cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expert-System Technology for Hotels: Concierge Application

Concierge service at hotels can be augmented by installing an expert system, which makes use of artificial intelligence. Such a system can be a valuable supplement to human-concierge services and a...
A multilevel Newton algorithm with macromodeling and latency for the analysis of large-scale nonlinear circuits in the time domain

Analysis techniques which take advantage of the structural properties of large-scale electrical networks are discussed. Exact macromodels of a subnetwork are defined and a sufficient condition on the subnetwork equations for the existence of a macromodel is given. A multilevel Newton algorithm based on macromodels is presented. The algorithm is shown to have local quadratic convergence provided that suitable conditions on the continuity and nonsingularity of the Jacobian of the network equations are satisfied. The concept of latency for the analysis of large-scale networks in the time domain is discussed. The relationship between latency and numerical integration methods is investigated.
A meta-analytic review of multisensory imagery identifies the neural correlates of modality-specific and modality-general imagery

The relationship between imagery and mental representations induced through perception has been the subject of philosophical discussion since antiquity and of vigorous scientific debate in the last century. The relatively recent advent of functional neuroimaging has allowed neuroscientists to look for brain-based evidence for or against the argument that perceptual processes underlie mental imagery. Recent investigations of imagery in many new domains and the parallel development of new meta-analytic techniques now afford us a clearer picture of the relationship between the neural processes underlying imagery and perception, and indeed between imagery and other cognitive processes. This meta-analysis surveyed 65 studies investigating modality-specific imagery in auditory, tactile, motor, gustatory, olfactory, and three visual sub-domains: form, color and motion. Activation likelihood estimate (ALE) analyses of activation foci reported within- and across sensorimotor modalities were conducted. The results indicate that modality-specific imagery activations generally overlap with—but are not confined to—corresponding somatosensory processing and motor execution areas, and suggest that there is a core network of brain regions recruited during imagery, regardless of task. These findings have important implications for investigations of imagery and theories of cognitive processes, such as perceptually-based representational systems.
Almbornia, a new lichen genus from South Africa

The new lichen genus Almbornia, characterized by a densely agglutinated, proso–plectenchymatous medulla, is described from South Africa. It is tentatively assigned to the Parmeliaceae, allied perhaps to Neofuscelia.
Atypical expansion in mice of the sensory neuron-specific Mrg G protein-coupled receptor family

The Mas-related genes (Mrgs) comprise a family of >50 G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), many of which are expressed in specific subsets of nociceptive sensory neurons in mice. In contrast, humans contain a related but nonorthologous family of genes, called MrgXs or sensory neuron-specific receptors, of which many fewer appear to be expressed in sensory neurons. To determine whether the diversity of murine Mrgs is generic to rodents or is an atypical feature of mice, we characterized MrgA, MrgB, MrgC, and MrgD subfamilies in rat and gerbil. Surprisingly, although mice have ≈22 MrgA and ≈14 MrgC genes, rats and gerbils have just a single MrgA and MrgC gene. This murine-specific expansion likely reflects recent retrotransposon-mediated unequal crossover events. The expression of Mrgs in rat sensory ganglia suggests that the extensive cellular diversity in mice can be simplified to a core subset of approximately four different genes (MrgA, MrgB, MrgC, and MrgD), defining a similar number of neuronal subpopulations. Our results suggest more generally that mouse–human genomic comparisons may sometimes reveal differences atypical of rodents.
Staphylococcus aureus golden pigment impairs neutrophil killing and promotes virulence through its antioxidant activity

Golden color imparted by carotenoid pigments is the eponymous feature of the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Here we demonstrate a role of this hallmark phenotype in virulence. Compared with the wild-type (WT) bacterium, a S. aureus mutant with disrupted carotenoid biosynthesis is more susceptible to oxidant killing, has impaired neutrophil survival, and is less pathogenic in a mouse subcutaneous abscess model. The survival advantage of WT S. aureus over the carotenoid-deficient mutant is lost upon inhibition of neutrophil oxidative burst or in human or murine nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-deficient hosts. Conversely, heterologous expression of the S. aureus carotenoid in the nonpigmented Streptococcus pyogenes confers enhanced oxidant and neutrophil resistance and increased animal virulence. Blocking S. aureus carotenogenesis increases oxidant sensitivity and decreases whole-blood survival, suggesting a novel target for antibiotic therapy.
Reaching an underserved population with a randomly assigned home safety intervention

