cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Payday Lending and the Opioid Epidemic

Using the variation in payday lending access generated by state statutes allowing or prohibiting payday lending, I find that allowing payday lending increases opioid-related mortality rates by about 32% of its mean, which amounts to 26 additional lives lost per 100,000 population every year. The results are robust after controlling for the county- and state-level socioeconomic conditions, and unlikely to be driven by confounding events, the time trend, or systematic differences between states allowing and prohibiting payday lending. Furthermore, the effect is more pronounced in areas with low socioeconomic status.
Cannabis and Inflammation in HIV: A Review of Human and Animal Studies.

Persistent inflammation occurs in people with HIV (PWH) and has many downstream adverse effects including myocardial infarction, neurocognitive impairment and death. Because the proportion of people with HIV who use cannabis is high and cannabis may be anti-inflammatory, it is important to characterize the impact of cannabis use on inflammation specifically in PWH. We performed a selective, non-exhaustive review of the literature on the effects of cannabis on inflammation in PWH. Research in this area suggests that cannabinoids are anti-inflammatory in the setting of HIV. Anti-inflammatory actions are mediated in many cases through effects on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the gut, and through stabilization of gut–blood barrier integrity. Cannabidiol may be particularly important as an anti-inflammatory cannabinoid. Cannabis may provide a beneficial intervention to reduce morbidity related to inflammation in PWH.
Nanoconfinement and mass transport in metal–organic frameworks

The ubiquity of metal–organic frameworks in recent scientific literature underscores their highly versatile nature. MOFs have been developed for use in a wide array of applications, including: sensors, catalysis, separations, drug delivery, and electrochemical processes. Often overlooked in the discussion of MOF-based materials is the mass transport of guest molecules within the pores and channels. Given the wide distribution of pore sizes, linker functionalization, and crystal sizes, molecular diffusion within MOFs can be highly dependent on the MOF-guest system. In this review, we discuss the major factors that govern the mass transport of molecules through MOFs at both the intracrystalline and intercrystalline scale; provide an overview of the experimental and computational methods used to measure guest diffusivity within MOFs; and highlight the relevance of mass transfer in the applications of MOFs in electrochemical systems, separations, and heterogeneous catalysis.
The Nature of Interruptions Among Inpatient Residents: a Time-Motion Observation–Based Mixed Methods Study

Interruptions are germane to inpatient medical practice but carry the consequences of reduced error prevention, psychological stress, and impaired knowledge consolidation among trainees. In this mixed methods study, we captured 172 task changes via time-motion observations of four residents on a general neurology service and completed semi-structured interviews with the same group. Twenty-five percent of task changes were due to interruptions, the majority via pager communications, and only 2% required urgent clinical attention. Residents reported frustration towards inefficient aspects of the pager system. Given the high rates of interruptions identified, we propose mitigating strategies such as triaging communications by urgency.
THE CHOKING OF FINNED ARRAYS

The paramaterization of the thermal transmission matrix to provide a linear transformation between tip conditions and base conditions of temperature excess and heat flow for a single fin is used as a basis for the discussion of the choking phenomenon which occurs in arrays of fins. Examples are provided which illustrate the choking problem and which demonstrate how the choke may be alleviated. Consideration is given to the problem of the variation of the heat transfer coefficient on the faces of a single fin via the cascade algorithm for the combination of fins attached end-to-end. A method for the elimination of a heat flow choke when the magnitude of the heat transfer coefficient becomes low is proposed.
The Art of Narritjin Maymuru

The richness and depth of The Art of Narritjin Maymuru is an excellent example of the appropriateness of the digital format of publication for works of visual anthropology. There is no way a paper ...
Explosion on the Potomac: The 1844 Calamity Aboard the USS Princeton

In 1844, the USS Princeton was the most technologically sophisticated warship in the world. Its captain, Robert Stockton, and President John Tyler were both zealous expansionists, and they hoped that it would be the forerunner in a formidable steam-powered fleet. On a Potomac cruise intended to impress power brokers, the ship’s main gun—the Peacemaker—exploded as the vessel neared Mount Vernon. Eight died horribly, while twenty others were injured. Two of Tyler’s most important cabinet members were instantly lost, and the president himself had a near miss—making it the worst physical disaster to befall a presidential administration. The tragedy set off an unpredictable wave of events that cost Tyler a second term, nearly scuttled plans to add Texas to the Union and stirred up sectional rancor that drove the nation closer to civil war. Author Kerry Walters chronicles this little-known disaster that altered the course of the nation’s history.
The selectin family

