cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Small spacecraft exploration of the Moon

Abstract The Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions to the Moon have greatly increased our knowledge of the Moon, in particular the Moon's polar regions. These latest findings indicate that several new data sets should be obtained. Because the Moon is close, much of these data can be obtained using small, low-cost spacecraft. One of the more intriguing discoveries is the likely presence of water ice deposits in the permanently dark areas near the lunar poles. These deposits represent a valuable resource and expanding our knowledge of their extent and properties is the next logical step in lunar exploration. Such exploration can be achieved by using instruments on a small satellite to characterize the polar regions. An imaging experiment could map the lighting conditions surrounding the poles to determine the extent of permanent darkness (where water ice would be stable) and permanent sunlight (where surface operations could be easily supported).
From Being Non-Judgemental to Deconstructing Normalising Judgement.

Beginning with Carl Rogers' exhortation for counsellors to be non-judgemental of their clients, this article explores the rationale for withholding judgement in therapy, including diagnostic judgement. It traces Rogers' incipient sociopolitical analysis as a foundation for this ethic and argues that Michel Foucault provides a stronger basis for it than Rogers. Foucault unearths the role of normalising judgement in the modern world. Rather than simply offering non-judgemental listening, this article argues for the next step of inviting clients to deconstruct processes of normalising judgement. Questions that invite persons to make a judgement on the system of judgement that envelops them are illustrated. Narrative counselling practices for doing this are exemplified.
Drug interactions (toxicity) associated with drug combinations.

The toxicity of combinations of lidocaine and tetracaine was determined in mice by analysis of a three-by-three factorial design. Toxicity was found to vary significantly with different dosage levels of each drug. Toxicity of combinations of two drugs cannot be predicted from dose-response curves in which a single dose level of either drug is used. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Toxizitat von Lidocain-Tetracain-Kombinationen wurde bei Mausen mit Hilfe einer auf 3 : 3 Faktoren basierenden Analyse festgestellt. Die Toxizitat variierte signifikant in verschiedenen Dosisbereichen beider Mittel. Die Toxizitat von Kombinationen zweier Drogen kann nicht aus DosisWirkungskurven vorhergesagt werden, bei denen jeweils nur Einzeldosis-Konzentrationen des einen oder anderen Mittels zur Anwendung kamen.
Nonlinear optical probe of structures and phase transitions in ultrathin molecular films

The study of nanometer-thick molecular thin films deposited on a solid surface, due to recent technology applications, has become an important subject. Effective tools for unraveling the intrinsic structure within the molecular films and their growth mechanism, however, are still in the searching. Consequently, little is known about the structure and the most important factors controlling deposition of thin molecular films. This paper summarizes the demonstration showing that the nonlinear optical phenomenon- second harmonic generation- because of its symmetry properties can be used effectively to characterize the structure within the molecular films. Experiments show that disorder-order phase transitions, glass transitions, crystallization kinetics and nucleation processes, and interfacial molecular structure within the thin molecular films can be characterized. The nonlinear optical studies have revealed the mechanisms and established the most important criteria for the deposition and growth of ultrathin molecular films.
The Louisiana Gulf Coast: A Natural Laboratory for Diverse Groundwater Studies

I thank Dave Deming for the kind invitation to provide some autobiographical material. It has been my good fortune to have worked on a diverse suite of hydrogeologic problems over the years on several continents and with rocks and sediments ranging in age from the Early Achaean to the Recent. However, the study of the physical and chemical hydrogeology of the Louisiana Gulf Coast has been a particularly rewarding journey for me, and it is this aspect of my research and teaching career that I would like to focus on here. You will see that it has been a journey made largely without the benefit of a road map, but I have been fortunate to have had many student and professional colleagues to help guide me along the way. I have also been fortunate to have had the continuous support of my wife of 50 years, Leslie Hanor.
3He diffusion MRI of the lung.

The development of laser-polarized helium-3 (3He) technology (1,2) now allows for imaging of the gas spaces of human and animal lungs (3,4). Typical absolute polarizations of 30%–50% are approximately 100,000 times that available at thermal equilibrium in typical imaging fields of 1.5 T, with a corresponding increase in signal to noise (S/N) for a given quantity of gas. Many of the early applications of hyperpolarized 3He magnetic resonance (MR) imaging used ventilation images (or spin-density images) (3,4), which show the spatial distribution of the 3He after inhalation of a bolus followed by breathhold. In small animals with continuous breathing of 3He, exquisitely resolved microimages have been reported (5). In recent years, the effort of our group at Washington University has focused on MR determinations of the changes in airways at the acinar level (airways lined with alveoli) using 3He diffusion MR. The following describes the approaches we have taken and presents some of the results at our institution and is not intended as a review of the field (for more comprehensive reviews, see references 3 and 4).
Mayo Clinic Employees Responded To New Requirements For Cost Sharing By Reducing Possibly Unneeded Health Services Use