Objective: To access an underserved, mobile segment of a monolingual Spanish speaking population and to improve maternal self efficacy for home safety behaviors using a culturally appropriate intervention. Design: A pre- and post-test experimental design tested differences in maternal childhood injury health beliefs (MCIHB) and controllable safety hazards (CHS). Participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Baseline data assessed demographic and study variables comparability. The intervention included counseling, assessment of maternal safety practices, and provision of safety items. Setting: A non-urban area in Texas where low income, largely migrant Hispanics represent the majority of residents. Participants: Eighty two mothers of 1–4 year old children. Results: The 95% retention rate of an itinerant, hard to reach population suggests that minority participants may be receptive to culturally appropriate home visits. The intervention group demonstrated improved self efficacy for home safety behaviors (F (2, 77) = 7.50, p = 0.01). Mothers with stronger self efficacy and fewer perceived barriers had fewer accessible in-home hazards. Observed home hazard predictors were: (a) never being married; (b) poor home repair, (c) lower self efficacy for safety behaviors; and (d) control group status. Conclusions: Safety items coupled with a home visit tailored to child age and maternal culture was an effective intervention in a hard to reach population. This study contributes to designing research for a monolingual population with limited local language proficiency and community residency. Injuries represent a major source of health disparities in these neglected populations.
Long-term results of aortouniiliac stent grafts for the endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background Long-term follow-up of patients with aortouniiliac (AUI) grafts is lacking in the current literature. The purpose of this study was to review the outcomes of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) using commercially available AUI devices with femorofemoral bypass in patients whose aortoiliac anatomy was unfavorable for bifurcated repair. Methods A retrospective review of 35 patients from September 2000 to February 2012, who underwent EVAR with commercially manufactured AUI devices, was performed. These comprised 35 of 372 (9.4%) patients who underwent EVAR during that period. Patient records were reviewed to determine morbidity, mortality, and survival after AUI repair. Patients were followed at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals with computed tomography (CT) scans during each visit. Median follow-up was 40 months (range: 2–135 months). Results Median age at surgery was 76 years (range: 60–93). The median preoperative aneurysm diameter was 57 mm (range: 45–71) and the median postoperative diameter was 53 mm (range: 29–80). Two type II endoleaks occurred on 1-month CT, whereas 10 endoleaks (type I [3], II [6], and III [1]) occurred during follow-up after 1 month. Migration of the stent graft occurred in 9% ( n = 3). Secondary procedures were required in 26% ( n = 9), whereas tertiary procedures were required in 3% ( n = 1). One patient required treatment for thrombosis of the iliac extension and 2 required treatment for thrombosis of the femorofemoral component. Mortality over the follow-up period was 34% ( n = 12) with no deaths occurring within 30 days. Conclusions High-risk patients who present with aortoiliac anatomy unsuitable for bifurcated stent graft placement should be offered AUI graft placement as a potential alternative to open repair.
The effect of aryl nitration on gas sorption and permeation in polysulfone

CO2, CH4, O2, and N2 permeability and solubility of unmodified and aryl-nitrated polysulfone were determined at 35°C and pressures up to 20 atm. The degree of nitration was varied from 0 to 2 nitro groups per repeat unit. The permeability and diffusion coefficients for all gases decreased with increasing degree of nitro substitution. The decrease in gas diffusivity is attributed to a combination of decreased fractional free volume and decreased torsional mobility with increasing degree of substitution. The solubilities of N2, O2, and CH4 do not show a systematic dependence on degree of substitution. However, CO2 solubility apparently goes through a minimum as the degree of substitution is increased. CO2 solubility may be influenced by a competition between increases in polymer polarity (favoring higher solubility) and lower free volume (favoring lower solubility) that accompanies increases in the polar nitro substituent concentration. CO2/CH4 solubility selectivity increases monotonically as the degree of substitution increases. CO2/CH4 permselectivity and diffusivity selectivity increased with increasing degree of substitution. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Burial of short cylinders induced by scour under combined waves and currents

Results of an experimental study of the scour and burial of cylinders placed on a sandy bed under the combined flow of regular waves and currents are presented. Experiments were conducted for cylinder Reynolds wave number and Keulegan-Carpenter number within the ranges 1.5× 104 ⩽ Re ⩽1.2× 105 and 2⩽KC⩽48 , respectively. Analysis of the observations indicates that existing semiempirical formulas for prediction of equilibrium-burial-depth and time scales for pipelines are not suitable for the case of a cylinder having a finite length. Thus the need for developing new expressions for both final-burial-depth and time scales based on new observations. In these experiments burial depth shows stronger dependency on the Shields parameter θ than on the KC , whereas burial-time scales seem to be influenced by both KC and θ . A new empirical predictor for estimating the equilibrium burial of short cylinders under combined flows is presented. The equation is based on the combination of θ , KC and the ratio of current...
Design, Fabrication, and Test of a Superconducting Dipole Magnet Based on Tilted Solenoids

It can be shown that, by superposing two solenoid like thin windings that are oppositely skewed (tilted) with respect to the bore axis, the combined current density on the surface is "cos-theta" like and the resulting magnetic held in the bore is a pure dipole. As a proof of principle, such a magnet was designed, built and tested as part of a summer undergraduate intern project. The measured field in the 25 mm bore, 4 single strand layers using NbTi superconductor, exceeded 1 T. The simplicity of this high field quality design, void of typical wedges end-spacers and coil assembly, is especially suitable for insert-coils using High Temperature Superconducting wire as well as for low cost superconducting accelerator magnets for High Energy Physics. Details of the design, construction and test are reported.
Using Shared Leadership to Foster Knowledge Sharing in Information Systems Development Projects

