cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trade Studies for a Manned High -Power Nuclear Electric Propulsion Vehicle

Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) vehicles will be needed for future manned missions to Mars and beyond. Candidate vehicles must be identified through trade studies for further detailed design from a large array of possibilities. Genetic algorithms have proven their utility in conceptual design studies by effectively searching a large design space to pinpoint unique optimal designs. This research combines analysis codes for NEP subsystems with genetic algorithm-based optimization. Trade studies for a NEP reference mission to the asteroids were conducted to identify important trends, and to determine the effects of various technologies and subsystems on vehicle performance. It was found that the electric thruster type and thruster performance have a major impact on the achievable system performance, and that significant effort in thruster research and development is merited.
Antibodies to Rat Pancreas Golgi Subfractions: Identification of a 58-kD cis-Golgi Protein

A 58-kD cis-Golgi protein has been identified by generating polyclonal antibodies against heavy (cis) Golgi subfractions. Total microsomes isolated from rat pancreatic homogenates were subfractionated to yield a rough microsomal fraction (B1) and three smooth membrane subfractions (B2-B4) enriched in cis-, middle, and trans-Golgi elements, respectively. The heavy (cis) subfraction, B2 (d = 1.17 g/ml), was fractionated by Triton X-114 phase separation, and the proteins recovered in the detergent phase were used to immunize rabbits. One of the anti-B2 antibodies obtained gave a "Golgi"-staining pattern when screened by immunofluorescence on normal rat kidney cells and mouse RPC 5.4 myeloma cells. In rat pancreatic exocrine cells the antibody reacted with the plasmalemma as well as elements in the Golgi region. By immunoelectron microscopy, the antigen recognized by anti-B2 IgG was found to be restricted to cis-Golgi elements in myeloma cells where it was concentrated in the fenestrated cis-most cisterna and in some of the tubules and vesicles located along the cis face of the Golgi complex. By immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, the anti-B2 IgG exclusively recognized a 58-kD protein in myeloma cells. The anti-B2 IgG reacted with several proteins in solubilized pancreatic B2 membranes, including a 58-kD protein, but affinity-purified anti-58-kD IgG reacted exclusively with the 58-kD protein. These results suggest that the 58-kD protein is a specific component of cis-Golgi membranes.
Interdecadal changes in eastern Pacific ITCZ variability and its influence on the Atlantic ITCZ

The eastern Pacific and Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zones (ITCZ) exhibit the largest year-to-year variations in boreal spring. We show evidence suggesting that Atlantic ITCZ April–May variability is linked to that for the eastern Pacific through the Walker circulation as it respond to changes in equatorial Pacific convection. Analysis of ITCZ proxy indices shows the link appears to be strong in the 1980–90's and 1920–30's but virtually nonexistent in the 1950–60's. We argue that this apparent nonstationarity results from the nonlinear relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and convection in the eastern equatorial Pacific and its consequent effect on the Walker circulation and the Atlantic ITCZ. This mechanism was modulated over 1856–1998 by interdecadal changes in peak SST attained in the eastern equatorial Pacific during boreal spring.
SELF-REPAIRING NETWORKS

In this paper, we provide a specification for a class of communication networks that are immune to single site failures, not only maintaining the ability to transfer messages between operable sites but doing so with no additional delay (i.e. no increase in length of communication path). We call these networks self-repairing and refer to their underlying topologies as self-repairing graphs. Our specification includes a constructive characterization of a class of minimal self-repairing graphs and an algorithmic determination of associated routing tables that can be used by a simple message transfer procedure to realize the desired immune behavior.
Ribbon Reinforcement of Composites

Abstract : A clear demonstration of the potential of ribbon-shaped reinforcements in composite materials applications is presented. From a micromechanics analysis, supported by experimental results. Ribbon reinforcement offers superior stiffness properties in the plane of the lamina. The macromechanics analysis introduces the concept of a hybrid composite in which the engineer may combine the outstanding strength properties of fibers with the superior stiffness properties offered by ribbon reinforcements. It is pointed out that the low strength observed for glass-ribbon composites is a consequence of fabrication procedures and does not correspond to the theoretical limiting strength of ribbon reinforcements. The use of ribbon-shaped reinforcements also leads to composites which will have very small isotropic thermal expansion coefficients in the plane of the plate. Thus, ribbon reinforcements provide an attractive means of achieving intermediate to high performance composite possessing dimensional stability. (Author)
Thermal cycling of EB-PVD/MCrAlY thermal barrier coatings: I. Microstructural development and spallation mechanisms