Some health plans have experimented with increasing consumer cost sharing, on the theory that consumers will use less unnecessary health care if they are expected to bear some of the financial resp...
High-dose furosemide alters gas exchange in a model of acute lung injury

Abstract Purpose: Furosemide is often used to reduce edema in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It was hypothesized that furosemide would reduce lung water and improve gas exchange in a phorbol-myristate acetate (PMA) model of acute lung injury. Methods: Two groups of mongrel dogs received PMA (25 to 30 μ/kg) and continuous saline at 10 mL/kg/h; one group received PMA plus two 1-mg/kg doses of furosemide at 1 and 2 hours after PMA. Arterial blood gases on F1O2 = 1.0 and double-dilution lung water were measured at intervals over 7 hours. Results: In dogs receiving PMA + furosemide, AaDO2 and shunt fraction increased compared with dogs receiving PMA only (AaDO2, P = .014; shunt, P = .017). There were no significant differences between the groups in lung water (P = .34) during the experiment or in wet/dry weight postmortem. Urine flow was markedly reduced in both groups; the kidneys appeared unresponsive to the diuretic effects of furosemide. Significant elevations in hematocrit and pulmonary vascular resistance were seen in furosemide-treated compared with PMA-only dogs. Conclusions: In this model of ARDS, which results in the absence of effective kidney function and multiple organ failure, furosemide compromises alveolar-capillary gas exchange and fails to influence the time course of lung water accumulation. The results suggest that the nondiuretic affects of furosemide cannot explain its purported clinical utility in ARDS.
Butter as a Substrate for Mold Growth

Summary 1.Three hundred and seventy-two cultures of molds, representing nineteen known genera, seventy identified species, and thirty unidentified cultures, were used in this study. All of these cultures were originally isolated from butter and equipment or material used in its manufacture or packaging. 2.Small blocks of sterile, unsalted butter were inoculated with these cultures and stored at various temperatures to observe the extent of growth of the fungi. 3.The unsalted butter, kept under favorable conditions, definitely supported the growth of more than 96 per cent of the cultures. 4.Storage of inoculated butter at 5° C. for two weeks checked the growth of some of the molds. 5.No mold growth occurred on inoculated, unsalted butter during storage for twenty weeks at−18° C. 6.The low storage temperatures, 5° C. or−18° C., did not have any effect on the subsequent development of the cultures when favorable temperatures were later provided. 7.The appearance of the butter was marred appreciably by many of the cultures but most seriously by species of Alternaria, Hormodendrum, Phoma and Stemphylium. 8.The aroma of seeded butter was nearly always affected by the growth of the molds. 9.Unsalted butter must be kept at low temperatures if the growth of molds is to be prevented.
Phosphorylation of a Conserved Integrin α3 QPSXXE Motif Regulates Signaling, Motility, and Cytoskeletal Engagement

Integrin α3A cytoplasmic tail phosphorylation was mapped to amino acid S1042, as determined by mass spectrometry, and confirmed by mutagenesis. This residue occurs within a “QPSXXE” motif conserved...
ORIGIN OF PHOSPHORESCENCE SIGNALS REEMITTED FROM TISSUES

We investigate the origin of fluorescent or phosphorescent signals reemitted from highly scattering media (such as tissues), using diffusion theory and probability analysis. Results show that the lifetime of a uniformly distributed phosphorescent or fluorescent optical probe will profoundly affect the volume interrogated by noninvasive reflectance measurements. When the lifetime is greater than photon migration times, the origin of the reemitted signal is confined closest to the surface. Our computations suggest that noninvasive measurements of tissue oxygen concentration may not necessarily interrogate deep tissues when systemically administered phosphorescent dyes are used.
Graph partitioning for concurrent test scheduling in VLSI circuit

Modem VLSI circuits with extensive built-in self-test (BIST) resources have the problem of long testing time if the testing for the different parts of the circuits are executed successively. Herein, we present a heuristic solution, called Weighted Cluster Partitioning (WCP), to the problem of long testing time for VLSI circuits. Some of the techniques in current use exploit parallelism in testing VLSI circuits, but the computation is quite expensive. Our solution is a more efficient and effective procedure which explores the space of concurrent test schedule and leads to a considerable reduction of testing time by suitable incorporation of BIST in the circuit.
The Richmond Area Program for Minorities in Engineering: Summer Engineering Institute

The Richmond Area Program for Minorities in Engineering has been established as a pre-engineering K-12 education outreach program to achieve greater diversity in science and engineering. It provides an array of opportunities for middle and high school students to develop their communication and leadership skills, as well as build self-confidence. This is accomplished through two programs: the Summer Engineering Institute (SEI) and the scholarship program. The SEI consists of comprehensive hands-on activities, and mentoring of women and minority students in the quest to increase the presence, retention and the advancement of girls and minorities in engineering and science. In the following paper, the Richmond Area Program for Minorities in Engineering SEI attempts to diversify engineering education while assisting middle and high school students in becoming culturally knowledgeable in engineering and science.
Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus Establishes an Efficient Spreading Infection and Exhibits Enhanced Transcriptional Activity in Prostate Carcinoma Cells