Information systems development (ISD) projects are enormously complex, requiring input from heterogeneous team members with a varied array of knowledge and skills. Because expertise in an ISD project is broad and complex, this expertise is not possessed by an individual developer but distributed among team members who are selected for their expertise in the relevant domains. In addition to working cooperatively and integrating tasks, team members must exchange knowledge in order to complete the assigned project. This enormous dependence on knowledge sharing creates extensive burdens for coordination and communication on both project managers and relevant domain experts throughout all stages of the ISD project. This paper conceptualizes the benefits of a combination of vertical and shared leadership in ISD project teams, as proposed by Pearce and maps this structure to related early work on the dynamics and productivity of programming teams (most notably, Weinberg's Egoless Programming Team Structure).
Podoconiosis: endemic nonfilarial elephantiasis.

Purpose of review Podoconiosis is a noncommunicable disease producing lymphoedema of the lower limbs; it affects predominantly barefoot agricultural workers in the tropics. Why should this be of interest to a journal of infectious disease? For many years this disease has not been widely recognized as distinct from lymphatic filariasis and yet it may affect about 10% of populations in volcanic tropical highlands. It produces considerable morbidity associated with limb lymphoedema, impacting on economically productive age groups. As it does not fall into the briefs of infectious or chronic disease initiatives of the World Health Organization, it has been difficult to attract funds for research and for the development of community management approaches. The aim of this review is to describe details of the clinical features, management, epidemiological significance and evidence for the underlying aetiology of this poorly understood condition. Recent findings A recent comprehensive study in Ethiopia by Destas et al. identified a mean zonal prevalence of 5.46% of the population with 64% being in the economically productive age group. Otherwise there are no other contemporary epidemiological publications in this field. Summary Podoconiosis is thought to be a geochemical disease induced by the absorption of ultrafine silica particles from the soil (konia) through the skin of the feet (podos) in susceptible individuals, leading to a progressive obliterative endolymphangitis.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among children with and without intellectual disability: an examination across time.

Background Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at heightened risk for mental disorders, and disruptive behaviour disorders appear to be the most prevalent. The current study is a longitudinal examination of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children with and without intellectual disability (ID) across ages 5 to 8. Method We assessed 228 5-year-old children, 87 with ID and 141 with typical development (TD), for clinical diagnoses using a structured interview. These interviews were conducted with mothers annually from child age 5 to 8. Results Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was over 3 times as prevalent in the ID group as in the TD group across ages 5, 6, 7 and 8. The diagnosis of ADHD tended to emerge earlier and was more stable in the ID group; however, the total number and relative frequency of ADHD symptoms endorsed appeared to be similar within the two groups across time. With respect to the developmental course, the trajectories of ADHD inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms over time were similar in the two groups. Discussion Children with ID appear to be at heightened risk for ADHD and they may experience a longer and more persistent course of the disorder. These findings highlight the need for making interventions available for early treatment of this condition in children with ID.
Negative thermal ion mass spectrometry of oxygen in phosphates

A novel technique for the precise measurement of oxygen isotopes by negative thermal ion mass spectrometry (NTIMS) is presented. The technique is ideally suited to the analysis of oxygen isotopes in phosphates which form intense PO_3^- ion beams. Since P is monoisotopic, the mass spectrum for PO_3^− at 79, 80, and 81 corresponds to ^(16)O, ^(17)O, and ^(18)O. Natural and synthetic phosphates are converted and loaded on the mass spectrometer filament as Ag_3PO_4 precipitated directly from ammoniacal solution. To lower the work function of the filament, BaCI_2, is added in a 1:1 molar ratio of PO_4:Ba. Using these procedures, Br^− mass interference (at 79 and 81 amu) is eliminated for typical analyses. Experiments with ^(18)O-enriched water show less than 1% O-exchange between sample PO_4 and adsorbed water, and there is no O-exchange with trace OZ present in the mass spectrometer source chamber. The ionization efficiency of PO_4, as PO_3^− is >10% compared to 0.01% for both conventional dual inlet Gas Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GIRMS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Therefore, NTIMS offers exceptional sensitivity enabling routine and precise oxygen isotope analysis of sub-microgram samples of PO_4, (<21 nmoles equivalent CO_2 gas) without need for lengthy chemical pre-treatment reproducibility of the sample. Overall external precision is ±1%c (2σ) for ^(18)O/^(16)O and ^(17)O/^(16)O with reproducibility of instrumental isotope fractionation (calculated from ^(18)O/^(16)O of ±0.5%c amu^(−1). Small phosphate samples including single mineral grains from meteorites, or apatite microfossils, can be analyzed by this technique.
Lady Boards of Managers: Subjugated Legacies of Governance and Administration