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses three-member family of adhesion molecules called selectins—leukocyte selectin (L-selectin), endothelial cell selectin (E-selectin), and platelet/endothelial cell selectin (P-selectin). Understanding the nature of selectins and how they function in vivo requires an appreciation of the complex series of events that regulate leukocyte–endothelial cell interactions and eventual accumulation of the leukocyte in the extravascular tissues. This process—extravasation—can in many settings in vivo be broken down into three distinct phases: (1) a reversible interaction represented by physical rolling of the leukocyte along the vascular wall, (2) tight, static adhesion of the leukocyte to the vascular endothelium, which is sometimes associated with leukocyte aggregation, and (3) eventual migration of the leukocyte into the subendothelial tissue. Each phase of the extravasation process is controlled by highly specific and exquisitely regulated receptor–ligand interactions. Selectins regulate the first, reversible interaction between the leukocyte and endothelial cell. L-selectin is expressed by all circulating leukocytes and mediates binding to cytokine-stimulated endothelial cells and endothelial cells in certain lymphoid tissues. E- and P-selectin are inducible, endothelial cell surface antigens that bind myeloid cells and subsets of lymphocytes. P-selectin is also expressed on the surface of thrombin- or histamine-activated platelets. The second and third phases of the extravasation process are thought to be mediated by the leukocyte integrins and their counter-receptors belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily.
Visionary and Activist: Kathleen Kinkade (1930–2008)

Kathleen Kinkade (better known as Kat) died on July 3, 2008, at Twin Oaks, the intentional community near Louisa, Virginia, that she founded in 1967 with a small group of people inspired by B. F. Skinner's utopian novel, Walden Two (1948). Born December 8, 1930, Kat was not the stereotypical 1960s commune founder. Older than most, divorced, and the mother of a teen-aged daughter, she was drawn to intentional community living not from a desire to experiment with drugs and sex or escape reality but “to make a new and better society” (Kinkade, 1973, p. 1). Five years after the start of the community, she wrote,
NOTAS SOBRE O CONCEITO DE ANGÚSTIA

O artigo propoe examinar de que modo Freud chegou a construir, ao longo de sua obra, duas teorias sobre o eixo fundamental da clinica psicanalitica: a angustia. Um dos objetivos foi o de demonstrar que embora essas diferentes modalidades de apreensao do afeto parecam absolutamente excludentes, na verdade estabelecem um jogo de mutua interferencia. A partir das contribuicoes de Lacan, em seu O seminario, livro 10: A angustia , foram investigadas as relacoes entre o conceito de angustia e os conceitos de inquietante estranheza ( Unheimlich ) e de desamparo ( Hilflosigskeit ), tendo como meta apreender de que modo Freud chega a inverter a primeira proposicao sobre a angustia e apontar duas origens distintas para esse afeto: angustia automatica e sinal de angustia. A autora estende suas reflexoes a tarefa do analista de, em seu oficio, oferecer uma garantia real a escuta da angustia.
Membrane materials for water purification: design, development, and application

Water purification for human use, ecosystem management, agriculture, and industry is emerging as a leading global priority. Access to sufficient clean water ultimately requires improvements over the current state of water filtration technology. Membrane technologies for water purification have been actively pursued for decades, but with recent innovation of both analytical and fabrication tools, more advanced membrane technologies are surfacing. Here, we review the design, development, and application of new membrane materials, fabrication methods for controlling the filtration size regime, analytical tools for performance testing, and molecular modeling for transport and separation. Membrane chemical stability, fouling, and environmental impact as open questions are also presented.
Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Human Breast Cancer Treatment

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) is a prototype of the newly developed, second-generation, hybrid polar compounds. It is a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor with high potency for inducing cell differentiation of cultured murine erythroleukemia cells. Studies with SAHA have primarily been performed with hematopoietic tumor cells. Here we extent these studies with SAHA to human breast cancer cell lines in an attempt to find better therapeutic agents for breast cancer treatment. Human breast cancer cell lines, MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-435, as well as normal cells, including the normal breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A, and fibroblasts, were treated with SAHA. Cells assayed for cell survival by using trypan blue exclusion assay, colony formation assay, and cell cycle and apoptosis analysis. The effects of SAHA on cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory proteins were examined by Western blots analysis. The identification of additional target genes was carried out by differential display (DD) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). SAHA inhibited clonogenic growth of MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-435 breast cancer cells. These cells were more sensitive to SAHA-mediated cytotoxic effects than normal breast epithelial cells and fibroblasts. The cytotoxic effects of SAHA on breast cancer cells were manifested by G1 and G2/M cell cycle arrest and eventual apoptosis. The pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD.fmk, blocked SAHA-induced cell death, DNA laddering, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, indicating the involvement of caspases in SAHA-mediated apoptosis. In addition, SAHA modulated cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory proteins. For example, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21WAF1/Cip1 and p27Kip1 were induced, and retinoblastoma protein pRb was hypophosphorylated. Moreover, SAHA induced several genes associated with differentiation and/or growth inhibition. These genes encode gelsolin, isopentenyl-diphosphate delta isomerase (IDI1), and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-3 up-regulated protein 1 (VDUP1), the last two of which were identified by DD. Induction of these genes may contribute to SAHA-mediated pro-differentiating and antiproliferative effects. SAHA induced growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and eventual apoptosis in human breast cancer cells, possibly by modulating cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory proteins, such as CDK inhibitors p21 and p27, pRb, and other differentiation and/or growth inhibition-associated genes, including gelsolin, IDI1 and VDUP1. This, together with the low toxicity in normal cells, suggests that SAHA might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of human breast cancers.
TranQuill sling snoreplasty for snoring: A single-arm pilot study for safety and effectiveness

