cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Analysis of Retinal Hemangioblastomatosis and Visual Function in Ocular von Hippel-Lindau Disease

Objective Characterization of the structural and functional progression of ocular von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease and analysis of patient factors influencing disease progression. Design Retrospective analysis of a case series from a longitudinal, observational study. Participants Two hundred forty-nine participants with clinically defined systemic VHL disease and more than 2 years of ophthalmic follow-up. Methods Standardized scoring of ocular phenotype and systemic characteristics was performed at each study visit and was analyzed longitudinally to determine progression of ocular VHL disease. Main Outcome Measures Measures evaluated include: visual acuity, features of ocular VHL disease (presence, location, number, and extent of retinal capillary hemangioblastomas [RCHs]), germline mutation in the VHL gene, demographics (age, gender, age at onset of ocular disease), and patient characteristics (smoking status, body mass index). Results Most participants demonstrated relative anatomic and functional stability in ocular VHL disease status over a mean follow-up of 8.2±4.0 years. Approximately three quarters (73%) of participants without ocular VHL disease at baseline remained disease free at the end of follow-up. Among eyes with ocular VHL disease at baseline, 88% did not demonstrate RCHs in a new retinal location, 70% remained stable in RCH number, and 79% remained stable in the extent of RCH involvement. Mean visual acuity for all study eyes (n = 498) decreased by 5.1±0.6 letters across follow-up, with 16.1% of study eyes decreasing by more than 10 letters in visual acuity. Among eyes affected at baseline, greater vision loss was associated with the presence of juxtapapillary RCHs, development of RCH in a new location, and increase in peripheral RCH number and extent. Younger baseline age, younger age at onset of ocular VHL disease, involvement of the fellow eye with ocular VHL disease, and missense or protein-truncating germline mutations were associated significantly with increased anatomic involvement and functional deterioration. Conclusions Patients with ocular VHL disease maintain relative anatomic and functional stability, with only a minority demonstrating marked anatomic progression and vision loss. Systemic and ocular risk factors for anatomic progression and vision loss can help practitioners identify patients with a higher risk profile for counseling, closer follow-up, and proactive treatment. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Three‐dimensional spontaneous rupture propagation and implications for the earthquake source mechanism

Summary We consider spontaneous cracks spreading out areally over a fault plane in an infinite medium as a realistic earthquake source model. The boundary integral equation technique described in Das is used to determine the displacements and stresses everywhere on the crack plane. For faults spreading out symmetrically in all four quadrants over infinite planes of constant yield strength, we find that the terminal rupture velocity VIIICR in the direction of purely anti-plane rupture is given by VIIICR < β. In the purely in-plane direction of rupture propagation, we find the terminal rupture velocity VIICR to be given by VIICR < α or VIICR < 0.5α, depending on the yield strength. We also find that crack propagation in the purely antiplane direction does not influence crack propagation in the purely in-plane direction and vice versa. For infinitely long shear cracks of finite width, the slip at a point is found to grow more slowly after the arrival of a shear wave diffracted from the nearer crack edge. The slip virtually ceases after the shear arrival from the further crack edge. This implies that for such faults the slip is controlled by the fault width. For a rectangular fault in an infinite medium, our final dynamic solution is in closer agreement with the static elliptical crack solution of Eshelby than with the static rectangular ‘dislocation model’ solution of Chinnery. We find the relationship between the average slip ū and average dynamic stress drop τe on such a rectangular fault of half-width W to be τe= Cμ(ū/W), where c ˜ 0.7. The slip at an interior point is again controlled by the fault width for faults that are much longer than wide so that the slip may stop in the region where the fault initiated before the completion of the rupture process. This implies that two rectangular faults of varying lengths but of the same width have the same slip for the same average stress drop, a fact clearly contradicted by observations that fault slip increases with earthquake size for great earthquakes occurring along the same fault. This contradiction is resolved if stress drops are also bigger for bigger earthquakes.
Diels-alder reactions of 2-acetyl-2-cyclohexenone with enol ethers and emamines

Abstract 2-Acetyl-2-cyclohexenone ( 2 ) undergoes inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reactions with enol ethers at 25°C. The adduct in which the oxygen adds endo is favored. Trans substituted enol ethers are ≈ 35 times as reactive as the cis isomer. Enamines react immediately with 2 at 25°C.
Fatigue in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

Recognition of a syndrome characterized by fatigue in patients without an obvious cardiopulmonary illness dates back to the late nineteenth century [1–3]. Early descriptions of patients with “neurasthenia” focused on the substantial weakness and lassitude accompanying the syndrome, which was particularly prominent among women. Following the conclusion of the First World War, physicians were challenged by the large numbers of battle-scarred veterans afflicted by chronic fatigue [4].
An Infrastructure of Stream Data Mining, Fusion and Management for Monitored Patients