Microstructural changes, damage initiation and spallation of a production TBC, which consists of: an electron beam physical vapor deposited ZrO2–7 wt.% Y2O3 (YSZ); thermally grown oxide (TGO); MCrAlY bond coat; and a polycrystalline IN-738 superalloy substrate, were examined as a function of thermal cycles at 1121°C. Thermal cycling for TBC specimens in air consisted of a 10-min heat-up, a 40-min hold at 1121°C and a 10-min quench. Microstructural characterization was carried out by: photo-stimulated luminescence piezo-spectroscopy (PLPS); X-ray diffraction (XRD); scanning electron microscopy (SEM); and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Development of microstructure in the YSZ coatings, growth of the thermally grown oxide (TGO) and its constituents, and phase transformations in the MCrAlY bond coat were examined as a function of thermal cycles. Instability of the TGO/bond coat interface (i.e. rumpling), leading to localized cracking at the YSZ/TGO interface and within the YSZ, was observed after as few as five thermal cycles. Spallation of YSZ coatings occurred after approximately 400 cycles. Significant void formation at the TGO/bond coat interface and formation of a Ni/Co rich oxides at the TGO/bond coat interface due to rapid internal oxidation of Al-depleted MCrAlY bond coat were strong contributors to spallation failure of the TBC. The final spallation of TBC results from a ‘link-up’ of damage at the TGO/bond coat interface with the rumpling-induced micro-cracking at the YSZ/TGO interface.
Preferences, Institutions and Politics: Re-Interrogating the Theoretical Lessons of Developmental Economies

David Kang, Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines (Cambridge University Press, 2002) Vivek Chibber, Locked In Place: State-Building and Late Industrialization in India (Princeton University Press, 2003) Yongping Wu, A Political Explanation of Economic Growth: State Survival, Bureaucratic Politics, and Private Enterprises in the Making of Taiwan's Economy, 1950–1985 (Harvard University Press, 2005)
THE PRESERVATION OF LIVING RED BLOOD CELLS IN VITRO II. THE TRANSFUSION OF KEPT CELLS.

In order to determine the availability for functional uses of red cells kept in vitro by our methods, transfusion experiments have been carried out with rabbits by which a large part of their blood was replaced with kept rabbit cells suspended in Locke's solution. It has been found that erythrocytes preserved in mixtures of blood, sodium citrate, saccharose, and water for 14 days, and used to replace normal blood, will remain in circulation and function so well that the animal shows no disturbance, and the blood count, hemoglobin, and percentage of reticulated red cells remain unvaried. Cells kept for longer periods, though intact and apparently unchanged when transfused, soon leave the circulation. Animals in which this disappearance of cells is taking place on a large scale, remain healthy save for the progressing anemia. The experiments prove that, in the exsanguinated rabbit at least, transfusions of cells kept for a long time in vitro may be used to replace the blood lost, and that when the cells have been kept too long but are still intact they are disposed of without harm. The indications are that kept human cells could be profitably employed in the same way.
Crack growth and fracture behavior of fabric reinforced polymer composites

The objective of this study is to understand and characterize crack deflection and sub-crack growth in fabric laminate composites. The theory of crack digression based on the Cook-Gordon mechanism of crack blunting and the criterion developed by Kendall were used to study the crack propagation phenomenon. A simple approach has been developed to evaluate the cohesive and adhesive fracture energies, which play a vital role in the study of strength and toughness of the fabric laminate composites. The effects of strain rate and quasi-static crack velocity on these energy values were identified. This study explored the possibility of self-toughening in an otherwise brittle composite system. Two competing mechanisms have been identified that control crack propagation in fabric laminate composites.
Ultra Wideband Channel Characterization and Ranging in Data Centers

This paper presents a detailed measurement based characterization of the ultra wideband (UWB) channels in a data center environment and examines the accuracy of direct ranging using time of arrival (ToA)measurements. Modern data centers present a unique indoor environment that to our knowledge has not yet been characterized. Our ranging experiments indicate that it is possible to achieve an accuracy of fraction of a meter via direct ranging and point to the feasibility of locating individual servers using more sophisticated cooperative ranging.
Lipid Composition of HDL Subfractions in Dog Plasma and Lymph

Abstract We report the lipid composition of dog plasma and peripheral lymph lipoproteins as separated into pre-β, α, and pre-α fractions by agarose gel electrophoresis. Plasma lipoproteins with α mobility have a composition different from that of plasma lipoproteins with pre-α mobility, having 9% versus 11% free cholesterol, 21% versus 17% cholesterol ester, 1% versus 16% triacylglycerol, and 69% versus 56% phospholipid. On the other hand, lymph α and pre-α lipoproteins have compositions that are quite similar (9% versus 7% free cholesterol, 17% versus 17% cholesterol ester, 2% versus 4% triacylglycerol, and 71% versus 71% phospholipid). The lipid compositions of plasma and lymph α lipoproteins are quite similar (9% versus 9% free cholesterol, 21% versus 17% cholesterol ester, 1% versus 2% triacylglycerol, and 70% versus 72% phospholipid). The lipid compositions of plasma and lymph pre-α lipoproteins are different (11% versus 7% free cholesterol, 17% versus 17% cholesterol ester, 16% versus 4% triacylglycerol, and 56% versus 71% phospholipid). Peripheral lymph lipoproteins with pre-β mobility contained 15% cholesterol, 13% cholesterol ester, 10% triacylglycerol, and 61% phospholipid. Compared with plasma, peripheral lymph lipoproteins are free cholesterol–enriched in all fractions. Calculated stoichiometric ratios of lipid to apoA-I indicate that pre-β lipoproteins contain one molecule of apoA-I per particle, α lipoproteins have two molecules of apoA-I per particle, and pre-α lipoproteins have four molecules of apoA-I per particle.
Introduction to the OR Forum Article: “Modeling the Impacts of Electricity Tariffs on Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging, Costs, and Emissions” by Ramteen Sioshansi

