cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liposomes as a Topical Drug Delivery System Evaluated by In Vitro Diffusion Studies

The topical delivery of several liposomal drug formulations was evaluated using in vitro diffusion experiments with hairless mouse and guinea pig skin in an effort to understand the mechanism by which liposomal entrapment enhances local activity of topically applied drugs. The uptake and distribution of hydrocortisone and fluocinilone acetonide into the skin strata from phospholipid liposomes was almost four times higher than from aqueous solution. The application of liposomes containing entrapped 14C-inulin and 3H-cholesterol, a lipid marker, revealed that the ratio of 14C and 3H remains unaltered in various layers of the stratum corneum and deeper strata of the skin. These results, coupled with the observation that there is no breakthrough of inulin into the receiver compartment, even after 24 hours, suggest that the bi-layers of liposomes are able to carry entrapped solutes deep into the stratum corneum and even into skin strata of the living epidermis. The combined data strongly suggest molecular mixing of liposomal bilayers with those of the stratum corneum “bilayers”. The extent of such mixing was greater with ceramide-based liposomes than with phospholipid liposomes since the former has a composition similar to that of stratum corneum “bilayers”.
Diagnosis and Classification of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with and Without Polyposis in Adults and Children

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is defined as a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the nose and paranasal sinuses of at least 12 consecutive weeks’ duration. CRS has been subclassified in both children and adults as “CRS without nasal polyps” (CRSsNP), “CRS with nasal polyps” (CRSwNP), and “allergic fungal rhinosinusitis” (AFRS). This chapter discusses the evolution of the term “rhinosinusitis,” compares and contrasts the features of CRS in children and adults, and discusses the cardinal symptoms of CRS by subtype and their sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis and the importance of objective measures (radiographic or endoscopic) in establishing the diagnosis. The pathophysiology and clinical presentation of each CRS subtype is discussed. Clinical and pathophysiologic differences between CRSsNP and CRSwNP and their impact on medical or surgical treatment are discussed. The chapter concludes with a discussion of potential future refinements in CRS classification, taking into account such factors as the nature of microbial colonization, defects in local innate immunity, and local adaptive Th2 “allergic” (“eosinophilic”) responses to microbes that impact significantly on expression of the disease. For example, the presence of bacterial biofilm on sinonasal mucosal surfaces is associated with more severe preoperative disease and persistent mucosal inflammation following endoscopic sinus surgery. Further dissection of the host-microbial interactions in CRS is likely to converge in some areas (e.g., uncovering defects in local innate immunity predisposing to bacterial biofilm formation) but diverge in others forcing us to reconsider our current paradigms, such as the distinction between CRSsNP and CRSwNP.
Is Economics a Moral Science

Economics is a multifaceted inquiry into the social relationship among humans in society. This mutifacetedness creates a lack of communication between critics of economics (which includes a large proportion of philosophers and professors with a religious bent) and defenders of what, for lack of a better term, I will call mainstream economics. The problem is that when critics attack economics, their attack generally focuses on the one-dimensional vision of the social relationship of individuals that is conveyed by the principal texts rather than on a much more sophisticated vision of humans and of social relationships held by good economists. The author fully agrees that morals and science are intertwined in a Putnam sense—the questions one asks and the framework one chooses reflects moral choices. But the paper argues that that as a pragmatic way to move forward, that deeper intertwinement can be usefully separated from less deep, entanglements that are more easily understood and recognized.
Conversion of upbeat to downbeat nystagmus in Wernicke encephalopathy

Objective To explain (1) why an initial upbeat nystagmus (UBN) converts to a permanent downbeat nystagmus (DBN) in Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) and (2) why convergence and certain vestibular provocative maneuvers may transiently switch UBN to DBN. Methods Following a literature review and study of our 2 patients, we develop hypotheses for the unusual patterns of vertical nystagmus in WE. Results Our overarching hypothesis is that there is a selective vulnerability and a selective recovery from thiamine deficiency of neurons within brainstem gaze-holding networks. Furthermore, since the circuits affected in WE are commonly paraventricular, especially medially, just under the floor of the fourth ventricle where lie structures important for control of vertical gaze, we suggest the patterns of involvement in WE also reflect a breakdown in vulnerable areas of the blood–brain barrier. Many of the initial deficits of our patients improved over time, but their DBN did not. Irreversible changes in paramedian tract neurons, which project to the cerebellar flocculus, may be the cause. Here we suggest that conversion of UBN to permanent DBN points to thiamine deficiency and may argue for a chronic, nonprogressive DBN/truncal ataxia syndrome. Finally, we posit that the transient switch of UBN to DBN reflects abnormal processing of otolith information about linear acceleration, and often points to a diagnosis of WE. Conclusion Recognizing the unusual patterns of transient switching and then permanent conversion of UBN to DBN in WE is vital since long-term disability from WE may be prevented by timely, parenteral high-dose thiamine.
Liberation Limited Dolomite Rejection from Pebble Phosphate in Gravity Concentration