This paper proposes an infrastructure for data mining, fusion and patient care management using continuous stream data monitored from critically ill patients. Stream data mining, fusion, and management provide efficient ways to increase data utilization and to support knowledge discovery, which can be utilized in many clinical areas to improve the quality of patient care services. The primary goal of our work is to establish a customized infrastructure model designed for critical care services at hospitals. However this structure can be easily expanded to other areas of clinical specialties.
Monte Carlo simulations of the effect of crystallite size on the activity of a supported catalyst

A dynamic Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is presented for the catalytic reaction A+12B2→C. The catalyst surface is modeled as an array of crystallites each one represented as the top projection of a truncated hexagonal pyramid on a flat support. The proportion of corners, edges, base and face atoms or sites varies with crystallite size. The probabilities for the elementary steps comprising the catalytic cycle are calculated from the rate processes at which each elementary step occurs and varies in the different type of sites. We first analyze crystallites of the same size and then a catalyst with a non-uniform distribution of crystallites. The results show that the rate relative to a base case can increase or decrease with crystallite size depending on which elementary step is enhanced in the various types of sites analyzed. Results are relative to parameters used in the base case, which was taken from experimental results for the CO oxidation reaction. Monte Carlo simulations such as the one presented in this paper provide a method of analyzing the effect of crystallite size in the reaction, not available in continuos models. This method is today at the frontier of the modeling of chemical reacting systems and they will enhance our understanding of fundamental issues in catalytic reactions.
Stearidonic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids Inhibit Interleukin-6 Expression in ob/ob Mouse Adipose Stem Cells via Toll-Like Receptor-2-Mediated Pathways

Increased adipose tissue positively correlates with circulating inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6. We previously reported that adipose stem cells from genetically obese ob/ob mice produce significantly higher levels of IL-6 compared with other cell types such as adipocytes and macrophages within adipose tissue. We also demonstrated that (n-3) PUFA have antiinflammatory effects on adipocyte IL-6 secretion. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that EPA [20:5 (n-3)] and stearidonic acid [SDA, 18:4 (n-3)] would decrease LPS (200 μg/L)-induced IL-6 secretion and IL-6 mRNA content in the adipose stem cells. SDA (100 μmol/L) and EPA (100 μmol/L) significantly reduced LPS-induced IL-6 secretion and decreased IL-6 mRNA expression. To determine the underlying intracellular mechanisms, we tested whether LPS-induced Toll-like-receptor (TLR) 4 and TLR2 expression were modulated by these fatty acids using Western-blot analysis. EPA and SDA suppressed LPS-induced TLR2 but not TLR4 protein expression in the adipose stem cells. Furthermore, SDA and EPA significantly lowered the activation and translocation of NF-κB, a TLR2 downstream signaling target, while protein expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinases-1/2 were unaffected. Collectively, our results suggest that EPA and SDA inhibit LPS-induced IL-6 secretion and IL-6 mRNA expression in the adipose stem cells by decreasing TRL2-mediated signaling pathways.
Development of Hydrodynamic Models Suitable for Air Pollution and Other Mesometerological Studies

Abstract We describe the development of a general, predictive, hydrostatic meteorological model. The model is three-dimensional and is suitable for a wide variety of problems, ranging from the synoptic scale to the small end of the mesoscale. The model contains provisions for variable terrain, a moisture cycle, sensible heat addition at the earth's interface, and high- and low-resolution boundary layer physics. This paper presents the mathematical and numerical formulation used in the various options of the model. First we write the basic equations on a Lambert conformal projection. Then we describe the horizontal and vertical grid structure, the finite-difference equations, and the energetics of the three-dimensional model and its two-dimensional analog. We consider the role of the lateral boundary conditions for limited area forecasts, with emphasis on their effect on the mean motion over the domain. Two options for including the frictional and diabatic effects at the earth's surface are presented. Thes...
Wir erleben die zweite Phase der digitalen Revolution.

Die Potenziale der Digitalisierung fur Wachstum und Wohlstand werden von Vertretern aus Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft immer wieder gepriesen. Konnen Sie diese Potenziale naher konkretisieren?
Proposed method to calculate FRMAC intervention levels for the assessment of radiologically contaminated food and comparison of the proposed method to the U.S. FDA's method to calculate derived intervention levels

This report reviews the method recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for calculating Derived Intervention Levels (DILs) and identifies potential improvements to the DIL calculation method to support more accurate ingestion pathway analyses and protective action decisions. Further, this report proposes an alternate method for use by the Federal Emergency Radiological Assessment Center (FRMAC) to calculate FRMAC Intervention Levels (FILs). The default approach of the FRMAC during an emergency response is to use the FDA recommended methods. However, FRMAC recommends implementing the FIL method because we believe it to be more technically accurate. FRMAC will only implement the FIL method when approved by the FDA representative on the Federal Advisory Team for Environment, Food, and Health.
Adult Socialization and Social Work Practice