Comment on “Modeling the Impacts of Electricity Tariffs on Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging, Costs, and Emissions” by Ramteen Sieshansi.
Ion energy distributions to particles in RF and corona discharges

Ion energy and angular distributions (IEADs) to particles suspended in plasmas is of interest from many perspectives. In low pressure plasmas, ion drag forces are important to the particles' transport and depend on the IEADs, as do particle heating rates. In atmospheric pressure plasmas, particles may be of the form of bacteria, and so the energy delivered by the IEADs in part determines the plasma's sterilization capability.
Cognitive benefits of sleep and their loss due to sleep deprivation.

When Nobel laureate Otto Loewi discovered the chemical basis of neurotransmission in 1921, he attributed his experimental design to an insight he made during sleep.1 In recent years, scientific discoveries have begun to empirically validate the hypothetical role of sleep in cognitive processes such as insight formation and memory consolidation. Yet these new and important scientific findings—that sleep benefits cognition—have gained little attention in the debates over regulating resident work hours. In this article, I aim to achieve three goals: First, I will show that sleep deprivation causes two independent negative consequences to cognition: a detriment and a loss of benefit; I will explain this distinction. Second, I will briefly review evidence supporting sleep’s benefits for cognition. Finally, I will argue that these benefits of sleep for cognition provide novel reasons why depriving residents of sleep is inconsistent with our ethical standards and educational goals for medical training. In this final section, I will also argue against the assertion that residents should use performance-enhancing medications to overcome the effects of sleep deprivation. Sleep loss causes profound impairments in cognitive and behavioral performance. For example, in a prospective, randomized study looking at the effects of sleep deprivation in residency training, interns working a “traditional schedule” made 36% more serious medical errors compared with interns under an “intervention schedule” that included more sleep.2 Another study demonstrated that traditional-schedule interns had more than twice the rate of attentional failures when compared with the intervention-schedule interns.3 Taken together, these studies demonstrate that sleep-deprived house staff make a …
Spreading of heterochromatin is limited to specific families of maize retrotransposons

Transposable elements (TEs) have the potential to act as controlling elements to influence the expression of genes and are often subject to heterochromatic silencing. The current paradigm suggests that heterochromatic silencing can spread beyond the borders of TEs and influence the chromatin state of neighboring low-copy sequences. This would allow TEs to condition obligatory or facilitated epialleles and act as controlling elements. The maize genome contains numerous families of class I TEs (retrotransposons) that are present in moderate to high copy numbers, and many are found in regions near genes, which provides an opportunity to test whether the spreading of heterochromatin from retrotransposons is prevalent. We have investigated the extent of heterochromatin spreading into DNA flanking each family of retrotransposons by profiling DNA methylation and di-methylation of lysine 9 of histone 3 (H3K9me2) in low-copy regions of the maize genome. The effects of different retrotransposon families on local chromatin are highly variable. Some retrotransposon families exhibit enrichment of heterochromatic marks within 800–1,200 base pairs of insertion sites, while other families exhibit very little evidence for the spreading of heterochromatic marks. The analysis of chromatin state in genotypes that lack specific insertions suggests that the heterochromatin in low-copy DNA flanking retrotransposons often results from the spreading of silencing marks rather than insertion-site preferences. Genes located near TEs that exhibit spreading of heterochromatin tend to be expressed at lower levels than other genes. Our findings suggest that a subset of retrotransposon families may act as controlling elements influencing neighboring sequences, while the majority of retrotransposons have little effect on flanking sequences.
A Technique Whose Time Has Come

Real-time PCR is a molecular biological technique that allows the continuous monitoring of the amplification of a target DNA molecule throughout the PCR reaction. This essay gives an overview of the real-time PCR methodology, the application of this technology to the quantification levels of nucleic acids in biological samples, and the impact of this approach on genomics and medicine.
School Performance Measurement : Politics and Equity

