cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt: Technique and Instruments

Although transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was first described in 1971, it took 15 more years for technology, in the form of expandable metallic stents, to be developed to make TIPS a viable, widespread clinical procedure. Currently, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent grafts that exhibit significantly greater long-term patency are used for TIPS creation by most interventionalists. TIPS creation requires specific interventional skills, tools, and devices for success. In the hands of skillful, experienced interventional radiologists, TIPS creation is performed safely and successfully in greater than 95% of cases.
Development of Non-Halogen Flame Retardant Optical Fiber and Optical Fiber Cord

A non-halogen highly flame-retardant 0.9mm optical fiber and 2.0mm simplex optical cord, which are harmonized with the ecosystem, have been developed. The characteristics of them are presented in this paper.
The Pervasive Proposition, ‘What Is, Is and Ought to Be’: A Critique

Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were ... only a belief that what is is probably Pareto optimal, and if it were not it would eventually be. (Leonard Silk)1
Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening Guidelines

The introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in 1986 dramatically increased the incidence of prostate cancer such that it is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the industrialized world. While PSA testing can detect prostate cancers at an early localized stage, screening for prostate cancer has generated considerable controversy because of the uncertainty surrounding its ability to lower prostate cancer mortality. PSA testing leads to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of this disease, resulting in significant detrimental physical, psychological, and financial consequences. In 2013 the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against PSA testing because the harms of testing appear to outweigh the benefits. The American Urological Association developed new guidelines for the early detection of prostate cancer to balance reduction in prostate cancer mortality against the harms associated with screening. This chapter reviews evidence concerning the benefits and harms of PSA testing for prostate cancer.
re-Commerce: A new paradigm for Innovation and Sustainability in CSET education

Both Entrepreneurship and Sustainability are important concepts in Computer Science Engineering and Technology (CSET) education, and this paper illustrates a new pathway to link these two concepts. re-Commerce combines the waste management concepts of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with the Icelandic fullvinnsla concept of full utilization to create a new paradigm, re-Commerce. re-Commerce is defined as the questioning of fundamental axioms in an industry in order to re-examine what we have assumed are constraints (either market, monetary or scientifically derived) to re-vision or revise an industry to fully utilize waste materials by re-tooling manufacturing processes, thereby re-inventing/re-structuring the commercial impact of the industry or product. The paradigm of re-Commerce has been used in Maine as a lens for examining the lobster industry. The New England Ocean Cluster (NEOC) is re-examining the waste in the lobster industry, re-visioning it as a valuable commodity, and working to re-tool manufacturing industries to take advantage of this commodity. The paradigm of re-Commerce may also be applied as a tool for CSET students to perform analyses of production or manufacturing processes, and in the way that educators approach team design based education. This work in process paper shows the development of the re-Commerce paradigm and its application in education among CSET students.
Food Provisioning of Kits by a Female Eastern Spotted Skunk

Abstract Spilogale putorius (Eastern Spotted Skunk) is an elusive species, and little is known about their natural history in the southeastern US. We used a game camera to observe a female Eastern Spotted Skunk in the southern Appalachians of Alabama carrying 6 different prey items to her den from February to August 2015. Half of the observations occurred while she had 2 dependent kits, suggesting she was provisioning them with food. Identified food items included 3 snakes, a small mammal, a fungal sporocarp, and an anuran.
Myths of nation and empire: The logic of America’s liberal empire-state

While empires and civic-liberal nations have been seen as opposite and even contradictory political forms, this essay argues that they are similar. Both create and depend upon hierarchical differen...
Neutral Gas Properties of Extremely Isolated Early-type Galaxies

We present the results of single-dish atomic hydrogen (H I) observations of six highly isolated early-type galaxies. These objects are a representative subset of galaxies previously studied at optical wavelengths and selected to be separated by at least 2.5Mpc from companions brighter than M(sub V) =−16.5 mag. Each galaxy was observed with a single pointing using the NRAO Green Bank Telescope L-band receiver. Five of these systems were strongly detected in H I. These five galaxies exhibit H I profiles with a range of properties: single Gaussian-like peaks, separate double peaks, and double horn-like profiles. The four bluest galaxies (B−V<0.54) all contain significant gas with H I masses ranging from 1.1 × 10(exp 8) to 1.4 × 10(exp 9).
Waste Material Behavior and Inorganic Geochemistry at the Puerto Rico Waste Dumpsite

Samples of a pharmaceutical waste were taken prior to dumping at a site over the Puerto Rico Trench and analyzed for the cations Ag, Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr and Zn. Iron and Mn were found at concentrations of 170 ppm and 5.2 ppm respectively with the other heavy metals present at below 1 ppm. of the remaining cations, the most abundant were: Ca at 290 ppm, K at 340 ppm, Mg at 33 ppm, and Na at 9,900 ppm.
Making the invisible visible: advancing quantitative methods in higher education using critical race theory and intersectionality