■ Traditional theories, the author contends, have neglected the possibility of significant personality change In adulthood. Furthermore, they have underestimated the influence of social and cultural factors—especially the demands of the immediate social situation—on the adult's personality structure. The author describes concepts of adult socialization including "normal" transformation, conversion, commitment, and situational adjustment and considers them as much-needed supplements to traditional theories. ■ In the early stages of its history social work was so intimately bound up with the discipline of sociology that often the two were indistinguishable from each other, either by the general public or by academi cians. In the early twentieth century, how ever, there occurred a schism between the two fields that grew to such proportions that by the 1920's the "do-gooders" and the "nose-counters" regarded each other with mutual disdain. In seeking recogni tion as a "pure" science, sociology zealously followed the path of positivism and em piricism, concentrating primarily on the accumulation of "raw" data and the refine ment of research techniques. Finding it self increasingly hard put to utilize such alien endeavors in the formation of its knowledge base, social work turned to psy choanalytic theory as its chief authority in explaining human behavior. Psychoanaly sis helped fortify an already existing trend in social work toward treating the "indi vidual." Although Freudian theory could hardly be considered less esoteric than so ciological theory, it did at least provide social work with a therapy-centered focus and a fairly coherent theory of personality structure.
Upgraded photon calorimeter with integrating readout for the Hall A Compton polarimeter at Jefferson Lab

Abstract The photon arm of the Compton polarimeter in Hall A of Jefferson Lab has been upgraded to allow for electron beam polarization measurements with better than 1% accuracy. The data acquisition (DAQ) system now includes an integrating mode, which eliminates several systematic uncertainties inherent in the original counting-DAQ setup. The photon calorimeter has been replaced with a Ce-doped Gd2SiO5 crystal, which has a bright output and fast response, and works well for measurements using the new integrating method at electron beam energies from 1 to 6 GeV.
Simple Acts of Tolerance: A Slap in the Face to Acquisitive Prescription

The Louisiana Supreme Court handed down a very controversial decision on May 5, 2015, when it decided Boudreaux v. Cummings. The Louisiana Supreme Court erred in its decision, holding that Boudreaux failed to prove a predial servitude was established by acquisitive prescription because Boudreaux failed to prove he possessed the real right in question, a right of passage. The court erred in its decision by adopting an extremely liberal subjective standard for evaluating acquisitive prescription, relying on the ideas of “neighborly accommodations” and “simple acts of tolerance.” Acquisitive prescription has had a place in Louisiana property law for many years. Its purpose was to maximize the use of immovable property and to reward those who make active, physical use of land that does not belong to them. The author examined years of Louisiana cases involving acquisitive prescription, from the first case to the most recent. The author also examined cases from French law, upon which the Louisiana Civil Law Property Code was based. The author discovered that the reasoning behind the courts’ decision has been discussed only a handful of times in Louisiana Court decisions, and has not been discussed at all in recent years. This article examines the laws of acquisitive prescription and when they apply. This article specifically deals with neighboring properties and the problems that now arise with acquisitive prescription due to this new court decision. The main idea behind acquisitive prescription is hindered as long as this decision takes precedent, which is why this article explains and recommends that the decision from the Louisiana Supreme Court must be changed.
Alcohol use and injury severity in trauma patients.

Trauma is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and alcohol makes a significant contribution to this problem. Alcohol has been demonstrated to increase the incidence of trauma through its ability to alter behavior and impair motor performance. Its effect on the severity of trauma has been more controversial. This study examines the impact of acute intoxication on injury severity by retrospectively reviewing 12 months of trauma admissions (n = 1957) to a Level I trauma center for Injury Severity Score, mortality rate, discharge destination and length of hospital stay. When intoxicated versus non-intoxicated patients were compared, no differences were found in ISS, mortality, or incidence of being discharged to home. However, length of stay was significantly shorter for intoxicated patients. This study supports the concept that acutely intoxicated trauma victims suffer as many consequences as non-intoxicated patiens, with the exception of length of stay. A discussion of these find...
The Politics of Social Security Expansion: Social Security Disability Insurance, 1935–1986

In 1956 President Eisenhower signed an amendment to the social security program that created disability insurance. His action marked the end of a sharp debate over disability insurance and the beginning of two decades of consensus concerning the program. Thirty years later, however, major issues have arisen in the disability insurance program that closely resemble the disputes that preceded its passage. Consensus no longer prevails about the goals and administration of the program. In this paper, we describe the history of the social security disability program in terms of an illusive search for a political consensus.2 We first examine the U.S. Senate's 1956 debate over disability insurance. This debate provides a convenient summary of the ingredients of the compromise that sustained the consensus of the next two decades. Then, in an effort to explain what was at stake in 1956, we review discussions about disability that had taken place previously in bureaucratic and professional circles. We next examine the post- 1956 expansion of disability insurance, and we conclude with the dissolution of the compromise.
Reactor Dynamics with Reactivity Loss Rate Proportional to Energy