Objectives/Hypothesis Determine safety and efficacy of the TranQuill Sling Snoreplasty (TSS) (Surgical Specialties Corp., Vancouver, BC, Canada) for the treatment of snoring in adults with benign snoring or mild obstructive sleep apnea. Study Design Prospective, unblinded, single-center pilot study. Methods From February 2014 to July 2014, 20 adult patients with chronic, disruptive snoring assessed by bed partner were recruited to undergo TSS. Subjects with apnea hypopnea index 85%, and body mass index (BMI) < 32 were included. Outcomes were assessed comparing the results of quality-of-life questionnaires, bed partner-assessed snoring, pain visual analog scales, WatchPAT (Itamar Medical Ltd, Caesarea Ind. Park, Israel) home sleep studies, and flexible endoscopy at baseline and 90-day follow-up. Results Thirteen males and seven females were enrolled. Average age was 49.1 (range 31–67) and BMI of 25.8 ± 2.66. TranQuill Sling Snoreplasty significantly reduced snoring symptom scores from 8.70 ± 4.27 to 6.42 ± 4.14, P = 0.012. Snoring visual analog scores demonstrated reduction of 17.8 mm (59.4 mm ± 22.1 to 41.6 mm ± 29.2), P = 0.0184. Thirty-five percent (7/20) of subjects reported complications related to the trial, with no serious adverse events. Conclusion TranQuill Sling Snoreplasty is a safe therapy that improves snoring symptoms in most adult subjects with benign snoring or mild sleep apnea. Further study is required to better identify patients likely to respond to the therapy. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2015
Effects of co-products from the corn-ethanol industry on body composition, retention of protein, lipids and energy, and on the net energy of diets fed to growing or finishing pigs.

BACKGROUND Conventional distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS-CV), uncooked distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS-BPX) and high-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG) are used in diets for pigs to provide protein and energy. These ingredients may have different effects on body composition and energy retention. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to determine effects of DDGS-CV, DDGS-BPX and HP-DDG on body composition and on retention of protein, lipids, and energy when fed to growing or finishing pigs. RESULTS The total organ weight was greater (P < 0.05) for finishing pigs fed the HP-DDG diet than for finishing pigs fed the basal diet or the DDGS-CV diet. Finishing pigs fed the DDGS-CV diet had greater (P < 0.05) lipid gain than pigs fed the other diets, and the net energy (NE) for DDGS-CV was greater (P < 0.05) than for DDGS-BPX, but the NE value of HP-DDG was not different from that of DDGS-CV or DDGS-BPX. CONCLUSION Inclusion of up to 30% DDGS or HP-DDG in diets fed to growing or finishing pigs will not affect body composition or the retention of energy, protein and lipids, regardless of the stage of growth of pigs. The NE value of DDGS-BPX and HP-DDG is not affected by the stage of growth of pigs, but the NE value of DDGS-CV is greater in finishing than in growing pigs. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
A failure to communicate: Security vulnerabilities in the GridStreamX Edgeware application

Any communications network is subject to becoming the target of exploitation by criminal hackers looking to gain unauthorized access to an information system. As a computer information infrastructure, the wireless grid Edgeware technology model aims at aggregating ensembles of shared, heterogeneous and distributed wireless resources to provide transparent services of various applications, systems and devices. Currently, there is no research exploring the exploitation of technical vulnerabilities from a hacker's attack against a wireless grid Edgeware application. Using a quantitative research method from the theoretical perspective of an anatomy of a network attack, the central premise of this article is to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of a wireless grid called the GridStreamX Edgeware application for vulnerability exploitation through a laboratory experiment within the Syracuse University Wireless Grid Innovation Testbed (WiGiT). The GridStreamX Edgeware application is cloud to ‘worst case scenario’ emergency response wireless Grid resource, which can be utilized as a data communication vehicle during an enterprise network catastrophe and/or failure. This research makes a meaningful theoretical and managerial contribution because it represents the first empirical examination of researching the technical requirements of the open specifications for wireless grid Edgeware technology.
Error bounds of continuous Kalman filters and the application to orbit determination problems

The effect of errors due to incorrect a priori information on initial states as well as on noise models in continuous Kalman-Bucy filters has been investigated in this paper. A conservative design criterion has been established, and a convenient formula for computing error bounds has been derived which will allow parametric studies of the error effect. The results are applied to typical orbit determination problems of the spacecraft subject to random acceleration having noise contaminated Doppler or range data.
The intensity, location and structure of the tropical rainbelt over west Africa as factors in interannual variability