We appeal to critical race theory and intersectionality to examine achievement gaps at a large public university in the American southwest from 2000 to 2015. Using white, high-income women as our r...
NEITHER STRAIGHT NOR NARROW

Most cells do not act in isolation -- they respond to signals from their neighbours. These signals are usually received at the cell surface, then the information is relayed to components that mediate the cell's response. One pathway that transduces such signals is the so-called Wingless pathway, which was originally envisaged as a simple, linear cascade. But new work indicates that the Wingless pathway is much more complex than this.
Self-governance, psychotherapy, and the subject of managed care: Internal Family Systems therapy and the multiple self in a US eating-disorders treatment center

“The self” has seen a surprising resurgence in recent anthropological theorizing, revitalizing interest in whether and how it can be studied ethnographically. These issues are brought to the fore by a newly popular psychotherapy technique, Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS), as practiced in a US eating-disorders clinic. There, clinicians and clients negotiate tensions between this model's understanding of a multiple, refracted self and managed-care companies’ insistence on personal responsibility. In considering the moral and pragmatic work of IFS in the clinic, a new critical anthropology of selfhood illuminates the vectors through which economic and political commitments become imbricated in the self. They do so in ways that resist both psychologism and subjectivism while holding them in productive—albeit sometimes troubling—tension.
FUNGI | Classification of the Eukaryotic Ascomycetes

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 2, pp 887–893, © 1999, Elsevier Ltd.
Estimation of the Sulfur Emissions Trends in Europe Based on Measurements and Source-Receptor Matrices

The results of a linear air pollution transport model can be expressed in the form of a source-receptor matrix, which is convenient for many applications, and especially the analysis of emission reduction scenarios. One example of such applications is the RAINS (Regional Acidification INformation and Simulation) model (Alcamo et. al., 1987) which estimates the impact of past, present and future emissions of sulfur and nitrogen on the European environment, based on the source-receptor matrices computed by the EMEP MSC-W model (Iversen et. al. 1990).
Correlation of Carotid Artery Pathology and Morphology in Imaging

The carotid artery is the dominant imaging target for non-invasive assessment of vessel wall morphology in atherosclerotic disease. In part, this arises from the clinical importance of the carotid artery in stroke prevention. Stroke is the third leading cause of death worldwide [45] and carotid atherosclerosis is thought to be the leading cause of embolic stroke. Additionally, stroke survival, estimated at greater than 75% in the United States [5], results in a massive disability burden costing billions of dollars per year. Surgical revisions of the carotid artery are the most common procedure for any vascular territory outside of the coronary arteries. In the United States alone, some 140,000 carotid endarterectomies are performed annually to remove the diseased neointimal layers of the artery. Clearly, diagnostic procedures affecting the treatment of carotid atherosclerosis can have a profound effect on patient survival, quality of life, and healthcare costs.
Pediatric cutaneous T‐cell post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder: Case report and review of the literature

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a rare lymphoid and/or plasmacytic proliferation that occurs in the context of immunosuppression because of solid organ transplantation (SOT) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). PTLD is the most common cancer in children who receive a SOT or HSCT, occurring in up to 13% of these patients. The majority of PTLDs are extracutaneous B-cell lymphomas, with only 12% to 14%, representing the T-cell phenotype. PTLDs can involve the skin and behave like an aggressive lymphoma, and are among the most serious and potentially fatal complications of transplantation. Here we present a case report and review of the literature of pediatric cutaneous PTLD.
Starting over on Campus or Sustaining Existing Ties? Social Capital during College Among Rural and Non-Rural College Graduates

Rural youth currently graduate from four-year colleges at a similar rate to peers from other locales, even though they are more likely to come from lower SES backgrounds. Scholars attribute their successes to “small town” community social capital; yet the processes through which young people translate social capital into educational attainment remain unspecified. Through analysis of in-depth interviews with disadvantaged rural and non-rural college graduates (n = 43), this study examines how successful students engage social capital to support academic attainment during college. All graduates tended to rely on family social capital for emotional support, high school social capital for academic preparedness, and on-campus peers and mentors for emotional and academic support. Support from community social capital varied, with some rural students severing hometown ties and others keeping them close. Community social capital offered direct benefits for rural students who maintained close ties, and data from this study suggest possible ways that even rural students who severed ties continued to indirectly benefit, such as feeling comfortable seeking out supportive resources and relationships because they are accustomed to being known. Non-rural students, in contrast, benefitted from continued relationships with high school peers on campus, but no other forms of community social capital.
MAFSA: Mars Autonomous and Foldable Solar Array