An analysis is made of the differential equation for the dynamics of a reactor with an accidental excess reactivity and a control mechanism which removes reactivity at a rate proportional to the energy. The analysis is based on the fluid dynamics problem of laminar flow over a flat plate when blowing or suction occurs. The results are plotted on a dimensionless graph of the time at which the reactor becomes critical again, the maximum power, and the energy. Series expansions of the variables are also derived. (D.L.C.)
Adenosine-induced vasodilation: receptor characterization in pulmonary circulation

Adenosine mediates vascular smooth muscle relaxation in the pulmonary circulation. The A2 receptor has been suggested to mediate adenosine-induced vasodilation (AIV). In this study, the effect(s) of selective adenosine agonist and antagonist on the hypoxic pressor response (HPR) was assessed in the isolated blood-perfused rat lung. Adenosine (0.075-7.5 mM) infusion (0.125 ml/min) into the pulmonary artery dose dependently attenuated the HPR. AIV was mimicked by 10 microM 5'-(N-ethylcarboxamido)adenosine (NECA), a nonselective adenosine agonist. Adenosine- and NECA-induced vasodilation were attenuated by 67 microM 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline. In contrast, NECA-induced vasodilation was not attenuated by the A1 antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (1 microM). At 10 microM, a minimal vasodilatory effect was seen with the nonselective adenosine agonists CV-1808 and N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R-PIA) compared with NECA. The highly selective A2a agonist 2-[p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenyl amino]-5'-N-ethyl carboxamido adenosine (CGS-21680C, 10 microM) and A1 agonist 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA, 10 microM) had no vasodilatory effect. Neither the K+ channel blockers tetraethylammonium chloride (10 mM) and glibenclamide (100 microM) nor the NO synthase inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester attenuated NECA-induced vasodilation. These findings suggest that AIV is mediated via the A2b receptor and that AIV occurs via an NO-independent mechanism.
Application of arima in prediction of incidence of measles in zhaotong city

Objective To predict the trend of incidence of measles,provide a reference for developing prevention and control strategies. Methods Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model( ARIMA) was fitted by applying the incidence rate from January 2005 to March 2013 as historical series with SPSS 17. 0 software, which was used predict the incidence of measles in the future,comparing the predictors with the facts. Results ARIMA( 1,2,1)( 0,1,0) 12 model was chosen to the prediction. The incidence of measles was predicted 12. 26 per 100 000 in 2013. Conclusions ARIMA model can simulate the trend of measles fluctuation on time series,and can predict the incidence of measles in the future.
HIV Antibody Screening among Criminals in Custody in Tongliao City from 2005 to 2008

[Objective]To analyze the screening result of AIDS among criminals in custody in Tongliao city,prevent further spread of AIDS.[Methods]The data of AIDS screening among criminal prisoners in prison and reformatory in Tongliao city were analyzed statistically.[Results]5680 prisoners were tested during 2005—2008,5562 were male (97.92%) and 118 were female (2.08%).2 cases of HIV infection were detected,which were both male and intravenous drug users.[Conclusion]It is very necessary to carry out AIDS screening among criminals in custody.From now on,the management should be strengthened,public security departments and health department should cooperate further to find and block the AIDS spread from different sources early.
Influence of Topiramate Monotherapy on Immune Function in Children with Idiopathic Epilepsy

Objective To explore the influence of topiramate monotherapy on immune function in children with idiopathic epilepsy.Methods Thirty-nine children with idiopathic epilepsy(23 boys and 16 girls,aged from 5 months to 11 years) with adopting follow-up of out-patients before and after treatment in 3 and 6 months and venous blood was collected respectively from the children on empty stomach.Applying automatic biochemical analyzer to detect serum immunoglobulin lgG,IgA,IgM through immune turbidimetry;while CD3,CD4,CD8 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)were detected through the application of flow cytometry.Results Compared with the healthy control group,IgA,IgG,ICAM-1,CD8 levels increased and CD3,CD4 levels decreased in the children with epilepsy before treatment and there were distinctive differences,whereas IgM had no difference,compared with that of healthy control group.After treatment for 6 months,IgA,IgG,ICAM-1,CD8 levels decreased,there were distinctive differences compared with that before treatment,while there was no difference compared with that of healthy control group.IgM,CD3,CD4 levels increase had no statistic difference,compared with both that in healthy control group and that in the epilepsy group before treatment.Conclusions There are already immune function disorders in the children with idiopathic epilepsy before taking antiepileptic drugs;topiramate monotherapy can improve the immune function of children with epilepsy.
Combinatorial development of antibacterial Zr-Cu-Al-Ag thin film metallic glasses