This study examines the nature of the tropical rainbelt over west Africa in 4 years corresponding to the four most common patterns of rainfall anomalies in the region. These include 2 years that were anomalously wet in the Sahel, 1955 and 1950, and 2 years, 1983 and 1984, that were anomalously dry. The year 1955 is ubiquitously wet, while a rainfall dipole prevails in 1950, with abnormally high rainfall in the Sahelian latitudes but drought conditions in the Guinea Coast latitudes to the south. The year 1983 is ubiquitously dry and 1984 is a year with a rainfall dipole but opposite in phase (i.e. Sahel dry, Guinea Coast wet). The main results of the study are that the contrast between wet and dry years is associated with a weakening and contraction of the tropical rainbelt. In addition, a north/south displacement of the rainbelt is associated with the dipole patterns, with a northward/southward shift bringing good rains to the Sahel/Guinea Coast. These shifts are associated with north/south shifts in the latitude of the African Easterly Jet (AEJ) over west Africa. The latitudinal position and extent of the rainbelt correspond to the latitudinal position and extent of an immense ‘tongue’ of strong ascending motion. The core of the ascending motion is bound by the axes of the AEJ on the north and the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ) in the south. This importance of these two jets in determining the character of the summer rainy season implies that the Sahelian region provides the link between the Sahel and global scale phenomena. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Functional differences in human neutrophils isolated pre- and post-prandially.

Abstract Activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes have been associated with neoplasia, atherogenesis and reperfusion injury. Since some of these conditions are also correlated with dietary fat, we examined the functional characteristics of leukocytes isolated from subjects before and after consumption of a lipid-rich meal. There was up to 2-fold greater superoxide generation in response to agonists in leukocytes obtained post-prandially; the maximum increase was observed about 4 h after eating and followed the peak (2–4 h) in serum triglycerides. Neutrophils isolated post-prandially also exhibited impaired chemotaxis and defective bacterial killing, but normal phagocytosis. These findings provide a new variable that should be considered in studies of leukocytes.
A Temperature and Precipitation Record of the Past 16,000 Years in Southern Chile

Regression equations relating pollen taxa from surface samples to temperature and precipitation are applied to a radiocarbon-dated pollen sequence in a lake core from Alerce. The resulting curves are a measure of the fluctuations of these climatic variables and show similarities to other late Quaternary records from the Southern Hemisphere.
Airport surface system architecture

Airport surface movement communications, navigation, surveillance and decision support automation are discussed within the context of a national airspace system architecture. Current efforts underway by the Federal Aviation Administration and collaboration with users and the international community are described. International goals for advanced surface movement are defined and transition for communication, navigation, and surveillance are presented.
Sharpness results for state dependent delay differential equations: an overview

This manuscript presents many detailed studies of the numerical solution (by the restart method) of a general class of functional differential equations with state dependent lags; that is, where the delays depend upon the (unknown) solution. It emphasizes the sharpness of earlier published results, including those that relate the multiplicity of various shifted zeros of the lag function to the rates of convergence of methods for locating these zeros and to the rates of convergence of the global solution of the delay equation. The studies were selected to clarify the unusual aspects of numerical methods for delay equations, particularly those with state dependent lags. Although the results given here are mainly analytical in nature, they are ones that every numerical analyst and software designer interested in delay equations should master since they form the technological basis for modern software for state dependent delay differential equations. Indeed, almost all modern delay equation software, in one form or another, is based on these results.
Comparison between intensified CCD and non-intensified gated CCD detectors for LIPS analysis of solid samples

Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS), also known as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), is a form of atomic emission spectroscopy (AES). LIPS is being used as an analytical method by a growing number of research groups [1,2]. The growing interest in LIPS, particularly in the last decade, has led to an increasing number of publications on its applications, both in the laboratory and in industry. Despite all these activities, the LIPS technique is still not widely accepted in analytical chemistry. Nevertheless, the LIP spectrochemical analysis has become an important tool for answering chemical questions and diagnosing industrial problems.
BMP-4 is proteolytically activated by furin and/or PC6 during vertebrate embryonic development

Bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) is a multifunctional developmental regulator. BMP-4 is synthesized as an inactive precursor that is proteolytically activated by cleavage following the amino acid motif -Arg-Ser-Lys-Arg-. Very little is known about processing and secretion of BMPs. The proprotein convertases (PCs) are a family of seven structurally related serine endoproteases, at least one of which, furin, cleaves after the amino acid motif -Arg-X-Arg/Lys-Arg-. To examine potential roles of PCs during embryonic development we have misexpressed a potent protein inhibitor of furin, alpha1-antitrypsin Portland (alpha1-PDX) in early Xenopus embryos. Ectopic expression of alpha1-PDX phenocopies the effect of blocking endogenous BMP activity, leading to dorsalization of mesoderm and direct neural induction. alpha1-PDX-mediated neural induction can be reversed by co-expression of downstream components of the BMP-4 signaling pathway. Thus, alpha1-PDX can block BMP activity upstream of receptor binding, suggesting that it inhibits an endogenous BMP-4 convertase(s). Consistent with this hypothesis, alpha1-PDX prevents cleavage of BMP-4 in an oocyte translation assay. Using an in vitro digestion assay, we demonstrate that four members of the PC family have the ability to cleave BMP-4, but of these, only furin and PC6B are sensitive to alpha1-PDX. These studies provide the first in vivo evidence that furin and/or PC6 proteolytically activate BMP-4 during vertebrate embryogenesis.
Therapeutic Robotics: A Technology Push