Three traditions of women’s organizations emerged in the 1800s: benevolence, reform, and rights. This article focuses primarily on women who founded the forerunners of today’s nonprofit health and ...
Progressive ankylosis in mice

To determine its similarity to human spondylarthropathies, we studied murine progressive ankylosis, a spontaneously occurring disorder of joints in mice. Clinically, peripheral joints were inflamed initially, then became ankylosed in a predictable sequence from distal to proximal. Forefeet were involved before hindfeet. Axial joint involvement produced severe spinal ankylosis. Extraarticular manifestations included balanitis and crusting skin lesions. Radiographically, bony erosions and calcification of articular and periarticular tissues were extensive, and vertebral syndesmophytes produced a "bamboo" spine. We conclude that progressive ankylosis is a systemic disease with many clinical and radiographic similarities to human spondylarthropathies, and it may represent a useful animal model for the study of the human diseases.
High-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of prostatic tissue

Abstract Objective . Beginning in 1987, high-intensity focused ultrasound was investigated in the canine model to determine the feasibility of destroying prostate tissue. After demonstrating the ability to ablate prostate tissue reliably in a canine model, a 15-patient pilot clinical study was undertaken at Indiana University in the fall of 1992. This pilot study was undertaken to assess the safety in the human clinical situation, as well as to give some early efficacy results. Methods . The early canine feasibility studies were conducted via a suprapubic extracorporeal approach using two separate transducers, one for imaging and the other for therapy. Subsequent to this, a transrectal probe, which had the dual capability of both imaging and therapy, was developed and used to treat canine prostates in a formal, "good laboratory practice" study to determine the safety of this technology prior to beginning treatment of human benign prostatic hypertrophy. Results . The formal canine studies demonstrated that prostatic tissue could be reliably ablated in the therapy zone. The dosimetry and duty cycle required to ablate canine prostatic tissue effectively was also determined in this study. The study also demonstrated that the prostatic tissue could be ablated without injury to the intervening rectal tissue or periprostatic tissue. The human pilot study has also demonstrated safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound, as well as early efficacy. conclusions . These early clinical results are encouraging, but assessment of efficacy will require a randomized study comparing high-intensity focused ultrasound to sham and to transurethral prostatectomy. This multicenter trial is currently planned.
Regulation of clock genes

A recent explosion in the identification of new clock components in cyanobacteria, fungi, insects, mammals as well as potential candidates in plants has uncovered common themes among the structure, function and regulation of these components. Positive and negative interactions that are organized in negative feedback loops have been found crucial for clock function. Both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms appear to be important for circadian rhythm generation in all of these organisms.
Public Pensions for Nonworking Wives: Policy Choice and Equity Questions

One of the most controversial issues which must be solved by any national pension program insuring against earnings loss on retirement is if and how nonworking persons should be covered. In deciding to provide old-age income to nonworking wives, the United States and Japan have adopted different program options. OASI in the United States covers nonworking wives as noncontributing dependents of covered workers. The receipt and size of benefits are dependent on the behavior of the worker. Kokumin Nenkin in Japan allows contributions by nonworking wives, who are thus able to build up credits toward retirement income independent of marriage duration or the husband's work behavior. Both these approaches will result in the inequitable treatment of some covered groups. How completely nonworking women are protected against income loss in old age by national pension programs in the United States (OASI) and in Japan (Kosei Nenkin and Kokumin Nenkin) is examined. Also discussed are the inequities in the treatment of...
Transcriptional profile of postmortem skeletal muscle

Autopsy specimens are often used in molecular biological studies of disease pathophysiology. However, few analyses have focused specifically on postmortem changes in skeletal muscles, and almost al...
An Arabidopsis immunophilin, AtFKBP12, binds to AtFIP37 (FKBP interacting protein) in an interaction that is disrupted by FK506

AtFKBP12 is an Arabidopsis cDNA that encodes a protein similar to the mammalian immunophilin, FKBP12. AtFKBP12 was used as 'bait' in a yeast 2-hybrid system to screen for cDNAs in Arabidopsis encoding proteins that bind to FKBP12. Two partial cDNAs were recovered encoding the C-terminus of a protein we have called Arabidopsis thaliana FKBP12 interacting protein 37 (AtFIP37). AtFIP37 is similar to a mammalian protein, FAP48, that also binds to FKBP12. The interaction between AtFKBP12 and AtFIP37 in the 2-hybrid system, as assessed by histidine auxotrophy and beta-galactosidase activity, was disrupted by FK506, but not by cyclosporin A, a drug that binds to cyclophilin A. AtFIP37 was also shown to bind in vitro to AtFKBP12 in GST-fusion protein binding assays. The binding was abolished by prior incubation of AtFKBP12 with FK506. These findings indicate that an Arabidopsis FKBP12 ortholog encodes a protein that binds FK506 and that the interaction between AtFKBP12 and AtFIP37 may involve the FK506 binding site of AtFKBP12. The interaction provides interesting new opportunities for controlling protein:protein interactions in vivo in plants.
Insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 in Crohn's disease.

