cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Opaque Multiphase Reactors: Experimentation, Modeling and Troubleshooting

Multiphase reactors are widely used in petroleum, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and metallurgical industries as well as in materials processing and pollution abatement. Most reactors of interest in industrial practice (slurry bubble columns, gas-solid risers and fluidized beds, ebullated beds and stirred tanks) are opaque as they contain a large volume fraction of the dispersed phase. All the physical phenomena that affect the fluid dynamics of such systems are not yet entirely understood. This makes a priori predictions of important process parameters (pressure drop, velocity and holdup profiles, degree of backmixing, etc. ) very difficult. Industry relies on correlations, and these are prone to great uncertainty as one departs from the operating conditions contained in the available limited data base. Prediction of the needed process parameters based on fundamental fluid dynamic models would be most welcome, yet even the best models (that can treat large vessels or conduits that are of interest) require closure forms for phase interaction terms which are still subject to uncertainty and debate. Hence, there is a need to verify such models; verification can only be accomplished if we measure precisely those quantities that we would like the model to ultimately predict, i. e. phase holdup and holdup profiles, velocity profiles, backmixing, etc. However, the systems are opaque and we cannot seeinto them, and so it seems that a vicious circle has been closed and that model predictions are destined to remain unchecked. Fortunately, as two extensive recent reviews point out (Chaouki et al. , 1997a, 1997b) there are techniques which can provide us with the desired information. In this paper, we review two of them: gamma ray assisted tomography (CT) for measurement of holdup profiles and computer aided radioactive particle tracking (CARPT) for measurement of velocity profiles and backmixing parameters. We then show how these techniques can be used to obtain information in systems with moving catalysts of industrial interest such as gas-solid riser, liquid-solid riser and gas-liquid bubble column. The ability of the available CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) codes to correctly predict the observed hydrodynamic quantities is also briefly discussed. We then address the issue of two-phase flow in packed beds and the evolution of the experimental techniques and models used to quantify these reactors better. Finally, troubleshooting on industrial scale reactors and use of tracer methods to accomplish this are briefly mentioned.
Giant enhancement of cubic nonlinearity in a polycrystalline quasi-one-dimensional conductor

In this work, we study, not the mechanism, but rather, how the nonlinearity of quasi-1D material may be affected if the polymer is a polycrystal. Polycrystalline structures are certainly of practical interest, because it can be difficult to prepare quasi-1D materials as single crystals. Unless special preparation techniques are used, these materials will tend to have their principal axes randomly oriented in space—in other words, to be polycrystalline. Our main result is that this random structure may hugely enhance the effective cubic nonlinearity of the organic polymer. This enhancement is caused by a local field effect: the cubic nonlinearity depends on the cube of the local electric field, and this can be greatly increased above the applied field by local fluctuations in the dielectric properties. Local field effects have already been discussed extensively for suspensions of isotropic nonlinear material in a linear host. 2‐8 In this case, the cubic response is greatly enhanced near the frequency of the surface plasmon resonance of the suspended particles. More recently, an experiment has shown that a layered microstructure of alternating nonlinear dielectrics can have an effective cubic nonlinearity which is larger than that of of either pure component. 9 On the theoretical side, it has been shown that the enhancement factor is proportional to the averaged fourth power of the electric field in a related linear medium. 9‐12 In this paper, we will show that a similar result also applies to polycrystals. Using this formalism, we will show that a large enhancement can occur in a polycrystal of quasi-1D material, if the components of the dielectric tensor have suitable values. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. The next section describes a method for treating cubic nonlinearities in a polycrystalline material. Following this, we give some simple numerical examples, based on model calculations, and conclude with a brief discussion.
Was There a Solution to the Ancien Regime's Financial Dilemma?

The fiscal policy accomplishments of the ancien regime during its last two decades in France have been greatly underappreciated. While the collapse of the monarchy has been attributed to persistent peacetime deficits, these did not appear until the mid-1780s when earlier reforms and successful budget policies were abandoned by reactionary finance ministers. Had the earlier policies been continued, it is unlikely that a severe crisis would have occurred in 1788/89.
Possible association between response inhibition and a variant in the brain-expressed tryptophan hydroxylase-2 gene

The ability to inhibit a response is an important component of normal behavioral control and is an aspect of psychopathology when diminished. Converging evidence implicates the serotonergic neurotransmitter system in response inhibition circuitry.ObjectivesThe present study examined potential associ
The use of a butcher's boning glove for handling small laboratory animals