The depletion of good-quality phosphate resources, coupled by a need to supply acceptable products at a rapid rate, while meeting the specifications of fertilizer chemical plants, is of significant concern to the phosphate industry, particularly the production of concentrates with tolerable dolomite content. Tremendous efforts have been made in the past to develop an efficient and economical process that can effectively reject dolomite. However, dolomite removal continues to plague the phosphate industry due to several process-specific challenges being encountered with various beneficiation technologies. In this regard, detailed characterization of phosphate reserves is crucial to understand textural limitations and help design appropriate strategies to achieve quality products. In this paper, the development of procedures to establish dolomite rejection/francolite recovery curves for gravity preconcentration of pebble phosphate from Central Florida is described using high-speed X-ray computed tomography (HSXCT). The developed procedure is illustrated with the analysis of high MgO pebble phosphate samples (10.39 mm × 1 mm) received from South Pasture and Four Corners locations operated by the Mosaic company. The rejection/recovery curves were calculated for each sample for five different particle size classes to observe the trend in rejection/recovery with variation in particle size. In order to evaluate the reliability of the HSXCT data, analysis using the high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) technique was performed on one particular sample (FC-3-1). Finally, to assess the separation efficiency, the HSXCT and HRXCT rejection/recovery curves obtained were compared to experimental gravity preconcentration results reported in the literature. In this way, liberation limitations for gravity preconcentration in the processing of pebble phosphate have been established based on X-ray computed tomography analysis.
Microstructure and properties of precipitation-hardened Zr and Zn-Zr based aluminum alloys

Abstract New aluminum alloys with improved durability and thermal resistance are desired to improve the performance of high-voltage power transmission lines. These improvements must not significantly reduce the electrical conductivity of the Al alloys currently used for this application to maintain current levels of power transmission efficiency. Precipitation-hardened binary Al-Zr alloys have been shown to have promising electrical conductivity and strength. However, there is room for improving the alloy strength, while maintaining a relatively high electrical conductivity by controlled additions of Zn. The objective of this study is to experimentally examine the addition of Zn to Al-Zr alloys with subsequent heat treatment to improve mechanical properties via controlled precipitation hardening. Vickers microhardness and conductivity measurements, tensile test, scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and selected area electron diffraction are used to measure the properties and determine the microstructure of Al-Zr-Zn alloys for a wide range of aging conditions. As expected, the results indicate that Al-Zr-Zn alloys have improved mechanical properties and slightly reduced electrical conductivity relative to Al alloys currently used for power transmission. However, it is determined that the addition of Zn is unable to improve the heat resistance of Al-Zr alloys.
What Trauma Looks Like for Incarcerated Men: A Study of Men's Lifetime Trauma Exposure in Two State Prisons.

Objective: While it is understood that high rates of trauma exposure are common among incarcerated male populations, there is limited data on the nature of the trauma exposure. This study sought to develop foundational knowledge about the trauma experiences of incarcerated men in order to provide a basis for further theory building in this area. Method: This study used a quantitative-qualitative approach to examine the trauma histories of a randomly selected sample of 67 men incarcerated in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Results: The analyses revealed several patterns among study participants, including near universal trauma exposure in adolescence with the most frequent exposures involving witnessing or being proximate to violent deaths of family and friends. The mean age of exposure for all trauma exposure types measured was 17 years old. We found that for this group of incarcerated men, trauma exposures in childhood tended to result more from community violence than child maltreatment (e.g., abuse and neglect by caregivers). Conclusion: The study results suggested that further research may be needed into the effects of close proximity to violent death during this particular window in adolescent development. Neuroscience research has shown that this is a “sensitive period” in brain development with potential negative outcomes in early adulthood, including emotional regulation deficits that can potentially lead to increased risk of arrest. Further research on trauma exposure within this population is needed both to appropriately serve men while in prison or in the process of reentering society and to support efforts to reduce mass incarceration.
The association between gestational weight gain z-score and stillbirth: a case-control study.

