cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pushing the Envelope: New Patients, Procedures, and Personal Protective Equipment in the Ambulatory Surgical Center for the COVID-19 Era

In 2018, over 23 million ambulatory surgeries were performed in the United States. The trajectory of procedural growth moving from the hospital setting toward ambulatory facilities will likely continue. The primary incentives cited for this change are improved costs, convenience, scheduling, privacy, and patient satisfaction. The authors anticipate that there will be a continued increase in the number of innovative procedures performed within the ambulatory sphere. These will include procedures such as hysteroscopies, joint replacements, spine surgeries, advanced endoscopies, ophthalmologic procedures, and interventional radiologic, cardiac, vascular, and pain procedures. The onus will be placed upon ASCs to carefully evaluate these patients, procedures, costs, and outcomes to determine their facilities' risk/benefit ratio. Patients with pre-existing comorbidities must continue to be optimized before their surgery or procedure. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, surgeons, proceduralists, and anesthesiologists must now pay attention to protocols developed to cope with COVID-19: screening, testing, and PPE [68]. ASCs and office-based practices should consider local, state, and federal regulations and specialty-specific guidelines about COVID-19. A few positives have resulted from this pandemic: improved and more consistent facility hygiene (alcohol-based and/or gloves), consistent mask usage, and social distancing. The rise of telemedicine in preoperative appointments and preanesthesia screening has facilitated case flow, thereby reducing same-day surgery cancellations while saving the facility and patients time and money. In summary, tomorrow's ASC should continue to carefully select appropriate patients and procedures in this period of growth. The opportunities for expansion and use of new technologies and techniques in patient management will ensure that this sector of the health care industry continues to thrive.
Designing Clinical Trials in "Regular" COPD Versus Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency-Associated COPD: "More Alike than Unalike?"

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) predisposes to emphysema, liver disease, and panniculitis. This emphysema risk naturally invites a comparison between "regular" COPD (i.e., unrelated to AATD) and AATD-associated emphysema. Several features characterize both conditions. Both can be life-limiting and highly debilitating. Both are highly under-recognized. An important corollary of this comparison between "regular" COPD and AATD-associated COPD is whether both should be treated similarly and whether clinical trials to assess new therapies can be conducted similarly in both. Here the distinctions between "regular" COPD and AATD-associated COPD are quite pronounced. Therapeutically, sparse available data suggest that lung volume reduction surgery confers less improvement in FEV1 in AATD and that such benefits are shorter-lived. Perhaps the most striking contrast between the two conditions is that clinical trials designs and conduct are necessarily very different. The relative scarcity of diagnosed individuals with AATD hampers recruitment to trials. Furthermore, primary outcome measures in trials of "regular" COPD must differ markedly from those of AATD-associated emphysema. Specifically, power calculations show that FEV1, and exacerbation frequency, which are amply represented as endpoints in large COPD trials, are infeasible in studies of AATD-associated emphysema. Rather, in the 3 available randomized controlled trials of intravenous augmentation therapy, the rate of emphysema progression based on serial CT densitometry measurements has been the only feasible primary outcome measure. These considerations underscore the distinctive challenges and needs of conducting treatment trials in AATD-associated emphysema and emphasize that, with regard to clinical study design, the two conditions are "more unalike than alike."
Solution to the Flow About a Two-Dimensional Flat Plate at Infinite Mach Number

T OBTAIN A SOLUTION to the flow about a flat plate aligned perpendicular to the free stream at infinite Mach Number, a mathematical technique known as the "method of integral relations" was used. This method was first proposed by Dorodnitsyn; a thorough explanation of Dorodnitsyn's method is given by Hayes and Probstein. In the solution, it has been assumed that the flow is homoenergetic and that the gas is calorically perfect. The solution obtained for the flat plate, using the method of integral relations, is for the subsonic region between the shock and the body only. A solution cannot be obtained for any point beyond the edge of the plate, since at the edge there is a discontinuity in the flow. This discontinuity is a sonic point, and the velocity derivative becomes infinite as a result. If a subsonic region occurs outside the edge of the plate, it will not be taken into account; however, since the region is subsonic, it will influence upstream conditions. Therefore, as a result of not including this region, the solution will be incomplete. An infinite Mach Number was chosen for the solution in order to simplify the problem. As a result, the solution obtained will be true for the Mach Number regime where the Mach Number independence principle is applicable. In taking the limit M^ —*oo, the free-stream velocity, Um, and density, pm, remain finite; and the free-stream temperature, Tm, and pressure, pm, approach zero.
Complexity, retinoid-responsive gene networks, and bladder carcinogenesis.