Growing political pressure for increased efficiency in government has led many to support the use of performance measurement schemes. Such schemes are never neutral and frequently influence the allocation of resources and power. The increased use of performance measures in the public sector raises questions regarding the fairness of the measures and the justness of the accompanying sanctions and rewards. Focusing on public schools, this study demonstrates the need to assess governmental performance measurement schemes for their impact on equity. Three measurement schemes (No Child Left Behind, value added, and adjusted performance measures) are evaluated and compared regarding their impact on majority African American public schools in the state of Arkansas.
Synaptic Mechanisms Underlie Nicotine-Induced Excitability of Brain Reward Areas

A single nicotine exposure increases dopamine levels in the mesolimbic reward system for hours, but nicotine concentrations experienced by smokers desensitize nAChRs on dopamine neurons in seconds to minutes. Here, we show that persistent modulation of both GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic transmission by nicotine can contribute to the sustained increase in dopamine neuron excitability. Nicotine enhances GABAergic transmission transiently, which is followed by a persistent depression of these inhibitory inputs due to nAChR desensitization. Simultaneously, nicotine enhances glutamatergic transmission through nAChRs that desensitize less than those on GABA neurons. The net effect is a shift toward excitation of the dopamine reward system. These results suggest that spatial and temporal differences in nicotinic receptor activity on both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in reward areas coordinate to reinforce nicotine self-administration.
In defence of Aristotle on character: toward a synthesis of recent psychology, neuroscience and the thought of Michael Polanyi

In the United States, various forms of character education have become popular in both elementary and professional education. They are often criticised, however, for their reliance on Aristotle, who is said to be problematic at several points. In response to these criticisms, I argue that Aristotle’s ancient account of character and its formation remains viable in light of work over the last decade in psychology and the neurosciences. However, some lacunae remain that can at least be partially filled with insights drawn from the work of Michael Polanyi, a scientist-turned-philosopher whose larger philosophical project was launched by a desire to see Western society flourish. Insights from these varied sources can provide the building blocks with which to construct an account of character and its development that preserves Aristotle’s best insights in ways that answer the concerns voiced by the critics.
Perceived performance in Internet testing

With the growth of distance education, many issues pertaining to how students perform in this environment are surfacing. The differences between the environments may have pedagogical implications on the basic activities in education such as assessment. This paper provides the results of comparing the testing process between two sections of a graduate programming class, where one was an on-campus class and the other a distance class. The course content, instructor, syllabus, lecture materials, notes, assessments and semester (time of year) were the same. Both groups were surveyed to test their satisfaction with the testing procedure and with their perception of certain aspects of the social environment. While there was no difference in actual test performance, the results showed differences in perceived test performance. Two conjectures about possible causes underlying the difference and suggestions for possible future research end the discussion.
Pressure Effect on the Boson Peak in Deeply Cooled Confined Water: Evidence of a Liquid-Liquid Transition

The boson peak in deeply cooled water confined in nanopores is studied to examine the liquid-liquid transition (LLT). Below ∼180 K, the boson peaks at pressures P higher than ∼3.5 kbar are evidently distinct from those at low pressures by higher mean frequencies and lower heights. Moreover, the higher-P boson peaks can be rescaled to a master curve while the lower-P boson peaks can be rescaled to a different one. These phenomena agree with the existence of two liquid phases with different densities and local structures and the associated LLT in the measured (P, T) region. In addition, the P dependence of the librational band also agrees with the above conclusion.
Correlation of Ti3+ states with photocatalytic enhancement in TiO2-passivated p-GaAs

Abstract Recently, we reported enhanced H 2 evolution on TiO 2 -passivated GaAs. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, this enhancement was attributed to Ti 3+ states, which bind reactant species and increase charge transfer across the semiconductor–liquid interface. Here, we provide a quantitative correlation between Ti 3+ density, as measured by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and photocatalytic performance, which substantiates the hypothesis put forth previously. In the photo- I – V characteristics reported here, passivating GaAs with TiO 2 produces a shift in the onset potential of +0.35 V at 1 mA/cm 2 and enhances the photocurrent by 32-fold over bare GaAs (at 0 V vs. RHE), resulting in a peak photoconversion efficiency of 1.5% under AM1.5 G illumination. We find that just 1 nm of TiO 2 produces the best conditions for photocatalysis. XPS spectra show that thinner TiO 2 films (1 nm) have a higher density of Ti 3+ states than thicker films (5 nm), which have lower photocatalytic performance. PL spectroscopy provides further evidence for these Ti 3+ surface states, which cause increased surface recombination. While it is apparent that the TiO 2 films cause strong electron–hole recombination, the benefit that they provide by providing catalytically active sites outweighs their detriment associated with charge recombination. No enhancement is observed for TiO 2 thicknesses above 10 nm, which are crystalline and, therefore, considerably more insulating than thinner amorphous TiO 2 films.
Trying to Conceive After an Early Pregnancy Loss: An Assessment on How Long Couples Should Wait.