There is limited information on potentially modifiable risk factors for stillbirth, such as gestational weight gain (GWG). Our purpose was to explore the association between GWG and stillbirth using the GWG z−score. We analyzed 479 stillbirths and 1601 live births from the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network case−control study. Women with triplets or monochorionic twins were excluded from analysis. We evaluated the association between GWG z−score (modeled as a restricted cubic spline with knots at the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles) and stillbirth using multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations, adjusting for pre − pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and other confounders. In addition, we conducted analyses stratified by pre − pregnancy BMI category (normal weight, overweight, obese). Mean GWG was 18.95 (SD 17.6) lb. among mothers of stillbirths and 30.89 (SD 13.3) lb. among mothers of live births; mean GWG z−score was − 0.39 (SD 1.5) among mothers of cases and − 0.17 (SD 0.9) among control mothers. In adjusted analyses, the odds of stillbirth were elevated for women with very low GWG z−scores (e.g., adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for z−score − 1.5 SD versus 0 SD: 1.52 (1.30, 1.78); aOR (95% CI) for z−score − 2.5 SD versus 0 SD: 2.36 (1.74, 3.20)). Results differed slightly by pre − pregnancy BMI. The odds of stillbirth were slightly elevated among women with overweight BMI and GWG z−scores ≥1 SD (e.g., aOR (95% CI) for z−score of 1.5 SD versus 0 SD: 1.84 (0.97, 3.50)). GWG z−scores below − 1.5 SD are associated with increased odds of stillbirth.
Wide Aperture Imaging Sonar Reconstruction using Generative Models

In this paper we propose a new framework for reconstructing underwater surfaces from wide aperture imaging sonar sequences. We demonstrate that when the leading object edge in each sonar image can be accurately triangulated in 3D, the remaining surface may be “filled in” using a generative sensor model. This process generates a full three-dimensional point cloud for each image in the sequence. We propose integrating these surface measurements into a cohesive global map using a truncated signed distance field (TSDF) to fuse the point clouds generated by each image. This allows for reconstructing surfaces with significantly fewer sonar images and viewpoints than previous methods. The proposed method is evaluated by reconstructing a mock-up piling structure and a real world underwater piling, in a test tank environment and in the field, respectively. Our surface reconstructions are quantitatively compared to ground-truth models and are shown to be more accurate than previous state-of-the-art algorithms.
Complication Rates During Endoscopic Microvascular Decompression Surgery Are Low With or Without Petrosal Vein Sacrifice

Objective Endoscopic-microvascular decompression (E-MVD) is a well-described treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TGN), but there has been debate on the safety of intraoperative sacrifice of the petrosal vein (PV) due to concern for subsequent venous insufficiency. Our objective was to investigate the risk of PV sacrifice during E-MVD in TGN and subsequent postoperative complications and pain outcomes. Methods 5 five-year review yielded 201 patients who underwent MVD for TGN. PV sacrifice, vascular compressive anatomy, and postoperative complications attributable to venous insufficiency were analyzed. Preoperative and postoperative pain outcomes were analyzed. Results PV was sacrificed in 118 of 201 (59%) of patients, with 43 of 201 (21%) patients undergoing partial sacrifice versus 75 of 201 (37%) with complete sacrifice. No cases of venous infarction, cerebellar swelling, or fatal complications were noted in either cohort. Non-neurologic complications occurred in 1.69% (2 of 118) of patients with PV sacrifice and 0% (0 of 83) of patients with PV preservation. Neurologic deficits (facial palsy, conductive hearing loss, gait instability, memory deficit) occurred in equal proportions in PV preservation and sacrifice groups (2.41% vs. 1.69%) Overall, 87.3% (145 of 166) patients reported their pain as “very much improved” or “much improved” at 1 month, and no difference between groups was identified. Conclusions This study did not find higher complication rates in patients undergoing petrosal vein sacrifice during E-MVD for trigeminal neuralgia. In this series where petrosal vein was sacrificed only 59% of the time, it appears to be a safe technique, but larger studies will be needed to determine true incidence of complications after PV sacrifice.
Internal consistencies of the delayed trunk muscle reaction times following a treadmill-induced slip perturbation while holding and not holding a tray.

Abstract Background Reaction time task performance using electromyography (EMG) has been widely studied in the evaluation of motor responses. However, specific testing conditions with tray usage and the reliability of the bilateral trunk muscle reactions have not been proven. Research Questions Are there internal consistencies of the reaction times for a particular condition, such as a handheld task, among the examiners? Is there a delayed reaction time on the dominant abdominal muscle in response to a treadmill-induced slip perturbation while holding or not holding a tray? Methods One hundred and nineteen right upper and lower limb dominant individuals (71 female and 48 male subjects) were exposed to a treadmill-induced slip perturbation (0.24 m/s velocity for 1.2 cm) for 0.10 s in standing. The EMG electrodes were placed on both sides of the rectus abdominis (RA) and erector spinae (ES) muscles. The reliability of the test was established by using Cronbach’s alpha, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC2, k), and the standard error of measurements. Results The results for holding a tray indicated a high degree of consistency based on Cronbach’s alpha for the left RA (0.79), right RA (0.86), left ES (0.82), and right ES (0.73) muscles. However, there was a significant reaction time difference among trunk muscles (F = 10.58, p = 0.002) while not holding a tray. The post-hoc results indicated that the right RA muscle was delayed more than the bilateral ES muscles, although there was no significant difference with the left RA muscle. Significance Overall, the EMG analyses for the reaction times were highly consistent with and without tray usage. The reaction times of the dominant abdominal muscles were delayed while not holding a tray. Given the high reliability, compensatory strategies by trunk dominance might be considered with a tray usage task.
Perioperative Outcomes of Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy for Renal Mass in Patients on Dialysis or with Renal Transplant in Place Compared to Normal Controls