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a novel human gammaretrovirus discovered in association with human prostate tumors. XMRV was first identified in prostate stromal cells surrounding the tumors of patients carrying a mutation in the HPC1 gene locus. To determine the tropism of XMRV in cell culture, we tested the ability of XMRV to spread and replicate in various prostate and nonprostate cell lines. We found that although the expression of XMRV viral proteins and the spread of infectious virus were minimal in a variety of cell lines, XMRV displayed robust expression and infection in LNCaP prostate tumor cells. The transcriptional activity of the XMRV long terminal repeat (LTR) was found to be higher than the Moloney murine leukemia virus LTRs in both LNCaP and WPMY-1 (simian virus 40-transformed prostate stromal cells). The U3 promoter of XMRV and a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) within the U3 were required for the transcriptional activity in LNCaP cells. Coexpression of the androgen receptor and stimulation with dihydrotestosterone stimulated XMRV-LTR-dependent transcription in 293T cells, and the GRE was required for this activity. These data suggest that XMRV may replicate more efficiently in LNCaP cells in part due to the transcriptional environment in LNCaP cells.
Alternate Definitions of the Uncovered Set and Their Implications

Different definitions of the uncovered set are commonly, and often interchangeably, used in the literature. If we assume individual preferences are strict over all alternatives, these definitions are equivalent. However, if one or more voters are indifferent between alternatives these definitions may not yield the same uncovered set. This note examines how these definitions differ in a distributive setting, where each voter can be indifferent between any number of alternatives. I show that, defined one way, the uncovered set is equal to the set of Pareto allocations that give over half the voters a strictly positive payoff, while alternate definitions yield an uncovered set that is equal to the entire Pareto set. These results highlight a small error in Epstein (Soc Choice Welf 15, 81–93, 1998) in which the author characterizes the uncovered set for a different definition of covering than claimed.
Remote Camera Control in a Distributed Multimedia System

Most publications on multimedia issues address basic technology or system software aspects (video server implementation, communication protocols, etc.). Some papers discuss networked applications with the focus on multimedia conferencing, multimedia and hypermedia documents and video on demand with client and server systems. We look into details of networked applications, a remote camera control application.
Colorful window dressing: A critical review on workplace diversity in three major American corporations

This article presents a brief diversity audit of three major U.S. corporations, who share some interesting common traits. The attractive diversity delineations posted on these company's Web sites will be reviewed, followed by their issues with the same topic in the past few decades. This threefold audit is followed by two important observations about U.S. and non-U.S. companies, based on company diversity audits applied over the course of 5 years by more than 150 management university students. The author claims that a large number of major corporations in the United States are going out of their way to post diversity statements on their Web sites and to collect diversity-based awards from numerous minority-promoting organizations, but they overlook one small aspect: walking their talk. Theoretical and practical implications for HRD professionals are included.
Hypercube interconnection in TWDM optical passive star networks

This paper is concerned with optimal transmission schedules in a hypercube interconnection topology using the TWDM (time and wavelength division multiplexed) optical passive star network. Our model of the network consists of a set V of N nodes with N tunable transmitters and N fixed-tuned receivers (where each node is assigned a transmitter-receiver pair), k (=2/sup b/ for an integer b) wavelengths (each wavelength is shared by N/k receivers where N/k is an integer), and tuning time /spl delta/>0 (in units of time slot, for transmitters to tune from one wavelength to another). We assume that N is equal to the number of nodes in the hypercube, and that at any given time slot at most one transmission can be done per wavelength. An optimal transmission schedule in a hypercube interconnection is defined to be the one that schedules transmissions such that for each node v of the hypercube, v transmits once to each of its neighboring nodes within a repeating cycle of minimum length. We first construct an embedding of the n-dimensional hypercube Q/sub n/ in V such that for any node of Q/sub n/, its n neighboring nodes are evenly partitioned into b groups where each group shares a wavelength. Under this embedding, we then present an optimal or nearly optimal transmission schedule for each tuning time.
Comparison of wound healing between chopped mode‐superpulse mode CO2 laser and steel knife incision

The healing of surgical incisions made with the steel knife and CO2 laser chopped wave mode (ChW) or rapid superpulse (RSP) mode were compared using histologic parameters and breaking strength of the scars on postoperative day 14. Using a miniature pig model the Sharplan 1100 laser incisions were made with an average power of 15 W and power density of 7.68 kW/cm2. Histological sections on postoperative day 14 revealed the knife scar measured .49 mm, was hypocellular, and contained visible bundles of collagen fibers. Both CO2 laser scars were less mature, the ChW scar measured 1.04 mm, the RSP scar measured 1.37 mm, and both contained cellular granulation tissue without visible collagen fibers. The breaking strength of the scars was measured with a tensiometer. Laser wounds were weaker than the knife wound. Scheffe test for variables was significant at P = .01 between the two laser modes and the knife. No significant difference was noted in the breaking strengths of incisions made with the chopped mode and superpulse mode.
Use of voltage-sensitive dyes and optical recordings in the central nervous system.