Carcinogenesis involves inactivation or subversion of the normal controls of proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, these controls are robust, redundant, and interlinked at the gene expression levels, regulation of mRNA lifetimes, transcription, and recycling of proteins. One of the central systems of control of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis is retinoid signaling. The hRARαnuclear receptor occupies a central position with respect to induction of gene transcription in that when bound to appropriate retinoid ligands, its homodimers and heterodimers with hRXRαregulate the transcription of a number of retinoid-responsive genes. These include genes in other signaling pathways, so that the whole forms a complex network. In this study we showed that simple, cause-effect interpretations in terms of hRARαgene transcription being the central regulatory event would not describe the retinoid-responsive gene network.
Does Lincoln Still Belong to the Ages

Edwin M. Stanton gets only a footnote in John Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, but the phrase is one that many know by heart, words this normally irascible and overbearing powder-keg of a man uttered at Abraham Lincoln’s deathbed: “Now he belongs to the ages.” That, at least, was how John Hay recorded Stanton’s words. Dr. Charles Sabin Taft, who had been boosted awkwardly from the stage to the presidential box in Ford’s Theatre and who accompanied the dying Lincoln across Tenth Street to the Petersen House’s back bedroom, thought that Stanton had said, “He now belongs to the ages.” James Rowan O’Beirne, who as provost-marshal of the District of Columbia had volunteered himself as Andrew Johnson’s bodyguard, expressly denied Hay’s claim in 1905 and could only recall Stanton having said, “That’s the last of him.” The stenographer Stanton had drafted for service that night to take depositions from witnesses, Corporal James Tanner, didn’t remember Stanton saying anything: “The utmost silence pervaded, broken only by the sound of strong men’s tears,” until Phineas Gurley proposed to say a prayer. In later years, Tanner would remember more and more of what he heard that night (even though there is some evidence from the notes of Dr. Ezra Abbott, one of the physicians at Lincoln’s bedside, that Tanner might not have been in the Petersen House at the time of Lincoln’s death), and he is cited by Adam Gopnik as claiming that Stanton really said, “Now he belongs to the angels.” “Angels,” however, may only be a mistranscription from an article Tanner wrote before his own death in 1927 and included by Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt and Philip B. Kunhardt in their Twenty Days: A Narrative in Text and Pictures of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. [excerpt]
High frequency hermetic packages using LTCC

This paper presents an experimental comparison of stripline versus modified coplanar waveguide transitions for use in high frequency hermetic packages. Low temperature co-fired ceramic is used as the substrate and wall material. It is shown that these hermetic wall transitions have low insertion loss at the designed frequency range from 30 GHz to 40 GHz, thus usable for an assortment of millimeter-wave packaging applications.
Management of respiratory distress syndrome: an update.

Respiratory distress syndrome is the most common respiratory disorder in preterm infants. Over the last decade, because of improvements in neonatal care and increased use of antenatal steroids and surfactant replacement therapy, mortality from respiratory distress syndrome has dropped substantially. However, respiratory morbidity, primarily bronchopulmonary dysplasia, remains unacceptably high. The management of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants is based on various modalities of respiratory support and the application of fundamental principles of neonatal care. To obtain best results, a multidisciplinary approach is crucial. This review discusses surfactant replacement therapy and some of the current strategies in ventilatory management of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome.
Varying Coefficient Models

In this and the following chapter we consider ways to combine sets of data for the purpose of estimation that may violate a basic assumption of the linear regression model. Specifically, we will study cases when it cannot be assumed that the structural parameters are identical for all observations in a sample of data. Frequently these problems occur when a data set consists of series of observations over time on cross-sectional units. Many of the topics discussed in this chapter can or do apply directly to the pooling of time series and cross-sectional data, but the primary discussion of that topic is contained in Chapter 15. In this chapter we focus on models with parameters that vary in some systematic and/or random way across partitions of the sample data, even from observation to observation.
Basal site substitution in the sulfido-bridged cluster Ru3(CO)9(μ3-S)2 by the redox-active diphosphine 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4-cyclopenten-1,3-dione (bpcd). Synthesis, X-ray structure and electrochemical properties of Ru3(CO)7(bpcd)(μ3-S)2

Abstract The sulfido-bridged cluster Ru 3 (CO) 9 ( μ 3 -S) 2 ( 1 ) has been allowed to react with the redox-active diphosphine ligand 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4-cyclopenten-1,3-dione (bpcd) in the presence of Me 3 NO to give the new cluster Ru 3 (CO) 7 (bpcd)( μ 3 -S) 2 ( 2 ) in 61% yield. The ancillary bpcd in 2 is bound at one of the basal ruthenium sites in a chelating fashion, being derived by the replacement of axial and equatorial CO groups. This cluster represents the first example of a cluster derived from Ru 3 (CO) 9 ( μ 3 -S) 2 that contains a chelating diphosphine ligand. Cluster 2 has been characterized in solution by IR and NMR ( 1 H and 31 P) spectroscopies and in the solid state by X-ray diffraction analysis. Ru 3 (CO) 7 (bpcd)( μ 3 -S) 2 , which exists as two crystallographically independent molecules in the unit cell, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2 1 /c, a= 19.451(1), b = 21.865(2) A , Z = 8, D calc = 1.702 cm −3 ; R = 0.0411 , R w = 0.0447 for 5622 observed reflections. The redox properties of 2 were explored by cyclic voltammetry in MeCN, which revealed the presence of a reversible one-electron reduction process (bpcd based) and an irreversible oxidation (metal based). The natture of the HOMO and LUMO in 2 has been examined by carrying out extended Huckel MO calculations on the model cluster Ru 3 (CO) 7 (H 4 -bpcd)( μ 3 -S) 2 , and the results are discussed relative to the observed electrochemistry.
Summation of the workshops and discussion: The new wave of research in the epilepsies