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and its binding protein IGF binding protein 5 (IGFBP-5) were highly expressed in inflamed and fibrotic intestine in experimental Crohn's disease. IGF-I induced pr...
Magnetic resonance imaging-based measures of atlas position: Relationship to canine atlantooccipital overlapping, syringomyelia and clinical signs.

Canine atlantooccipital overlapping (AOO) is characterized by a decreased distance between the dorsal arch of the atlas and the supraoccipital bone. Current diagnostic criteria for this condition are subjective and clinician-dependent; objective criteria are needed to allow a reliable and reproducible diagnosis in clinical and research settings and assess clinical significance. We propose four standardized MRI-based measurements to objectively assess the proximity of the atlas to the foramen magnum. Inclusion criteria for dogs in this study were bodyweight 5 months, and availability of a complete MRI study performed with the craniocervical junction in extension. Exclusion criteria were space-occupying lesions and poor image quality (i.e. unclear bony margins). Measurements also included blinded determinations of skull type, presence of craniocervical junction anomalies and presence and severity of syringomyelia. Clinical status at the time of imaging was noted. Measurements were obtained in 271 dogs; these were reproducible and reliable. Findings varied by skull type: dolichocephalic dogs had smaller foramen magnum, whereas brachycephalic dogs had more cranially and dorsally positioned atlas bodies in comparison to the other skull types. Measurements also increased with increases in bodyweight. This study demonstrated a close association between AOO, syringomyelia and clinical signs. Toy and small breed dogs (including Cavalier King Charles spaniels) showed higher than previously reported prevalence of AOO; its occurrence was also associated with lower bodyweights within the study population of <15 kg toy/small breed dogs.
Scientific Basis for Effective Fly Ash Disposal

Disposal of fly ash in landfills and surface impoundments continues to be the most cost-effective and common practice in the electric utility industry. Fly ash, like most solid residues from industrial processes, contains water soluble constituents. The composition of fly ash however varies from plant to plant with the type of fuel being used, the method of firing, and the way in which the ash is collected. Even though data on the bulk chemical composition of fly ash are now generally available, it is not known how this information can be used to predict the dissolution and migration of ash constituents in natural waters. Concerns for groundwater protection have raised issues which may alter the practice of land disposal for fly ash and make it more costly than necessary. Regulatory actions to date indicate that stricter engineering requirements may be placed on disposal practices in order to protect groundwater from contamination. Natural and artificial liners seem to be the most commonly required engineering solutions - an apparent over-reaction.
Child Abuse And Neglect: A Report on Seven Demonstration Projects *

The author presents the results of an experimental program initiated for the purposes of providing comprehensive psychiatric assistance to abused and neglected children and their families. Designed jointly by Massachusetts’ U.S.A. Departments of Mental Health and Social Services, the projects are also a demonstration of interagency case collaboration. The paper briefly describes the program philosophy, service delivery strategy, and staffing pattern. Through analysis of data of 332 families and 1,118 individuals treated in the first year, profiles of the abusing/neglecting family, their children, and the adult perpetrator of the situation are developed. Implications for mental health care, the cooperative endeavours of mental health and child welfare agencies, and difficulties in measuring treatment outcomes of this population are discussed.
Personality and Innovation Proneness

Attempts at relating personality variables to consumer behavior have generally been disappointing [1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 29, 31]. Robertson and Myers [24, p. 167] concluded "that at best personality variables, as measured by a standardized, normative, selfdesignating personality inventory, have little, if any, relationship to innovative behavior." However, acceptance of the conclusion that personality variables have little, if any, explanatory value or predictive utility with respect to consumer behavior would be without justification. Investigators in the typical study of this relationship usually administer a broad-coverage personality inventory and attempt to correlate responses with statements of product use or preference. However, in most cases, no a priori thought is directed to how, or especially why, personality should or should not be related to given aspects of consumer behavior. Moreover, most of the studies which report statistically significant findings usually do so on the basis of post-hoc picking and choosing out of large data arrays [4, 17, 18, 29]. Many investigators naively and unreasonably assume that, given both the general hypothesis that behavior is determined to a certain extent by personality and the availability of an easy-to-administer personality inventory, differentiation among groups of consumers should be possible; if not, they assume that the general hypothesis fails. Usually, results obtained are inconclusive or at best mildly suggestive. However, if investigators selected specific personality traits based on theoretically derived hypotheses, made specific predictions on the interactions of these traits with specific aspects of consumer behavior, and utilized experimental rather than correlational paradigms, the likelihood of obtaining significant, meaningful, and usable findings would be enhanced.
Onclogists' difficulties in facing and disclosing medical errors: suggestions for the clinic.

