cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Memory and the Ethnic Self: Reading Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

The Chinese-American milieu in a San Francisco neighborhood furnishes the main contingent of characters in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. What the four families in that book, the Woos, Jongs, Hsus, and St. Clairs, have in common is mother-daughter relations. The mothers are all first generation immigrants from mainland China, speaking very little English and remaining cultural aliens in their new world. The daughters are all born and educated in America, some even married to "foreigners." Within the microcultural structure of family, the only means available for mothers to ensure ethnic continuity is to recollect the past and to tell tales of what is remembered. Lamenting the failing marriage of Lena, her daughter, and Lena's unfamiliarity with the "Chinese ways of thinking," Ying-ying St. Clair voices the anxiety and helplessness shared by all the mothers in the book: All her life, I have watched her as though from another shore. And now I must tell her everything about my past. It is the only way to penetrate her skin and pull her to where she can be saved. (274) In her mother's eyes, because Lena, without a memory of the past, allows herself to be borne by the bustle of life, she doesn't know who she is, and cannot hold herself together. It may be true that through her mother's memory, Lena will learn to share a belief in certain rules, roles, behaviors and values which provide, within the family and the overseas Chinese community, a functional ethos and a medium of communication. But will she, even if she unexpectedly finds herself confronted by an hour which has a special connection with her mother's past, have access to her mother's deeply buried anxiety, psychic need, specific mental habits, and life-world perception? Can she really share her mother's unrepeatable life-experience? Can she ever lear how to overstep her own existential limits through her mother's story? What if she has to take cognizance of a barrier in her present existence that will eternally be a barrier between her and her mother? These questions can be asked not only about Lena, but also about all the other
On the Circular Points at Infinity

(1897). On the Circular Points at Infinity. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 132-145.
Nonexistence of positive solutions for a semi-linear equation involving the fractional laplacian in ℝ N*

Abstract In this paper, we consider the semilinear equation involving the fractional Laplacian in the Euclidian space ℝn: (0.1) ( − Δ ) α / 2 u ( x ) = f ( x n ) u p ( x ) , x ∈ ℝ n in the subcritical case with 1 < p < n + α n − α . Instead of carrying out direct investigations on pseudo-differential equation (0.1), we first seek its equivalent form in an integral equation as below: (0.2) u ( x ) = ∫ ℝ n G ∞ ( x , y ) f ( y n ) u p ( y ) d y , where G∞(x,y) is the Green's function associated with the fractional Laplacian in ℝn. Employing the method of moving planes in integral forms, we are able to derive the nonexistence of positive solutions for (0.2) in the subcritical case. Thanks to the equivalence, same conclusion is true for (0.1).
Allocation of Pain and Suffering Awards for Consumer Product Accidents: Effects of Level of Economic Damages

A study was carried out to explore the effects of the level of economic damage awards on the amount of pain and suffering awards in a product liability litigation context. Two separate accident scenarios were presented to participants who were instructed to consider themselves in the role of jurors. One scenario involved a vehicle accident resulting in permanent quadriplegia and the other described a work place incident where an employee received chemical burns on 65% of his body. Two levels of economic damages were manipulated for each scenario as a between-participants variable. Following the presentation of each scenario, including the economic damages award, participants were asked to make a pain and suffering award. There were no constraints on the size of the awards. Results indicated significant differences in pain and suffering allocations for the two scenarios (means in dollars were: quad = 2.3 million, burn = 1.4 million). While mean pain and suffering awards were higher for the condition of hig...
Plant adaptation in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau

Adaptive features of plants of the Great Basin are reviewed. The combination of cold winters and an arid to semiarid precipitation regime results in the distinguishing features of the vegetation in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. The primary effects of these climatic features arise from how they structure the hydrologic regime. Water is the most limiting factor to plant growth, and water is most reliably available in the early spring after winter recharge of soil moisture. This factor determines many characteristics of root morphology, growth phenology of roots and shoots, and photosynthetic physiology. Since winters are typically cold enough to suppress growth, and drought limits growth during the summer, the cool temperatures characteristic of the peak growing season are the second most important climatic factor influencing plant habit and performance. The combination of several distinct stress periods, including low-temperature stress in winter and spring and high-temperature stress combined with drought in summer, appears to have limited plant habit to a greater degree than found in the warm deserts to the south. Nonetheless, cool growing conditions and a more reliable spring growing season result in higher water-use efficiency and productivity in the vegetation of the cold desert than in warm deserts with equivalent total rainfall amounts. Edaphic factors are also important in structuring communities in these regions, and halophytic communities dominate many landscapes. These halophytic communities of the cold desert share more species in common with warm deserts than do the nonsaline communities. The Colorado Plateau differs from the Great Basin in having greater amounts of summer rainfall, in some regions less predictable rainfall, sandier soils, and streams which drain into river systems rather than closed basins and salt playas. One result of these climatic and edaphic differences is a more important summer growing season on the Colorado Plateau and a somewhat greater diversification of plant habit, phenology, and physiology.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures—What Data Do We Really Need?