Background: The risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) development in the native kidney of patients on dialysis or with a renal transplant is increased compared to the general population. This study ex...
The Ford Administration, the National Security Agency, and the “Year of Intelligence”: Constructing a New Legal Framework for Intelligence

In the mid-1970s, Congress and the judiciary moved to regulate the National Security Agency (NSA) at a moment when such regulation might have restricted the growth of electronic surveillance. The Ford administration played a crucial role in preventing that from happening. It did so by controlling the flow of intelligence information to Congress and by establishing a flexible new legal framework for intelligence based on broad executive orders, narrow legislation, and legal opinions written by executive branch lawyers. This framework fostered a perception of legality that headed off calls for comprehensive legislation governing intelligence. The Ford administration’s actions protected NSA from meaningful regulation, preserved the growth of electronic surveillance, and sustained executive branch preeminence in national security affairs. The episode proved formative for the Ford administration officials involved—including Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Antonin Scalia—and solidified the central role of executive branch lawyers in national security policymaking.
Abstract 17: Early Life Stress Sensitizes The Angiotensin II-elicited Hypertensive Response

Separation of neonatal rodent pups from their mothers has been used as a model to study the effects of early life stress (ELS) on behavioral and physiological responses in adults. Using an Inductio...
GIVE: toward portable genome browsers for personal websites

Growing popularity and diversity of genomic data demands portable and versatile genome browsers. Here, we present an open source programming library, called GIVE that facilitates creation of personalized genome browsers without requiring a system administrator. By inserting HTML tags, one can add to a personal webpage interactive visualization of multiple types of genomics data, including genome annotation, "linear" quantitative data (wiggle), and genome interaction data. GIVE includes a graphical interface called HUG (HTML Universal Generator) that automatically generates HTML code for displaying user chosen data, which can be copypasted into user9s personal website or saved and shared with collaborators. The simplicity of use was enabled by encapsulation of novel data communication and visualization technologies, including new data structures, a memory management method, and a double layer display method. GIVE is available at: http://www.givengine.org/.
International Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflict: A Critical Annotated Bibliography for Collection Development

This article is an annotated bibliography of selected monographs published from 2001 through 2012 in the fields of International Humanitarian Law of Armed Conflict (Law of War) and International Human Rights Law. The aim is to provide a collection development guide for librarians and scholars in this area of international law. Key topics that are covered are: Internal conflicts, asymmetric warfare, law of war, humanitarian intervention, treatment of insurgents, non-international armed conflict, targeted killings, terrorism, drones, robotics.
The interaction of observation and inference in a formal representation system

This work is an attempt to formally represent the knowledge required for the solution of a difficult retrograde chess problem (figure I). This solution Includes the extension of a formal deductive system to Include an observational facility. Using a proof checker for first order logic. FOL [9], we have detailed a proof of the solution of the puzzle, Including proofs for almost all of the necessary associated lemmas [2], We shall highlight the various representational decisions made In the process of axiomatiiing retrograde chess, discussing both the necessity for these particular choices, and their Implications for designers of representations for other domains. This work is part of the search for epistemologically effective formalisms for artificial Intelligence.
Home production, labor wedges, and international business cycles ☆

Non-separabilities due to home production break the link between market consumption and its marginal utility and help explain several stylized facts of the open economy. In an estimated two-country model with complete asset markets in which home production generates a labor wedge that mimics its empirical counterpart, output is more correlated than consumption across countries, labor inputs and labor wedges are positively correlated across countries, and relative market consumption is negatively related to the real exchange rate. Evidence from time use surveys corroborates some of the predictions of the model.
Advances in Electrochemical Modification Strategies of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

The development of electrochemical catalytic conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has recently gained attention as a potentially scalable approach for both oxidation and reduction processes yielding value-added products. While the possibility of electrocatalytic HMF transformations has been demonstrated, this growing research area is in its initial stages. Additionally, its practical applications remain limited due to low catalytic activity and product selectivity. Understanding the catalytic processes and design of electrocatalysts are important in achieving a selective and complete conversion into the desired highly valuable products. In this Minireview, an overview of the most recent status, advances, and challenges of oxidation and reduction processes of HMF was provided. Discussion and summary of voltammetric studies and important reaction factors (e. g., catalyst type, electrode material) were included. Finally, biocatalysts (e. g., enzymes, whole cells) were introduced for HMF modification, and future opportunities to combine biocatalysts with electrochemical methods for the production of high-value chemicals from HMF were discussed.
Test of an Impression Formation Model: An Illustration with Two Well-Known Companies