The handling of laboratory animals involves an area of major concern to caretakers and investigators alike, and that is the fear of being bitten. This problem is age-old and methods used for solving it may be ideal in spme situations but cumbersome or unsuitable in others (Davis & Grice, 1962; Emlen, 1944; Evans, Smart & Stoddart, 1968; Redfern, 1971). Whenever possible handling of small animals is probably best done with bare hands, as this allows the animals to become aquainted with human odour and to become more docile. It also affords more manual dexterity than with a glove, thereby lessening the danger of injury and stress to the animal. However, this is not always the prudent course of action when handling wild species, or with aggressive or potentially infective creatures. Small animals, particularly rats, when housed singly or when they escape, become more excitable and tend to bite with little provocation: the hand and fingers of the handler are the most frequent target. In such cases a glove is a necessary evil, and we have found the butcher's boning glove the best for the job. Boning gloves, obtained from a butcher's supply house, were first tried in our facility several years ago. Since that time they have gained wide acceptance in our laboratory and have practically eliminated bite wounds. They are constructed of small interwoven stainless-steel rings that form a steel mesh which is a very flexible but impenetrable barrier. The gloves are avail· able with a thumb and index finger only, or up to a full hand-the latter being used by our people with the most success. The gloves must fit properly,
Shoulder arthroplasty and its effect on strain in the subscapularis muscle

Abstract Background Increasing the thickness of the prosthetic humeral head on subscapularis strain in patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty has not been elucidated. The optimal postoperative rehabilitation for total shoulder arthroplasty that does not place excessive strain on the subscapularis is not known. We hypothesize that the use of expanded non-anatomic humeral heads during shoulder replacement will cause increased tension in the repaired subscapularis. We identified a recommended passive range of motion program without invoking an increase in tension in the repaired subscapularis, and determined the impact of the thickness of the humeral head on subscapularis strain. Methods Eight fresh-frozen, forequarter cadaver specimens were obtained. An extended deltopectoral incision was performed and passive range-of-motion exercises with the following motions were evaluated: external rotation, abduction, flexion, and scaption. An optical motion analysis system measured strain in the subscapularis. The same protocol was repeated after performing a subscapularis osteotomy and after placement of an anatomic hemiarthroplasty of three different thicknesses. Findings For abduction and forward flexion, we observed a trend of decreasing strain of the subscapularis, as the laxity is removed with increasing humeral head component thickness. With the short humeral head, strain was similar to native joint with passive scaption and flexion but not with external rotation or abduction. Interpretation The passive range of motion that minimizes tension on the subscapularis is forward flexion and scaption. Therefore, passive forward flexion or scaption does not need to be limited, but external rotation should have passive limits and abduction should be avoided.
Early life-style differences among black male heroin addicts and their nonaddicted friends.

To determine whether early life-style variables (i.e., involvement in illicit drug use and other illegal activities) might be associated with subsequent patterns of heroin use, we conducted personal history interviews with 186 Black male heroin addicts, experimenters, and nonheroin users. Our findings indicate that patterns of heroin use should be viewed within the broader context of involvement in a deviant lifestyle. Addicts and heavy experimenters were more likely than moderate experimenters or nonheroin users to have been heavy users of illicit drugs such as marijuana, barbiturates, amphetamines, and codeine cough syrup and to have been involved in illegal activities such as drug dealing, property offenses, and violent crimes during or after leaving high school.
Neuropsychological findings with pseudoxanthoma elasticum.

. It has been reported that the disease pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is associated with a high incidence of neurologic and psychiatric symptoms, which are possibly due to cerebrovascular ischemia. These reports are based mainly upon clinical observations made without reference to control group data. We have compared the results of 27 PXE patients with results of a control group on a battery of objective neuropsychological and personality tests. The PXE group showed only very mild deficits on extensive neuropsychological testing, a finding which argues against any marked involvement of cerebral vessels in these patients. Similarly, the personality test results did not reveal significant psychiatric disturbances which could be attributed to PXE. Possible reasons for the discrepancy with previous reports include the subjective data and much older PXE patients on which those reports are based. The need for systematic neuropsychological research with older PXE patients and control groups is suggested.
Electrical Resistivity And Crystal Structure Of Nickel-Based Multilayer Thin Films

