Monte Carlo simulation to compare the two tests for sample sizes n = 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and for LDMRL shape parameters γ = 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0. Point estimation and confidence intervals for the shape parameter and the maximum life expectancy parameter of the LDMRL model are briefly reviewed. We present small sample investigations of these confidence intervals. These studies suggest the need for a test of hypothesis concerning the shape parameter's value. A test to meet this need is given along with its simulated power for small samples.
Calibration to tool use during visually-guided reaching.

Abstract In studying human perception and performance researchers must understand how the body schema is modified to accurately represent one's capabilities when tools are used, as humans use tools that alter their capabilities frequently. The present work tested the idea that calibration is responsible for modifying an embodied action schema during tool use. We investigated calibration in the context of manual activity in near space through a behavioral measure. Participants made blind reaches to various visual distances in pre- and post-test phases using a short tool that did not extend their reach. During an intervening calibration phase they received visual feedback about the accuracy of their reaches, with half of the participants reaching with a tool that extended their reach by 30 cm. Results indicated both groups showed calibration appropriate to the type of tool that they used during the calibration phase, and this calibration carried over to reaches made in the post-test. These results inform discussions on the proposed embodied action schema and have applications to virtual reality, specifically the development of self-avatars.
The Characterization of Biosignatures in Caves Using an Instrument Suite

The search for life and habitable environments on other Solar System bodies is a major motivator for planetary exploration. Due to the difficulty and significance of detecting extant or extinct extraterrestrial life in situ, several independent measurements from multiple instrument techniques will bolster the community's confidence in making any such claim. We demonstrate the detection of subsurface biosignatures using a suite of instrument techniques including IR reflectance spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. We focus our measurements on subterranean calcium carbonate field samples, whose biosignatures are analogous to those that might be expected on some high-interest astrobiology targets. In this work, we discuss the feasibility and advantages of using each of the aforementioned instrument techniques for the in situ search for biosignatures and present results on the autonomous characterization of biosignatures using multivariate statistical analysis techniques. Key Words: Biosignature suites-Caves-Mars-Life detection. Astrobiology 17, 1203-1218.
CLINICAL IMPACT OF CREATING A PREDETERMINED ATRIAL COMMUNICATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE PULMONARY HYPERTENSION USING THE ATRIAL FLOW REGULATOR DEVICE

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic progressive disease with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) >25 mmHg, progressing to right ventricular dysfunction, heart failure and death. Medical management remains challenging with unpredictable outcomes. The efficacy of an interatrial shunt in
Reframing Paul’s Anthropology in Light of the Cognitive Sciences: Exercising Care in Interdisciplinary New Testament Scholarship:

Susan Eastman’s recent contribution to scholarship on Paul’s anthropology is a welcome example of authentic interdisciplinarity. The book highlights core themes in recent work from the cognitive sciences and shows how these themes might guide readings of the Pauline corpus. At the same time, there are useful warnings about confusing the aims of the sciences of the person with the anthropological aims that motivate theological interpretations of sacred texts. In this review article I explore Eastman’s emphasis on the Pauline project’s grounding of personhood in categories of spiritually-morally formational-relational constitution; I highlight difficulties with the current status of mirror neuron theory and of imitation in early childhood development and emphasize the importance of primary literature for interdisciplinary scholarship in religious studies and theology.
Existing trauma and critical care scoring systems underestimate mortality among vascular trauma patients

Background The impact of vascular injuries on patient mortality has not been well evaluated in multi-trauma patients. This study seeks to determine (1) whether the presence of vascular trauma negatively affects outcome compared with nonvascular trauma (NVT) and (2) the utility of existing severity scoring systems in predicting mortality among vascular trauma (VT) patients. Methods A retrospective review of our trauma database from January 2005 to December 2007 was conducted. Demographics, Injury Severity Scores (ISS), Revised Trauma Scores (RTS), Trauma Score–Injury Severity Scores (TRISS), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, and mortality rates were compared. Control patients were selected from a matching cohort based on ISS. Comparisons were made between groups based on the above scoring systems. Statistical analysis used χ 2 analysis and Student t -tests. Results Fifty VT and 50 NVT patients were identified with no significant differences in age, gender, mechanism of injury, ISS, RTS, or TRISS. The mean APACHE II score was higher in VT compared with NVT (12.3 vs 8.8, P P = .108). VT patients with RTS score >5 had a higher mortality rate (26% vs 2.2%, P = .007). VT patients with an ISS score >24 had a higher mortality compared with NVT patients (61% vs 28.6%, P = .04). VT patients with an APACHE II score P = .007). Finally, VT patients with a TRISS probability of survival of >80% had a higher mortality rate (13.9% vs 0%, P = .05). Conclusions In multi-trauma patients, the presence of vascular injury was associated with increased mortality in less severely injured patients based on the RTS, TRISS, and APACHE II scores. These scoring systems underestimated mortality in patients with vascular trauma. Level of care and future trauma algorithms should be adjusted in the presence of vascular trauma.
Small-scale surface engineering problems