Abstract Understanding the spatio-temporal features of the information processing occurring in any complex neural structure requires the monitoring and analysis of the activity in populations of neurons. Electrophysiological and other mapping techniques have provided important insights into the function of neural circuits and neural populations in many systems. However, there remain limitations with these approaches. Therefore, complementary techniques which permit the monitoring of the spatio-temporal activity in neuronal populations are of continued interest. One promising approach to monitor the electrical activity in populations of neurons or on multiple sites of a single neuron is with voltage-sensitive dyes coupled with optical recording techniques. This review concentrates on the use of voltage-sensitive dyes and optical imaging as tools to study the activity in neuronal populations in the central nervous system. Focusing on ‘fast’ voltage-sensitive dyes first, several technical issues and developments in optical imaging will be reviewed. These will include more recent developments in voltage-sensitive dyes as well as newer developments in optical recording technology. Second, studies using voltage-sensitive dyes to investigate information processing questions in the central nervous system and in the invertebrate nervous system will be reviewed. Some emphasis will be placed on the cerebellum, but the major goal is to survey how voltage-sensitive dyes and optical recordings have been utilized in the central nervous system. The review will include optical studies on the visual, auditory, olfactory, somatosensory, auditory, hippocampal and brainstem systems, as well as single cell studies addressing information processing questions. Discussion of the intrinsic optical signals is also included. The review attempts to show how voltage-sensitive dyes and optical recordings can be used to obtain high spatial and temporal resolution monitoring of neuronal activity.
Influence of CdS window layers on thin film CdS/CdTe solar cell performance

The effects of reducing CdS thickness in the CdS/CdTe solar cells to increase J/sub SC/ are discussed. From spectral response (SR) measurements, it is shown that CdS and CdTe interdiffusion increases as CdS thickness decreases. Changes observed in the CdS and CdTe SR edges imply formation of both S-rich and Te-rich CdTe/sub 1-x/S/sub x/ regions. Other photocurrent losses in CdS/CdTe devices are quantified. >
An attachment perspective on grandparents raising their very young grandchildren: Implications for intervention and research

The purpose of this article is to apply an attachment perspective to the growing number of families with grandparents raising grandchildren to increase our understanding of the complexity of intergenerational relationship processes in these families and to guide early intervention and research. It is proposed that, as grandparents take responsibility for their grandchildren, three relationship processes simultaneously occur: (1) disruptions in attachments potentially occur, especially in relationships involving parents, (2) attachment relationships between grandchildren and grandparents develop or are revised, and (3) family members' internal working models of attachment and caregiving are challenged and shaped. To address these processes, attachment theory and research focusing on the formation, disruption, and intergenerational transmission of attachment relationships are reviewed. Conclusions suggest that when grandparents assume responsibility for grandchildren, families may need and be particularly open to a range of interventions. In addition, research focusing on attachment relationships in families of grandparents raising grandchildren is needed. ©2003 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.
Synthesis of functionally graded metal-ceramic microstructures by chemical vapor deposition

A composite microstructure consisting of small α-Al2O3 particles dispersed in a β-NiAl coating matrix was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). White the surface of a pure Ni substrate was being reacted with AlCl3 and H2 to form β-NiAl at a temperature of 1050 °C, the partial pressure of CO2 in the reactor was controlled via pulsing to nucleate and disperse 50 to 500 nm α-Al2O3 particles in the β-NiAl matrix. The relative amount of the α-Al2O3 phase increased with coating thickness as the rate of the β-NiAl formation decreased with time. These experimental observations suggest that the synthesis of a graded composite microstructure by the CVD method is feasible.
Segmentation as a Riemannian drum problem