Abstract As we look toward Mars for the next frontier of space exploration and colonization, there is a need to prepare supporting technologies that will allow humans to live on the Red Planet for ...
Quantitative tests reveal that microtubules tune the healthy heart but underlie arrhythmias in pathology

Key points Our group previously discovered and characterized the microtubule mechanotransduction pathway linking diastolic stretch to NADPH oxidase 2-derived reactive oxygen species signals that regulate calcium sparks and calcium influx pathways. Here we used focused experimental tests to constrain and expand our existing computational models of calcium signalling in heart. Mechanistic and quantitative modelling revealed new insights in disease including: changes in microtubule network density and properties, elevated NOX2 expression, altered calcium release dynamics, how NADPH oxidase 2 is activated by and responds to stretch, and finally the degree to which normalizing mechano-activated reactive oxygen species signals can prevent calcium-dependent arrhythmias. Abstract Microtubule (MT) mechanotransduction links diastolic stretch to generation of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2)-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS), signals we term X-ROS. While stretch-elicited X-ROS primes intracellular calcium (Ca2+ ) channels for synchronized activation in the healthy heart, the dysregulated excess in this pathway underscores asynchronous Ca2+ release and arrhythmia. Here, we expanded our existing computational models of Ca2+ signalling in heart to include MT-dependent mechanotransduction through X-ROS. Informed by new focused experimental tests to properly constrain our model, we quantify the role of X-ROS on excitation-contraction coupling in healthy and pathological conditions. This approach allowed for a mechanistic investigation that revealed new insights into X-ROS signalling in disease including changes in MT network density and post-translational modifications (PTMs), elevated NOX2 expression, altered Ca2+ release dynamics (i.e. Ca2+ sparks and Ca2+ waves), how NOX2 is activated by and responds to stretch, and finally the degree to which normalizing X-ROS can prevent Ca2+ -dependent arrhythmias.
Momentum, Reversal, and Investor Overconfidence: An Empirical Investigation of Mutual Fund Managers

This paper examines the role of investor overconfidence in explaining the momentum effect. Using a comprehensive sample of U.S. equity mutual funds, I develop two novel measures of overconfidence based on the characteristics of the fund managers and their trading patterns. I find that stocks predominantly held by managers with high overconfidence scores experience greater momentum profits than stocks predominantly held by managers with low overconfidence scores. The difference in momentum profits between high- and low-overconfidence managers is not a compensation for risk, nor is it attributable to stock characteristics that influence momentum. Moreover, stocks predominantly held by high overconfidence managers exhibit stronger reversals. My results provide direct support for Daniel, Hirshleifer, and Subrahmanyam (1998), who argue that stock return momentum results from delayed overreactions caused by investor overconfidence and biased self-attribution.
(2S,4R)-4-Fluoro-pyrrolidinium-2-carboxyl-ate.

The crystal structure of the title compound, C5H8FNO2, at 100 K, displays inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding between the ammonium and carboxyl­ate groups as a result of its zwitterionic nature in the solid state. The five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation with the C atom at the 3-position as the flap. The compound is of inter­est with respect to the synthesis and structural properties of synthetic collagens. The absolute structure was determined by comparison with the commercially available material.
Study of Energy Intensity of Shaped Holes Broaching Process

Broaching is a type of machining with a multipoint tool with translational primary cutting motion distributed over the entire surface being processed without feed motion. In addition to high performance, one of the most important advantages of a broaching tool is high durability due to the design in which shaping elements duplicate each other, partially or completely. Another significant advantage of a broaching tool is the ability to be multiple reground, which allows bringing the cutting parameters of a conditionally worn-out tool back to the characteristics of a new one, without exceeding the tolerances. Due to these qualities, it is not unusual for an acquired broach to be used at enterprises for years, especially in the case of small-scale production. Designing broaches for machining shaped holes is accompanied by the issue of estimating the energy intensity of the broaching process as one of the criteria for selecting cutting conditions and estimating the energy efficiency of the process itself. The authors of this paper consider the broaching process in terms of energy, taking the value of the broaching process energy intensity as a criterion. Considering that the total cost of cutting when broaching is up to 10 times higher than the cost of a useful work of forming a new surface, it becomes relevant to use a criterion that allows varying the cutting process parameters to achieve metal removal with minimal energy input.
No City for Young Boys: The Hate U Give, When They See Us and African American Youth

Contradictions between precious ideals and social realities are often handled by locating the problems of inequality in a limited setting, so that the rest of social life will not be disturbed. Rac...
Moral community and moral order: Buchanan’s theory of obligation