Metallic alloys are normally composed of multiple constituent elements in order to achieve integration of a plurality of properties required in technological applications. However, conventional alloy development paradigm, by sequential trial-and-error approach, requires completely unrelated strategies to optimize compositions out of a vast phase space, making alloy development time consuming and labor intensive. Here, we challenge the conventional paradigm by proposing a combinatorial strategy that enables parallel screening of a multitude of alloys. Utilizing a typical metallic glass forming alloy system Zr-Cu-Al-Ag as an example, we demonstrate how glass formation and antibacterial activity, two unrelated properties, can be simultaneously characterized and the optimal composition can be efficiently identified. We found that in the Zr-Cu-Al-Ag alloy system fully glassy phase can be obtained in a wide compositional range by co-sputtering, and antibacterial activity is strongly dependent on alloy compositions. Our results indicate that antibacterial activity is sensitive to Cu and Ag while essentially remains unchanged within a wide range of Zr and Al. The proposed strategy not only facilitates development of high-performing alloys, but also provides a tool to unveil the composition dependence of properties in a highly parallel fashion, which helps the development of new materials by design.
Anti-Platelet Factor 4/Heparin Antibodies in Patients with Gram Negative Bacteremia

Abstract 3391 Introduction The anti-platelet factor 4(PF4)/heparin antibodies, arising as a result of previous heparin exposure, are causally related to the procoagulant state due to platelet and monocyte activation. Formation of these antibodies with subsequent thrombocytopenia or thrombosis has also been described in patients, who have not been previously exposed to heparin. The presence of anti-PF4/heparin antibodies in individuals correlates with the severity of periodontal disease, implying that their occurrence may be triggered by periodontal pathogens. In this study, we determined the presence of anti-PF4/heparin antibodies in gram-negative bacteremic patients in a hospital setting and propose a pathophysiologic mechanism of their presence. Method We developed an in house ELISA for quantifying anti-PF4/heparin antibodies using therapeutic heparin and PF4 isolated from platelets. We used serum from a patient with high optical density as a standard and assigned an unit of 100 arbitrarily to construct a standard curve. We tested the sera from gram negative bacteremic patients (n= 34) in the quantitative ELISA along with normal controls (n=10). We also developed an in house ELISA for studying cross reactivity between anti-PF4/heparin antibodies and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/PF4. We tested the sera from patients (n=5) with heparin induced thrombocytopenia in this cross reactivity ELISA. To test the interaction of LPS with PF4, we labeled PF4 with Alexa488 and measured its binding to LPS by monitoring the changes in fluorescence emission spectrum following excitation at λ480. Results Patients with bacteremia had higher titers of antiPF4/heparin antibodies compared to normal controls (26.4 ± SD 33 units, N=34 versus 6.3 ± SD 2.38 units, N=10, P=0.032). Bacterial LPS interacted with alexa488-labeled PF4 in a concentration-dependent manner, as measured by the quenching of the excitation spectrum. Patients with ant-PF4/heparin antibodies also reacted with LPS/PF4 complex in ELISA. Prior absorption of serum with PF4/heparin complex coated on ELISA plates decreased the reactivity of the serum towards PF4/LPS complex (19–46%) in two out of the five patients tested suggesting some were cross-reaction between PF4/Heparin and PF4/LPS complex. Conclusions PF4 forms a complex with lipopolysaccharide and this complex is immunogenic. Antibodies to PF4/LPS complex can cross-react with PF4/heparin complex raising the possibility that these antibodies may be responsible for the detection of PF4/heparin in individuals never been exposed to heparin previously. These antibodies may also be at least partly responsible for increased thrombosis associated with infection. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Involvement of ENaC in the development of salt-sensitive hypertension

Salt-sensitive hypertension is associated with renal and vascular dysfunctions, which lead to impaired fluid excretion, increased cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance. It is commonly acc...
A sequential parametric convex approximation method for solving bilinear matrix inequalities

The goal of this paper is to develop an algorithm for solving optimization problems subject to bilinear matrix inequalities (BMIs). We propose a sequential semidefinite programming (SDP) algorithm mainly motivated from the recently developed convex-concave programming approach, the path-following approach, and the general non-convex programming approaches. New convex over approximations of the BMI constraints are used. Finally, numerical experiments are provided for comparative analysis.
New genetic algorithms (GA) to optimize PWR reactors: Part III: The Haling power depletion method for in-core fuel management analysis