Abstract: This chapter begins by providing a theoretical framework for the various interfacial forces that lead to adhesion of micromechanical structures. Next, a number of test structures used to quantify adhesion between micromachined surfaces are reviewed. Adhesion results for both horizontal and vertical surfaces are presented, with particular emphasis placed on the role of surface roughness, relative humidity, surface chemistry and contact pressure. Finally, several techniques for reducing the work of adhesion are examined. Initial attempts to decrease adhesion have focused on reducing the real contact area by physically altering the surfaces via dimples, spacers and surface roughening techniques, while more recent work has focused on chemically modifying the surfaces to control roughness and surface energy via hydrogen-terminating treatments, self-assembled monolayers and wear-resistant coatings.
Uncontrollable shock, forebrain norepinephrine, and stimulus selection during choice-escape learning

Exposure to uncontrollable shock impairs later choice-escape learning in rats. A deficit occurs only when an irrelevant cue is presented on choice trials and the rat is unable to ignore the cue. Three experiments examined the role of stress-induced depletion of forebrain norepinephrine (NE) in the choice-accuracy deficit. Experiments 1 and 2 established a relationship between stressfulness of pretreatment sessions, magnitude of the deficit in later choice escape, and depletion of forebrain NE upon reexposure to a few shocks 24 h after pretreatment. Experiment 3 established that NE depletion is sufficient to impair choice performance. Bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the ascending dorsal tegmental bundle mimicked the effects of inescapable shock. Lesioned rats showed a deficit in choice accuracy only when an irrelevant cue was presented during choice testing. Vehicle controls were unimpaired regardless of cue condition. These data are consistent with the notion that the ascending dorsal tegmental bundle is involved in attention-like processing and suggest that deficits in stimulus selection following inescapable shock may result from stress-induced depletion of forebrain NE.
What Can We Do

The previous chapters have served as evidence that cybersecurity risk to financial institutions is largely, perhaps almost entirely, viewed as a potential negative impact the event may have. Although standards vary slightly on the definition, it is generally acknowledged the outcome of any risk event can be considered positive or negative, depending on the viewer’s perspective. In a gamble between two players, both may consider the bet an opportunity, but once the outcome is known, the loser becomes keenly aware they have taken a risk.
Testing Bulk Properties of Powder-Based 3D-Printed Reservoir Rock Proxies

3D printing with powders offers the most analogous method to the natural way in which clastic reservoir rocks are formed, resulting in pore network textures and morphologies similar to natural rocks. To characterize pore networks and their transport properties in rock proxies 3D-printed from powdered materials, solid proxy reservoir rocks were 3D-printed in aluminum, steel, ceramic, and gypsum powders. These proxies were analyzed using traditional destructive and nondestructive reservoir characterization methods. While CT and helium porosimetry helped identify connected porosity, mercury porosimetry provided information on the pore-throat size distribution. X-ray fluorescence was used to identify elemental composition of each material. Thin-section petrography provided further information on proxy pore network microstructure. Despite designing a solid digital model, 3D printers using powder materials can impart significant porosity as a byproduct of the printing process that can be used for repeatable flow and geomechanical experiments in proxies. Ceramic and aluminum proxies showed the lowest porosity. Gypsum proxies had the highest porosity (36%) and range of porosities (5–36%). Metal proxies (aluminum and steel) showed low porosity and minimal mercury intrusion. Proxies were printed in two sizes (8 mm × 15 mm and 25 mm × 25 mm). Larger proxies were lower in porosity except in the case of gypsum because of post-processing artifacts. Ceramic and gypsum proxies showed significant compressibility at high mercury intrusion pressures. Proxies printed in silica sand were the most analogous to natural reservoir rocks despite their high porosity (36–51%) and pore-throat size mode (70 μm).
Making taste public: ethnographies of food and the senses

We are all acquainted with foods described as salty, sour, sweet, or bitter, and more recently by umami, first named in Japan in the 1960s, but present for centuries in that country and elsewhere. ...
Nondestructive evaluation with fully non-contact air-coupled transducer-scanning laser Doppler vibrometer Lamb wave system

Ultrasonic Lamb waves have been proved useful for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) due to their abilities to propagate a long distance with less energy loss as well as their high sensitivity to small defects on the surface or inside the structure. However, there are still many challenging tasks for Lamb wave based NDE due to the complexity involved with Lamb waves propagation and the complexity caused by coupling layer used in traditional contact-type transducers. This paper established a fully non-contact Lamb wave NDE system by using a non-contact air-coupled transducer (ACT) which can eliminate the need for couplant/adhesive and actuate pure fundamental A0 mode Lamb wave; and a non-contact scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) for sensing which can provide high spatial resolution wavefield data. Through ACT, pure A0 mode was actuated at selected ACT incident angle based on Snell’s law. By SLDV sensing, multi-dimensional wavefields for one-dimensional or two-dimensional wave propagation were obtained and further used for Lamb waves’ characterization analysis. A specimen with a through-thickness crack was manufactured and adopted to evaluate the inspection capability of the ACT-SLDV system. Waves with normal incident and aligned incident w.r.t the longitudinal dimension of the crack were investigated, and our results showed that cracks were detected successfully in both cases. Moreover, crack lengths can be quantitatively evaluated for both situations with 10% error.