In 1981, James Buchanan published the text of a lecture entitled “Moral Community, Moral Order, and Moral Anarchy.” The argument in that paper deserves more attention than it has received in the literature, as it closely follows the argument made by Adam Smith in Theory of Moral Sentiments. Smith believed, and rightly, that moral communities—to use Buchanan’s words—are indispensable. Smith also believed that the system could be expanded to encompass norms that foster commercial society. Buchanan allows for the same possibility in his discussion of moral community, in some ways similar to Hayek’s “great society” norms. But Buchanan points out the dark possibility that moral orders can collapse, relegating interactions outside of small moral communities to moral anarchy. Buchanan’s contribution is an important, and unrecognized, link between Smith’s conception of propriety and Hume’s conception of convention.
NATIONAL READMISSION TRENDS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS UNDERGOING CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT SURGERY

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly, and with the aging population, it will remain an important healthcare concern. For patients with complex coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is often considered for
Marketing ecosystem: An outside-in view for sustainable advantage

Abstract In the modern business environment, consumers are increasingly influenced by megatrends involving marketplace, technology, socioeconomics, geopolitics, and natural environment. Simultaneously, the data and insights that can inform consumer attitudes and behaviors often reside outside of firms' direct control. Consciously incorporating these interdependent factors into firms' decision-making is essential for adaptability and sustainable profitability. Building on the “outside-in” perspective, we propose that firm strategies should be informed through the lens of the marketing ecosystem that considers the interrelated and dynamic megatrends. By leveraging advances in data and technology, firms can sense-make the marketplace by extracting insights from massive amounts of diverse consumer data with modern-day analytics. By mapping out the megatrends with marketing analytics, firms can 1) more accurately predict consumers' changing preferences and formulate appropriate strategies to engage with them; and 2) become more market-adaptable and competitive in the present and the future. To deliver sustainably compelling value to customers, firms should adopt an ecosystem mindset and cooperate with various stakeholders. A broad-thinking, agile, and humble firm culture can enable the development of more robust outside-in capabilities. We elaborate on the megatrends in the interconnected world of the marketing ecosystem, and propose emerging research directions in each area.
The Harmine and Exendin-4 Combination Markedly Expands Human Beta Cell Mass In Vivo: Quantification and Visualization By iDISCO+ 3D Imaging

Abstract Since all diabetes results from reductions in numbers of functional pancreatic beta cells, beta cell regenerative drugs are required for optimal and scalable future diabetes treatment. While many diabetes drugs are in clinical use, none increases human beta cell numbers. We have shown that a combination of the DYRK1A inhibitor, harmine, with the GLP1 receptor agonist, exendin-4, markedly increases human beta cell proliferation in vitro. However, technological limitations have prevented assessment of human beta cell mass in vivo. Here, we describe a novel method that combines iDISCO+ tissue clearing, insulin immunolabeling, light sheet microscopy, and volumetric quantification of human beta cells transplanted into immunodeficient mice. We demonstrate a striking seven-fold in vivo increase in human beta cell mass in response to three months of combined harmine-exendin-4 combination infusion, accompanied by lower blood glucose levels, increased plasma human insulin concentrations and enhanced beta cell proliferation. These studies unequivocally demonstrate for the first time that pharmacologic human beta cell expansion is a realistic and achievable path to diabetes therapy, and provide a rigorous, entirely novel and reproducible tool for quantifying human beta cell mass in vivo.
The Molecular ‘Myc-anisms’ behind Myc-Driven Tumorigenesis and the Relevant Myc-Directed Therapeutics

MYC, a well-studied proto-oncogene that is overexpressed in >20% of tumors across all cancers, is classically known as "undruggable" due to its crucial roles in cell processes and its lack of a drug binding pocket. Four decades of research and creativity led to the discovery of a myriad of indirect (and now some direct!) therapeutic strategies targeting Myc. This review explores the various mechanisms in which Myc promotes cancer and highlights five key therapeutic approaches to disrupt Myc, including transcription, Myc-Max dimerization, protein stability, cell cycle regulation, and metabolism, in order to develop more specific Myc-directed therapies.
Minimally invasive surgery for interdigital and lateral fifth toe corns: Case reports

Abstract The most common locations of the corn are on top of the dorsal lateral aspect of the fifth toe and in the interdigital space between the fourth and fifth toes. Lateral fifth toe corns form as a result of extrinsic pressure from footwear. Interdigital corns form over the condyles of the phalanx between the toes, and can be soft and very painful in most cases. When conservative treatment fails, surgical treatment is indicated. Surgical treatment consists of partial or complete condylectomy and syndactylization. However, it is difficult to correct interdigital corns because of the narrow webspace and risk of painful postoperative scar. No prior study has been published on minimally invasive surgery for lateral fifth toe and interdigital corns, with the exception of some publications on the explanation of the technique. We investigated six toes from five patients using a minimally invasive surgical procedure that consisted of partial condylectomy with correction of associated deformities. We achieved successful results in the absence of major complications or recurrence during one year follow-up periods. This is the first case series that reports on minimally invasive surgery for painful toe corn.
Nicotine Inhalation and Suicide: Clinical Correlates and Behavioral Mechanisms.