In this paper, the segmentation problem is formulated as a problem of segmenting a Riemannian manifold. The image domain is endowed with an anisotropic metric and its segmentation is obtained by thresholding the second eigenvector of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on the Riemannian manifold so defined. The formulation is an analytic analog of a recently proposed approach to segmentation based on graph theory. However, the analytic formulation has built-in invariance properties and permits more general metrics. The formulation may also be viewed as a generalization of the method of curve evolution which is based on isotropic metrics.
Potential Use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography–Based Quantitative Imaging Features for Guiding Dose Escalation in Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose To determine whether previously identified quantitative image features (QIFs) based on 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) (co-occurrence matrix energy and solidity) are able to isolate subgroups of patients who would receive a benefit or detriment from dose escalation in terms of overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS). Methods and Materials Subgroups of a previously analyzed 225 patient cohort were generated with the use of 5-percentile increment cutoff values of disease solidity and primary tumor co-occurrence matrix energy. The subgroups were analyzed with a log-rank test to determine whether there was a difference in OS and PFS between patients treated with 60 to 70 Gy and those receiving 74 Gy. Results In the entire patient cohort, there was no statistical difference in terms of OS or PFS between patients receiving 74 Gy and those receiving 60 to 70 Gy. It was qualitatively observed that as disease solidity and primary co-occurrence matrix energy increased, patients receiving 74 Gy had an improved OS and PFS compared with those receiving 60 to 70 Gy. The opposite trend (detriment of receiving 74 Gy) was also observed regarding low values of disease solidity and primary co-occurrence matrix energy. Conclusions FDG-PET–based QIFs were found to be capable of isolating subgroups of patients who received a benefit or detriment from dose escalation.
Neurons in Neighborhoods: How Purposeful Participation in a Community-based Intergenerational Program Enhanced Quality of Life for Persons Living with Dementia

This chapter discusses a community-based, non-pharmacological intervention for persons with dementia who engaged as weekly volunteers with students at The Intergenerational School (TIS) in Cleveland, Ohio, over a 5-month period. Concurrent quantitative and qualitative methods were used to investigate the meaning of quality of life (QOL) for persons with mild-to-moderate dementia, and to evaluate through a randomized control trial design whether an intergenerational volunteering program would enhance QOL for participants. Quality of life, a conceptual category that approximates the degree of well-being felt by an individual or group, was defined expansively, encompassing five variables that have been strongly associated with QOL in previous studies: cognitive functioning, stress, depression, sense of purpose, and sense of usefulness. Thus, while cognition was viewed as indispensable to QOL, it was part of a larger biopsychosocial constellation of variables believed to play a role in the wellness of aging persons.
Travel and landscape: the Zuo River Valley rock art of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

Rock art, especially in China, has often been associated with the non-literate, non-Chinese periphery. It is often thought of very broadly as a universal phenomenon rooted in religion and sharing a widely recognised iconography. This paper challenges both of these assumptions. Its focus is the rock art of the Zuo River in the Guangxi Province of China and in particular its landscape location and visibility. Broadening the parameters of what we categorise as rock art, such art is shown to have multi-layered meanings that spoke to different groups in different ways. The content, location and visibility of images along this arterial waterway reveal how rock art played a significant role in life and death in Late Bronze Age and Iron Age Guangxi.
Sustainability Indicators for Chemical Processes: III. Biodiesel Case Study

The chemical industry is one of the most important business sectors, not only economically, but also societally; as it allows humanity to attain higher standards and quality of life. Simultaneously, chemical products and processes can be the origin of potential human health and environmental issues, incurring economic costs, and raising social concerns. An alternative to addressing these challenges after the fact is the implementation and development of more sustainable products and processes. To guide decision-makers, designers, and stakeholders in developing more sustainable chemical processes, the sustainability evaluation and design tool Gauging Reaction Effectiveness for the Environmental Sustainability of Chemistries with a Multi-objective Process Evaluator (GREENSCOPE) has been proposed and developed. Two previous contributions presented a holistic set of sustainability indicators as well as their definition, a sustainability measurement scale, and data requirements. This contribution demonstrates ...
Renal artery pseudoaneurysm following open partial nephrectomy

Renal artery pseudoaneurysm (RAP) is an uncommon complication following an open partial nephrectomy. We present a case of RAP diagnosed four and a half months following open partial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. RAP was managed by selective angiographic embolization using coils. The etiology and management of this potentially life-threatening condition is discussed. fig. 1. CT scan image of the abdomen post contrast showing a) a left RAP and b) subsequent resolution of the RAP following coil embolization. a b
Bad plumbing benefits nanoparticles

Tumor vasculature is known to be immature and leaky. Its hyperpermeability is thought to be the cause of high tumor interstitial pressure as well as the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, in which small particles escape the vasculature and are retained in the tumor. The traditional view of tumor vessel leakiness is that they possess pores and are constantly leaky. However, this view does not completely account for observations of uneven nanoparticle distribution within tumors despite their small size. Matsumoto et al. aimed to characterize and understand the differences in tumor distribution between 30- and 70-nm fluorescent nanoparticles. To visualize their distribution, the investigators used intravital microscopy in mice bearing human pancreatic and glioblastoma tumors. They observed “eruptions”—vascular bursts followed by brief, vigorous outflows of fluid—from the tumors. Both types of nanoparticles were released by these eruptions, but the smaller nanoparticles were dispersed more readily. Based on these observations, the authors proposed a “dynamic vent” model for tumor vasculature. The results from this study have strong implications for designing drug delivery systems for cancer, suggesting that even very large particles can extravasate into the tumor interstitium. In addition, the study provides more support for the EPR effect as well as an explanation for tumor distribution variability between different sizes of nanoparticles. How best to take advantage of this dynamic vent, to design more effective nanotherapeutics for cancer treatment, is yet to be seen. Y. Matsumoto et al. , Vascular bursts enhance permeability of tumour blood vessels and improve nanoparticle delivery. Nat. Nanotechnol. 10.1038/nnano.2015.342 (2016). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nnano.2015.342.html
The influence of continuous intravenous prostacyclin therapy for primary pulmonary hypertension on the timing and outcome of transplantation.