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services has recently announced the inclusion of several patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the abbreviated Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for joint replacement (HOOS, JR and KOOS, JR) for the purpose of quality assessment in total hip and total knee replacement (THR and TKR). Historically, Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services and other agencies have used measures of process (eg, % vaccinated) or adverse events (eg, infection rates, readmission rates) for quality assessment. However, the use of PROMs has become a priority based on stated goals by the National Quality Strategy and Institute of Medicine for a more patient-centered approach. Here, we review several general health and joint-specific PROMs, which have been extensively used in research to assess treatment efficacy and discuss their relevance to the new criteria for quality assessment, particularly for THR and TKR. Although we expect HOOS, JR and KOOS, JR to yield much useful information in the near term, these surveys are likely an interim solution. In the future, we anticipate that novel measurement platforms, such as wearable technologies or patient-specific surveys, may open new and exciting avenues of research to discover which types of data-perhaps not previously available-best represent patient quality of life and satisfaction after THR, TKR, or other orthopedic procedures.
New Data on Aluminum Alloys for Cryogenic Applications

The interest in the use of aluminum alloys for cryogenic applications has stemmed from the long-recognized increases in tensile properties of these alloys at depressed temperatures [1–4]. The fact that the elongations, as well as the strengths, of most aluminum alloys increase as temperature decreases, and that the reduction of area values are about the same at -320oF as at room temperature, formed the basis for further study of the properties of these alloys at low temperature. Also of importance was the often demonstrated absence of transition in fracture behavior.
Nationality and Region: Why They Matter Less than Expected

Much of the literature on the European Commission (EC) discusses the challenges of bringing together people from multiple countries with differing values and administrative traditions (Ellinas and Suleiman, 2012; Stevens and Stevens, 2001; Hooghe, 2001). Most accept the premise that although the staff of international organizations such as the EC form a “transnational administrative elite” (Knill and Bauer, 2007: 198), often cosmopolitan in education and values, they, nonetheless, retain values based on socialization in their home country, which shape their behavior, so that they experience a “tension between European and national identities” (Bellier, 2000).
Itinerant Antiferromagnetism in RuO_{2}.

Bulk rutile RuO_{2} has long been considered a Pauli paramagnet. Here we report that RuO_{2} exhibits a hitherto undetected lattice distortion below approximately 900 K. The distortion is accompanied by antiferromagnetic order up to at least 300 K with a small room temperature magnetic moment of approximately 0.05μ_{B} as evidenced by polarized neutron diffraction. Density functional theory plus U (DFT+U) calculations indicate that antiferromagnetism is favored even for small values of the Hubbard U of the order of 1 eV. The antiferromagnetism may be traced to a Fermi surface instability, lifting the band degeneracy imposed by the rutile crystal field. The combination of high Neel temperature and small itinerant moments make RuO_{2} unique among ruthenate compounds and among oxide materials in general.
On local conservation of numerical methods for conservation laws

Abstract In this paper we introduce a definition of the local conservation property for numerical methods solving time dependent conservation laws, which generalizes the classical local conservation definition. The motivation of our definition is the Lax–Wendroff theorem, and thus we prove it for locally conservative numerical schemes per our definition in one and two space dimensions. Several numerical methods, including continuous Galerkin methods and compact schemes, which do not fit the classical local conservation definition, are given as examples of locally conservative methods under our generalized definition.
Increased fracture depth range in controlled spalling of (100)-oriented germanium via electroplating

Abstract Controlled spalling in (100)-oriented germanium using a nickel stressor layer shows promise for semiconductor device exfoliation and kerfless wafering. Demonstrated spall depths of 7–60 μm using DC sputtering to deposit the stressor layer are appropriate for the latter application but spall depths
The effect of alkyl chain length on mechanical properties of fatty-acid-functionalized amidoamine-epoxy systems

Abstract The effects of pendant alkyl chain length n ranging from n = 0 to n = 10 in amidoamine crosslinkers on mechanical properties of epoxy thermosets are explored in this work. The glassy-state Young’s modulus was estimated using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and compared with experiments. Both simulations and experiments showed that Young’s modulus decreases with increase in n. Stress partitioning based on molecular interaction types showed that both Lennard-Jones and covalent bond interactions were responsible for this sensitivity, with Coulombic interactions playing no significant role. The dependence of Young’s modulus on n was strain-rate dependent in the simulations, with moderate to high strain rates showing no sensitivity. A strong correlation was observed between Young’s modulus from non-equilibrium MD and volume fraction of methylenes estimated from equilibrium MD. Poisson’s ratios of all systems predicted from the simulations were insensitive to n, indicating a lack of anisotropy. The information revealed here on the roles of various intermolecular interactions on the mechanical properties of these thermosets could be useful for design of crosslinkers.
The Genetics of Primary Microcephaly