Background and objectives Extensive evidence links smoking and suicide independently of psychiatric diagnoses, but there are questions about the pathophysiology and specificity of this relationship. We examined characteristics of this linkage to identify potential transdiagnostic mechanisms in suicide and its prevention. Methods We reviewed literature that associated suicide with smoking and e-cigarettes, including the temporal sequence of smoking and suicide risk and their shared behavioral risk factors of sensitization and impulsivity. Results Smoking is associated with increased suicide across psychiatric diagnoses and in the general population, proportionately to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Rapid nicotine uptake into the brain through inhalation of conventional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette), or even second-hand smoke can facilitate long-term sensitization and short-term impulsivity. Both impair action regulation and predispose to negative affect, continued smoking, and suicidal behavior. Intermittent hypoxia, induced by cigarettes or e-cigarettes, synergistically promotes impulsivity and sensitization, exacerbating suicidality. Two other shared behavioral risks also develop negative urgency (combined impulsivity and negative affect) and cross-sensitization to stressors or to other addictive stimuli. Finally, early smoking onset, promoted by e-cigarettes in never-smokers, increases subsequent suicide risk. Conclusion and scientific significance Prevention or cessation of nicotine inhalation can strategically prevent suicidality and other potentially lethal behavior regardless of psychiatric diagnoses. Medications for reducing smoking and suicidality, especially in younger smokers, should consider the neurobehavioral mechanisms for acute impulsivity and longer-term sensitization, potentially modulated more effectively through glutamate antagonism rather than nicotine substitution. (Am J Addict 2021;00:00-00).
Measures of Good Hydration Are Associated to Lower Cognitive Performance

Objectives It is accepted practice to maintain hydration to optimize physical performance. However, ranges of hydration conditions on cognitive performance (CP) is not well studied. CP is crucial for both athletic performance and daily activities, therefore the purpose of this study was to determine if variance in hydration status would be associated with CP.
Computational Prediction of All Lanthanide Aqua Ion Acidity Constants.

The protonation state of lanthanide-ligand complexes, or lanthanide-containing porous materials, with many Bronsted acid sites can change due to proton loss/gain reactions with water or other heteroatom-containing compounds. Consequently, variations in the protonation state of lanthanide-containing species affect their molecular structure and desired properties. Lanthanide(III) aqua ions undergo hydrolysis and form hydroxides; they are the best characterized lanthanide-containing species with multiple Bronsted acid sites. We employed constrained ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and electronic structure calculations to determine all acidity constants of the lanthanide(III) aqua ions solely from computation. The first, second, and third acidity constants of lanthanide(III) aqua ions were predicted, on average, within 1.2, 2.5, and 4.7 absolute pKa units from experiment, respectively. A table includes our predicted pKa values alongside most experimentally measured pKa values known to date. The approach presented is particularly suitable to determine the Bronsted acidity of lanthanide-containing systems with multiple acidic sites, including those whose measured acidity constants cannot be linked to specific acid sites.
Expressive Design: An Intersection of Design and Meaning

Good product design is an appropriate balance of form, function, and value. As form becomes more and more commoditized, manufacturing materials and processes are easily accessible and technologies are less and less proprietary. Creating value has become a more significant component of the product development process. This value component has nudged product producers to search for ways to give value to the goods and services they sell.
Improving fault prediction using Bayesian networks for the development of embedded software applications: Research Articles

Bayesian network (BN) models can be used to predict the level of fault injection in the different phases of the software development process. This paper describes the techniques used by Motorola to develop BN fault prediction models using product, usage and process information. It also includes a procedure created to validate and calibrate the BN models. Statistical techniques are applied that provide a measurement of the quality of the predictions made by the models, and directions on how the models could be improved. The validation method described in this paper considers two alternative ways to produce an improved network. The first is based mainly on modifying the ranges of the existing nodes, adding interdependencies between them, and varying the weight values associated with each of the nodes that are used as inputs to the intermediate nodes of the BN model. The second possibility uses linear regression and principal component analysis to build the intermediate and output nodes of the network. The paper closes with some encouraging results, and outlines a number of unresolved questions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.A version of this paper was originally presented at UKTest 2005: The Third U.K. Workshop on Software Testing Research, held at the University of Sheffield, U.K., 5–6 September 2005. It is reproduced here in revised and extended form with the permission of the Workshop organizers
NASA Glenn Research Center Ueet (Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology) Program: Agenda and Abstracts