Background: Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a progressive disease with a median survival of less than 3 years from diagnosis. Medical management has typically consisted of anticoagulation and oral calcium channel blocking agents, whereas lung transplantation (LT) has been reserved for patients who are unresponsive to medical therapy. Continuous intravenous prostacyclin was introduced for patients who did not respond to calcium channel blockers and who would have required LT. We reviewed our experience with prostacyclin in LT candidates to study its effects on the timing and outcome of LT. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinic and hospital records of patients with PPH who were both treated with prostacyclin and evaluated for LT. Additional information was obtained from the pulmonary vascular disease and lung transplantation databases. Results: A total of 42 patients were identified who received prostacyclin for the treatment of PPH and were evaluated for LT. Thirty-seven patients were accepted as LT candidates, 22 at The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), 15 at other LT programs. Overall, 70% (27/37) of LT candidates were removed from the LT waiting list or had listing for LT deferred because of clinical improvement. In patients listed for LT before initiation of prostacyclin therapy, 55% (12/22) were removed from the active waiting list for 27.2 ± 17 months (range 8 to 60), and 92% (11/12) remain on the inactive status. In patients who received prostacyclin before listing for LT, listing for LT was deferred in 94% (14/15) for 17.4 ± 9 months (range 6 to 33 months) because of clinical stability or improvement. In all, 93% of patients (39/42) experienced an improvement in 1 or more New York Heart Association functional class. The hemodynamic profiles of the eight patients removed from the active waiting list at UMMC demonstrated increases of 55% ± 18% in cardiac output, and decreases of 14.3% ± 4.9% in mean pulmonary artery pressure and 36% ± 8.3% in total pulmonary resistance (p < 0.05). The 1-year survival rate for LT after prostacyclin therapy was 88% (7/8) at UMMC and 60% (3/5) at the other centers. Conclusion: We conclude that prostacyclin therapy is an effective means of delaying, possibly indefinitely, the need for LT in patients with PPH and that excellent results can be obtained when LT is performed after prostacyclin therapy. Consideration should be given to initiating prostacyclin therapy in all patients whose conditions do not respond to conventional therapy before proceeding with transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant 1998;17:679-85.
Assessing Intermolecular RNA:RNA Interactions Within a Ribonucleoprotein Complex Using Heavy Metal Cleavage Mapping

Heavy metal cleavage mapping analysis of both assembling and fully mature ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes are informative techniques for assessing the intermolecular base pairing between small non-coding RNAs and their interacting target RNAs. Lead cleavage of the RNA in partially or fully assembled RNPs in the absence or presence of the interacting RNA can determine both the accessibility of the base pairing sequence within the RNP itself as well as its interaction with the target RNA. In this chapter, we detail how this technique was used to map the intermolecular RNA:RNA base pairing of a box C/D RNA with its target RNA within the assembling archaeal RNP complex.
Statistical Methods for Parameter Estimation

In this chapter, the CIP is formulated in a statistical framework. Byusing the Bayesian inference theory, we cast the CIP asaninformation transfer problem, in which the prior information andtheinformation transferred from state observations are combinedtoreduce uncertainty in the estimated parameters. The priorinformationis modeled using a probability density function (PDF)called the priorPDF and the inverse solution is also a PDF known asthe posteriorPDF. Because it is a PDF, the inverse solution is alwaysexistent andunique but with uncertainty. When the posterior PDF is ina relativelysimple form, point estimates of the unknown parameterscan bereadily obtained by solving an optimization problem, just as wehavedone in the deterministic framework. When the posterior PDFhas acomplex multimodal shape, however, the non-uniquenessandinstability issues associated with the inverse solution arise again.Forsuch cases, Monte Carlo sampling methods provide powerfultoolsfor learning the posterior PDFs without requiring theiractualfunctional forms be known. Two popular Markov Chain MonteCarlo(MCMC) algorithms are introduced. The application of MCMCforinverse solution and global optimization is also discussed.
Critical geosophies: A pyschotopological reading of Rice’s vampires and Romero’s zombies:

Anne Rice and George Romero are two of the foremost transformative authors of vampire and zombie fiction in the United States. This reading of their work applies a psychotopological lens to the fir...
Situating Cyberinfrastructure in the Public Realm: The TeraGrid and XSEDE Projects