Primary microcephaly (MCPH, for “microcephaly primary hereditary”) is a disorder of brain development that results in a head circumference more than 3 standard deviations below the mean for age and...
Gate-Controlled Memristors and their Applications in Neuromorphic Architectures

We discuss the theory of gated memristive devices, which exhibit continuous states over three orders of magnitude and can be programmed independently of reading. A model is generated by using knowledge of the device physics and fitting the parameters to measured data. The gate-controlled memristor simplifies the implementation of analog artificial neural network architectures significantly. Using this, a very simple architecture is presented, along with a simulation and its performance metrics. The simulated analog neural neural network is able to achieve 88.9 percent accuracy on the MNIST test set. The objective is to demonstrate the advantages that gated memristors can give to analog neural networks.
Pipelined Hardware Architecture for a Fuzzy Logic Based Edge Detection System

Edge detection is a fundamental task for any image processing system. It serves as an entry point for a lot of major algorithms such as image identification, segmentation, and feature extraction. Consequently, a lot of different techniques have evolved to accomplish this task. The most commonly known methods include Sobel, Laplacian, Prewitt, and fuzzy logic based methodology. In this paper, a novel, pipelined architecture for a type-1 fuzzy edge detector system is discussed. It has been implemented on different Xilinx devices. The fuzzy system consists of modules as follows: preprocessing, fuzzification which creates four fuzzy input variables, inference and defuzzification resulting in a single crisp output. The hardware accelerator utilizes a pipeline of seven stages. Each stage requires just one clock cycle. The system can operate at a frequency range of 83–100 MHz depending on the speed grade of the FPGA device it is compiled to. Using the 1080P HD standard, the proposed architecture is capable of processing up to 45 fps which makes it feasible for real time applications. The system was developed using Xilinx Vivado and 7000-series FPGA devices. Simulations were carried out using ModelSim by Mentor Graphics.
Developmental trajectories of executive functions in young males with fragile X syndrome

Abstract Background Executive functions (EF) have been identified as impaired in FXS, but few studies have examined their developmental trajectories. Aims The primary aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the development of EF in young males with FXS compared to Mental Age (MA)-matched controls. Methods and Procedures The sample comprised 56 boys with FXS (ages 7–13 years), and 48 MA-matched typical boys (ages 4–8 years). EF tasks included measures of inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility/set-shifting, problem solving/planning, and processing speed. Tasks were administered at three time points over five-years. Outcomes and Results The MA-Matched Typical boys significantly outperformed the FXS boys on all EF tasks, with the FXS Group showing a pattern of slow, but positive growth on most EF tasks. For working memory tasks, significant interactions were noted between MA and autism symptom severity, and MA and medication status. The probability of task completion increased with higher MA. Conclusions and Implications These findings contribute to our understanding of the development of EF in this population. They also lay the foundation for use of EF tasks in treatment efforts, particularly with respect to documenting improvements and practice effects, and in understanding associations with targeted developmental outcomes.
CpG DNA augments the immunogenicity of plasmid DNA vaccines.

Vaccine development has been revolutionized by the use of antigen-encoding DNA plasmids to induce cellular and humoral immune responses against pathogenic viruses, parasites, bacteria and tumors (Cox et al. 1993; Ulmer et al. 1993; Wang et al. 1993; Sedegah et al. 1994). DNA vaccines are composed of an antigen-encoding gene whose expression is regulated by a strong mammalian promoter incorporated into the plasmid backbone of bacterial DNA (Wolff et al. 1990; Manthorpe et al. 1993; Ulmer et al. 1993). When injected intramuscularly or intradermally, DNA vaccines are transcribed and translated, and the protein they encode is presented to the immune system in the context of self major histocom-patibility complex (MHC) (Wolff et al. 1990; Cox et al. 1993; Ulmer et al. 1993).
Aspects of Organoiron Mössbauer Spectroscopy

In this the silver anniversary year of the discovery of the Mossbauer effect its role in the characterization of the organo- metallic chemistry of iron will be considered. Within the frame-work of this discussion we begin by examining the range of parameters normally encountered in low valent iron Mossbauer spectroscopy and the structure of the experiment for this application. Mossbauer spectroscopy studies the interaction of nuclear spin transitions with the electronic and magnetic environment. This provides information regarding electronic configuration or oxidation state, stereochemistry and the bonding capabilities of ligands. Some of these arguments have impacted historically on the field of organoiron chemistry. More detailed expositions of the theory and practice of Mossbauer spectroscopy may be found published elsewhere1–13 and also accompany this review. Previous reviews of this subject have also appeared.1,2,10
Spontaneous Gangliosidoses in Animals