Despite the importance of corporate reputation, little is known about how it develops. The main purpose of the current study was to begin to understand the formation of corporate reputation by investigating the antecedents of general evaluations of corporations. Specifically, we tested the viability of a corporate impression formation model that was recently proposed in the literature. Electronic survey responses were obtained from a sample of business professionals, who were randomly assigned to one of two well-known companies that belong to different industry sectors: Microsoft and Disney. Results showed that relations among corporate images and general evaluations of corporations were either fully or partially mediated by impressions of company respectability and impressiveness. These findings suggest that there could be moderators relating to the characteristics of the company being evaluated (eg, type of industry) that might have to be included in this model to fully understand how general evaluations develop. Findings also highlighted the importance of different corporate images in the development of respectability and impressiveness impressions. Specifically, market image was significantly related to impressiveness and respectability for both companies, suggesting that companies should spend resources on enhancing their market images. Moreover, both employer and social images were related to respectability, indicating that companies should pay more attention to these two images. This study, therefore, provided a first step in understanding how general evaluations of corporations develop, thus shedding light on how consensus judgments of corporate reputation develop.
The Struggle for the Eurasian Borderlands: Imperial institutions: armies, bureaucracies, and elites

If the struggle over the borderlands profoundly affected state-building in the multicultural societies of Eurasia, the reverse was also true. The two processes interacted with one another not only in shaping imperial ideologies, but also in constructing political and socioeconomic institutions. Three key elements in the evolving structures of empire were the army, the bureaucracy, and the ruling elites. This chapter deals with the ways in which these institutions and groups reflected the particular needs of a multicultural state in expanding and defending its military frontiers and imposing order in the borderlands. The exercise of power in the multicultural states of Eurasia combined in different proportions elements of what Max Weber identified as charismatic, patriarchal, and bureaucratic forms of authority. As he noted, “the majority of all great continental empires had a fairly strong patrimonial character until and even after the beginning of modern times.” But pure patriarchalism probably never existed. In its most arbitrary forms it gradually diminished without entirely disappearing under the increasing need of the ruler for a more reliable system of raising revenue and a greater functional specialization in administration. In an imperial, multicultural system the personal authority of the ruler depended heavily on his ability to project charisma through myths, symbols, rituals, and ceremonies of power that had meaning for peoples of different cultures. But charisma, as Weber and others also remind us, is unstable.
Signaling through sigma

Some prokaryotic transcriptional activators act by binding to enhancers and directly changing the conformation of a specialized sigma factor in the RNA polymerase holoenzyme. This mechanism has interesting parallels in other transcription systems.
International Communication: History

Since ancient times, governments, merchants, and individuals have needed to communicate over long distances. The first public postal systems date from the seventeenth century. In the late eighteenth century, France built an optical telegraph network. Starting in the 1830s, electrical telegraphy spread in Europe and North America. The 1870s saw the laying of submarine telegraph cables connecting continents and islands. The early twentieth century saw the rapid development of international electronic communications: wireless telegraphy before World War I, radio broadcasting in the 1920s and 1930s, and global telephony and the Internet in the late twentieth century.
Electrical resistivity of V-H alloys

The electrical resistivity has been determined at temperatures between 120° and 500°K for V-H alloys with hydrogen concentrations from 0 to 42.1 at. pct. A plot of the hydrogen solubility limit in vanadium shows that it increases from 0.5 at. pct at 227°K to 26.4 at. pct at 436°K. X-ray diffraction powder patterns indicated that alloys containing between 33.8 and 42.1 at. pct H were single-phase, bet, β-V hydride at room temperature. The resistivity of the 33.8 at. pct alloy closely approximated that of hydrogen-free vanadium, but the room temperature resistivity increased with increasing hydrogen concentration at the rate of 1.7 microhm-cm per at. pet H. These β alloys underwent one transformation at temperatures below 224°K and two more transformations near 450°K. The rationale has been based on increasing disorder of hydrogen in the interstices of the lattice with increasing temperature.
The Role of Alternative Press in Mobilization for Political Change in Kenya 1982-1992: Society magazine as a case study

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, School of Mass Communications, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, January 30, 2007. Committee Members: Dr. Robert Dardenne, Dr. Tony Silvia, Dr. Mark Walters.
Families of Consensus Algorithms