In addition to yielding new routes of navigation, the workshops from which the material in this supplement comes developed a conceptual blueprint for priority challenges in epilepsy research. All participants called attention to the ultimate goal, namely, understanding the mechanisms of human epilepsies. And, foremost to achieving this goal is the search for polymorphisms of restriction endonuclease patterns in monogenic forms of epilepsies in an attempt to localize the abnormal gene, or genes, to a specific chromosome. In human temporal lobe epilepsy, a priority challenge is to record paroxysmal depolarization shifts in hippocampal slices in vitro, slices excised from the known site of epileptogenicity. Parallel experiments exploring biochemical membrane abnormalities in neuronal and glial membranes isolated from the hippocampal seizure focus are especially valuable. Together with genetic studies using restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms, these experiments should distinguish between the respective contributions of genetic and environmental factors in multifactorial forms of partial epilepsies, such as temporal lobe epilepsy. In the genesis and spread of human temporal lobe epilepsy, the role of kindling and the mirror focus must be resolved. Recent successful applications of positron emission tomography, single-photon-emission computed tomography, and nuclear magnetic resonance computed tomography show promise in finally constructing the ion transport pathways, neurotransmitter systems, and metabolic processes within the functioning brains of epileptic patients.
Adoptive transfer of rapidly-generated multivirus-specific T cells to treat Adv, EBV, CMV, BK and HHV6 infections of HSCT recipients

Severe and fatal viral infections remain common after HSCT. Adoptive transfer of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) specific for EBV, CMV and Adv antigens can treat infections that are impervious to conventional therapies, but extension to additional viruses has been limited by competition between virus-derived antigens and laborious manufacturing procedures. We are now evaluating whether infusion of rapidly-generated donor-derived pentavalent T cell lines (pCTL), stimulated just once with peptide libraries spanning immunogenic EBV (LMP2, EBNA1, BZLF1), Adv (Hexon, Penton), CMV (pp65, IE1), BK (Large T, VP1) and HHV6 (U90, U11, U14) antigens, and expanded in the presence of IL4+7 in a G-Rex device, is safe and effective in HSCT recipients with active infections. With NHLBI-PACT support, 35 clinical-grade pCTL lines have been generated. From 30x106 PBMCs we prepared a mean of 374x106 cells (range 99-713x106) over 9-11 days. The lines were polyclonal, comprising both CD4+ (57±5%) and CD8+ (35±5%) cells, with specificity for CMV (IE1: 337±141; pp65: 1059±479 SFC/2x105), EBV (LMP2: 175±87; EBNA1: 116±44; BZLF1: 129±88), Adv (Hexon: 446±153; Penton: 317±108), BK (Large T: 130±67; VP1: 231±104) and HHV6 (U90: 66±50; U11: 36±18; U14: 82±21) and no alloreactivity against recipient PHA blasts (mean Cr51 release 1% 20:1 E:T). To date we have infused 10 patients on study; 4 on DL1 (5x106/m2), 4 on DL2 (1x107/m2) and 2 on DL3 (2x107/m2), with no adverse events. Three patients were infused prophylactically (38-43 days post-HSCT), while 7 received the cells as treatment for one or more active infections at 59-139 days post-HSCT. Based on viral load measurements by day 42, the pCTLs were successful in controlling active CMV (1 complete (CR) and 1 partial response (PR)), EBV (2 CRs, including a case of frank PTLD); Adv (1 CR); BK (1 CR, 3 PR) and HHV6 (1 CR) infections. Additionally, 1 patient received cells off study as treatment for widespread rituximab-resistant EBV-PTLD. Post-infusion there was an immediate decline in her EBV viral load with PTLD resolution, coincident with an increase in circulating EBV-specific T cells. However, the profound anti-tumor activity mediated by the rapidly-expanding EBV-directed T cells also produced a transient systemic inflammatory response syndrome in this patient, which was controlled with steroids and anti-TNFR antibody, with no long term adverse effects. In summary, infusion of pCTLs has thus far proven safe and is associated with the appearance of virus-reactive T cells in peripheral blood and subsequent virus clearance.
Alternative marginal-cost pricing for road networks