Topics discussed include: UEET Overview; Technology Benefits; Emissions Overview; PW GE Low Emissions Combustor Development; Rolls-Royce Low Emissions Combustor Development; Honeywell Low Emissions Combustor Development; NASA Multipoint LDI Development; Stanford Activities In Concepts for Advanced Gas Turbine Combustors; Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of Gas Turbine Combustion; NASA National Combustion Code Simulations; Materials Overview; Thermal Barrier Coatings for Airfoil Applications; Disk Alloy Development; Turbine Blade Alloy; Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) Materials Development; Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) Materials Characterization; Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBC) for Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) Materials; Ceramic Matrix Composite Vane Rig Testing and Design; Ultra-High Temperature Ceramic (UHTC) Development; Lightweight Structures; NPARC Alliance; Technology Transfer and Commercialization; and Turbomachinery Overview; etc.
Medicaid Reimbursement of Mental Health Peer-Run Organizations: Results of a National Survey

This study sought to understand whether knowledge of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was associated with willingness of mental health peer-run organizations to become Medicaid providers. Through the 2012 National Survey of Peer-Run Organizations, organizational directors reported their organization's willingness to accept Medicaid reimbursement and knowledge about the ACA. Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the association between willingness to accept Medicaid and the primary predictor of knowledge of the ACA, as well as other predictors at the organizational and state levels. Knowledge of the ACA, Medicaid expansion, and discussions about healthcare reform were not significantly associated with willingness to be a Medicaid provider. Having fewer paid staff was associated with not being willing to be a Medicaid provider, suggesting that current staffing capacity is related to attitudes about becoming a Medicaid provider. Organizations had both ideological and practical concerns about Medicaid reimbursement. Concerns about Medicaid reimbursement can potentially be addressed through alternative financing mechanisms that should be able to meet the needs of peer-run organizations.
Microwave Emission from Coupled Josephson Junctions

When a finite dc voltage V dc is established across a Josephson junction an oscillating supercurrent $${{I}_{dc}}\,=\,{{I}_{1}}\,\sin ({{\varphi }_{0\,}}+\frac{2e{{V}_{dc}}}{h}t)$$ (1) can be made to flow. Here I 1 is the maximum dc Josephson current and ϕ 0 is a constant. This ac supercurrent is most readily observed when the junction is coupled to a resonant structure. For a tunnel junction the junction itself forms a resonant cavity with a fundamental resonance frequency \({{\omega }_{R}}\,=\,\pi \bar{c}/2L\) determined by the phase velocity \(\bar{c}\) c in the barrier region and by the width of the wider film L.
On Holism and The Contextual Character of Natural Qualities

Presented is a discourse on the contextual nature of physical qualities. The realistic and observational contexts in which a system exists are demonstrated as equally involved in defining its qualities. Each quality could be consequently considered as natural and experiential at the same time. The subsequently proposed thesis of the contextual co-definition of natural/experiential qualities in the relationship between the human mind and Nature is shown to possess numerous favorable ethical and aesthetical implications. The contextual nature of experiential qualities is further correlated with the holistic character of natural systems and events, which is illustrated by several real-life examples. A systemic approach to knowledge is shown to naturally emanate from the acceptance of the contextual definition of physical qualities and the holistic nature of experiences. Methodological problems of the standard, reductionist explanatory frameworks are additionally discussed with an emphasis on the major descri...
Continuing Engineering Education at IBM

The author presents a short background on corporate education in the USA from a recently published study by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The report summarises the magnitude of education provided by US industry and estimates, it to be roughly equal to all the education provided by all US colleges and universities. The author then speculates on some of the reasons why so much education is provided by industry. The paper includes demographic information on the number and diversity of IBM employees. The demographics are used to point out the problem of a very broad and varied need for continuing education in the IBM Corporation. The solution to this broad problem is described in terms of the many educational opportunities provided for its employees. Also discussed are some education–oriented programs sponsored by IBM to strengthen university educational opportunities for its employees.
A Comparison of the Relative Importance of Helium and Vacancy Accumulation in Void Nucleation

Void nucleation in irradiated austenitic stainless steels generally requires the presence of either residual or transmutant gases. Classical nucleation rates are much too low to account for the number of voids observed attemperatures greater than about 450°C. An alternate path is generally believed to be responsible for void formation; namely, the growth of gas-stabilized bubbles until they reach a critical size beyond which further gas accumulation is not required to promote growth. Two limiting paths can be envisioned for void nucleation on a population of sub-critical helium/vacancy clusters; one is limited to growth by helium accumulation alone and the other to growth by stochastic fluctuations in the vacancy accumulation. As bubbles approach the critical size, stochastic processes could begin to contribute to the void nucleation rate. A comparison is made of nucleation rates along these two limiting paths as a function of the gas content of the clusters. The calculations indicate that the gas accumulation path is generally dominant, particularly at higher temperatures and for lower gas contents. The fraction of the critical size required for the vacancy path to contribute to the total nucleation rate increases with temperature. The results confirm the important role of transmutant helium in promoting void swelling.
Safety of peripheral intravenous administration of vasoactive medication.