During the past two decades, an increasing number of reports have appeared in the literature which have dealt with diseases considered to be the counterpart of human gangliosidoses. Thus for the first time, in 1953, Hagen1 described clinical and pathological features of two cases of “amaurotic idiocy” in English setters. Histochemically, however, the cytoplasmic inclusion material seemed to be mainly phosphatides. Koppang2 used animals for the same breeding stock of English setters and obtained, by planned mating, dogs of both sexes affected with the disease. Fourteen of them developed slowly progressive clinical signs at one year of age which consisted of incoordination and decreased vision. Later the dogs displayed various mental disturbances and died at about two years of age. He considered the clinical course to be similar to that seen in the juvenile form of familial amaurotic idiocy, but could not reach any conclusions regarding the genetic pattern of transmission. Grossly, the brain showed edematous leptomeninges and atrophic changes, especially in the cerebellum. Microscopically, the neurons of the brain exhibited a cytoplasmic granular material which displayed histochemical characteristics of glycolipids.
The Bone Benefits of Calcium and Exercise in Children

During growth, bone strength, defined as the ability to resist fracture, develops through the adaptation of skeletal mass and geometry in response to mechanical loads. Bones have a tremendous potential to respond to mechanical loading by changing shape, and this adaptive ability is much greater during growth than after growth ceases. Throughout childhood and adolescence, the skeleton is adapting to changes in mechanical loads to become strong enough to support body weight and current physical activity. Furthermore, at the completion of growth, the bones must be of sufficient strength to meet the lifetime load-bearing demands of adulthood. Bone mass, size, and strength are regulated by daily mechanical loads, but the relative response to loads is dependent upon other factors: genetics, lifestyle choices, and health, hormonal and nutritional status. This chapter focuses on the role of mechanical loading (physical activity) and calcium nutrition in childhood skeletal development.
Factors Predicting Longer Length of Stay for Hospitalization for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant

Introduction Over 8000 allogeneic stem cell transplants (AlloSCT) are currently done in a year in USA. Complications occur frequently in the immediate post transplant course, resulting in adverse outcomes and increased healthcare utilization. The impact of these complications on the length of stay (LOS) and healthcare utilization is not well known. In this retrospective study, we set out to use a large inpatient administrative database (Healthcare Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample-HCUP NIS) to explore predictors for prolonged length of stay. Methods We used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) procedure codes to identify patients for AlloSCT in the 2002-2014 NIS database (Bone marrow, BM: 41.02, 41.03, Peripheral blood, PB: 41.05, 41.08 and Cord blood, CB: 41.06). We used chi-square for categorical data frequency (p Results During the study period, a total of 63,595 inpatient allogeneic stem cell transplants were done with a median length of stay (mLOS) of 25 days. Using median splitting, we created 3 cohorts: 25 or less, 26-50 and >50 (days). Table 1 shows baseline characteristics and post transplant complications in each cohort. There are15 variables on the multivariate model that predicted for prolonged LOS (figure 1). Mortality increased significantly with a longer LOS (table 1). Healthcare utilization is reported in table 2. Conclusion We identified many predictors affecting length of hospitalization for patients undergoing stem cell transplant. Longer length of stay also predicted for higher utilization of healthcare resources and was associated with higher mortality in our study, suggesting worse outcomes in patients with a prolonged hospital course. This multivariate model can be used to calculate estimated length of stay for patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant.
A phase III, multicenter, prospective, single-blinded, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial on the performance of a novel esophageal stent with an antireflux valve (with video)

Background and Aims Self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) when deployed across the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) can lead to reflux with risks of aspiration. A SEMS with a tricuspid antireflux valve (SEMS-V) was designed to address this issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this stent. Methods A phase III, multicenter, prospective, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial was conducted on patients with malignant dysphagia requiring SEMSs to be placed across the GEJ. Patients were randomized to receive SEMSs with no valve (SEMS-NV) or SEMS-V. Postdeployment dysphagia score at 2 weeks and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQL) questionnaire score at 4 weeks were measured. Patients were followed for 24 weeks. Results Sixty patients were randomized (SEMS-NV: 30 patients, mean age 67 ± 13 years; SEMS-V: 30 patients, mean age 65 ± 12 years). Baseline dysphagia scores (SEMS-NV, 2.5 ± .8; SEMS-V, 2.5 ± .8) and GERD-HRQL scores (SEMS-NV, 11.1 ± 8.2; SEMS-V, 12.8 ± 8.3) were similar. All SEMSs were successfully deployed. A similar proportion of patients in both arms improved from advanced dysphagia to moderate to no dysphagia (SEMS-NV, 71%; SEMS-V, 74%; 95% confidence interval, 1.93 [–17.8 to 21.7]). The dysphagia scores were also similar across all follow-up time points. Mean GERD-HRQL scores improved by 7.4 ± 10.2 points in the SEMS-V arm and by 5.2 ± 8.3 in the SEMS-NV group (P = .96). The GERD-HRQL scores were similar across all follow-up time points. Aspiration pneumonia occurred in 3.3% in the SEMS-NV arm and 6.9% in the SEMS-V arm (P = .61). Migration rates were similar (SEMS-NV, 33%; SEMS-V, 48%; P = .29). Two SEMS-V spontaneously fractured. There was no perforation, food impaction, or stent-related death in either group. Conclusions The SEMS-V was equally effective in relieving dysphagia as compared with the SEMS-NV. Presence of the valve did not increase the risks of adverse events. GERD symptom scores were similar between the 2 stents, implying either that the valve was not effective or that all patients on proton pump inhibitors could have masked the symptoms of GERD. Studies with objective evaluations such as fluoroscopy and/or pH/impedance are recommended. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT02159898.)
A novel method for wind farm layout optimization based on wind turbine selection