The electrical resistivity and crystal structure of three Ni-based periodic multilayer thin film systems (Al/Ni, Ti/Ni, and Cu/Ni) have been investigated. In each series of films the Ni layer thickness was systematically varied while the thickness of the ‘spacer’ layer (Al, Ti, or Cu) was fixed. In the Al/Ni and Ti/Ni systems films with very thin Ni layers (and consequently large volume fractions of spacer and ‘interfacial’ material) yielded very high resistivities which dropped rapidly with increasing Ni thickness. By contrast, the resistivity of Cu/Ni multilayers continuously increased with Ni layer thickness due to the decline in volume fraction of high conductivity Cu. Both the Al/Ni and Ti/Ni systems exhibit Ni(111) texture in the thicker Ni layer samples. As the Ni layer thickness decreases the Ni(111) peak loses intensity and broadens due to finer grain size and increasing disorder. Al-Ni and Ti-Ni compounds are also noted. In the Cu/Ni system, however, the sharpness of the Ni(111) peak passes through a minimum as the Ni layer thickness decreases but then increases for the thinnest Ni layer samples.
What do doctors want? developing incentives for doctors to serve in Indonesia's rural and remote areas

Like many large countries, Indonesia has difficulty attracting doctors to service in rural and remote areas. To guide the creation of incentives for service in these areas, the authors analyze two sets of data about physicians: 1) the locations chosen by graduating medical students before and after a major change in the incentive system, and 2) survey data on choices among hypothetical assignments differing in compensation, career prospects, and amenities at various locations. Their findings suggest that: a) The current policy of offering specialist training is incentive enough to make doctors from Java willing to serve in remote areas. (It is not necessary to also offer a civil service appointment.) But providing specialist training as an incentive to work in remote areas is not only expensive, but potentially inefficient, since specialist practice and rural public health management require different skills and attitudes. b) Moderately (but not extremely) remote areas can be staffed using modest cash incentives. c) Doctors from the Outer Islands are far more willing to serve in remote areas than their counterparts from Java. So, it may be worthwhile increasing the representation of Outer Island students in medical schools (perhaps through scholarships and assistance in pre-university preparation).
Theory and Use of the Em Algorithm

This introduction to the expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm provides an intuitive and mathematically rigorous understanding of EM. Two of the most popular applications of EM are described in detail: estimating Gaussian mixture models (GMMs), and estimating hidden Markov models (HMMs). EM solutions are also derived for learning an optimal mixture of fixed models, for estimating the parameters of a compound Dirichlet distribution, and for dis-entangling superimposed signals. Practical issues that arise in the use of EM are discussed, as well as variants of the algorithm that help deal with these challenges.
Civil infrastructure monitoring for IVHS using optical fiber sensors

8Early deployment of Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems would necessitate the internal instrumentation of infrastructure for emergency preparedness. Existing quantitative analysis and visual analysis techniques are time consuming, cost prohibitive, and are often unreliable. Fiber optic sensors are rapidly replacing conventional instrumentation because of their small size, light weight, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and extremely high information carrying capability. In this paper research on novel optical fiber sensing techniques for health monitoring of civil infrastructure such as highways and bridges is reported. Design, fabrication, and implementation of fiber optic sensor configurations used for measurements of strain are discussed. Results from field tests conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of fiber sensors at determining quantitative strain vector components near crack locations in bridges are presented. Emerging applications of fiber sensors for vehicle flow, vehicle speed, and weigh-in-motion measurements are also discussed.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Brain Stem Functional Localization with Atlas of the Brain Stem

The brain stem is the subcortical region that contains all but two of the 12 cranial nerves. Associated with the cranial nerves are centers that control the heart, lung, and GI systems and also control the muscles in the head and neck. We speak and move our eyes and all the muscles in the head due to the cranial nerves.
Exception to the Rule? Examining Racism & Conservative Black Candidate Evaluation

Several scholars have found that racism influences political behavior (Tetlock 1986; Kinder and Sears 1971; Carmines and Stimson 1989; Sears 1989; Tesler 2013). In the context of candidate evaluation, Kinder and McConnaughy (2006) concluded that racism predicted white opposition to Jesse Jackson, but not Collin Powell. This suggests that whites that possess racist beliefs will overlook race when evaluating conservative African American candidates. Hood and Mckee (2015) allude to the same conclusion and even suggest that racist whites were more supportive of minority Republican candidates in high profile races. This empirical analysis examines whether racism influences the electoral choices of white voters when a black candidate is on the ballot. Results indicate that anti-black affect has a significant impact on the evaluation of black conservative candidates. In this regard, race still remains a relevant force in white voter choice despite empirical evidence that suggest otherwise.
Identifying Web Search Query Reformulation using Concept based Matching

Web search users frequently modify their queries in hope of receiving better results. This process is referred to as “Query Reformulation”. Previous research has mainly focused on proposing query reformulations in the form of suggested queries for users. Some research has studied the problem of predicting whether the current query is a reformulation of the previous query or not. However, this work has been limited to bag-of-words models where the main signals being used are word overlap, character level edit distance and word level edit distance. In this work, we show that relying solely on surface level text similarity results in many false positives where queries with different intents yet similar topics are mistakenly predicted as query reformulations. We propose a new representation for Web search queries based on identifying the concepts in queries and show that we can significantly improve query reformulation performance using features of query concepts.
Culture, Power, and Truth: A Virtual Interview with Renato Rosaldo