OBJECTIVE:To compare time to pregnancy and live birth among couples with varying intervals of pregnancy loss date to subsequent trying to conceive date.METHODS:In this secondary analysis of the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction trial, 1,083 women aged 18–40 years with one to two prior
Gamma glutamyl transferase: A novel cardiovascular outfit for an old liver test.

In Mesopotamian cultures, the liver would be considered the seat of life and the soul and had the same meaning as the heart has in modern western culture1. Against this historical background, it comes as no surprise that contemporary medicine has gone back to the past by proposing a functional connection between hepatic and cardiac conditions2. Is this connection scientifically justified ?
Creolophus in North America

The recent discovery of Creolophus cirrhatus (Pers.: Fr.) Karst. in Colorado by a member ofthe first Annual Aspen Conference, 1974 (at Aspen; communicated by A. H. Smith), and another collection by C. Barrows in New Mexico, has intensified the search for a correct generic name for this species. It is of interest that both collectors noted a resemblance to the genus Hericium. Nikolajeva (1961) placed Hydnum cirrhatum Fr. in Hericium; however, it lacks an amyloid context, and thick-walled hyphae in the pileus. They are thickened in the context of the stipe. The sterile spines on the upper surface that give indications of being spatulate on the tips are a most unusual feature and indicate a close relationship to Creo? lophus diversidens (Fr.) Karst. where this character is exaggerated.
Increasing the Use of Kidneys From Unconventional and High‐Risk Deceased Donors

In this paper, we have reviewed the literature and report on kidney donors that are currently used at relatively low rates. Kidneys from donors with acute kidney injury (AKI) seem to have outcomes equivalent to those from donors without AKI, provided one can rule out significant cortical necrosis. Kidneys from donors with preexisting diabetes or hypertension may have marginally lower aggregate survival but still provide patients with a significant benefit over remaining on the wait list. The Kidney Donor Profile Index derives only an aggregate association with survival with a very modest C statistic; therefore, the data indicated that this index should not be the sole reason to discard a kidney, except perhaps in patients with extremely low estimated posttransplant survival scores. It is important to note that the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients models of risk adjustment should allay concerns regarding regulatory issues for observed outcomes falling below expectations. The successful utilization of kidneys from donation after cardiac death over the past decade shows how expanding our thinking can translate into more patients benefiting from transplantation. Given the growing number of patients on the wait list, broadening our approach to kidney acceptance could have an important impact on the population with end-stage renal disease. Many lives could be prolonged by carefully considering use of kidneys that are often discarded.
Oxidative Stress and Fitness Changes in Cancer Patients after Exercise Training.

AB Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an exercise intervention (EX) on muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and oxidative stress in cancer survivors compared with a nonexercising cancer control group (CON). Methods: Fifteen cancer patients and seven age-matched individuals with no history of cancer (NC) participated in this study. A blood draw and assessments of muscular strength and CRF were administered to cancer survivors within 6 wk of completing radiation or chemotherapy, and again 10 wk later. Eight cancer patients completed a 10-wk supervised exercise intervention, whereas seven continued standard care. Baseline oxidative stress was compared between cancer patients and the NC group. Changes in plasma protein carbonyls, 8-OHdG, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity were compared between groups using repeated-measures ANOVA, and correlations between fitness and oxidative stress changes were evaluated. Results: Baseline antioxidant capacity was significantly lower, and plasma protein carbonyls were significantly higher in cancer patients compared with NC (P = 0.001). EX had a significant increase in antioxidant capacity (P < 0.001) and decrease in protein carbonyls (P = 0.023), whereas CON did not. Improvements in composite arm (41%, P = 0.002) and leg strength (34%, P = 0.008), isometric handgrip strength (11%, P = 0.015), and V[spacing dot above]O2peak (16%, P = 0.018) were significant in EX but not in CON. 8-OHdG changes were significantly correlated with changes in V[spacing dot above]O2peak (r = -0.89, P < 0.001), arm strength (r = -0.67, P = 0.004), and leg strength (r = -0.56, P = 0.019). Conclusion: A whole-body exercise intervention for cancer survivors may be an effective method of concurrently increasing muscular strength, CRF, and antioxidant capacity while decreasing markers of oxidative stress. (C
Sample introduction methods

This chapter covers one of the most critical aspects of the design and operation of a gas chromatograph (GC) – the injection system. Injectors are designed to introduce a representative fraction of the original sample into a GC column. Because of the wide range of sample types and the columns used for their separation, different approaches to the injection process need to be considered. Even though GCs have been around for over 55 years, there is no single ideal injection system and a variety of systems continue to exist and be deployed.
Ictus Emeticus Induced by Photic Stimulation

Occipitotemporal seizures induced by intermittent photic stimulation in three children with brain injuries, aged 10 to 13 years, are reported from the Institute of Developmental Neuropsychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy.
Severe Thrombocytopenia Does Not Increase Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Bronchoscopy