Abstract A novel method was developed to detect the optimal onshore wind farm layout driven by the characteristics of all commercially-available wind turbines. A huge number of turbine combinations (577) was processed, resulting in 22,721 generated layouts. Various assumptions and constraints were considered, mostly derived from the literature, including site features, wind conditions, and layout design. For the latter, an irregularly staggered turbine array configuration was assumed. Wake effects were simulated through the Jensen’s model, while a typical turbine thrust coefficient curve as a function of wind speed was originally developed. A detailed cost model was used, with levelized cost of energy selected as primary and capacity factor as secondary objective function. The self-organizing maps were used to address a thorough analysis, proving to be a powerful means to straightforwardly achieve a comprehensive pattern of wind farm layout optimization. In general, the two optimization functions basically match, while for higher wind potential sites, increasing capacity factor did not necessarily result in decreasing levelized cost of energy. The latter may be minimised by reducing the total number of turbines or the overall wind farm capacity, as well as maximising rotor diameters or minimising rated wind speeds; increasing rated power or hub height is only beneficial for mid-potential sites. The mere maximisation of wind farm energy production is a misleading target, as corresponding to mid-to-high values of levelized cost of energy. In contrast to previous studies, the use of turbines with different rated power, rotor diameter or hub height should be avoided.
Incorporating ACS into Your Practice

Acute care surgery is an evolving field which stands to benefit patients, surgeons, and hospital systems alike. A standardized definition of this practice model has yet to be agreed upon and may require flexibility with specifics dependent on the needs and resources of the employing group or institution. This chapter aims to introduce surgeons to the model, its potential pitfalls, and unique considerations when implementing this model into an existing practice. Finally, an important part of a successful acute care surgery service, billing and coding, is discussed in detail to help demystify and optimize these practices.
College Students’ Awareness of Mental Disorders and Resources: Comparison across Academic Disciplines

Mental Health Disorders (MHDs) are an increasingly pervasive issue on college campuses. The aim of the present investigators was to identify differences in the frequency of attendance in counseling...
Novel FBP based sparse-view CT reconstruction scheme using self-shaping spatial filter based morphological operations and scaled reprojections

Abstract Computed tomography (CT) has been a major contributor in revolutionizing and commercializing the medical imaging industry. However, most of the commonly used CT reconstruction algorithms need sufficiently dense angular sampling views or a substantial dose of hazardous X-ray radiations. Reducing the radiation dose causes degradation in the quality of the reconstructed image, due to additional artifacts. The paper presents a novel algorithm for efficient CT reconstruction from under-sampled projections; which leads to radiation dose reduction with quality image reconstruction. The Sparse-View projection data is enhanced using a series of post-processing algorithms and computer based reprojection. The process involves enhancement through self-shaping/amoeba based morphological spatial filtering. The use of self-shaping spatial filter kernel in the area of under-sampled CT reconstruction is a novel contribution. The scheme is supported by computer simulations using fan-beam projections of clinically reconstructed and simulated head CT phantoms. The proposed scheme is compared with classical reconstruction techniques for reconstruction image quality, accuracy, speed, and robustness in the presence of noise. Promising results indicate the efficacy of proposed scheme. An efficient scheme for image enhancement of Sparse-View CT is presented. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheme is visually and statistically better than classical CT reconstruction techniques, as evaluated using various image quality matrices. The presented scheme is more robust to noise in CT projections and effective for enhancing few-views reconstruction.
A Verifiable Imputation Analysis for Univariate Time Series and Enabling Package