In the literature, several studies have algebraically characterized the set of toll vectors or patterns that, when added to a user equilibrium problem, its solution would be system optimal. Toll vectors in this set are termed "valid." While the toll vector commonly advocated in the literature, i.e., one that equates the toll on each link to its marginal external cost, is always valid, other valid toll vectors generally exist and many leave some utilized links in the network untolled. On the surface, this may appear unreasonable and seems to violate the principle of marginal-cost pricing. This note shows that, when travel demands are elastic, all valid toll vectors satisfy this principle, in that the total tolls for each path equals the congestion externality an additional traveler on the path imposes on others.
Enzymatic Activities of Rat Liver Cytosol 10-Formyltetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase1,2

Abstract 10-Formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (10-FTHFDH: EC 1.5.1.6) catalyzes the NADP + -dependent oxidation of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate (10-HCO-H 4 PteGlu) to tetrahydrofolate (H 4 PteGlu) and CO 2 and the NADP + -independent hydrolytic cleavage of 10-HCO-H 4 PteGlu to H 4 PteGlu and formate, 10-FTHFDH has a 485 amino acid domain at the C-terminus which is 46% identical to aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH: EC 1.2.1.3) and contains a conserved active site cysteine (Cys-707). 10-FTHFDH catalyzed NADP + -dependent oxidation of propanal and the hydrolysis of p -nitrophenyl acetate ( p NPA) in a similar fashion to ALDH. Initial rate studies gave K m values of 46 and 636 μM, respectively, for NADP + and propanal, while p NPA had a K m of 220 μM. Propanal was able to compete with 10-HCO-H 4 PteGlu for NADP + -dependent oxidation but had no effect on the NADP + -independent hydrolase reaction. N -Ethylmaleimide inhibited NADP + -dependent 10-HCO-H 4 PteGlu oxidation but only partially inhibited (65%) hydrolase activity. Disulfiram, a potent inhibitor of cytosolic ALDH, inhibited NADP + -dependent propanal oxidation by 10-FTHFDH. We propose that the dehydrogenase reaction of 10-FTHFDH has a mechanism which proceeds through thiohemiacetal and thioester intermediates, similar to that described for aldehyde dehydrogenase. 10-FTHFDH hydrolase activity was dependent on a-mercaptoethanol and is probably an artifact of the assay system. The N-terminal domain of 10-FTHFDH shows identity to glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (EC 2.1.2.2) and contains a putative 10-HCO-H 4 PteGlu binding site but shows no GAR-TF activity. NADP + -dependent oxidation of 10-HCO-H 4 PteGlu by 10-FTHFDH was inhibited by the folate anti-metabolite, 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate folate, a known GAR-TF inhibitor.
The effects of speed and accuracy strategies in an information-reduction task

Using an information-reduction task, choice reaction time (CRT) to digits presented visually was examined as a function of size of the positive set (memory load), set for speed va accuracy, and presence va absence of a backward mask. The mask was designed to delimit preprocessing time-the time available for readout from iconic storage. The intercept and slope of the function relating CRT to memory load were lower for speed set than accuracy set, but were largely unaffected by the mask. Since controlled reduction in iconic readout time neither affected the intercept directly nor altered the effect of set on the intercept, the effects of set cannot be attributed to the initial stage of information processing. The data take issue with prior interpretations of the effect of set in terms of stimulus preprocessing, and document the important contribution of output processing to CRT and variations therein. In a visual choice reaction time (CRT) task, S is shown one of a number of alternative stimuli to which he attempts to make the appropriate one of a number of alternative responses. Choice reaction time is a measure of the elapsed time between stimulus onset and the response. An information-reduction task involves the special case in which the number of alternative stimuli exceeds the number of alternative responses. In its m08t common form, this task contains only two responaea, positive and negative, and two or more stimuli may form the basis for each response. The stimuli to which the positive response is appropriate comprise the positive
Differential alterations in gene expression profiles contribute to time-dependent effects of nandrolone to prevent denervation atrophy

Anabolic steroids, such as nandrolone, slow muscle atrophy, but the mechanisms responsible for this effect are largely unknown. Their effects on muscle size and gene expression depend upon time, and the cause of muscle atrophy. Administration of nandrolone for 7 days beginning either concomitantly with sciatic nerve transection (7 days) or 29 days later (35 days) attenuated denervation atrophy at 35 but not 7 days. We reasoned that this model could be used to identify genes that are regulated by nandrolone and slow denervation atrophy, as well as genes that might explain the time-dependence of nandrolone effects on such atrophy. Affymetrix microarrays were used to profile gene expression changes due to nandrolone at 7 and 35 days and to identify major gene expression changes in denervated muscle between 7 and 35 days. Nandrolone selectively altered expression of 124 genes at 7 days and 122 genes at 35 days, with only 20 genes being regulated at both time points. Marked differences in biological function of genes regulated by nandrolone at 7 and 35 days were observed. At 35, but not 7 days, nandrolone reduced mRNA and protein levels for FOXO1, the mTOR inhibitor REDD2, and the calcineurin inhibitor RCAN2 and increased those for ApoD. At 35 days, correlations between mRNA levels and the size of denervated muscle were negative for RCAN2, and positive for ApoD. Nandrolone also regulated genes for Wnt signaling molecules. Comparison of gene expression at 7 and 35 days after denervation revealed marked alterations in the expression of 9 transcriptional coregulators, including Ankrd1 and 2, and many transcription factors and kinases. Genes regulated in denervated muscle after 7 days administration of nandrolone are almost entirely different at 7 versus 35 days. Alterations in levels of FOXO1, and of genes involved in signaling through calcineurin, mTOR and Wnt may be linked to the favorable action of nandrolone on denervated muscle. Marked changes in the expression of genes regulating transcription and intracellular signaling may contribute to the time-dependent effects of nandrolone on gene expression.
The utility of reading to read with boys with ADHD-CT administered at two different intervals post methylphenidate ingestion