After obtaining his doctorate from Harvard University, anthropologist Renato Rosaldo has been a professor at Stanford University for more than three decades. "Culture, Power, and Truth" is a virtual interview with Professor Rosaldo and thus one in a new series of interviews carried out by e-mail that will appear in Amerasia Journal.Although Rosaldo has not published directly on Asian Americans per se, this seemed like a perfect opportunity to explore how his special synthesis of history, ethnography, literature, and social criticism might inform Asian Americanists, as we engage more fully with the Americas as a whole. Since his work is at once comparative, cross-disciplinary, creative, and politically engaged, we in Asian American Studies would do well to study how Rosaldo's work as an organic intellectual body has evolved.
The impact-acceleration model of head injury: Injury severity predicts motor and cognitive performance after trauma

AbstractThis study examines neuropsychological dysfunction after varying severities of the Impact Acceleration Model of diffuse traumatic brain injury. Adult rats (340 g-400 g) were divided into five groups, and exposed to varying degrees of Impact Acceleration Injury (1 m, 2 m, 2.1 m/500 g and second insult). After injury, animals were allowed to recover; acute neurological reflexes, beam walk score, beam balance score, inclined plane score, and Morris Water Maze score were then assessed at multiple time points. Injury of all severities caused significant motor and cognitive deficits. With milder injuries these effects were transient; however, with more severe injuries no recovery in function was seen. The addition of hypoxia and hypotension made a moderate injury worse than a severe injury. The acute neurological reflexes, the beam balance test and the inclined plane test distinguished between the more severely injured groups, but were affected less by mild injury. The beam walk test was sensitive to mi...
Computational approaches to sensorimotor transformations

Behaviors such as sensing an object and then moving your eyes or your hand toward it require that sensory information be used to help generate a motor command, a process known as a sensorimotor transformation. Here we review models of sensorimotor transformations that use a flexible intermediate representation that relies on basis functions. The use of basis functions as an intermediate is borrowed from the theory of nonlinear function approximation. We show that this approach provides a unifying insight into the neural basis of three crucial aspects of sensorimotor transformations, namely, computation, learning and short-term memory. This mathematical formalism is consistent with the responses of cortical neurons and provides a fresh perspective on the issue of frames of reference in spatial representations.
Relation-aware spreadsheets for multimodal volume segmentation and visualization

Multimodal volume data commonly found in medical imaging applications present both opportunities and challenges to segmentation and visualization tasks. This paper presents a user directed volume segmentation system. Through a spreadsheets interface, the user can interactively examine and refine segmentation results obtained from automatic clustering. In addition, the user can isolate or highlight a feature of interest in a volume based on different modalities, and see the corresponding segmented results. Our system is easy to use since the preliminary segmentation results are organized and presented to the user in a relation-aware fashion based on the spatial relations between the segmented regions. We demonstrate this system using two multimodal datasets.
Bringing work stress home: The impact of work role stress on spousal marital satisfaction

Many previous studies have explored the possibility that work stressors negatively impact the well-being of an individual’s spouse with few significant results. This study aims to extend the existi...
Serial Computed Tomography in Professional Boxers

Forty-five licensed professional boxers underwent serial computed tomography (CT). The average duration between the initial and last follow-up scan was 31.3 months (range, 1 5–48 mo). Six (13%) had evidence of progressive brain injury between the first and last scan. Three boxers exhibited progressive atrophy and three developed a cavum septum pellucidum. Boxers with progressive CT changes tended to have had more fights (mean, 24.2) and more losses (mean, 7.3) than those without progressive changes (16.0 fights and 3. 7 losses) at the time of the last scan. Compared to boxers without progressive changes on CT, boxers with progressive changes had twice the frequency of losses and losses secondary to technical knockout or knockout during the time period between scans. Progressive changes on serial CT were associated with having more than ten losses (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that boxers with more than ten losses undergo a detailed evaluation.
Research Progress about Regional Tourism Resources Integration in China and Its Development Suggestions

According to the literature retrival from 1980s on,this paper divides the progress of the 20-year's research into two stages—early and current stage,and expounds each research characteristics based on many articles related with regional tourism resource integration. Then it summarizes up major contents of the research from the perspectives of basic theory research and individual case research. Based on that,this paper points out shortcomings in current integration research on regional tourism resources,and provides corresponding development suggestions for furhter research.
Influence on leaching water salinity and nutritive elements for irrigating green turfgrass with recycled water