Three main parameters characterize the efficiency of algorithms that solve the Consensus Problem. The ratio between the total number of processors and the maximum number of faulty processors (n and t, respectively), the number of rounds, and the size of any single message. Lower bounds exist for each one of the three. In this paper we present two families of algorithms, each achieving the lower bound for one parameter and a trade-off between the other two. The first family includes algorithms where, given an integer k, the algorithm always requires the minimal possible number of rounds (t+1), with n=k(3t+1) processors and messages of size at most t O(t/k). To the second family belong algorithms in which all messages are of one bit size, the number of processors is t O((k+1)/k) and the number of rounds is t+t O ((k−1)/k). These two families are based on a very simple algorithm with (2t+1)(t+1) processors using the minimal number of rounds and the minimal message size (one bit).
Novel calorimetry technique for pulsed wires

A novel calorimetry technique was used to determine the energy delivered to a wire during a fast, low energy pulse. Following earlier work at dc by McKubre, et al., at SRI International, the diagnostic was applied to fast pulses for the first time. The experiment consisted of a low mass deuterium loaded wire placed in a vacuum flask filled with liquid nitrogen. A mass flow meter was used to detect the change in the production rate of nitrogen gas from the liquid bulk to determine energy released from the wire. This high sensitive technique permits precise energy balance measurements. Calorimetry techniques will be discussed and results presented.
Extending ACTS operations through a university-based consortium

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) program was slated for decommissioning in October 2000 as was announced at the 6th Ka-band Utilization Conference in May 2000. Quite a celebration was had at that event too, centering on the decommissioning of this very successful technology program [1]. With plans in place to move the spacecraft to an orbital graveyard and then shut the system down, NASA was challenged to consider the feasibility of extending operations for education and research purposes, provided that an academic organization would be willing to cover operations costs. Continuing operations of the system was determined viable and in the fall of 2000, an announcement was made by NASA to consider extending operations. Plans are now in place to continue the operations of ACTS through a university-based consortium led by Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Initial plans are for two more years of operations, with options to extend up to a total of four years. This paper will present the change in plans to continue operations of ACTS. A description of the multi-month transition of the spacecraft to its new and final orbital location is provided. With the spacecraft at this new location, an update on its performance is presented as well as estimates of long-term performance. The consortium development will be presented along with its organization, membership and operations plans for using ACTS.
Trends and predictors of readmission after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation, 2009-2013.

Background As the number of patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) increases, there is a growing focus on optimizing the quality and efficiency of. Readmission is often considered an indicator of both quality and efficiency of care delivery. We sought to estimate rates and identify predictors of readmission after catheter ablation. Methods and Results Using a large, national administrative claims database, we identified all AF patients who underwent catheter ablation between January 2009 and December 2013 (10,705 ablation cases). We examined incident readmission and the primary diagnosis during the readmission episode of care. We used Cox proportional hazard models to identify associations between readmission and patient and institutional characteristics. A total of 1,433 (13.4%) ablation patients were readmitted within 90 days of ablation for any cause, and 573 (5.4%) were admitted with AF as the primary diagnosis. There was a decline in all-cause (from 15.6% to 12.8%; P = .04) and AF-related (6.4%-5.0 %; P = .03) 90-day readmission over the study period. In a multivariate model, earlier year of ablation and each of 9 chronic conditions (alone or in combination) were independently associated with risk of readmission. Conclusions Between 2009 and 2013, there was a reduction in 90-day readmission rates after AF ablation, suggesting improved periprocedural care of these patients. Identifying patients at high risk for readmission after catheter ablation for AF may offer an opportunity for early intervention and, ultimately, reduction in procedural morbidity and medical costs.
A multi-core high performance computing framework for probabilistic solutions of distribution systems

Multi-core CPUs with multiple levels of parallelism and deep memory hierarchies have become the mainstream computing platform. In this paper we developed a generally applicable high performance computing framework for Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) type applications in distribution systems, taking advantage of performance-enhancing features of multi-core CPUs. The application in this paper is to solve the probabilistic load flow (PLF) in real time, in order to cope with the uncertainties caused by the integration of renewable energy resources. By applying various performance optimizations and multi-level parallelization, the optimized MCS solver is able to achieve more than 50% of a CPU's theoretical peak performance and the performance is scalable with the hardware parallelism. We tested the MCS solver on the IEEE 37-bus test feeder using a new Intel Sandy Bridge multi-core CPU. The optimized MCS solver is able to solve millions of load flow cases within a second, enabling the real-time Monte Carlo solution of the PLF.
Ablation of Atrial Insertion Sites of Left-Sided Accessory Pathways in Children: Efficacy and Safety of Transseptal Versus Transaortic Approach