Abstract Introduction Prophylactic platelet transfusions are often performed prior to bronchoscopy or broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) to prevent bleeding in thrombocytopenic patients. There is a paucity of data to validate this approach, with a platelet transfusion threshold of Methods We identified 150 consecutive patients with platelet counts 30 and/or Cr>2.0) and coagulation studies (PT, PTT, INR) were identified. The British Thoracic Society guidelines1 were used to categorize bleeding as a result of bronchoscopy. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The median age was 59 years (range 27-90), with two-thirds of patients (63%) being male. One hundred and seventeen (78%) patients had underlying malignancy and 55 (37%) had thrombocytopenia related to malignancy. Fellows and residents under the supervision of a bronchoscopy certified attending performed all but 4 of the bronchoscopies. Infection (40%) was the primary indication for bronchoscopy with BAL performed in 127 (85%) patients. Fifty-eight of 89 (65%) patients with baseline platelet counts 50,000/mm3. The platelet count did not rise to >50,000//mm3 in many transfused patients. Seventy patients (47%) had counts 50,000/mm3 at the time of bronchoscopy. 49% were receiving immunosuppressive medications, 45% had renal dysfunction and 8% had INR >1.5. Bloody lavage that resolved spontaneously without continuous suctioning (Grade 0) was observed in 9 (6%) patients. Bleeding that required continuous suctioning but then resolved spontaneously (Grade 1) was noted in 1 patient with a platelet count of 61,000/mm3. Of 10 total bleeding events, 7 occurred in patients who were intubated. Two additional patients with platelet counts of 30,000/mm3 and 53,000/mm3 had diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, which was present before bronchoscopy. “Old” blood and blood clots were observed in 6 patients. Discussion The low incidence of bleeding complications from bronchoscopy +/- BAL even in patients with platelet counts Table 1 . Platelet count, transfusion history and bleeding complications during bronchoscopy Platelet count at the time of bronchoscopy Number (n) and percentage (%) of patients who underwent bronchoscopy Number of patients who received prior platelet transfusion Bleeding during bronchoscopy n % 0-15,000/mm3 9 6% (9/150) 5 Grade 0=1 pt 16-29 22 15% 16 Grade 0=2 pts 30-39 17 11% 9 Grade 0=1 pt 40-49 22 15% 9 Grade 0=3 pts 50-75 44 29% 14 Grade 1=1 pt 76-100 36 24% 10 Grade 0=2 pts Total 150 63 Grade 0=9 pts, Grade 1=1 pt. 1.Du Rand IA, Blaikley J, Booton R, et al. British Thoracic Society guideline for diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy in adults: accredited by NICE. Thorax. 2013:68 Suppl 1:i1-i44 Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Gas flow patterns and thermal uniformity in rapid thermal processing equipment

Two-dimensional simulation of a rapid thermal processing (RTP) reactor is used to determine the radiative heating and the radiative and convective cooling. The gas flow patterns are found to be a strong function of temperature. Edge losses dominate the wafer thermal nonuniformity at high temperature, while convective cooling dominates at low temperature. A peak in the stress is found under transient conditions. To validate the model, some of the results are compared to experimental data from a small custom RTP system. >
Treatment Choices: A Quality of Life Comparison in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and High-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Abstract Background In the present exploratory, observational study, we compared the effect of intensive versus nonintensive treatment on quality of life for patients aged ≥ 60 years diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome at 1 month after treatment. Patients and Methods A total of 73 patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome who had been treated at the inpatient and outpatient malignant hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, were included. Two paired measurements of self-reported quality of life were used, 1 before treatment and 1 at 1 month after treatment to compare intensive versus nonintensive treatment. Patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Leukemia version for the quality-of-life measurement. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the effect of treatment and time and the interaction of treatment and time. The main research variables were intensive versus nonintensive treatment as the independent variable and quality of life measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Leukemia version as the dependent variable. Results Physical function and leukemia symptoms improved for patients treated with intensive chemotherapy. A trend was found for improved quality of life for the intensive treatment compared with nonintensive treatment, for which the quality of life was stable at 1 month. Conclusion The study participants treated with inpatient, induction chemotherapy experienced statistically significant improvement in their quality of life at 1 month. The outpatient, nonintensive study participants had stable quality of life at 1 month.
Volumetric contrast-enhanced ultrasound parametric maps and texture feature extraction for tissue treatment response characterization

Volumetric dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) can be used to yield 3D parametric maps to assess spatial changes in tumor perfusion heterogeneity during cancer treatment. Here, quantitative image features (texture and histogram-based features) extracted from 3D parametric maps were evaluated as surrogates of treatment response, and compared to conventional perfusion parameters.
Timescales and ideaspace: An examination of idea generation in design practice

The generation of novel ideas is an important and difficult part of the creative design process. Much of the research on idea generation is focused on formalizing techniques to support idea generation and characterizing the effectiveness of these techniques as measured by quantity, quality, and creativity of ideas. Less is known about idea generation ‘in the wild,’ particularly idea generation across different timescales (i.e., idea generation across a multi-month project alongside idea generation in a period as small as several minutes). We present a qualitative case study of a professional design team's use of idea generation with analyses at five emergent timescales. At each level we look at the structure, the content, and the actions of the team.
Beyond the Paper Chase: Using Movies to Help Students Get More Out of College:

For many students, college amounts to a seemingly endless series of papers, classes, and finals, whose meaning may not always be very clear. How can we help students see the possibilities beyond th...
Role of IL-6 in human antigen-specific and polyclonal IgA responses.