The mixture of gypsum and peat,wetting agent and sand were applied every month in green turfgrass,which was irrigated with tap water,secondary recycled water and tertiary recycled at the same time. The results showed that the pH and metalion( Cu2 +,Fe2 +,Zn2 +) content of leachate were not changed significantly( P 0. 05). After applying the mixture of gypsum and peat and irrigating with secondary recycled water,the EC of leachate was 5. 83 mS / cm,which was significantly 4. 07,3. 32 mS /cm higher than irrigating with tap water and tertiary recycled water( P 0. 05) respectively. The similar result was showed when wetting agent and sand were used as matrix. The concentration of Na+,total nitrogen and total phosphorus was also changed significantly while irrigating with secondary recycled water( P 0. 05). It also showed that the surface water would not be polluted by irrigating with tertiary recycled water in green turfgrass for long time,however,a potential influence could happen to surface water using secondary recycled water. So the secondary recycled water should be treated further to reduce the hazards.
Clinical Case #10: Rebecca

Rebecca is a 34-year-old attorney and a mother of two who presents with an 18-month history of right lower back pain, buttock pain, and right lower extremity pain. The pain began insidiously without any specific identifiable inciting event 18 months ago when her youngest son was 2 years old. At first the pain she reports that the pain was mild. She tried to “just ignore the pain.” She initially attributed the pain to taking care of her kids, including lifting her 2-year-old son into and out of the car, working long hours, and generally not taking better care of herself. However, over following 3 months her pain gradually worsened to the point that she realized it was affecting her work performance and making it difficult for her to take care of her children. At that point, she went to see her primary care physician who sent her to a pain management doctor.
Abstract 736: Hypoxia-induced EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NSCLC

The development of small molecule inhibitors specific for epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) with activating mutations has led to a dramatic shift in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Patients with NSCLC carrying such EGFR mutations often show prolonged responses when treated with first or second generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, most patients eventually develop resistance to EGFR TKIs. Hypoxia is a key micro-environmental stress in solid tumors that is associated with poor prognosis. Studies have linked hypoxia to therapy resistance, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In this study, we show that long-term, moderate hypoxia induces gefitinib resistance in the NSCLC cell line, HCC827, that harbors an activating EGFR mutation. The hypoxia-induced gefitinib resistance is associated with reduced BIM induction after gefitinib treatment when compared to normoxic HCC827 cells. In addition, in hypoxic HCC827 cells, gefitinib treatment induces N-cadherin expression, a mesenchymal marker, accompanied by downregulation of E-cadherin, an epithelial maker. These results suggest that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may be involved in hypoxia induced gefitinib resistance. Wound healing migration assays further support that hypoxia induces HCC827 cell migration after gefitinib treatment. These results suggest that hypoxia may be a driving force for EGFR TKIs resistance potentially through EMT in NSCLC. Citation Format: Yuhong Lu, Peter M. Glazer. Hypoxia-induced EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NSCLC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 736.
Production of consumer spaces in the university

ABSTRACTWith an increasing proliferation of consumer practices within the United States university system, one crucial question often neglected is how spaces of consumption are produced. French Marxist philosopher and sociologist, Henri Lefebvre, provided a nuanced and innovative approach to examining the phenomenon of spatial production in his landmark work, The Production of Space. After reviewing the increase in consumerism within universities, Lefebvre’s framework will be employed to discuss how consumer spaces are produced within higher education and the implications of such spatial production for student populations. Materially, this mode of production expands and dematerializes a variety of spaces within the university to facilitate increased student spending and educational commodification. Ideologically, policies and practices become limited to a largely consumerist perspective. New spaces that foster critical pedagogy and praxis are needed within the university, lest the line between learning an...
Severe Hypertension after Initiation of Rifapentine/Isoniazid for Latent Tuberculosis in Renal Transplant Candidates

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is not uncommon among renal transplant candidates (RTC) [1]. Rifapentine/isoniazid (RPT/INH) administered for 12 weeks is one of the first line treatments for LTBI [1] and we have recently showed that it is associated with higher completion rates than INH monotherapy for 9 months [2]. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Isolation and characterization of the aconitate hydratase 4 (Aco4) gene from soybean

Aconitase catalyzes the reversible isomerization of two tricarboxylic acids, citrate and isocitrate, during the Krebs cycle. Five aconitase genes, namely, Aco1, Aco2, Aco3, Aco4, and Aco5, have bee...
Self-ligating Brackets May Not Have Clinical Advantages Over Conventional Brackets for the Periodontal Health of Adolescent Orthodontic Patients.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information The effect of bracket ligation on the periodontal status of adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Arnold S, Koletsi D, Patcas R, Eliades T. J Dent 2016; 54:13-24. Source of Funding The authors did not report any funding source information for the study Type of Study/Design Systematic review with meta-analysis of data
Studies using macaque monkeys to address excessive alcohol drinking and stress interactions.