Left-sided accessory pathways are a common substrate for supraventricular tachycardias in children. A transseptal approach to catheter ablation has been primarily advocated in this population because of concerns regarding vascular injury, aortic, and mitral valvular damage using the transaortic approach via retrograde femoral arterial cannulation. However, the transaortic approach is simpler and may be less time consuming. We, therefore, compared the efficacy and safety of the transseptal vs the transaortic approach in 49 consecutive pediatric patients. In both groups, the atrial insertion site of the accessory pathways was targeted. Postprocedure two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiograms were obtained in all patients. The transseptal and transaortic groups were similar in age (15.8 ± 1.6 vs 13.5 ± 3.6 p NS), manifest vs concealed (9/5 vs 20/15), and number of radiofrequency lesions (4 vs 6). Fluoroscopy time was significantly shorter in the transaortic group (33 vs 58 min, p < 0.05). The only evident complications were mild mitral regurgitation seen in two patients (one in each group). Two patients in the transseptal group had recurrence of tachycardia on follow-up and were successfully ablated by the transaortic method. In this series from a single center, a transaortic approach to ablation of left-sided accessory pathways in children older than 4 years was as effective as a transseptal approach.
Effects of naltrexone on alcohol drinking patterns and extinction of alcohol seeking in baboons

Rationale Understanding naltrexone’s effect on motivation to drink and pattern of drinking is important for better treatment outcomes and for comparison with novel medications.
Polylactide-cyclosporin A nanoparticles for targeted immunosuppression

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), prepared via coprecipitation of drugs and polymers, are promising drug delivery vehicles for treating diseases with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity. Here, we report an unprecedented strategy for preparing polylactide-cyclosporine A (PLA-CsA) NPs (termed CsA-NPs) through CsA-initiated ring-opening polymerization of lactide (LA) followed by nanoprecipitation. The resulting CsA-NPs have sub-100 nm sizes and narrow particle size distributions, and release CsA in a sustained manner without a “burst”-release effect. Both free CsA and CsA-NPs displayed comparable suppression of T-cell proliferation and production of inflammatory cytokines in various T-cell assays in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 values for CsA and CsA-NPs were 27.5 and 72.0 ng/ml, respectively. As lymph nodes are the main loci for T-cell activation, we coupled dendritic cells (DCs) with CsA-NPs and successfully delivered CsA selectively to the lymph nodes. Our studies indicated that CsA-NPs could be internalized in the DCs with a sustained release of CsA to the culture medium, suppressing alloreactive T-cell proliferation. Allogeneic DCs loaded with CsA-NPs were able to migrate to the draining lymph nodes where the T-cell priming was significantly reduced without any systemic release. This innovative nanoparticulate CsA delivery technology constitutes a strong basis for future targeted delivery of immunosuppressive drugs with improved efficiency and reduced toxicity.—Azzi, J., Tang, L., Tong, R., El Haddad, N., Akiyoshi, T., Mfarrej, B., Moore, R., Yang, S., Jurewicz, M., Ichimura, T., Lindeman, N., Cheng, J., Abdi, R. Polylactide-cyclosporin A nanoparticles for targeted immunosuppression.
Use of simulation-based mastery learning to improve the quality of central venous catheter placement in a medical intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Central venous catheter (CVC) insertions are performed frequently by internal medicine residents. Complications, including arterial puncture and pneumothorax, decrease when operators use fewer needle passes to insert the CVC. In this study, we evaluated the effect of simulation-based mastery learning on CVC insertion skill. DESIGN: This was a cohort study of internal jugular (IJ) and subclavian (SC) CVC insertions by 41 internal medicine residents rotating through the medical intensive care unit (MICU) over a five-month period. Thirteen traditionally-trained residents were surveyed about the number of needle passes, complications, and procedural self-confidence on CVCs inserted in the MICU. Concurrently, 28 residents completed simulation-based training in IJ and SC CVC insertions. Simulator-trained residents were expected to perform CVC insertions to mastery standards on a central line simulator. Simulator-trained residents then rotated through the MICU and were surveyed regarding CVC placement. The impact of simulation training was assessed by comparing group survey results. RESULTS: No resident met the minimum passing score (MPS) (79.1%) for CVC insertion at baseline: mean (M) (IJ) = 48.4%, standard deviation (SD) = 23.1, M(SC) = 45.2%, SD = 26.3. All residents met or exceeded the MPS at testing after simulation training: M(IJ) = 94.8%, SD = 10.0, M(SC) = 91.1%, SD = 17.8 (p < 0.001). In the MICU, simulator-trained residents required fewer needle passes to insert a CVC than traditionally-trained residents: M = 1.79, SD = 1.0 versus M = 2.78, SD = 1.77 (p = 0.04). Simulator-trained residents displayed more self-confidence about their procedural skills: (M = 81, SD = 11 versus M = 68, SD = 20, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Simulation-based mastery learning increased residents' skills in simulated CVC insertion, decreased the number of needle passes when performing actual procedures, and increased resident self-confidence. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2009;4:397–403. © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Diazepam-induced impairment of a go-no go successive discrimination.