BACKGROUND Central venous access is commonly performed to administer vasoactive medication. The administration of vasoactive medication via peripheral intravenous access is a potential method of reducing the need for central venous access. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of vasoactive medication administered through peripheral intravenous access. METHODS Over a 20-month period starting in September 2012, we monitored the use of vasoactive medication via peripheral intravenous access in an 18-bed medical intensive care unit. Norepinephrine, dopamine, and phenylephrine were all approved for use through peripheral intravenous access. RESULTS A total of 734 patients (age 72 ± 15 years, male/female 398/336, SAPS II score 75 ± 15) received vasoactive medication via peripheral intravenous access 783 times. Vasoactive medication used was norepinephrine (n = 506), dopamine (n = 101), and phenylephrine (n = 176). The duration of vasoactive medication via peripheral intravenous access was 49 ± 22 hours. Extravasation of the peripheral intravenous access during administration of vasoactive medication occurred in 19 patients (2%) without any tissue injury following treatment, with local phentolamine injection and application of local nitroglycerin paste. There were 95 patients (13%) receiving vasoactive medication through peripheral intravenous access who eventually required central intravenous access. CONCLUSIONS Administration of norepinephrine, dopamine, or phenylephrine by peripheral intravenous access was feasible and safe in this single-center medical intensive care unit. Extravasation from the peripheral intravenous line was uncommon, and phentolamine with nitroglycerin paste were effective in preventing local ischemic injury. Clinicians should not regard the use of vasoactive medication is an automatic indication for central venous access. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015;10:581–585. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine
Directed Energy Beam Weapons

Beam weapons constitute one variety of defensive option currently being explored. Two such devices, the neutral particle beam system and the free electron laser, may offer promising additions to layered defense against nuclear missile attack. Such research and development programs reduce the possibility of a devastating surprise and could stabilize international relations as both adversaries can be expected to pursue these paths.
Velocity selector for heavy-ion separation

Abstract A velocity selector with an electric field strength of 0–40 kV/cm and a magnetic field strength of 0–4000 G has been designed for the purpose of separating heavy-ion reaction products, particularly from fusion reactions. The instrument has been installed at the Tandem Facility of the Brookhaven National Laboratory and is being used mostly in conjunction with a magnetic spectrograph to produce an energy-mass spectrograph (EMS) described in full in the preceding paper.
Effect of pattern complexity on the visual span for Chinese and alphabet characters.

The visual span for reading is the number of letters that can be recognized without moving the eyes and is hypothesized to impose a sensory limitation on reading speed. Factors affecting the size of the visual span have been studied using alphabet letters. There may be common constraints applying to recognition of other scripts. The aim of this study was to extend the concept of the visual span to Chinese characters and to examine the effect of the greater complexity of these characters. We measured visual spans for Chinese characters and alphabet letters in the central vision of bilingual subjects. Perimetric complexity was used as a metric to quantify the pattern complexity of binary character images. The visual span tests were conducted with four sets of stimuli differing in complexity—lowercase alphabet letters and three groups of Chinese characters. We found that the size of visual spans decreased with increasing complexity, ranging from 10.5 characters for alphabet letters to 4.5 characters for the most complex Chinese characters studied. A decomposition analysis revealed that crowding was the dominant factor limiting the size of the visual span, and the amount of crowding increased with complexity. Errors in the spatial arrangement of characters (mislocations) had a secondary effect. We conclude that pattern complexity has a major effect on the size of the visual span, mediated in large part by crowding. Measuring the visual span for Chinese characters is likely to have high relevance to understanding visual constraints on Chinese reading performance.
Increasing global knowledge exchange in school mental health

Since its inception, Advances in School Mental Health Promotion (ASMHP) has emphasized its international focus, both in terms of manuscript solicitation and readership. This focus reflects two over...
Social support, competence, and depression in mothers of abused children

Using a stress-social-support-psychological functioning model, this study compares mothers of abused and nonabused children on perceived social support, perceived competence, and depressive symptomatology; examines the impact of abuse status on changes over time in these domains; and assesses the relative contributions of social support and abuse status to self-worth and depression. Results highlight the importance of early identification of maternal depression in cases of child abuse, and the need for services that enhance social skills and provide social support for both children and parents.
The impact of efficacy on work attitudes across cultures