This paper proposes a verifiable imputation process and an enabling tool for univariate time series. Common ad-hoc and case-specific imputation are not enough to ensure high quality and effective imputation. We adopt the similar verification logic of supervised learning. We use artificial missing sampling as the test set to estimate a set of imputers’ performances and use the estimated performances to select the best imputer. To ensure the correctness of selection, we analyze the impact of various factors on estimation accuracy. Those factors are missing rate, size of artificial missing data and patterns, selected imputers, and noise level. We propose a two-step verifiable imputation process to integrate all of the steps. With this process, we can always leverage the most suitable imputer to achieve a high quality of imputation without tedious and error-prone data cleaning efforts. We implement the tool as a Python package, with many imputers with their unique capabilities and a API. We automate the imputation through a standard process, which returns imputed results and detailed rationales of selection along with quality metrics.
Genicular Artery Embolization for Refractory Hemarthrosis following Total Knee Arthroplasty: Technique, Safety, Efficacy, and Patient-Reported Outcomes.

Purpose This single institution study describes the technique, safety, and efficacy of genicular artery embolization (GAE) for treatment of refractory hemarthrosis following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with a focus on patient-reported outcomes. Material and methods Patients who underwent GAE between January 2010 and March 2020 at the authors' institution were included if they had undergone TKA and subsequently experienced recurrent hemarthrosis. Embolization was performed using spherical microparticles. Technical success was defined as significant reduction or elimination of the hyperemic blush. Clinical success was defined as absence of clinical evidence of further hemarthrosis. Clinical follow-up was obtained 7-14 days post procedure and at 3-month intervals thereafter via telephone interview during which patients were questioned about the presence of symptoms and their satisfaction with the procedure. 82 knees were included. 117 embolizations, comprising 82 initial, 28 first repeat, and 7 second repeat, were performed. Results An average of 2.5 arteries was treated per procedure. The superior lateral genicular artery was the most commonly embolized. The most utilized particle size was 100-300 μm, although 300-500 μm particles were favored in later cases. Follow up was available for all patients, with a median duration of 21.5 months. 65.9%, 25.6%, and 8.5% of patients underwent one, two, and three treatments, respectively. Complications occurred following 12.8% of treatments, the most common of which was transient cutaneous ischemia; this was seen only in the patients who were embolized with particles smaller than 300 μm. Technical success was achieved in all cases. Clinical success was achieved in 56% of patients following the first treatment, in 79% after the second, and in 85% after the third. 83% of patients reported being either Satisfied or Very Satisfied with the overall result. Conclusion Targeted GAE with spherical particles is an effective treatment for recurrent hemarthrosis with infrequent serious complications. Repeat embolization is effective and should be considered in cases of recurrence following initial therapy.
Systemic Sirolimus Therapy for Infants and Children With Pulmonary Vein Stenosis.

Abstract Background Anatomic interventions for pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) in infants and children have been met with limited success. Sirolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, has demonstrated promise as a primary medical therapy for PVS, but the impact on patient survival is unknown. Objectives The authors sought to investigate whether mTOR inhibition with sirolimus as a primary medical therapy would improve outcomes in high-risk infants and children with PVS. Methods In this single-center study, patients with severe PVS were considered for systemic sirolimus therapy (SST) following a strict protocol while receiving standardized surveillance and anatomic therapies. The SST cohort was compared with a contemporary control group. The primary endpoint for this study was survival. The primary safety endpoint was adverse events (AEs) related to SST. Results Between 2015 and 2020, our PVS program diagnosed and treated 67 patients with ≥moderate PVS. Of these, 15 patients were treated with sirolimus, whereas the remaining patients represent the control group. There was 100% survival in the SST group compared with 45% survival in the control group (log-rank p = 0.004). A sensitivity analysis was completed to address survival bias using median time from diagnosis of PVS to SST. A survival advantage persisted (log-rank p = 0.027). Two patients on sirolimus developed treatable AEs. Patients in the SST group underwent frequent transcatheter interventions with 3.7 catheterizations per person-year (25th to 75th percentile: 2.7 to 4.4 person-years). Median follow up time was 2.2 years (25th to 75th percentile: 1.2 to 2.9 years) in the SST group versus 0.9 years (25th to 75th percentile: 0.5 to 2.7 years) in the control group. Conclusions The authors found a survival benefit associated with SST in infants and children with moderate-to-severe PVS. This survival benefit persisted after adjusting the analysis for survival bias. There were 2 mild AEs associated with SST during the study period; both patients were able to resume therapy without recurrence.
Carbon isotope stratigraphy and mammal turnover during post-PETM hyperthermals