Abstract The use of non-human primates (NHPs) in studies of volitional, oral self-administration of alcohol can help address the complex interplay between stress and excessive alcohol consumption. There are aspects to brain, endocrine and behavior of NHPs, particularly macaques, that provide a critical translational link towards understanding the risks and consequences of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in humans. These include wide individual differences in escalating daily alcohol intake, accurate measures of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hormonal interactions, neuroanatomical specificity of synaptic adaptations to chronic alcohol, genetic similarities to humans, and the ability to conduct in vivo brain imaging. When placed in a framework that alcohol addiction is a sequence of dysregulations in motivational circuitry associated with severity of AUD, the NHP can provide within-subject information on both risks for and consequences of repeatedly drinking to intoxication. Notably, long-term adaptations in neurocircuitry that mediate behavioral reinforcement, stress responses and executive functions are possible with NHPs. We review here the substantial progress made using NHPs to address the complex relationship between alcohol and stress as risk factors and consequences of daily drinking to intoxication. This review also highlights areas where future studies of brain and HPA axis adaptations are needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in stress leading to excessive alcohol consumption. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled “Alcoholism”.
Abstract 195: Statin Use and Its Facility Level Variation in Patients With Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease: Insights From the Department of Veterans Affairs

Background: The 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline recommends high-intensity statin therapy in patients 75 or younger and moderate-intensity statins in patients > 75 years with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease including those with ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD). Statin prescribing patterns and their facility-level variation in patients with ICVD are unknown. Methods: We examined the frequency and facility-level variation in the use of any and correct intensity statins in patients with ICVD (ischemic stroke or carotid arterial disease) who received primary care in 130 facilities across the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system with or without concomitant ischemic heart disease (IHD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD). We then calculated median rate ratios (MRR) adjusted for patient demographic factors to assess the magnitude of facility-level variation in statin prescribing patterns for comparable patients. Results: Among 339,771 ICVD patients, 182,231 (53.6%) had ICVD without IHD (with or without PAD) and 163,730 (48.2%) had ICVD without IHD or PAD. Rates of statin use in the entire ICVD group, patients with ICVD without IHD, and ICVD alone were 78.1%, 70.9% and 69.9%, respectively. Median facility-level rates of any statin use were 78.1% (IQR 75.5-80.7), 70.7% (67.9-73.8) and 69.9% (66.9-73.1), respectively. Correct intensity statins were prescribed among 40.2% of the entire ICVD group, 30.5% with ICVD without IHD, and 29.6% with ICVD alone. Median facility-level rate of correct statin use in all ICVD patients was 39.1% (35.8-43.9), 29.9% (26.0-34.6) for patients with ICVD without IHD and 29.0% (25.4-33.7) in those with ICVD alone.Calculated MRRs reflect approximately 22% variation among two facilities treating two identical ICVD patients with statin therapy and a 27-28% variation in identical ICVD patients for correct statin intensity (Table). Conclusions: The use of statin and especially guideline-recommended statin intensity is suboptimal in ICVD patients, especially patients without concomitant IHD or PAD. There is significant facility-level variation in receipt of guideline directed statin therapy in ICVD patients. Interventions are needed to improve guideline directed moderate to high-intensity statin use and reduce variation in care in this high risk group.
Classification models to predict vasopressor administration for septic shock in the emergency department