This study investigated the relationship between the time of scheduling of a repeated reading intervention (Reading to Read) and measures of oral-reading fluency with boys with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type (ADHD-CT). Participants included 6 male students (4 fourth grade and 2 fifth grade) who were diagnosed as having ADHD-CT, and who were treated medically with methylphenidate (Ritalin). All students mastered passages more quickly, and most students read passages more quickly, had fewer reading errors, and had higher rates of correct words per minute (CWPM) during intervention administered 45 minutes to 1 hour after ingestion of methylphenidate versus 3 to 4 hours after ingestion. Implications for academic instruction for students with ADHD-CT who take Ritalin are discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Nonlinear Longitudinal Dynamical Model of an Air-Breathing Hypersonic Vehicle

A nonlinear, physics-based model of the longitudinal dynamics for an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle is developed. The model is derived from first principles and captures a number of complex interactions between the propulsion system, aerodynamics, and structural dynamics. Unlike conventional aircraft, air-breathing hypersonic vehicles require that the propulsion system be highly integrated into the airframe. Furthermore, full-scale hypersonic aircraft tend to have very lightweight, flexible structures that have low natural frequencies. Therefore, the first bending mode of the fuselage is important, as its deflection affects the amount of airflow entering the engine, thus influencing the performance of the propulsion system. The equations of motion for the flexible aircraft are derivedusingLagrange’sequations.Theequationsof motioncaptureinertial couplingeffectsbetween thepitch and normal accelerations of the aircraft and the structural dynamics. The linearized aircraft dynamics are found to be unstableand,inmostcases,exhibitnonminimumphasebehavior.Thelinearizedmodelalsoindicatesthatthereisan aeroelastic mode that has a natural frequency more than twice the frequency of the fuselage bending mode, and the short-period mode is very strongly coupled with the bending mode of the fuselage.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms implicated in pathogenesis of selective neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is one of the most common dominantly-inherited neurodegenerative disorders and is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. HD is characterized by selective degeneration of subpopulations of neurons in the brain, however the precise underlying mechanisms how a ubiquitously expressed disease protein could target specific types of neurons for degeneration remains a critical, yet unanswered question for HD and other major neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we describe the expanding view of selective neuronal vulnerability in HD, based on recent neuropathological and neuroimaging studies. We will also summarize the systematic effort to define the cell types in which mutant Huntingtin expression is critical for pathogenesis of vulnerable neurons in the striatum and cortex. Finally, we will describe selected, emerging molecular mechanisms that are implicated in selective disease processes in HD. Together, the field has begun to appreciate the distinct molecular pathogenic roles of mutant huntingtin in different cell types that may contribute to the selective neuronal vulnerability, with dissection of such mechanisms likely to yield novel molecular targets for HD therapy.
Increased seizure susceptibility and cortical malformation in β-catenin mutant mice ☆

Beta-catenin has been implicated in epilepsy because of its altered post seizure expression and the role of Wnt2 signaling in autism. To determine beta-catenin's role in seizure susceptibility, we injected penetylenetetrazol intraperitoneally in beta-catenin cerebral cortex- and hippocampus-specific knockout mice. We then analyzed the latency, number, and duration of four phases of seizure behaviors: (I) non-seizure activity, (II) myoclonic jerks, (III) generalized clonic seizures, and (IV) tonic seizures. The latencies to both death and Phase IV were significantly reduced in mutant mice. Mutant mice also spent significantly more time in Phases III and IV and showed significantly less time in the non-convulsive state (Phase I). Nissl and gold chloride staining indicated that the knockout mice had underdeveloped cortices, lacked a corpus callosum, and were missing hippocampal structures. This suggests that dysfunction of beta-catenin-mediated signaling pathways in mice leads to cortical malformation and increased seizure susceptibility.
Fracture simulations via large-scale nonequilibrium molecular dynamics