Abstract. Paleogene hyperthermals, including the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and several other smaller events, represent global perturbations to Earth's climate system and are characterized by warmer temperatures, shifts in floral and faunal communities, and hydrologic changes. These events are identified in the geologic record globally by negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs), resulting from the input of isotopically light carbon into Earth's atmosphere. Much about the causes and effects of hyperthermals remains uncertain, including whether all hyperthermals are caused by the same underlying processes, how biotic effects scale with the magnitude of hyperthermals, and why CIEs are larger in paleosol carbonates relative to marine records. Resolving these questions is crucial for their full interpretation and application to future climate scenarios. The Fifteenmile Creek area of the central Bighorn Basin, Wyoming U.S.A., exposes an early Eocene floodplain sedimentary sequence that preserves paleosol carbonates and an extensive fossil mammal collection. Previous analysis of faunal assemblages revealed two pulses of mammal turnover and changes in diversity interpreted to correlate with the ETM2 and H2 hyperthermals that immediately follow the PETM. This was, however, based on long distance correlation of chemostratigraphic records. We present new carbon isotope stratigraphy using micrite δ13C values from paleosol carbonate nodules preserved in and between richly fossiliferous localities at Fifteenmile Creek to identify the stratigraphic positions of ETM2 and H2. Additionally, we used differential GPS elevations to establish a new stratigraphic framework that assists in correlation and is independent from the biostratigraphy and previous composite lithostratigraphic sections from the area. Carbon isotope results show that the ETM2 and H2 hyperthermals, and possibly the subsequent I1 hyperthermal, are recorded at Fifteenmile Creek. ETM2 and H2 overlap with the two previously recognized pulses of mammal turnover. Comparisons between the new chemostratigraphy and fossil record suggest that the recorded amplitude of these faunal changes may be muted as a result of some stratigraphic averaging of fossils. The CIEs for these hyperthermals are also smaller in magnitude than in more northerly Bighorn Basin records. We suggest that basin-wide differences in soil moisture and/or vegetation could contribute to variable CIE amplitudes in this and other terrestrial records.
Application of IEC-61800-5 Insulation Coordination to Shipboard Equipment Scaling Studies

When it comes to understanding the creepage and clearance requirements for power electronic conversion and distribution equipment in the naval shipboard environment, appropriate guidance has always been limited. Design practices suitable to the shipboard environment have not kept pace with the comparable trends in terrestrial applications. The necessity of direct interfacing of power electronics, without intervening transformers, to Medium Voltage ac (MVac) and (MVdc) shipboard distribution systems introduces unique challenges to behavior of insulation systems due to mixed-mode electric field stresses that are currently being researched. In the interim, what is needed is a methodology that adapts present-day industry practices regarding insulation coordination to shipboard MVac and MVdc distribution system equipment. This paper discusses a conservative design practice that adapts the insulation coordination design to the PEC and power distribution equipment that will comprise an Integrated Power and Energy System (IPES) for shipboard electrification.
Immobilized Enzymes as Precolumn and Postcolumn Modification Reagents in Liquid Chromatography

The use of enzymes as reagents for analysis has increased rapidly over the past decade. Briefly, enzymes are high-molecular-weight biochemicals which catalyze the reactions necessary for life itself. Without exception, these biocatalysts are members of a class of compounds called proteins. The distinguishing factor for enzymes is the existence of a geometrical area on their three-dimensional structure which facilitates catalysis. The binding of the reactant, called the substrate, to the active site of the enzyme is the first step in catalysis. It is important to remember that this binding process may require major rearrangement of the enzyme three-dimensional structure, a process called induced fit of substrate. The reaction then proceeds through a variety of mechanisms ranging from increased susceptibility to nucleophilic attack to an intermediate in which a portion of the substrate remains covalently bound to the enzyme molecule, in all cases mediated by the enzyme molecule.
Chemical Monitoring of Soils for Environmental Quality and Animal and Human Health

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the aspects of environmental quality in which soils may serve as sources or sinks for potentially toxic substances in air, water, and the food chain. It describes the methods and concepts important in soil chemical monitoring. Soil monitoring procedures include methods and implementation programs to protect crop plants and the food chain from attaining harmful concentrations of the various environmental pollutants. The mineral composition of plants must be maintained at levels that do not harm the health of man and animals. The chapter deals with various soil pollution sources: (1) agricultural pollutants and soil erosion, (2) animal wastes, and (3) industrial and municipal wastes. Pollutants in the environment should be defined, monitored, and regulated on the basis of the following characteristics: (1) production and consumption within an area, (2) mode of transport into the environment, (3) persistence in a potentially hazardous form within the environment, (4) toxicity of poisonous concentrations by plants, animals, and human beings, (5) teratogenic effects of long-term exposure by animals and man to low concentrations, and (6) aesthetic considerations, such as eutrophication. The chapter further discusses the monitoring of macroelements and microelements.
The application of epidemiologic research study principles to a variety of research settings