Optimal management of sepsis and septic shock in the emergency department (ED) involves timely decisions related to intravenous fluid resuscitation and initiation of vasoactive medication support. A decision-support tool trained on electronic health record data, can help improve this complex decision. We retrospectively extracted vital signs, lab measurements, and fluid administration information from 807 patient visits over a two-year period to a major ED. Patients selected for inclusion had a high likelihood of septic shock. We trained binary classifiers to discriminate between patients administered vasopressors in the ED and those not administered vasopressors at any point. Using features extracted from the entire ED visit record yielded a maximum area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.798 (95% CI 0.725–0.849) in a hold-out test set. In a separate task, we used individual vital signs observations with lab results to predict vasopressor administration, yielding a maximum AUC of 0.762 (95% CI 0.748–0.777). Lastly, we trained separate classifiers for different subgroups of vital signs observations. These subgroups were defined by the cumulative number of fluid boluses delivered at the time of the observation. The maximum AUC achieved by any of these classifiers was 0.815 (95% CI 0.784–0.853), occurring for vital signs observations made after 2 bolus administrations. Classifiers in all tasks significantly outperformed existing clinical tools for assessing prognosis in ED sepsis. This work shows how relatively few features can provide instantaneous and accurate prediction of need for an intervention that is typically a complex clinical decision.
Generalizability of the findings from a randomized controlled trial of a web-based substance use disorder intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES There is growing concern regarding the generalizability of findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs). This study used a selection model approach to assess and improve the generalizability of an evaluation for a web-based SUD intervention by making the trial sample resemble the target population. METHODS The sample of the web-based SUD intervention (Therapeutic Education System vs. Treatment-as-usual; n = 507) was compared with the target population of SUD treatment-seeking individuals from the Treatment Episodes Data Set-Admissions (TEDS-A). Using weights based on the probabilities of RCT participation, we computed weighted treatment effects on retention and abstinence. RESULTS Substantial differences between the RCT sample and the target population was demonstrated in significant difference in the mean propensity scores (1.62 standard deviations at p < .001). The population effect on abstinence (12 weeks and 6 months) was statistically insignificant after weighting the data with the generalizability weight. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Generalizability of the findings from the RCT could be limited when the RCT sample does not well represent the target population. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Application of generalizability weights can be a potentially useful tool to improve generalizability of RCT findings. (Am J Addict 2018;27:231-237).
Unrestricted Domain Extensions of Dominant Strategy Implementable Allocation Functions

It is shown that any one-person dominant strategy implementable allocation function on a restricted domain of types can be extended to the unrestricted domain in such a way that dominant strategy implementability is preserved when utility is quasilinear. A sufficient condition is identified for which this extension is essentially unique.
Not All Ratings are Created Equal:How Analyst Heterogeneity Influences Firms’ Strategic Investment

Studies in strategy research examining the influence of institutional intermediaries such as financial analysts suggest that firms that depart from industry or category-level expectations are penal...
Mitral regurgitation due to ruptured chordae tendineae. Early and late results of valve repair

From 1958 through 1980, 131 patients had repair of ruptured chordae tendineae of the mitral valve; 62% were men. Ages ranged from 5 to 70 years (median 57). Chordae to the anterior mitral leaflet were ruptured in 44 patients (34%), to the posterior mitral leaflet in 85 (65%), and to both leaflets in two patients (1%). The mitral valve was repaired by leaflet plication without resection in 116 patients, plication after wedge resection of the unsupported leaflet in six, Ivalon sponge buttress of the posterior leaflet in three, resuspension of chordae in two, and annuloplasty alone in the remaining four. Mitral valve annuloplasty was performed in addition to leaflet repair in 115 patients (88%). Operative (
A Visual Vocabulary for Modeling Metamemory During the Information Search Process

Abstract: This paper reports on a series of five studies, two with teens and three with adults, that generated visual metaphors for modeling metamemory, the collection of knowledge and beliefs that one holds about one’s own memory, in information seeking. Resume: Cette communication presente les resultats d’une serie de cinq etudes, deux aupres d’adolescents et trois aupres d’adultes, qui ont genere des metaphores visuelles pour la modelisation de la metamemoire, l’ensemble des connaissances et des croyances qu’a une personne sur sa propre memoire, lors de la recherche d’information.
A Potential Solution to the Loss of a Step-Up in Basis on Grandfathered Short Sales

Explains the operation of a short sale in the case of a decedent's estate closing the transaction. Summarizes the new rules for a constructive sale of an appreciated financial position, enacted by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Demonstrates with an example how the rules prevent avoidance of gain recognition by treating the position as property constituting income in respect of a decedent (IRD). Clarifies that the basis of IRD assets is not stepped-up to fair market value at death. Explores ways to avoid the IRD problem. Consider contributing the short sales (i.e., the long position, the short obligation, the short loan and the proceeds held by the broker) to a partnership. Cautions that the partnership should avoid classification as an investment partnership. Outlines the procedures for forming the partnership, referring to an IRS revenue ruling that illustrates the consequences of a short sale within a partnership. Describes three classes of IRD that may arise in connection with a decedent's ownership of a partnership interest: Code Sec. 736(a) payments to a successor in liquidation of the deceased partner's interest; the partner's distributive share of partnership income for the partnership year during which death occurs; and possibly, certain zero-basis accounts receivable of a service partnership. Considers the application of the anti-abuse rule that allows the IRS to recast the formation of a partnership if Subchapter K is used for tax avoidance purposes.
Structural Characterization of Metallothionein by Multinuclear NMR