Abstract We describe the historical development of large-scale nonequilibrium molecular-dynamics (NEMD) computer simulations of fracture at Los Alamos. We have found that dynamic crack propagation leads to energy buildup that seeds instabilities, such as dislocation emission and branching. Recent three-dimensional simulations have shed light on ductile fracture mechanisms, including sequences of dislocation emission in various modes that are strikingly different from anything previously conjectured. The future for constitutive modeling, based on observations of dynamical features in such NEMD simulations is quite bright, and one such example is discussed.
The Measure of Verbally Expressed Emotion: Development and Factor Structure of a Scale Designed to Assess Comfort Expressing Feelings to Others

Emotional expressiveness, which refers to the extent to which people outwardly display their emotions, is associated with various indices of well-being. This study presents findings on the Measure of Verbally Expressed Emotion (MoVEE), an instrument designed to assess comfort expressing both positive and negative emotions to others. A series of studies is described in this paper: 1) pilot study which included 60 undergraduates (69.4 % female) from a small college, 2) exploratory factor analytic study which included 835 undergraduates (68 % female) from a large university, and 3) confirmatory factor analytic and validity study which included 449 undergraduates (73.3 % female). The initial MoVEE included 57 items assessing comfort expressing seven emotional states; the final MoVEE, supported by both an EFA and a CFA, is a 19-item measure assessing comfort expressing love, happiness, anger, and sadness. Analyses suggest that the MoVEE is a valid measure that may be a useful tool in clinical settings.
Evidence for crystalline water and ammonia ices on Pluto's satellite charon.

Observations have resolved the satellite Charon from its parent planet Pluto, giving separate spectra of the two objects from 1.0 to 2.5 micrometers. The spectrum of Charon is found to be different from that of Pluto, with water ice in crystalline form covering most of the surface of the satellite. In addition, an absorption feature in Charon's spectrum suggests the presence of ammonia ices. Ammonia ice–water ice mixtures have been proposed as the cause of flowlike features observed on the surfaces of many icy satellites. The existence of such ices on Charon may indicate geological activity in the satellite's past.
Steady Flow Hemodynamic and Energy Loss Measurements in Normal and Simulated Calcified Tricuspid and Bicuspid Aortic Valves

The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), which forms with two leaflets instead of three as in the normal tricuspid aortic valve (TAV), is associated with a spectrum of secondary valvulopathies and aortopathies potentially triggered by hemodynamic abnormalities. While studies have demonstrated an intrinsic degree of stenosis and the existence of a skewed orifice jet in the BAV, the impact of those abnormalities on BAV hemodynamic performance and energy loss has not been examined. This steady-flow study presents the comparative in vitro assessment of the flow field and energy loss in a TAV and type-I BAV under normal and simulated calcified states. Particle-image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed to quantify velocity, vorticity, viscous, and Reynolds shear stress fields in normal and simulated calcified porcine TAV and BAV models at six flow rates spanning the systolic phase. The BAV model was created by suturing the two coronary leaflets of a porcine TAV. Calcification was simulated via deposition of glue beads in the base of the leaflets. Valvular performance was characterized in terms of geometric orifice area (GOA), pressure drop, effective orifice area (EOA), energy loss (EL), and energy loss index (ELI). The BAV generated an elliptical orifice and a jet skewed toward the noncoronary leaflet. In contrast, the TAV featured a circular orifice and a jet aligned along the valve long axis. While the BAV exhibited an intrinsic degree of stenosis (18% increase in maximum jet velocity and 7% decrease in EOA relative to the TAV at the maximum flow rate), it generated only a 3% increase in EL and its average ELI (2.10 cm2/m2) remained above the clinical threshold characterizing severe aortic stenosis. The presence of simulated calcific lesions normalized the alignment of the BAV jet and resulted in the loss of jet axisymmetry in the TAV. It also amplified the degree of stenosis in the TAV and BAV, as indicated by the 342% and 404% increase in EL, 70% and 51% reduction in ELI and 48% and 51% decrease in EOA, respectively, relative to the nontreated valve models at the maximum flow rate. This study indicates the ability of the BAV to function as a TAV despite its intrinsic degree of stenosis and suggests the weak dependence of pressure drop on orifice area in calcified valves.
The Autonomic Nervous System and Atrial Fibrillation:The Roles of Pulmonary Vein Isolation and Ganglionated Plexi Ablation.

After the sequential successes of catheter ablation for the treatment of pre-excitation syndromes (WPW), junctional reentry (AVNRT) atrial flutter (AFL) and ventricular arrhythmias, clinical electrophysiologists have focused on the myocardial basis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Thus, the strategy for ablation of drug and cardioversion refractory AF was to isolate the myocardial connections from the focal firing pul monary veins (PVs) in addition to altering the atrial substrate maintaining AF. However, the overall success rates have not achieved those of the other types of ablation procedures. In this review we have summarized the favorable aspects and drawbacks of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). As for the role of the Intrinsic Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ICANS), both basic and clinical evidence has shown that ganglionated plexi (GP) stimulation promotes initiation and maintenance of AF, and that GP ablation reduces recurrence of AF following catheter or surgical ablation of these structures. Based on these findings, the GP Hyperactivity Hypothesis has been proposed to explain, at least in part, the mechanistic basis for the focal form of AF. For example, PV isolation may not always be necessary for elimination of AF, as in the early stages of paroxysmal AF. GP ablation alone, in these cases, may suffice for focal AF ter mination. In the persistent and long standing persistent forms the substrate for AF may be more extensive and therefore require GP ablation plus PV isolation and/or CFAE ablations. Clinical reports, both catheter based as well as minimally invasive surgical procedures, which include PVI plus GP ablation have shown relatively long-term success rates much closer to or equal to those achieved by myocardial ablation procedures in patients with WPW, AVNRT and AFL.
Arterial reconstruction of the pancreatic allograft for transplantation