Abstract The Haling Power Distribution (HPD) has been applied in a unique process to greatly accelerate the in-core fuel management optimization calculations. These calculations involve; the arrangement of fuel assemblies (FAs) and the placement of Burnable Poisons (BPs) in the fresh FAs. The HPD deals only with the arrangement of FAs. The purpose of this paper is to describe past uses of the HPD, provide an example selected from many similar calculations to explain why and how it can be used, and also to show its effectiveness as a filter in the GARCO GA code. The GARCO (Genetic Algorithm Reactor Core Optimization) is an innovative GA code that was developed by modifying the classical representation of the genotype and GA operators. A reactor physics code evaluates the LPs in the population using the HPD Method, which rapidly depletes the core in a single depletion step with a constant power distribution. The HPD is used basically in GARCO as a filter to eliminate invalid LPs created by the genetic operators, to choose a reference LP for BP optimization, and to create an initial population for simultaneous optimization of the LP and BP placement into the core. The accurate depletion calculation of the LP with BPs is done with the coupled lattice and reactor physics CASMO-4/SIMULATE3 package. However, the fact that these codes validate safety of the core with the added BP placement design also validates the use of the HPD method. The calculations are applied to the TMI-1 core as an example PWR providing concrete results.
The African Diaspora Starts Here: Historical Archaeology of Coastal West Africa

Charleston, South Carolina; Kingston, Jamaica; Port au Prince, Haiti; Salvador, Brazil: all of these are cities in the Americas that share one overwhelmingly apparent factor. Any visitor to these communities will immediately be struck by the strength of the African contribution to their cultures. Indeed, the visibility of an African legacy in these settings has stimulated broader research into the African origins of various aspects of material culture in the African Diaspora, including, but not limited to, housing, ceramics, language, and foodways (Herskovits 1941). Researchers have rightly recognized the African contribution not as pure, undiluted “Africa” in each of these settings, but as a new cultural form, transformed (sensu Armstrong 1998) from the “original” African antecedent(s) through the process of adaptation, acceptance, and resistance to European derived cultural practices. They are not “neo Africas” but instead are each the unique product of a distinct set of historical influences.
An in vitro bacterial surface migration assay underneath sterile barrier material commonly found in a hospital setting.

An in vitro bacterial surface migration assay underneath sterile barrier material commonly found in a hospital setting
Susceptibility of insecticide-resistant bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) to infection by fungal biopesticide.

BACKGROUND Bed bugs are a public health concern, and their incidence is increasing worldwide. Bed bug infestations are notoriously difficult to eradicate, further exacerbated by widespread resistance to pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticides. This study evaluated the efficacy of the newly developed fungal biopesticide Aprehend™, containing Beauveria bassiana, against insecticide-resistant bed bugs. RESULTS Overall mortality for the Harold Harlan (insecticide-susceptible) strain was high (98–100%) following exposure to Aprehend™ or Suspend SC (deltamethrin). The mean survival times (MSTs) for Harold Harlan bed bugs were 5.1 days for Aprehend™ and 4.8 and 3.0 days for the low and high concentrations of Suspend SC respectively. All three strains of pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs were susceptible to infection by B. bassiana, resulting in MSTs of 94% overall mortality. Conversely, mortality of the three insecticide-resistant strains after exposure to Suspend SC was only 16-40%. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that Aprehend™ is equally effective against insecticide-susceptible and insecticide-resistant bed bugs and could provide pest control operators with a promising new tool for control of bed bugs and insecticide resistance management. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Selective reward affects the rate of saccade adaptation

In this study we tested whether a selective reward could affect the adaptation of saccadic eye movements in monkeys. We induced the adaptation of saccades by displacing the target of a horizontal saccade vertically as the eye moved toward it, thereby creating an apparent vertical dysmetria. The repeated upward target displacement caused the originally horizontal saccade to gradually deviate upward over the course of several hundred trials. We induced this directional adaptation in both right- and leftward saccades in every experiment (n=20). In half of the experiments (n=10), we rewarded monkeys only when they made leftward saccades and in the other half (n=10) only for rightward saccades. The reaction time of saccades in the rewarded direction was shorter and we, like others, interpreted this change as a sign of the reward's preferential effect in that direction. Saccades in the rewarded direction showed more rapid adaptation of their directions than did saccades in the non-rewarded direction, indicating that the selective reward increased the speed of saccade adaptation. The differences in adaptation speed were reflected in changes in saccade metrics, which were usually more noticeable in the deceleration phases of saccades than in their acceleration phases. Because previous studies have shown that the oculomotor cerebellum is involved with saccade deceleration and also participates in saccade adaptation, it is possible that selective reward could influence cerebellar plasticity.
Construction of Stabilizing State Feedback for Nonlinear Control Systems

Abstract In this paper algorithms for determining the local smooth asymptotic stabilizability of two specific classes of smooth nonlinear control systems are developed.
Pro-oxidant and antioxidant effects of nitric oxide