Over the last 3 years the research I was involved in could for the most part be classified in terms of epidemiologic research design. This thesis does not discuss the intricacies of carrying out an epidemiologic study but rather describes the different applications of epidemiologic study designs including the advantages and disadvantages of each. With the ever-growing amount of literature, it is essential to understand the benefits and limitations of each type of study for clinical decision-making and for selecting the appropriate design when attempting to answer research questions. This thesis concludes by giving examples of different studies performed by the author that exemplify specific studies discussed in the introduction.
The Distribution of Molecular Clouds in the Galaxy

During the last decade millimeter wave observations of the CO molecule have proved to be one of the most useful probes of the large scale structure and kinematics of the galactic disk. The earliest CO observations indicated a large concentration of molecules in the galactic center and at a distance of 4 to 8 kiloparsecs often refered to as the ‘galactic ring’. The shape of the CO radial distribution is similar to nearly all other tracers of population I material (γ-rays, HII regions, SNR…), but quite different from the flat HI distribution. Estimates of H2 mass from CO column density have led most observers to conclude that H2 is significantly more abundant than HI in the inner galaxy.
Performance assessment of VeSFET-based SRAM

Power wall has become one of the main bottlenecks of future VLSI designs. A recently proposed junctionless twin-gate Vertical Slit Field Effect Transistor (VeSFET) is a low power and thermal friendly device, with highly regular layout, and two-side accessibility. These properties are critical for advanced 2D/3D technologies. SRAMs are fundamental blocks of VLSI systems, which are usually used for technology evaluation. This paper provides a VeSFET SRAM performance assessment modeled by CACTI, a cache modeling tool. The results show that VeSFET SRAM design is speed competitive to CMOS SRAM with about 40% of dynamic read energy consumption and 35% of total power consumption for read access rate 100MHz.
Improvement of thermal conductivity of underfill materials for electronic packaging

Effective heat dissipation is crucial to enhance the performance and reliability of the electronic devices. In this paper, the performance of encapsulants filled with carbon fiber was studied and compared with silica filled encapsulants. Encapsulants filled with a mixed combination of fillers for optimizing key properties were also investigated. The thermal conductance and electrical conductance were investigated, and glass transition temperature (Tg), thermal expansion coefficient (TCE), and storage modulus (E') of these materials were studied with thermal analysis methods. The carbon fiber and silica filled composites showed an increase of thermal conductivity three to four times that of silica filled encapsulants of the same filler loading, while maintaining or enhancing major mechanical and thermal properties, respectively.
Patient Involvement in Treatment Decision Making Can Help or Hinder Placebo Analgesia The Moderating Role of Prior Experience

Experiments have found that choosing between placebo analgesics can reduce pain more than being assigned a placebo analgesic. Because earlier research has shown prior experience moderates choice effects in other contexts, we tested whether prior experience with a pain stimulus moderates this placebo-choice association. Before a cold water pain task, participants were either told that an inert cream would reduce their pain or they were not told this information. Additionally, participants chose between one of two inert creams for the task or they were not given choice. Importantly, we also measured prior experience with cold water immersion. Individuals with prior cold water immersion experience tended to display greater placebo analgesia when given choice, whereas participants without this experience tended to display greater placebo analgesia without choice. Prior stimulus experience appears to moderate the effect of choice on placebo analgesia.
SU-E-T-398: Evaluation of Radiobiological Parameters Using Serial Tumor Imaging During Radiotherapy as An Inverse Ill-Posed Problem

Purpose: Combination of serial tumor imaging with radiobiological modeling can provide more accurate information on the nature of treatment response and what underlies resistance. The purpose of this article is to improve the algorithms related to imaging-based radiobilogical modeling of tumor response. Methods: Serial imaging of tumor response to radiation therapy represents a sum of tumor cell sensitivity, tumor growth rates, and the rate of cell loss which are not separated explicitly. Accurate treatment response assessment would require separation of these radiobiological determinants of treatment response because they define tumor control probability. We show that the problem of reconstruction of radiobiological parameters from serial imaging data can be considered as inverse ill-posed problem described by the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind because it is governed by a sum of several exponential processes. Therefore, the parameter reconstruction can be solved using regularization methods. Results: To study the reconstruction problem, we used a set of serial CT imaging data for the head and neck cancer and a two-level cell population model of tumor response which separates the entire tumor cell population in two subpopulations of viable and lethally damage cells. The reconstruction was done using a least squared objective function and a simulated annealing algorithm. Using in vitro data for radiobiological parameters as reference data, we shown that the reconstructed values of cell surviving fractions and potential doubling time exhibit non-physical fluctuations if no stabilization algorithms are applied. The variational regularization allowed us to obtain statistical distribution for cell surviving fractions and cell number doubling times comparable to in vitro data. Conclusion: Our results indicate that using variational regularization can increase the number of free parameters in the model and open the way to development of more advanced algorithms which take into account tumor heterogeneity, for example, related to hypoxia.