It is now well established that several cytokines are involved in B cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation. From earlier studies, it became clear that some of these cytokines acted later in B cell responses and contributed to terminal differentiation and immunoglobulin synthesise1. A prominent cytokine among these was a factor originally termed B cell-differentiation factor, which could be distinguished from B cell-stimulating factor-1 (BSF-1), or IL-4, and was subsequently termed BSF-22,3. When BSF-2 was purified and subsequently cloned3–5, it was shown to be identical to other cloned proteins, e.g., interferon beta (IFN-β)6, the 26kDa protein7, and hybridoma growth factor8–10, and was renamed IL-6.
Mobile detection of autism through machine learning on home video: A development and prospective validation study.

Background The standard approaches to diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) evaluate between 20 and 100 behaviors and take several hours to complete. This has in part contributed to long wait times for a diagnosis and subsequent delays in access to therapy. We hypothesize that the use of machine learning analysis on home video can speed the diagnosis without compromising accuracy. We have analyzed item-level records from 2 standard diagnostic instruments to construct machine learning classifiers optimized for sparsity, interpretability, and accuracy. In the present study, we prospectively test whether the features from these optimized models can be extracted by blinded nonexpert raters from 3-minute home videos of children with and without ASD to arrive at a rapid and accurate machine learning autism classification. Methods and findings We created a mobile web portal for video raters to assess 30 behavioral features (e.g., eye contact, social smile) that are used by 8 independent machine learning models for identifying ASD, each with >94% accuracy in cross-validation testing and subsequent independent validation from previous work. We then collected 116 short home videos of children with autism (mean age = 4 years 10 months, SD = 2 years 3 months) and 46 videos of typically developing children (mean age = 2 years 11 months, SD = 1 year 2 months). Three raters blind to the diagnosis independently measured each of the 30 features from the 8 models, with a median time to completion of 4 minutes. Although several models (consisting of alternating decision trees, support vector machine [SVM], logistic regression (LR), radial kernel, and linear SVM) performed well, a sparse 5-feature LR classifier (LR5) yielded the highest accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]: 92% [95% CI 88%–97%]) across all ages tested. We used a prospectively collected independent validation set of 66 videos (33 ASD and 33 non-ASD) and 3 independent rater measurements to validate the outcome, achieving lower but comparable accuracy (AUC: 89% [95% CI 81%–95%]). Finally, we applied LR to the 162-video-feature matrix to construct an 8-feature model, which achieved 0.93 AUC (95% CI 0.90–0.97) on the held-out test set and 0.86 on the validation set of 66 videos. Validation on children with an existing diagnosis limited the ability to generalize the performance to undiagnosed populations. Conclusions These results support the hypothesis that feature tagging of home videos for machine learning classification of autism can yield accurate outcomes in short time frames, using mobile devices. Further work will be needed to confirm that this approach can accelerate autism diagnosis at scale.
Wild bees and urban agriculture: assessing pollinator supply and demand across urban landscapes

Growing interest in urban agriculture has increased demand for pollination services. Most studies map pollination supply broadly, and do not consider the impacts of fine-scale urban land-use practices on the dynamics of pollination delivery, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of the pollinator supply-demand balance in urban landscapes. This study demonstrates a spatially-explicit framework, using Iowa City, IA (USA) as the case study region, for assessing the capacity of urban ecosystems to produce pollinator services in support of demand from urban agriculture. We estimate pollinator supply using the InVEST pollination model with detailed land-cover data produced through field survey and Bayesian hierarchical analysis, and we validate modeling results with bee abundance and richness data. We map social demand for pollinators using a kernel density estimation of urban agricultural sites and evaluate supply-demand budgets through spatial overlay analysis. Our results show that incorporating high-thematic-resolution urban land-use data substantially improves the performance of pollination supply modeling. Pollinator supply meets demand in 72% of the city. Surpluses occur in natural areas and heavily-vegetated, established residential neighborhoods, whereas deficits occur in resource-poor lawns. Our mapping framework stresses the key role of humans in modifying resource availability and pollinator services, and demonstrates the effectiveness of using disaggregated socio-economic data in urban land-cover classification for predicting pollinator supply. Our improved ability to identify spatial congruence and disparities in urban pollinator supply and demand can be used to inform pollinator conservation to support sustainable urban agriculture.
Load-bearing function of the colorectal submucosa and its relevance to visceral nociception elicited by mechanical stretch.