Nitric oxide reacts preferentially with other free radicals. Reaction of nitric oxide with oxygen yields nitrogen dioxide, a potent oxidant. However, this reaction may be too slow to be relevant in vivo. Reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide occurs extremely rapidly and generates peroxynitrite. This latter molecule undergoes many deleterious oxidative reactions with biological molecules such as amino acids, sugars and lipids. In an analagous reaction nitric oxide may also react with peroxyl radicals, such as lipid peroxyl radicals, and inhibit free radical chain reactions such as lipid peroxidation.
Propranolol reduced bleeding during endoscopic sclerotherapy

Source Citation Vinel JP, Lamouliatte H, Cales P, et al. Propranolol reduces the rebleeding rate during endoscopic sclerotherapy before variceal obliteration. Gastroenterology. 1992 May;102:1760-3.
What Women Want from Their Health Care Providers about Pregnancy Options Counseling: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract Objectives Unintended pregnancy is common in the United States, yet scant research has evaluated women's preferences on pregnancy options counseling. This study explores pregnant women's preferences for pregnancy options counseling from health care providers. Methods We conducted semistructured interviews with pregnant women at a prenatal clinic and an abortion clinic. We asked women about recent discussions—or lack thereof—about pregnancy options (parenting, adoption, and abortion) with a clinician, and what they would want their provider to discuss about pregnancy options. We analyzed transcripts using modified grounded theory. Findings We interviewed 10 women in prenatal care and 18 women seeking abortion. In both settings, most said clinicians should discuss pregnancy options with pregnant women and 1) respect patient autonomy, 2) avoid assumptions about a woman's desired pregnancy outcome, and 3) consider the patient—including her health and fertility intentions—beyond her pregnancy. Participants wanted their doctors to assess a pregnancy's individual circumstances to determine the appropriateness of options counseling. A few participants, including women who did and did not receive options counseling, reported they personally preferred not to receive such counseling. Explaining this preference, they cited preservation of privacy, having already made a decision for the pregnancy, or just not wanting to discuss abortion. Regarding best practices for providing options counseling, participants said it should be done in a routine manner, with discretion, and early in pregnancy. Conclusions Pregnant women seeking both prenatal and abortion care broadly support options counseling. Implications Discussion of pregnancy options, including abortion, provides patient-centered care and supports women's preferences.
Frequency-bin entangled qutrits in an on-chip microresonator

We demonstrate three-dimensional frequency-bin entanglement using three contiguous frequency mode pairs from a quantum frequency comb generated in an integrated optical microresonator.
The Ties that Bind Us: A Process-Based Approach to Understanding Attachment to Place

We spend our lives becoming attached to and separate from places such as schools, organizations, and communities, however attachment research provides primarily a cognitive perspective on how this fundamental process unfolds. Drawing on ideas from social geography and environmental psychology, I extend existing theories on attachment by seriously considering the role of the material and social world. Using a phenomenological approach, I explore how members’ lived experiences and interaction with environmental cues enable attachment to place. Drawing on an extreme case, the ethnically diverse city of Hamtramck, Michigan, my findings suggest dual processes of attachment, where engagement with physical and social cues within the community, re-affirm members sense of individual uniqueness and collective belonging. My findings have significant implications for how we understand the social and material relationship between individuals, place, and community. This work has implications for literatures on attachme...
Annual Burden and Costs of Hospitalization for High-Need, High-Cost Patients With Chronic Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases

Background & Aims We estimated the annual burden and costs of hospitalization in patients with chronic gastrointestinal and liver diseases, and identified characteristics of high-need, high-cost patients, in a nationally representative sample. Methods Using Nationwide Readmissions Database 2013, we identified patients with at least 1 hospitalization between January and June 2013, and a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), chronic liver diseases (CLDs), functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), gastrointestinal hemorrhage, or pancreatic diseases, with 6 months or more of follow up. We calculated days spent in hospital/month and estimated costs of the entire cohort, and identified characteristics of high-need, high-cost patients (top decile of days spent in hospital/month). Results Patients with IBD (n = 47,402), CLDs (n = 376,810), FGIDs (n = 351,583), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (n = 190,881), or pancreatic diseases (n = 98,432), hospitalized at least once, spent a median of 6 to 7 days (interquartile range, 3–14 d) in the hospital each year (total for all diseases). Compared to patients in the lowest decile (median, 0.13–0.14 d/mo spent in the hospital), patients in the highest decile spent a median 3.7–4.1 days/month in hospital (total for all diseases), with hospitalization costs ranging from $7502/month to $8925/month and 1 hospitalization every 2 months. Gastrointestinal diseases, infections, and cardiopulmonary causes were leading reasons for hospitalization of these patients. Based on multivariate logistic regression, high-need, high-cost patients were more likely to have Medicare/Medicaid insurance, lower income status, index hospitalization in a large rural hospital, high comorbidity burden, obesity, and infection-related hospitalization. Conclusions In a nationwide database analysis of patients with IBD, CLD, FGID, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, or pancreatic diseases hospitalized at least once, we found that a small fraction of high-need, high-cost patients contribute disproportionately to hospitalization costs. Population health management directed toward these patients would facilitate high-value care.
Determining the Structural and Energetic Basis of Allostery in a De Novo Designed Metalloprotein Assembly.