Overview:Along with improved safety measures and changes in the culture of medicine, communication is key to reducing the effect of medical errors and to easing the medical, psychologic, and existe...
Haemodynamic instability secondary to cardiac involvement by lymphoma

Cardiac involvement in lymphomas is not uncommon, but it is often missed due to the variability in its presentation. We present a case of bradycardia and complete heart block resulting in haemodynamic instability in a patient with recurrent diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Timely diagnosis and appropriate management of such patients is crucial and requires a high index of suspicion. Our patient required temporary pacemaker implantation and intravenous corticosteroid therapy. His complete heart block and bradycardia eventually resolved after a course of radiation therapy.
SU-F-T-207: Does the Greater Flexibility of Pencil Beam Scanning Reduce the Need for a Proton Gantry?

Purpose: Gantry-less proton treatment facility could lower the capital cost of proton therapy. This study investigates the dosimetric feasibility of using only coplanar pencil beam scanning (PBS) beams for those patients who had beam angles that would not have been deliverable without the gantry. Those coplanar beams are implemented on gantry-less horizontal beam-line with patients in sitting or standing positions. Methods: We have selected ten patients (seven head-and-neck, one thoracic, one abdominal and one pelvic case) with clinically delivered double scattering (DS) or PBS treatment plans with beam angles that were challenging to achieve without a gantry. After removing these beams angles, PBS plans were optimized for gantry-less intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) or single field optimization (SFO) with multi-criteria optimization (MCO). For head-and-neck patients who were treated by DS, we generated PBS plans with non-coplanar beams for comparison. Dose-volume-histograms (DVHs), target homogeneity index (HI), mean dose, D_2 and D_98 were reported. Robustness analysis was performed with ±2.5 mm setup errors and ±3.5% range uncertainties for three head-and-neck patients. Results: PBS-gantry-less plans provided more homogenous target coverage and significant improvements on organs-at-risk (OARs) sparing, compared to passive scattering treatments with a gantry. The PBS gantry-less treatments reduced the HI for target coverage by 1.3% to 47.2%, except for a suprasellar patient and a liver patient. The PBS-gantry-less plans reduced the D_mean of OARs by 3.6% to 67.4%. The PBS-gantry plans had similar target coverage and only marginal improvements on OAR sparing as compared to the PBS-gantry-less plans. These two PBS plans also had similar robustness relative to range uncertainties and setup errors. Conclusion: The gantry-less plans have with less mean dose to OARs and more homogeneous target coverage. Although the PBS-gantry plans have slightly improved target coverage and OARs sparing, the overall benefit of having a gantry to provide non-coplanar beams is debatable.
Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support: Bridge to Recovery or to Decision

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is, as the name implies, the use of electro-mechanical devices to support the circulatory system. This support may be uni-ventricular, bi-ventricular, pulmonary, percutaneous, central, or any combination of these, depending on the clinical scenario. A large component of MCS use is in a more permanent fashion in the bridge-to-transplant (BTT) or destination therapy (DT) patient. The other scenario where MCS is used is in the acute setting as a means of supporting the patient as a bridge-to-recovery or a bridge-to-decision about long-term MCS.
Multiresonant layered plasmonic films

Multiresonant nanoplasmonic films have numerous applications in areas such as nonlinear optics and sensing and as spectral tags. Although techniques such as focused ion beam milling and electron beam lithography can produce high-quality multiresonant films, these techniques are expensive, serial processes that are difficult to scale at the manufacturing level. Here, we present the fabrication of multiresonant nanoplasmonic films using a layered stacking technique. Periodically spaced gold nanocup substrates were fabricated using self-assembled polystyrene nanospheres followed by oxygen plasma etching and metal deposition via magnetron sputter coating. By adjusting etch parameters and initial nanosphere size, it was possible to achieve an optical response ranging from the visible to the near-infrared. Singly resonant, flexible films were first made by performing peel-off using an adhesive-coated polyolefin film. Through stacking layers of the nanofilm, we demonstrate fabrication of multiresonant films at a fraction of the cost and effort compared with top-down lithographic techniques.
Ovarian function's role during cancer cachexia progression in the female mouse.

Cachexia is a debilitating condition that occurs with chronic disease, including cancer; our research has shown that some regulation of cancer cachexia progression is affected by sex differences. T...
Market Power and Mergers in Multi-Sided Markets

Due to the presence of network externalities in multi-sided markets, evaluating the performance of a platform is more difficult than for a firm in a traditional market. In this paper I develop methods for determining platform marginal costs, market power, and post-merger price predictions. I show that with positive network externalities, traditional methods will underestimate unobserved marginal costs and will overstate both platform market power and post-merger pricing predictions. I also find that if a multi-platform seller partially integrates their networks, by allowing network compatibility across its multiple platforms or through backward compatibility with a previous generation, then a cannibalization effect can occur where some (potentially all) prices decrease relative to their unintegrated counterpart. Finally, I highlight the main results in an illustration on the video game market.
Knowledge Economy: Why Is It So Important for Developing Nations