We examine the evolution of one NSF-funded cyberinfrastructure organization, the TeraGrid, into its successor organization, the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) via a case study methodology with two different frames of reference: virtual organization literature and public management networks theory. Our aim in examining these two projects is to situate the study of cyberinfrastructure in support of basic science in both the virtual organization and public management networks literature. We find that our cases confirm the utility of hierarchy when dealing with complexity and that expert use of ICT for governance tasks improves network capacity, especially when time-tested technologies are available in the environment. These ICT resources can be used for monitoring of both service delivery functions as well as network health. We also note that the establishment of common inter-organizational standards facilitates interoperability between organizations, allowing sustainability and modularity of network members.
High temperature anode power supply parts and packaging reliability and survivability

The power processing unit (PPU) of a solar electrical propulsion system for in-space propulsion is developed as a high power, temperature, and efficiency, modular, high specific impulse, and non-isolated converter topology unit for future deep space and manned missions. Overall, the High Temperature Boost (HTB) PPU has 87% improvement in PPU specific power/mass and 38% improvement in-space solar electric system mass saving. The objectives of this Phase 1 study are to develop a High Temperature Anode Power Supply 10kW Prototype module with new extreme environment component and packaging technology and determine the component reliability and packaging survivability for at least 50 cycles in the temperature range of −55°C to +160°C. After cycling, the functionality is tested at room temperature and elevated temperature (base plate at 100°C). Selection of high temperature components and advanced packaging techniques enables operation at a higher base plate temperature of 100°C. SiC MOSFETS and diodes were chosen as well as high temperature capacitors designed to operate at 1kV and 2μF at 150°C.
Reducing Child-Related Negative Attitudes, Attributions of Hostile Intent, Anger, Harsh Parenting Behaviors, and Punishment Through Evaluative Conditioning

Six studies explored the extent to which evaluative conditioning (EC) can change adults’ child-related attitudes and expectations. A subset of studies also investigated the extent to which EC can change child-related attributions of hostile intent, anger, use of harsh discipline, and use of punishment. An initial study demonstrated that a brief EC procedure increased positive attitudes, decreased negative attitudes, and decreased expected need for future child discipline; findings that were replicated in five additional studies. A randomized controlled trial demonstrated these findings were present in the EC condition, but not in a control condition. Increases in positive child attitudes and decreases in the expected need for future child discipline (but not decreases in negative child attitudes) were maintained at a follow-up assessment. EC increases in positive attitudes generalized to child stimuli similar to those used in the EC procedure (exemplars), but no other EC-induced changes were found for exemplars. EC reduced child-related attributions of hostile intent, anger, use of harsh verbal discipline, use of harsh physical discipline, and use of punishment for ambiguous child behaviors. There was no evidence that EC effects were due to demand characteristics and little evidence that EC effects were moderated by demographic characteristics. It is yet to be determined whether the observed EC changes can be produced when a parent’s own child is used in the EC procedure and whether EC can produce changes in negative parenting behaviors that are maintained across time. The possible use of EC as an adjunct to existing parenting programs is discussed.
Navigation and Robotics in Total Hip Arthroplasty

Navigation provides information about patient anatomy and the relative positioning of the implants to guide the surgeon.Some systems use a robotic arm that assists with specific parts of the procedure on the basis of anatomical information provided to the navigation system. Currently, all total hip
Nontraumatic large bowel perforation: spectrum of etiologies and CT findings

Large bowel perforation is an abdominal emergency that results from a wide range of etiologies. Computed tomography is the most reliable modality in detecting the site of large bowel perforation. The diagnosis is made by identifying direct CT findings such as extraluminal gas or contrast and discontinuity along the bowel wall. Indirect CT findings can help support the diagnosis, and include bowel wall thickening, pericolic fat stranding, abnormal bowel wall enhancement, abscess, and a feculent collection adjacent to the bowel. Common etiologies that cause large bowel perforation are colon cancer, foreign body aspiration, stercoral colitis, diverticulitis, ischemia, inflammatory and infectious colitides, and various iatrogenic causes. Recognizing a large bowel perforation on CT can be difficult at times, and there are various entities that may be misinterpreted as a colonic perforation. The purpose of this article is to outline the MDCT technique used for evaluation of suspected colorectal perforation, discuss relevant imaging findings, review common etiologies, and point out potential pitfalls in making the diagnosis of large bowel perforation.
Single-Fraction Radiosurgery Using Conservative Doses for Brain Metastases: Durable Responses in Select Primaries With Limited Toxicity.