Despite significant progress in protein design, the construction of protein assemblies that display complex functions (e.g., catalysis or allostery) remains a significant challenge. We recently reported the de novo construction of an allosteric supramolecular protein assembly (Zn-C38/C81/C96R14) in which the dissociation and binding of ZnII ions were coupled over a distance of 15 A to the selective hydrolytic breakage and formation of a single disulfide bond. Zn-C38/C81/C96R14 was constructed by ZnII-templated assembly of a monomeric protein (R1, a derivative of cytochrome cb562) into a tetramer, followed by progressive incorporation of noncovalent and disulfide bonding interactions into the protein–protein interfaces to create a strained quaternary architecture. The interfacial strain thus built allowed mechanical coupling between the binding/dissociation of ZnII and formation/hydrolysis of a single disulfide bond (C38–C38) out of a possible six. While the earlier study provided structural evidence for t...
Independence and Obedience: An Analysis of Child Socialization Values in the United States and China*

The United States and China are two societies with distinctive cultures. Common to many of the discussions of American culture is the perception that Americans value individual independence. Chines...
Effects of allelic variation at Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 on grain yield and agronomic traits of southern US soft red winter wheat

Semi dwarfism in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is primarily governed by two loci, Rht-B1 and Rht-D1. Cultivars adapted to the soft red winter wheat growing region of southeastern USA are predominantly Rht-D1b genotypes but report no significant grain yield advantage over Rht-B1b semi dwarfing cultivars. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of allelic variation at Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 on plant height, grain yield and additional yield components in a doubled haploid population consisting of 35 semi dwarfs with Rht-B1b, 50 semi dwarfs with Rht-D1b, eight wild type lines, and two lines with dwarfing alleles at both loci. Rht loci significantly affected plant height, with double dwarfs shorter than both single gene semi dwarfs and wild types. Rht-D1b semi dwarfs were significantly shorter than their Rht-B1b counterparts. Rht loci also had a significant effect on grain yield, with Rht-D1b lines having higher mean grain yield (4.03 t ha−1) compared to Rht-B1b (3.83 t ha−1) and wild type (3.49 t ha−1) lines. A significant interaction between Rht loci and site-year was detected only for thousand kernel weight, indicating that the advantage of Rht-D1b over the other haplotypes was consistent across environments. Overall, their higher grain yield was due in part to higher thousand kernel weight that contributed to higher kernel weight spike−1 and likely influenced by a shorter stature. The results of this study will aid breeders in choice of semi dwarfing alleles for adaptation to the soft wheat growing region of the southern USA.
MRI quality control for low-field MR-IGRT systems: Lessons learned.

PURPOSE To present lessons learned from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quality control (QC) tests for low-field MRI-guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT) systems. METHODS MRI QC programs were established for low-field MRI-60 Co and MRI-Linac systems. A retrospective analysis of MRI subsystem performance covered system commissioning, operations, maintenance, and quality control. Performance issues were classified into three groups: (a) Image noise and artifact; (b) Magnetic field homogeneity and linearity; and (c) System reliability and stability. RESULTS Image noise and artifacts were attributed to room noise sources, unsatisfactory system cabling, and broken RF receiver coils. Gantry angle-dependent magnetic field inhomogeneities were more prominent on the MRI-Linac due to the high volume of steel shielding in the gantry. B0 inhomogeneities measured in a 24-cm spherical phantom were <5 ppm for both MR-IGRT systems after using MRI gradient offset (MRI-GO) compensation on the MRI-Linac. However, significant signal dephasing occurred on the MRI-Linac while the gantry was rotating. Spatial integrity measurements were sensitive to gradient calibration and vulnerable to shimming. The most common causes of MR-IGRT system interruptions were software disconnects between the MRI and radiation therapy delivery subsystems caused by patient table, gantry, and multi-leaf collimator (MLC) faults. The standard deviation (SD) of the receiver coil signal-to-noise ratio was 1.83 for the MRI-60 Co and 1.53 for the MRI-Linac. The SD of the deviation from the mean for the Larmor frequency was 1.41 ppm for the MRI-60 Co and 1.54 ppm for the MRI-Linac. The SD of the deviation from the mean for the transmitter reference amplitude was 0.90% for the MRI-60 Co and 1.68% for the MRI-Linac. High SDs in image stability data corresponded to reports of spike noise. CONCLUSIONS There are significant technological challenges associated with implementing and maintaining MR-IGRT systems. Most of the performance issues were identified and resolved during commissioning.