Abstract To answer the call for more cross-cultural research, this study analyzed the efficacy and work attitudes of employee samples from the U.S. and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand). The results showed that across these two samples, general efficacy had a significant positive relationship with organizational commitment and a significant negative relationship with intention to turnover. Further analysis also indicated that job satisfaction mediated the relationship between general efficacy and organizational commitment and intention to quit in the U.S. sample. The relationship between general efficacy and organizational commitment was stronger in the U.S. than in the three combined countries sampled in Southeast Asia.
Investigation of electrical properties of nanostructured carbon films derived from block copolymers

Abstract Electrical properties of nanostructured carbon (ns-C) films fabricated by pyrolysis of PAN–b–PBA copolymers were investigated. Films having cylindrical morphology and pyrolyzed at 400, 500 and 600 °C were investigated. Both carbide forming (Zr, Ti) and non-carbide forming (Cu, Pt) metals spanning a wide range of electron work functions (4.1–5.5 eV) formed ohmic contacts to the ns-C films in the as-deposited state. The conductivity of the ns-C films increased roughly three orders of magnitude for every 100 °C increase in the pyrolysis temperature. Hall-effect measurements showed that the films pyrolyzed at 600 °C were n-type with a majority carrier concentration and mobility of 5.8 × 10 18 cm −3 and 0.97 cm 2 /V s, respectively. Current–voltage measurements as a function of temperature ( I – V – T ) were performed on films pyrolyzed at 600 °C, whereas films pyrolyzed at 400 and 500 °C were too resistive for reliable resistivity–temperature and Hall-effect measurements. The resistivity as a function of temperature was analyzed by using the reduced activation energy method and was determined to follow variable-range hopping (VRH) mechanisms at and below room temperature. The data indicates a crossover from Efros–Shklovskii VRH [J. Phys. C 8, (1975) L49] to Mott VRH [J. Non-Cryst. Solids 1, (1968) 1] at temperatures above 100 K.
On the estimation of returns to scale using variable cost functions

Abstract This paper compares two methods of estimating returns to scale based on variable cost functions. It shows specifically how the methods differ, and indicates why it is important to select an appropriate method when drawing inferences about policy.
Carbonium ion salts. Part 15. Correlation of electronic spectra of substituted tropylium (cycloheptatrienylium) ions with the nature of electronic interaction between substituent and ring

Abstract Some time ago empirical observation of a heretofore unpublished set of electronic spectra of substituted tropylium ions led to tentative classification of them into three types based on degree of electronic interaction between substituent and ring: Type I, perturbation of symmetry from D7h to C2v with no interaction; Type II, intermediate type resulting from increased polarizabilty of substituent; and Type III, substituent to ring charge transfer. The spectra have now been prepared for publication, and the nature of the substituent–ring electronic interactions examined with ab initio (3-21(G∗)) molecular orbital methods. There are three types, although the assignment of specific compounds to type varies some from the original. In Type I the substituent π-electron pair resides on substituent in the lowest π-orbital, and the HOMO to LUMO (HL) transition is essentially that of an unaffected tropylium ion. In Type II, the substituent π-electron pair is delocalized over the ring in an extended conjugated system; the HL transition has a small bias towards increased ring electron density in the LUMO. In Type III the substituent π-electron pair resides on substituent in the highest π-orbital, and the HL transition is a substituent to ring charge-transfer absorption.
Effects of dopamine β-hydroxylase genotype and disulfiram inhibition on catecholamine homeostasis in mice

Dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) converts dopamine (DA) to norepinephrine (NE), thus playing a critical role in catecholamine metabolism. We examined the effects of Dbh gene dosage and the DBH inhibitor disulfiram in mice with zero, one, or two null Dbh alleles (+/+, +/−, and −/− mice). DBH protein levels in adrenal and prefrontal cortex (PFC) and adrenal DBH activity were proportional to number of wild-type alleles. Adrenal DA was slightly increased in +/− mice and markedly increased (80-fold) in −/− mice compared to wild-type animals. While adrenal NE and epinephrine (EPI) were undetectable in −/− mice, adrenal concentrations of NE and EPI were similar in +/+ and +/− mice, suggesting that the increase in DA maintains the normal rate of β-hydroxylation in Dbh +/− mice. Disulfiram had little effect on adrenal catecholamine levels, regardless of genotype or dose. NE was absent in the PFC of −/− mice, but only slightly reduced in +/− animals compared to wild-type animals. PFC DA was increased twofold in +/− mice and fivefold in −/− mice, and the NE to DA ratio was reduced (∼35%) in +/− mice, compared to wild-type mice. Disulfiram significantly decreased PFC NE and increased DA in +/+ and +/− animals, with the disulfiram and genotype effects on the PFC NE to DA ratio apparently additive. The data reveal potentially important and apparently additive effects of Dbh genotype and disulfiram administration on PFC catecholamine metabolism. These effects may have implications for genetic control of DBH activity in humans and for understanding therapeutic effects of disulfiram.