Visceral pain from distal colon and rectum (colorectum) is usually elicited from mechanical distension/stretch, rather than from heating, cutting, or pinching, which usually evoke pain from the ski...
Abstract LB-050: Memory sequencing reveals heritable single cell gene expression programs associated with therapy resistance

Single cancer cells can have substantial fluctuations in gene expression from non-genetic factors. However, it is unclear how long these fluctuations exist and whether they extend beyond the length of a single-cell division. Current technologies for gene expression measurements in single cells provide just one measurement of each cells’ transcriptome and fail to capture how these gene expression fluctuations change with time. We developed a new method combining Luria and Delbruck9s fluctuation analysis with population-based RNA sequencing (MemorySeq) for identifying genes transcriptome-wide whose fluctuations persist for several cell divisions. MemorySeq revealed multiple gene modules that express together in rare cells within otherwise homogeneous clonal populations. Further, we found that these rare cell subpopulations are associated with biologically distinct phenotypes in multiple different cancer cell lines. In melanoma, we identified a rare subpopulation of cells expressing EGFR, NGFR, and AXL, and demonstrated that these cells are resistant to BRAF and MEK inhibitors. In triple-negative breast cancer cells, we identified a different gene expression signature consisting of CA9, and found that this subpopulation is resistant to paclitaxol. We validated these findings in melanoma cell lines by tagging the endogenous locus of MemorySeq gene, NGFR, with a fluorescent protein to directly visualize gene expression fluctuations in individual cells. Broadly, we believe that memory is an essential property of variability that will have phenotypic consequences for cancer cells. Thus, we anticipate that MemorySeq can be extended to uncover the transcriptional states of rare cells driving many phenotypes in cancer including drug resistance, differentiation, invasion, and metastasis. Citation Format: Sydney Shaffer, Benjamin Emert, Eduardo Torre, Arjun Raj. Memory sequencing reveals heritable single cell gene expression programs associated with therapy resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-050.
Implications of a Psychodynamic Discourse Analysis Study of Aggression in the Online Body Positive Community

This study places online aggression within the larger context of human development research. Existing literature identifies a need for a nuanced approach to the study of online aggression that considers potentially adaptive functions. Psychodynamic ego defense theory provides a framework through which to analyze aggressive online discourse. The study provides insight into the complex psychological function of aggressive online interaction. Results fall primarily within the neurotic and immature categories of defense and include a significant number of adaptive or mature comments. The method created for this study, Online Psychodynamic Discourse Analysis, offers a useful addition to existing methods of online research. Thematic analysis provides insight into the psychosocial sources of conflict.
The Economics and Regulation of Captive Reinsurance in Life Insurance

The use of captive reinsurance arrangements in life insurance has generated significant debate and led to recent adoption of new regulatory requirements by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This paper provides an overview of the regulatory reserve requirements that spurred growth in captive reinsurance and how captive arrangements are used, including a summary of data on the use of captives made possible by new NAIC reporting requirements for captive reinsurance in 2013. It elaborates potential efficiencies and risks from the arrangements, and how insurers’ financial incentives, previous regulation, rating agency monitoring, and monitoring by non-insurance creditors mitigate those risks. A.M. Best ratings for life insurers with and without captive arrangements are summarized, documenting that most entities using captive reinsurance have relatively high ratings. The new NAIC regulatory framework for captive reinsurance arrangements and specific requirements for the amounts and types of assets permitted to back the arrangements are discussed.
Quality and Safety Improvement in Surgery

Effective surgery quality and safety improvement programs require 5 elements: 1. Accurate, risk-adjusted outcomes data with appropriate benchmarks 2. Departmental organization conducive to and leadership committed to optimization of outcomes 3. Modern tools for quality and safety maintenance 4. A just culture 5. A systematic approach to quality/safety improvement
Diagnostic Pearls and Clinical Implications of Prekallikrein Deficiency

Prekallikrein (PK) deficiency is extremely rare, and manifestations are not well characterized due to a small number of cases reported and the lack of scientific clarity about its role in clot formation in vivo. Here, we report a case of a 64-year-old male, with no known history of abnormal bleeding, who scheduled to undergo deep brain stimulator placement for control of his Parkinson's disease. During pre-procedure testing, activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) was found to be prolonged at 146 seconds. Mixing studies were suggestive of a coagulation factor deficiency. His PTT characteristically became shorter with prolonged incubation, providing a clue at testing for PK levels, which were found to be severely low. He, subsequently, underwent surgery without any complications. Our case further highlights the clinical pearls for diagnosis and further endorses that these patients can safely undergo surgical procedures without the need for plasma transfusions or factor concentrate usage.