It is not a mystery that Chinese companies are the leading actors in applying the low-cost company strategy. Business strategists have a well-defined compass: it is either a company chooses to produce cheap products and services via reducing the input costs or they could differentiate their products by tweaking their features or by upgrading their existing products and launching new products and services on a continuous basis. Select few can execute these two strategies simultaneously by making use of a cheap logistics structure, low inventory costs via, for example, just in time delivery. Today, it is difficult to keep up with the Chinese products with the notorious ability of the Chinese companies to employ very cheap labor and the Chinese government’s strategy in holding on to large reserves of American dollars.
Detecting the Extent of Eutectoid Transformation in U-10Mo

During eutectoid transformation of U-10Mo alloy, uniform metastable γ UMo phase is expected to transform to a mixture of α-U and γ’-U2Mo phase. The presence of transformation products in final U-10Mo fuel, especially the α phase is considered detrimental for fuel irradiation performance, so it is critical to accurately evaluate the extent of transformation in the final U-10Mo alloy. This phase transformation can cause a volume change that induces a density change in final alloy. To understand this density and volume change, we developed a theoretical model to calculate the volume expansion and resultant density change of U-10Mo alloy as a function of the extent of eutectoid transformation. Based on the theoretically calculated density change for 0 to 100% transformation, we conclude that an experimental density measurement system will be challenging to employ to reliably detect and quantify the extent of transformation. Subsequently, to assess the ability of various methods to detect the transformation in U-10Mo, we annealed U-10Mo alloy samples at 500°C for various times to achieve in low, medium, and high extent of transformation. After the heat treatment at 500°C, the samples were metallographically polished and subjected to optical microscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Based on ourmore » assessment, optical microscopy and image processing can be used to determine the transformed area fraction, which can then be correlated with the α phase volume fraction measured by XRD analysis. XRD analysis of U-10Mo aged at 500°C detected only α phase and no γ’ was detected. To further validate the XRD results, atom probe tomography (APT) was used to understand the composition of transformed regions in U-10Mo alloys aged at 500°C for 10 hours. Based on the APT results, the lamellar transformation product was found to comprise α phase with close to 0 at% Mo and γ phase with 28–32 at% Mo, and the Mo concentration was highest at the α/γ interface.« less
Postemergence Liverwort Control in Container-Grown Nursery Crops

Abstract Four experiments were conducted in Aurora, OR, and Auburn, AL, to evaluate effectiveness of herbicides for postemergence liverwort control. A sprayable herbicide, quinoclamine (Gentry 25-WP), was applied at rates between 1.8 and 7.6 kg ai/ha (1.6 and 6.8 lb ai/A), with or without a surfactant, and in spray volumes of 1019 or 2037 liters/ha (109 or 218 gal/A). Across all experiments, postemergence liverwort control was good (>90%) at the lowest rate when liverwort infestation was light (liverwort covered ≤25% of the substrate surface with no sporocarps). When liverwort infestation was high (liverwort covered ≥60% of the substrate surface with some sporocarps present), or in conditions favorable to liverwort growth, control improved by using higher rates or including a surfactant. At the highest labeled rate (7.6 kg ai/ha (6.8 lb ai/A)), postemergence liverwort control up to 14 days after applications was 96 to 100% across all four experiments. Long-term liverwort control through 42 to 56 days afte...
Public Opinion about the Future of the Affordable Care Act

In this analysis of national opinion polls, approval of the Affordable Care Act increased from 42% in 2010 to 49% in 2017. The polls reveal sharply contrasting views of Republicans and Democrats about the future of the ACA.
The Fragility Index in a Cohort of Pediatric Randomized Controlled Trials

Data suggest inadequacy of common statistical techniques for reporting outcomes in clinical trials. The Fragility Index can measure how many events the statistical significance hinges on, and may facilitate better interpretation of trial results. This study aimed to assess the Fragility Index in pediatric randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with statistically significant findings published in high-quality medical journals. A Fragility Index was calculated on included trials with dichotomous positive outcomes. Analysis of the relationship between trial characteristics and the Fragility Index was performed. Of the 429 abstracts screened, 17 met the inclusion criteria and underwent analysis. The median Fragility Index was 7 with an interquartile range of 2-11. In 41% of the studies, the number of patients lost to follow-up or withdrawn prior to analysis was equal to or greater than the Fragility Index. There was no correlation between the RCT sample size and the Fragility Index (r = 0.249, p = 0.335) nor the event group size and the Fragility Index (r = 0.250, p = 0.334). There was a strong negative correlation between the original p-value and the Fragility Index (r = -0.700, p = 0.002). The Fragility Index is a calculated metric that may assist in applying clinical relevance to statistically significant outcomes in pediatric randomized controlled trials with dichotomous outcomes.
Group Work Stories Celebrating Diversity, by Malekoff, A. (Ed.).: (2017). Group Work Stories Celebrating Diversity. London, England: Routledge, 204 pp, $140.00 (hardcover), $45.95 (softcover), $28.95 (e-book).