BACKGROUND Optimal doses for single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment of brain metastases are not well established. Our institution utilized conservative dosing compared to maximum-tolerated doses from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 90-05 Phase I study. OBJECTIVE To report individual lesion control (LC) from conservative single-fraction doses and determine factors affecting LC. METHODS From 2003 to 2015, patients who underwent linear accelerator-based single-fraction SRS for cerebral/cerebellar metastases and receiving at least 1 follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were identified. Lesion response was assessed by a size-based rating system and modified "Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Brain Metastases" (RANO-BM) criteria. RESULTS Among 188 patients with 519 lesions, median survival was 13.1 mo; median follow-up time with MRI was 9.6 mo per course. Median tumor-periphery dose was 15 Gy (range: 7.5-20.7). Median lesion volume was 0.5 cc and diameter was 9 mm (range: 2-45). Concordance between RANO-BM and size-based system was 93%. Crude 1-yr LC was 80%, 73%, 56%, and 38% for lesions 1 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 30, >31 mm, respectively. On multivariate analysis, increased size, melanoma and colorectal histology, and progression after whole brain radiation therapy predicted worse LC. When excluding lesions treated as a boost, dose was a significant predictor of LC in multivariate models (hazard ratio 0.89, P = .01). Symptomatic radiation necrosis occurred in 10 lesions in 10 patients. CONCLUSION Histology predicts LC after conservative SRS doses with evidence of a dose-response relationship. Conservative single-fraction SRS doses confer minimal toxicity and acceptable control in certain subgroups (breast cancer, <5 mm), with suboptimal control in larger lesions and in combination with whole brain radiation therapy.
Performance Enhancement of Concrete Structures Through Multi-scale Crack Control

The paper presents an overview of the performance enhancement associated with hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HyFRC) when exposed to mechanical loading as well as environmental loading conditions such as corrosion and alkali silica reaction. Composite steel and fiber-reinforced concrete testing is carried out to highlight the influence of crack control in HyFRC on internal confinement and tension stiffening. HyFRC with its multi-scale crack control provides an optimal material for structural applications, such as for example bridge column, in which concrete might be expected to face tension and compression as part of a common service load. In regards to expansive deterioration processes such as corrosion and alkali silica reaction, the control of splitting cracks in HyFRC enhances the durability and service life of concrete structures.
An electronic intervention to improve safety for pain patients co-prescribed chronic opioids and benzodiazepines.

Background: Co-prescribing opioids and benzodiazepines increases overdose risk. A paucity of literature exists evaluating strategies to improve safety of co-prescribing. This study evaluated an ele...
PETA, rhetorical fracture, and the power of digital activism:

Starting in 2013, SeaWorld faced a public relations disaster with the release of the documentary titled Blackfish that accused the company of mistreatment of its orcas. SeaWorld attempted to respon...
Nutritional influences on eye health.

Background: As with cardiovascular disease, nutrition and environmental intervention present new clinical practice and research opportunities in eye care. This includes maximizing health potential with food choice, the use of supplementation in high-risk and noncompliant patients, avoiding toxins such as cigarettes, and encouraging exercise. Method: The author provides his perspective on viewing biochemical, physiological, and epidemiological research in the context of disease prevention in both common and uncommon applications. In most cases, this approach requires food frequency intake evaluation and application of physiological optics to measure efficacy when there is an alteration in diet and/or addition of supplementation. These are details of ocular integrative medical practice that are ignored or underutilized. Results: There are multiple opportunities for intervention in the age-related diseases of cataract, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. A summary of the application of nutrition to create a model for treatment of age-related macular degeneration is presented. Conclusions: Economic incentives, now lacking, are required to explore new paradigms in nutritional preventative eye care. Schools and colleges of Optometry could play a vital public health role.
Plasma-Membrane and Related ATPases

The E1E2- or P-ATPases are a large and physiologically important family of cation pumps, widely distributed in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (Table 1). In eubacteria, they play a series of specialized roles: scavenging potassium ions from the medium under conditions of K+ starvation, accumulating Mg2+, regulating the cytoplasmic Ca2+ and Cu2+ concentrations, and ridding the cell of toxic heavy metals such as Cd2+ and Zn2+. In fungi, as in other eukaryotic cells, the PATPases have taken on a more central function, creating the primary ion gradient that underlies virtually all nutrient uptake by an array of secondary, cation-coupled cotransporters. The fungal plasma-membrane H+-ATPase uses as much as a fourth of cellular ATP to extrude protons electrogenically (Gradmann et al. 1978); the resulting gradient (largely a membrane potential) distributes energy to H+-dependent cotransporters for sugars (Seaston et al. 1973; Slayman and Slayman 1974), amino acids (Eddy and Nowacki 1971; Seaston et al. 1973; Sanders et al. 1983), and inorganic ions (Rodriguez-Navarro et al. 1986). Plant cells resemble fungi in relying upon a proton gradient formed by a plasma-membrane H+-ATPase, while animal cells use a sodium gradient, produced by the Na+,K+-ATPase, to regulate cell volume and drive Na+-dependent cotransport of ions and nutrients.