The shortage of organs is particularly acute in whole pancreas transplantation, because the liver and pancreas often share a common arterial supply, making combined procurement of both organs difficult. A previously described technique of simultaneous whole liver and pancreas procurement depended on “classic” hepatic arterial anatomy, which is present just over half the time. We describe herein our experience with three Y-reconstructions of the splenic and superior mesenteric arteries of the pancreatic allograft using donor allograft internal and external iliac arteries. In situ Doppler ultrasound examination of the pancreatic allograft after surgery demonstrated a patent reconstruction without evidence of stenosis or turbulent flow patterns. We believe this reconstruction is a safe, alternative method to provide arterial flow to the whole donor pancreas.
Gravitational lensing by a collection of objects with radial densities

In a recent paper by Bayer et al. (Gen Rel Grav 38:1379–1385, 2006), the authors considered a certain class of gravitational lenses consisting of n non-overlapping objects with radial densities. They concluded that there can be at most 6(n − 1) + 1 lensed images of a single light source. The only assumption made on the projected mass density of each object is that it is radial and does not diverge faster than 1/r, where r is the distance to the center of the object. We show that this is too general a class of densities to consider while imposing a bound of 6(n − 1) + 1. We also provide an example to emphasize [together with the results in Bayer et al. (Gen Rel Grav 38:1379–1385, 2006)] that the general problem of finding the correct hypothesis to obtain sharp bounds for the maximal number of images inside the region occupied by masses with radial densities is wide open.
Physical and immunochemical properties of low-buoyant-density proteoglycans from avian cartilage.

Abstract A proteoglycan link fraction (A 1 D 5 ) from avian xyphoid cartilage contains one link protein and low-buoyant-density proteoglycans. An antiserum made against this fraction (anti-A 1 D 5 serum) specifically binds [ 35 S]sulfate-labeled proteoglycans from aggregate (A 1 ), monomer (A 1 D 1 ), and link (A 1 D 5 ) fractions synthesized by 14-day embryonic chick sterna. When [ 35 S]sulfate-labeled proteoglycans from either monomer (A 1 D 1 ) or link (A 1 D 5 ) fractions are used as the antigen, anti-A 1 D 5 serum binds as well as an antiserum against a purified monomer preparation (anti-A 1 D 1 1400 Vo serum). However, reduction and alkylation of the proteoglycans from the monomer fraction does reveal differences in the binding of the two antisera. Whereas reduction and alkylation of the antigen ( 35 S-A 1 D 1 ) inhibit binding by both antisera, binding of the anti-A 1 D 5 serum is more affected by antigen alteration. Differences in the two antisera can also be detected in assays using labeled aggregate as antigen. Anti-A 1 D 5 serum cannot maintain the same levels of antigen binding as the anti-A 1 D 1 -1400 Vo serum when compared in an antibody dilution curve. In addition, anti-A 1 D 1 -1400 Vo serum can stabilize aggregate during sedimentation in a sucrose density gradient containing 4 m guanidine hydrochloride whereas anti-A 1 D 5 serum cannot. These results suggest that the low-buoyant-density proteoglycans found in the link (A 1 D 5 ) fraction from avian cartilage contain some of the antigenic determinants found on the proteoglycan monomer. However, there is at least one monomer determinant which is not present in the A 1 D 5 fraction.
Patterns of Endothermy in Bumblebee Queens, Drones and Workers

1. The thoracic temperatures (TTh) of captiveBombus edwardsii queens and drones from the current year approached ambient temperatures (TA) at night, but warm-up was frequent throughout the day. 2. ABombus vosnesenskii queen which had initiated nest building maintained TTh nearly continuously between 37.4 and 38.8 °C at night and in the daytime. On the other hand, the TTh of an overwintered queen which was not “broody” was close to TA (about 22 °C), except when the bee walked from the nest box and fed on sugar syrup, when TTh approached 40 °C. 3. Workers and queens applied themselves closely to cocoons and heated them by body contact. The temperature of the cocoons declined when the attending workers depleted the honey in the nest. 4. Bees achieved a large difference between TTh and TA while being stationary when no wing movements were visible. Thoracic temperature subsequently declined when they were made to fly in place while suspended from the thread-like thermocouple leads. 5. Workers ofB. edwardsii maintained a mean TTh of 37.3 °C while foraging for nectar fromArctostaphylos otayensis at dawn when there was frost on the ground and TA near the flowers was 2 to 3 °C.
Heuristic Evaluation of Swarm Metrics' Effectiveness