These are, arguably, polarizing times in the world, specifically in our collective responses to diversity, inclusiveness, and equality. We quite possibly may have lost sight of the strength of huma...
The legal issue and of assisted reproductive technologies.

Generations ago families experiencing infertility were without options, other than adoption. Today, couples facing infertility have an array of choices regarding ways to build a family. Artificial reproductive technologies (ART) and other associated therapies are often able to help parents realize the dream of having a biological child or experiencing pregnancy (Moore, U St Thomas JL & Pub Pol’y 1:100, 2007). While these ART advancements have helped a great number of men and women, this technology also has its drawbacks. One problem we are faced with today due to ART is how to dispose of the cryopreserved embryos left over from in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.
How Elders Guided the Evolution of the Modern Human Brain, Social Behavior, and Culture

To prepare for writing this article, we reviewed many academic tomes, from anthropology to zoology, and perused many decades’ worth of ethnographic studies of American Indian elders and elders from other groups around the world. We wanted not only to describe elderly American Indians but also to build the argument that elders are of critical importance for American Indian families and communities and have been of critical importance for tens of thousands of years. We wanted to construct the fundamental argument that in virtually all species with large brains and long childhoods, elders are of critical importance. This is as true in caribou as it is in humans; it is as true in American Indians as it is in whites, African Americans, and Asians. It is true because elders are the holders of ancient wisdom about the conduct and management of social behavior and about strategies for protecting the vulnerable from the problems that consistently arise in anyone’s life. In reviewing the literature, it was a bit startling to move from the period that encompassed the late 1800s to the 1940s. This literature includes strong and clear descriptions of the important role of American Indian elders, the wisdom of their words, and the respect that their position held; hundreds of detailed descriptions of the importance of the elders and their
Complex duplications in maize lines

Rp1 is a disease resistance complex and is the terminal morphological marker on the short arm of maize chromosome 10. Several restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), which map within 5 map units of Rp1, were examined to determine if they are also complex in structure. Two RFLP loci, which mapped distally to Rp1, BNL3.04 and PIO200075, existed in a single copy in all maize lines examined. These two loci cosegregated perfectly in 130 test cross progeny. Two RFLP loci that map proximally to Rp1 had unusual structures, which have not yet been reported for maize RFLPs; the loci were complex, with variable numbers of copies in different maize lines. One of the loci, NPI285, occasionally recombined in meiosis to yield changes in the number of copies of sequences homologous to the probe. The other proximal locus, detected by the probes NPI422, KSU3, and KSU4, was relatively stable in meiosis and no changes in the number of restriction fragments were observed. The similarity in map position between Rp1 and the complex RFLP loci indicate there may be genomic areas where variable numbers of repeated sequences are common. The structure of these complex loci may provide insight into the structure and evolution of Rp1.
SELF-QUENCHING AND CROSS-QUENCHING REACTIONS OF PLATINUM(II) DIIMINE COMPLEXES

Neutral platinum(II) diimine complexes undergo self-quenching in fluid solution, characterized by a linear increase in the emission decay rate with concentration. The corresponding quenching rates (∼10 9 -10 10 M −1 s −1 ) are nearly diffusion limited. The accumulated evidence suggests that an excited platinum complex, M∗, reacts with a ground-state complex, M, to form an excimer, M 2 ∗, which rapidly relaxes to give two ground-state complexes. The reaction mechanism and the nature of the excimer are discussed in context of the electronic structures, spectroscopy, and quenching kinetics of these complexes. Steady-state cross-quenching experiments suggest that an excited platinum complex also can react rapidly (∼10 9 -10 10 M −1 s −1 ) with a different ground-state platinum diimine complex (Q), presumably to form an exciplex, MQ∗. In contrast, aromatic molecules and platinum(II) complexes lacking a diimine ligand are relatively ineffective quenchers. These results suggest that both the diimine ligand and p...
Effects of Salinity and Freezing on Acer platanoides, Tilia cordata, and Viburnum lantana

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of NaCl and freezing temperatures on dormant lateral buds of Acer platanoides L. (Norway maple), Tilia cordata Mill. (littleleaf linde...
Theory of thermal expansion: Quasi-harmonic approximation and corrections from quasi-particle renormalization

“Quasi-harmonic” (QH) theory should not be considered a low-order theory of anharmonic effects in crystals, but should be recognized as an important effect separate from “true” anharmonicity. The o...
Twenty-First-Century Situations

Business ethics elicited comment throughout history. Wherever people interacted via trade and commerce, there was discussion and disagreement over what constitutes ethical behavior. The Enron scandal took down Arthur Andersen, an accounting firm long renowned for its integrity. The unethical Enron officials relied upon misleading accounting practices and cozy relations with prominent politicians and regulators. The perpetual race between fraudsters and enforcers continued into the new millennium. Pathways to corruption are certain to be repeated by future unethical businesspeople.