The application of 1H, 13C, and 113Cd Fourier transform NMR to the study of Cd, Zn metallothionein offers the promise of providing the detailed structural information concerning the chemical nature of the metal binding sites which has heretofore been lacking. Among the several factors which make the study of this protein by multinuclear NMR particularly attractive are its ready availability in relatively large amounts from animals injected with cadmium and its small molecular weight, which should allow reasonably well-resolved high field natural abundance 13C and 1H spectra to be obtained. 1H NMR spectra of metallothionein at 270 MHz have been reported and show several spectral changes to occur in the aliphatic region induced by metal ion removal at low pH (1). Unfortunately, assignment of these spectral perturbations to structural events occurring at specific sites in the protein is difficult due to the inability to resolve individual resonances from the large number of overlapping signals confined to the relatively narrow 1H chemical shift range. The prospects for resolution and assignment of individual 13C resonances are much better, however, due to the wide chemical shift range of the 13C nucleus and the absence of spin-spin splitting when H decoupling is employed. Recent work at high magnetic field strengths has demonstrated that even in the aliphatic region, numerous resolved single carbon resonances are obtained in 13C NMR spectra of proteins larger than metallothionein (2,3).
Investigating the geomorphic characteristics of an Amazonian headwater stream draining a páramo ecosystem

Paramos are neotropical alpine grasslands located in the northern Andes of South America. Although they cover important headwater regions, little is known about the hydro-geomorphic characteristics...
No More Blood

Problems have plagued the ius sanguinis principle – the transmission of citizenship from parent to child – for as long as it has existed. Costica Dumbrava is surely correct that the time has come to ask whether ius sanguinis is still necessary. But the core problem with ius sanguinis, I would argue, is not that it uses the parent-child relationship to determine membership but that it overemphasizes the importance of the genetic tie to this relationship.
The Two Natures of the Incarnate Christ and the Bearer Question

The Chalcedonian Definition states that the incarnate Christ is both fully human and fully divine. But spelling out what the Chalcedonian Definition entails continues to be a subject of intense controversy among philosophers and theologians alike. One of these controversies concerns what I call the problem of the bearer question. At the heart of this question lies whether or not the two natures of Christ require two distinct bearers. In section I, I will explain the problem of the bearer question and how it arises directly due to the Chalcedonian Definition. In section II, I will propose a solution to the problem of the bearer question within the framework of what I call, a ‘Multi–Track Disposition Model of the Incarnation’. At the heart of this model lies the notion that the manifestation of properties is multi–directional in the sense that there is a reciprocal partnership among property manifestations. In section III, I will contrast the solution proposed to the bearer question by the Multi–Track Model to that of a ‘Kenotic Model of the Incarnation’. I will argue that the Multi–Track Model provides us with better conceptual resources to make sense of the bearer question. Finally, in section IV, I will briefly point out why ultimately a conclusive answer to the bearer question may still prove to be elusive because the bearer question gives rise to a host of other unresolved questions.
Use of Humor in Crisis Intervention

The author explores the possible effects of the worker's use of humor in crisis intervention. A schematic of the possibilities for this type of intervention is presented. Humor has the potential to...
WORLDWIDE ORAL ANTICOAGULANT PRESCRIPTION PREVALENCE AND TRENDS IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION FROM A MULTI-NATIONAL COHORT: INSIGHTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE STUDY OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (INTERAF) COLLABORATIVE

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide, and a leading cause of stroke. The International Collaborative Partnership for the Study of Atrial Fibrillation (INTERAF) is a prospective, global registry program designed to describe treatment patterns in patients with AF,
Dynamics and control of a packed distillation column for the isotopic enrichment of plasma exhausts from controlled thermonuclear reactors

A control scheme is proposed based on our analysis of the disturbances expected during normal operation of the lead column in the fuel enrichment distillation cascade for a near-term tokamak fusion reactor fuel cycle. The primary objective of this control scheme is to minimize both the time and the amount that the atom percent protium in the bottoms product is above a setpoint level. As a secondary objective, distillate stream flow and composition fluctuations should be minimized to avoid downstream operational and control problems without requiring intermediate storage. A fixed material balance control scheme was found to be satisfactory for meeting the control requirements of this system. Because the concentration of protium in the bottoms product (the controlled variable) was relatively small, the distillate stream composition and the tritium/deuterium ratio in the bottoms stream proved to be essentially independent of the choice of controller parameters. This insensitivity permitted the controller parameters to be chosen solely on the basis of the primary objective and led to a high gain setting and low reset value for the controller. With the provision of a bottoms storage to dampen out the effect of oscillatory response, these controller settings minimized the overshoot and produced an more » averaged protium concentration in the bottoms very close to the setpoint level. « less