In this paper, we present a retrospective and chronological review of our efforts to revolutionize the way physical medicine is practiced by developing and deploying therapeutic robots. We present a sample of our clinical results with well over 300 stroke patients, both inpatients and outpatients, proving that movement therapy has a measurable and significant impact on recovery following brain injury. Bolstered by this result, we embarked on a two-pronged approach: 1) to determine what constitutes best therapy practice and 2) to develop additional therapeutic robots. We review our robots developed over the past 15 years and their unique characteristics. All are configured both to deliver reproducible therapy but also to measure outcomes with minimal encumbrance, thus providing critical measurement tools to help unravel the key question posed under the first prong: what constitutes "best practice"? We believe that a "gym" of robots like these will become a central feature of physical medicine and the rehabilitation clinic within the next ten years
A 15,000-hour cyclic endurance test of an 8-centimeter-diameter electron bombardment mercury ion thruster

A laboratory model 8 cm thruster with improvements to minimize ion chamber erosion and peeling of sputtered metal was subjected to a cyclic endurance test for 15,040 hours and 460 restarts. A charted history of several thruster operating variables and off-normal events are shown in 600-hour segments at three points in the test. The transient behavior of these variables during a typical start-stop cycle is presented. Finding of the post-test inspection confirmed most of the expected results. Charge exchange ions caused normal accelerator grid erosion. The workability of the various design features was substantiated, and attainable improvements in propellant utilization efficiency should significantly reduce accelerator erosion.
Evaluating Aerodynamic Characteristics of Wind-Tunnel Models Produced by Rapid Prototyping Methods

Initial studies of the aerodynamic characteristics of proposed launch vehicles can be made more accurately if lower-cost, high-e delity aerodynamic models are available for wind-tunnel testing early in the development phase. The results of a study undertaken at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center are discussed to determine whetherfour rapid prototyping methods using a variety of materials are suitable for the design and manufacture of high-speed wind-tunnel models in direct testing applications. Also presented is an analysis of whether these materials and processes are of sufe cient strength and e delity to withstand the testing environment. In addition to test data, costs and turnaround times for the various models are given. On the basis of this study’ s results, one can conclude that rapid prototyping models show promise in limited, direct application for preliminary aerodynamic development studies at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds.
Alu-mediated detection of DNA damage in the human genome

A new approach to monitoring UV damage and repair in the human genome has been developed. The proposed approach is based on a combination of features unique to interspersed repetitive Alu elements, and the ability of certain DNA lesions to block Taq polymerase-mediated DNA synthesis: namely, the extraordinary abundance of Alu repeats throughout the human genome in conjunction with distinct sequence motifs comprising long runs of T residues which are likely targets for formation of UV lesions. Hence, Taq polymerase-mediated extension synthesis with Alu specific primers was employed to visualize formation of discrete predicted adducts within the element. Several variations of the Alu-primer driven amplification protocol were developed to monitor the following aspects of damage: (i) induction of UV-photoproducts at predicted sites within the Alu sequence, (ii) modification of extension synthesis profiles, (iii) UV dose dependent, quantitative inhibition of Alu-primer driven amplification. The assays reveal sites of predicted Taq polymerase blockage within the Alu sequence, a global decrease in the mean length of extension products, and a measurable reduction in the quantity of extension products that is inversely proportional to UV dose. Thus, the exceptional abundance of Alu repeats and their primary sequence features, in combination with the ability of UV lesions to block elongation by Taq polymerase, provide a novel and sensitive system for detecting UV damage in the human genome. The system detects UV damage at levels that are compatible with cellular DNA repair, and provides a unique amplification-based protocol for probing the overall integrity of human DNA.
Phase-shifting interferometer/ellipsometer capable of measuring the complex index of refraction and the surface profile of a test surface

A novel interferometer based on a conventional phase-shifting design is presented. This interferometer is capable of measuring both the real and the imaginary parts of the complex index of refraction and the surface profile of a test surface, n,k, and h, respectively. Maximum-likelihood-estimation theory is shown to be a viable means of extracting the three parameters of interest from the measured data. A Monte Carlo simulation showed limited success in estimating the complex index parameters. The results exhibited bias or deviation from the true values for the system configuration examined. The estimate on the surface profile showed excellent agreement with the true value, although the error in the estimate was an order of magnitude worse than in the case in which only the surface profile is to be estimated.
Hemorrhage after transjugular liver biopsy requiring embolization.