Diazepam (2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg, but not 1.0 mg/kg) administered in eight acquisition sessions significantly impaired the light-cued successive discrimination of male Sprague—Dawley rats. In two postdrug (vehicle) sessions, groups previously treated with the drug demonstrated good recovery in discrimination. An analysis of response components indicated that the impairment was due to the failure of drugged subjects to inhibit or withhold responses during the no go periods of the task. These findings are consistent with a “disinhibitory hypothesis” of drug impairment. The similarity of the present findings to those previously reported with chlordiazepoxide suggests that such effects are a generalized characteristic of the benzodiazepine class of drugs.
Three-dimensional shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions with bleed

Computations were performed to investigate the physics of three-dimensi onal, shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions on a flat plate in which fluid in the boundary layer was bled through a circular hole into a plenum to control shock-wave induced flow separation. This study revealed two underlying mechanisms by which bleed holes can control shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions. It also showed how bleed-hole placement relative to where the incident shock wave impinges affects upstream, spanwise, and downstream influence lengths. This study is based on the ensemble-averaged, full compressible Navier-Stokes equations closed by the BaldwinLomax turbulence model. Solutions to these equations were obtained by an implicit, partially split, two-factored method with flux-vector splitting on a chimera overlapping grid.
Variations in muscle chemical composition, pH, and protein extractability among eight different broiler crosses.

Abstract Variations in muscle chemical composition, pH, and protein extractability were studied using male broilers of eight different genetic crosses of commercial strains. Three replicate groups of 24 birds of each cross were grown in floor pens using commercial corn-soybean meal diets. At 8 wk of age, three birds per replicate, weighing within 5% of the pen average, were slaughtered, scalded, defeathered, eviscerated, and chilled in ice slurries overnight. Muscles were excised from breasts and thighs, and trimmed of skin and external fat. Proximate analysis was conducted using ground muscle pooled within replicate groups. Breast muscle of all strain crosses contained more (P ≤ .05) total protein (ranging from 20.7 to 23.6%) and moisture (74.6 to 75.9%), and less fat (1.0 to 2.0%) than thigh muscle, which contained 18.1 to 21.3% protein, 72.8 to 73.8% moisture, and 5.0 to 7.2% fat. The pH of breast muscle was lower (P ≤ .05) than that of thigh muscle for four of the eight strains, and protein extractability of breast muscle was greater (P ≤ .05) than that of thigh muscle for all strains. There were significant differences among strains in chemical composition, pH, and protein extractability for both breast and thigh muscles. The correlation between percentage protein and fat was positive in breast (r = .72, P
Through a New Mirror: Reflections on Tourism and Identity in the Amazon

Interactions between locals and tourists entail more than simple transactions of money for goods or services. They also involve the exchange of expectations, stereotypes, and expressions of ethnicity and culture. In this study, an ecotourism lodge in Peru was the setting for an ethnographic analysis of tourists' expectant gazes and locals' reactions to them. Interview data and observations reveal that over several years, locals began to alter their perceptions of what it meant to be, sound, and look "native." The lodge in the study is co-owned and managed by a mixed ethnic community of 150 families. Since opening in 1998, the lodge has received 5,000-6,000 tourists a year. Partly in response to the expectations of tourists, people have begun to show new (or renewed) pride in indigenous culture. Four indicators were: (1) increased efforts to learn indigenous language, stories, and songs from elders; (2) heightened interest in presenting indigenous culture to tourists, coupled with debates over intellectual...
Absorption Band Spectrum of Iodine Monochloride

Wave-lengths and series relations in the visible absorption spectrum of ICl.---The visible absorption spectrum of ICl has been photographed and measured. Eight new members have been located in the two series described by Gibson and Ramsperger as corresponding to ${n}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}=1$ and ${n}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}=2$. The limit of convergence of the former series is at $\ensuremath{\nu}=17430\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, which makes the heat of dissociation equal to 49650\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15 calories per mol. Four members of a new series for which ${n}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}=3$ have been found, so that it has been possible to compute the fundamental vibratory frequency of the molecule as 381.9 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Still another series of five members is recorded, whose presence may be due to the existence of a close electronic doublet having a separation of about 36 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The ratio of the two specific heats of gaseous ICl has been calculated to be 1.30 in agreement with empirical results. The fine structure of three consecutive bands has been measured, and the corresponding values of the parabolic parameter $C$ have been computed to be in agreement with the theory of change of moment of inrtia, $I$, with $\ensuremath{\omega}$, the frequency of vibration of the molecule. By combining both sets of data for band heads and fine structure, the following approximate values for the moment of inertia have been computed: ${I}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}=575\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}100\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}40}$ g\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$; ${I}^{\ensuremath{'}}=995\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}200\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}40}$ g\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.