Transjugular liver biopsy was first described by Dotter in 19641 and usually performed when direct percutaneous biopsy is contraindicated due to coagulopathy or perihepatic ascites. Arterial bleeding after biopsy requiring embolization is rare.
Fluctuating Asymmetry in Menidia beryllina before and after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Assessing the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with a dependable baseline comparison can provide reliable insight into environmental stressors on organisms that were potentially affected by the spill. Fluctuating asymmetry (small, non-random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry) is an informative metric sensitive to contaminants that can be used to assess environmental stress levels. For this study, the well-studied and common Gulf of Mexico estuarine fish, Menidia beryllina, was used with pre and post-oil spill collections. Comparisons of fluctuating asymmetry in three traits (eye diameter, pectoral fin length, and pelvic fin length) were made pre and post-oil spill across two sites (Old Fort Bayou and the Pascagoula River), as well as between years of collection (2011, 2012)-one and two years, respectfully, after the spill in 2010. We hypothesized that fluctuating asymmetry would be higher in post-Deepwater Horizon samples, and that this will be replicated in both study areas along the Mississippi Gulf coast. We also predicted that fluctuating asymmetry would decrease through time after the oil spill as the oil decomposed and/or was removed. Analyses performed on 1135 fish (220 pre and 915 post Deepwater Horizon) showed significantly higher post spill fluctuating asymmetry in the eye but no difference for the pectoral or pelvic fins. There was also higher fluctuating asymmetry in one of the two sites both pre and post-spill, indicating observed asymmetry may be the product of multiple stressors. Fluctuating asymmetry decreased in 2012 compared to 2011. Fluctuating asymmetry is a sensitive measure of sub lethal stress, and the observed variability in this study (pre vs. post-spill or between sites) could be due to a combination of oil, dispersants, or other unknown stressors.
Growth of (100) GaAs by vertical zone melting

Abstract The vertical zone melt growth technique (VZM) was used to grow undoped, semi-insulating GaAs. Single crystals 34 mm in diameter were grown in the direction. A molten zone length of 23 mm resulted in a solid-liquid interface which deviated only slightly from planarity to give a convex growing interface. With a vertical temperature gradient of 9δ C cm -1 (measured in the furnace), the dislocation density was a uniform (2−5) × 10 3 cm -2 throughout the crystal. Hall measurements, carbon determinations and EL2 determinations all indicated that the GaAs had a relatively uniform impurity content in the first 80% of the crystal. VZM was also used to zone level Sn dopant to give an n-type carrier concentration varying by approximately 20% over 80% of the crystal length.
In-Stream Wetland Mitigation of Nitrogen Contamination in a USA Coastal Plain Stream

Nonpoint source N from riverine origin is a major water quality problem throughout the world. Nitrogen removal from a contaminated (6.6 mg L -1 , NO 3 -N) stream was evaluated in this study using an in-stream wetland (ISW). The ISW was established at the exit of a 425-ha USDA Water Quality Demonstration watershed in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. It ranged in depth from about 0.2 to 2 m, and it was <1% (3.3 ha) the size of the watershed. The ISW dramatically lowered mean stream NO 3 -N from 6.6 to 2.0 mg L 1 . Nitrate-N mass removal was highly correlated to inflow NO 3 -N (r = 0.93) in the warmer months when biological processes were more active. Ammonia-N mass removal was opposite that of NO 3 -N. It was highly correlated to inflow NH 3 -N (r = 0.81) during the cooler months. Removal of both NO 3 -N and total-N (NO 3 -N + TKN) were positively correlated to temperature with r values of 0.77 and 0.62, respectively. Total annual N removal for the ISW was approximately 3 kg ha -1 d -1 , which was about 37% of the inflow N. The ISWs appear to be very good landscape features for mitigating excess nonpoint source N in the southeastern Coastal Plain of the USA. As such, they are a good complement to other best management practices for improved water quality.
Gathered This Unruly Folk: The Textural Colligation of Historical Knowledge on Architecture

This essay takes up the issue of textual narration in architectural history. My general question is, How does the narrative construction of a text influence the reading of that text? More specifically, how are empirical statements ordered in a narrative by more abstract textual concepts to represent a particular point of view on the past? My argument is largely drawn from philosophical historiography and literary theory. These conceptions are then extended to the individual circumstances of architectural history. To encourage critical reading of architectural texts on the part of architects and others is the overall goal of this essay.
Bending settlement of a slab resting on a consolidating foundation

The calculation of the settlement and bending of an elastic slab resting on a consolidating foundation under the action of a load concentrated on a line. Two cases are considered: first, when the slab is perfectly pervious to water, and second, when it is impervious. The problem is two‐dimensional.
Implementing multiresolution models and families of models: from entity-level simulation to desktop stochastic models and repro models

We have developed and used families of multiresolution and multiple-perspective models (MRM and MRMPM), both in our substantive analytic work for the Department of Defense and to learn more about how such models can be designed and implemented. This paper is a brief case history of our experience with a particular family of models addressing the use of precision fires in interdicting and halting an invading army. Our models were implemented as closed-form analytic solutions, in spreadsheets, and in the more sophisticated AnalyticaTM environment. We also drew on an entity-level simulation for data. The paper reviews the importance of certain key attributes of development environments (visual modeling, interactive languages, friendly use of array mathematics, facilities for experimental design and configuration control, statistical analysis tools, graphical visualization tools, interactive post-processing, and relational database tools). These can go a long way towards facilitating MRMPM work, but many of these attributes are not yet widely available (or available at all) in commercial model-development tools--especially for use with personal computers. We conclude with some lessons learned from our experience.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Exposure evaluation of adult male Japanese smokers switched to a heated cigarette in a controlled clinical setting

The objective of this clinical study was to investigate changes in levels of biomarkers of exposure (BOEs) in healthy Japanese male smokers who switched to a prototype heated cigarette (HC). This was a controlled, semi-randomized, open-label, residential study conducted in Japan. A total of 70 healthy Japanese male smokers were enrolled. Following enrollment, subjects smoked their usual brand of cigarette for 2days and were subsequently randomized either to an HC group or a 10mg tar conventional cigarette (CC10) group for four consecutive weeks. Levels of BOEs for ten selected cigarette smoke constituents (nicotine, carbon monoxide (CO), benzene, 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, hydrogen cyanide, crotonaldehyde, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone [NNK], pyrene, 4-aminobiphenyl), and urine mutagenicity were measured at several time points during the study period. At the end of the study period, except for blood carboxyhemoglobin, levels of BOEs for the other nine constituents and urine mutagenicity were significantly lower in the HC group compared to the CC10 group. These results suggest that exposure to most cigarette smoke constituents, except CO, can be reduced by switching from CC10 to HC.
New formulation of water and macromolecular flux which corrects for non-ideality: theory and derivation, predictions, and experimental results.

Classic irreversible formulation of coupled water and macromolecular transport across capillaries by Kedem & Katchalsky (1958) , even with subsequent refinements ( Spiegler & Kedem, 1966 ), assumes explicitly that colloid osmotic pressure (π) is linearly related to macromolecular concentration. It is known, however, that π is related to concentration by an accelerating function empirically expressed as a cubic equation ( Landis & Pappenheimer, 1963 ). Using only basic rules of irreversible thermodynamics ( Onsager, 1931 ), we rederived the coupled flux equations in exact form. To render them approximately solvable, we assumed mathematical continuity across the membrane and incorporated the Landis-Pappenheimer relationship. Results yielded equations giving different membrane descriptors from the classic formulation (CF). Instead of a sieving coefficient (1 − σ), the new formulation (NF) gives a parameter A which is solute flux per unit volume flux when oncotic gradient is zero. Instead of a permeability-surface area product (PS), the NF gives a parameter Φ which is solute flux per unit “solute pressure” at zero water flow. Relationships between σ, PS, A, and Φ are shown whereby differences between CF and NF can be investigated. Predictions were made comparing values expected from experiment for a variety of membrane descriptors and variables using either CF or NF. Predictions show that for any sets of lymph flux and lymph/protein concentration ratio, a number of inequalities are expected: For reflection coefficient, σNF > σCF; for PS, PSNF > PSCF; for mean relative membrane protein concentration, C/Cp(NF) Fr D NF > Fr D CF . In venous pressure perturbation experiments in the hindquarters of 21 dogs, the predictions were upheld. Moreover, CF values were not closely predictive of NF values. As others have noted, CF values of σ and PS are correlated with capillary pressure or filtration; and this relationship is not obliterated by NF treatment, possibly indicating a true pressure or flow dependency of membrane descriptors.
Radiographic staging practices of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer vary according to medical specialty

Background Since 2008, multiple guidelines have endorsed incorporation of chest CT in the radiographic staging assessment of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer (CRC). Radiographic staging practices performed after CRC is detected have not been studied. Objective To evaluate radiographic staging practices for newly diagnosed CRC between gastroenterologists versus non-gastroenterologists. Design Observational cohort study. Setting Single, tertiary-care referral center. Patients Patients newly diagnosed with a T1 or higher stage CRC at time of colonoscopy between 2008 and 2013. Interventions Radiographic staging. Main Outcome Measurements Radiographic preoperative staging examinations ordered by gastroenterologists in comparison to those ordered by non-gastroenterology specialists. Results This study included 277 patients with CRC newly diagnosed by colonoscopy. There were 141 total ordering physicians (68 gastroenterologists and 73 non-gastroenterologists). The majority of preoperative radiographic staging was performed by gastroenterologists (59.2% of patients, n = 164). Colorectal surgeons managed staging in 28.7% of patients (n = 47). Gastroenterologists were more likely to omit a staging chest CT than were non-gastroenterologists (64.6% vs 46.9%; P Limitations Single center, moderate sample size of both providers and patients. Conclusion Gastroenterologists more frequently ordered the initial radiographic staging studies in newly diagnosed CRC patients. However, gastroenterologists were less likely to include chest CT in the initial staging of CRC despite current guideline recommendations to do so. If confirmed with further studies, educational efforts to improve compliance and standardization may be needed.
A phenomenological framework for re-entry dispersion source modeling

Abstract : Analysis of the total trajectory deflection (or impact miss) of a ballistic reentry vehicle (BRV) is still an approximate science. Advances in ballistic trajectory estimation have allowed the effects of individual dispersive events that occur in flight tests to be accurately quantified. However, the prediction of these effects on an a priori basis is a flight mechanics problem with complex aerothermodynamic coupling that has proven difficult to model without considerable testing and theoretical iteration. As a result, the need exists for an overall modeling framework which is both complete and flexible enough to accommodate the various phenomenological models that evolve for the contributors. This framework has been developed and is embodied in a unique hybrid computer code. The code is modular in construction enabling interchanging and upgrading of the various elements. It has proven to be a powerful tool for evaluating the BRV dispersion phenomena and for determining model and parameter sensitivities. It is constructed to allow Monte Carlo statistical studies to be conducted economically. This report provides an overview of the various dispersion-producing events and describes the code structure, modeling and application.
PCB and PCT contamination in Winter Quarters Bay, Antarctica☆

Winter Quarters Bay at McMurdo Station in Antarctica provides docking facilities to visiting ships and is adjacent to a former dump site. Sediments are heavily contaminated with a tarry material and contain a moderately high level of chlorinated biphenyls, in the range of 100–1400 ng g−1 dry wt. Composition in most samples is identical to that of Aroclor 1260, with no evidence of partial degradation, indicating a dominant point source of contamination. Chlorinated terphenyls, also with a 60% chlorine composition, are present at levels in the order of 30–1200 ng g−1. Outside Winter Quarters Bay, PCB levels decrease sharply, by two orders of magnitude over 1 km, and four orders of magnitude at stations 9 and 15 km distant. A substantial modification of the congener composition is evident at the distant stations, but the McMurdo PCB ‘signature’ nevertheless dominates over the ‘global’ signature characteristic of PCBs in the global atmospheric circulation.
Propofol anesthesia in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles

Rapid, safe, and effective methods of anesthetic induction and recovery are needed for sea turtles, especially in cases eligible for immediate release. This study demonstrates that intravenous propofol provides a rapid induction of anesthesia in loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles and results in rapid recovery, allowing safe return to water shortly after the procedure. Forty-nine loggerhead sea turtles were recovered as local fishery by-catch in pound nets and transported to a surgical suite for laparoscopic sex determination. Treatment animals (n532) received 5 mg/kg propofol intravenously (i.v.) as a rapid bolus, whereas control animals (n517) received no propofol. For analgesia, all animals received a 4 ml infusion o f1 % lidocaine, locally, as well as 2 mg/kg ketoprofen intramuscularly (i.m.). Physiologic data included heart and respiratory rate, temperature, and a single blood gas sample collected upon termination of the laparoscopy. Subjective data included jaw tone and ocular reflex: 3 (vigorous) to 0 (none detected). Anesthetic depth was scored from 1, no anesthesia, to 3, surgical anesthesia. Turtles receiving propofol became apneic for a minimum of 5 min with a mean time of 13.7 6 8.3 min to the first respiration. Limb movement returned at a mean time of 21.1 6 16.8 min. The treatment animals were judged to be sedated for ,30 min (mean anesthetic depth score $ 1.5) when compared to controls. Median respiratory rates for treatment animals were slower compared to controls for the first 15 min, then after 35 min, they became significantly faster than the controls. Median heart rates of control animals became significantly slower than treatment animals between 40 and 45 min. Physiologic differences between groups persisted a minimum of 55 min. Possible explanations for heart rate and respiratory rate differences later in the monitoring period include a compensatory recovery of treatment animals from anesthesia-induced hypoxia and hypercapnia or, alternatively, an induced response of the nonsedated control animals. The animals induced with propofol were easier to secure to the restraint device and moved less during laparoscopy. In conclusion, propofol is a safe and effective injectable anesthetic for use in free-ranging loggerhead sea turtles that provides rapid induction and recovery.
Hamiltonian formulation of the theory of interacting gravitational and electron fields

The action which describes the interaction of gravitational and electron fields is expressed in canonical form. In addition to general covariance, it exhibits the local Lorentz invariance associated with four-dimensional rotations of the local orthonormal frames. The corresponding Hamiltonian constraints are derived and their (Dirac) bracket relations given. The derivative coupling of the gravitational tetrad and spinor fields is not present in the Hamiltonian, but rather in the unusual bracket relations of the field variables in the theory. If the timelike leg of the tetrad field is fixed to be normal to the xo = constant hyper-surfaces (“time gauge”) the derivative coupling drops from the theory in the sense that the relation between the gravitational velocities and momenta is the same as when the spinor fields are absent.