Typical visualizations of robot swarms (greater than 50 entities) display each individual entity; however, it is immensely difficult to maintain accurate position information for each member in real-world situations with limited communications. Generally, it will be difficult for humans to maintain an awareness of all individual entities. Further, the swarm's tasks may impact the desired visualization. Thus, an open question is how best to visualize a swarm given various swarm tasks. This paper presents a heuristic evaluation that analyzes the application of swarm metrics to different swarm visualizations and tasks. A brief overview of the visualizations is provided, along with a description of the heuristic metrics and the analysis.
Faculty Engagement in the Academy

I read with interest the article in this issue by Evans and Henrichsen entitled “Long-term strategic incrementalism: An approach and a model for bringing about change in higher education.” Although I have been on a university campus for over 20 years, the process of how some good ideas seem to gain momentum and others fall by the wayside continues to amaze me. Each spring, my institution, the University of Georgia (UGA), sponsors an academic affairs faculty symposium planned by the UGA Teaching Academy and supported by the Provost. The symposium sessions focus on topics significant to the academic community and are frequently directed toward the academic experience of students and issues of teaching and learning. Participation is by invitation; and approximately 75 faculty members, administrators, and “others” engage in a spirited dialogue about selected topics. At the close of the retreat, recommendations are offered for improvement on each issue; and a report is presented to the senior administration for consideration in future plans. Over time, many good ideas and subsequent activities (narrow to campus-wide) have evolved from this targeted dialogue. The richness of the dialogue is ensured because participants, both junior and senior faculty, come from across departments and colleges—enthusiasm meets wisdom, innovation meets status quo, sciences meet the humanities. The UGA Teaching Academy (http://teachingacademy.uga.edu/about.htm) was founded in 1999 and grew out of the interest of the teaching award winners on campus and those faculty members generally recognized as having an interest in teaching and learning excellence. While the academy has as its primary purpose improving and recognizing excellence in teaching and learning, academy members tend to be broadly interested in measures to improve collegiality and attain higher quality in all facets of academic life. While the members of the Teaching Academy number over 125, only a small number are invited each year to the symposium. Innov High Educ (2008) 33:67–69 DOI 10.1007/s10755-008-9074-z
Prices and Wages at Paris under John Law's System

Introduction, 42.—I. Economic conditions in France upon the death of Louis XIV, 43.—II. The General Bank and the Company of the West, 44.— III. The Royal Bank and the Company of the Indies, 47.— IV. Sources of price and wage statistics, 48.— V. Commodity prices, 50.— VI. Why prices rose, 62.— VII. Group price movements, 64.— VIII. Wages: money and real, 66.— IX. Comparison of prices at London, Madrid, Philadelphia, and Paris, 67.—X. Summary and Conclusions, 69.
Quantification of the layer dispersion degree in polymer layered silicate nanocomposites by transmission electron microscopy

Abstract As the performance of polymer layered silicate nanocomposites strongly depends on their interior layer dispersion, quantification of the layer dispersion degree is needed. In this work, a new methodology was developed to determine the dispersion parameter D0.1, based on the measurement of the free-path spacing distance between the single clay sheets from the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. Several examples of exfoliated, intercalated, and immiscible composites were studied. It was found that the exfoliated composites had D0.1 over 8%, while that of intercalated composites were between 4 and 8%. In the case of intercalation, a high frequency peak appeared at a short spacing distance in the histogram, which was a characteristic of the intercalation, distinct from the exfoliation. The main utility of this TEM methodology is for the quantification of exfoliated or intercalated samples with small number of layers with stacks. The dispersion parameter D0.1 below 4% was suggested to classify as immiscible. A unique advantage of the TEM measurement is that the dispersion degree of different fillers can be counted individually.
A new method for the calculation of vibrational force constants. Application to H2

Abstract A new method for the quantum mechanical calculation of vibrational force constants is presented. This method is applied to the calculation of the vibrational force constant of H 2 , using a completely optimized wavefunction constructed from a single gaussian orbital. The value of the force constant obtained using this method is k 0 = 0.422341088751 au (= 6.5754 × 10 5 dyne/cm), compared to the value of k 0 = 0.42234079S380 au (= 6.5754 × 10 5 dyne/cm) obtained using an analytic method, and the experimental value of k e = 0.3692 au (= 5.748 × 10 5 dyne/cm).
Partial in-vitro resistance to direct cryothermic injury in human leiomyomata and myometrium

Uterine leiomyomata are the most common pelvic tumor in women. Minimally invasive cryosurgery is being investigated as a therapeutic option for symptomatic women. Direct cryothermic cell injury thresholds for leiomyomata and the adjacent myometrium are not well quantified. Using a directional solidification stage to simulate in-vivo cryothermic cooling, tissue sections (3 mm) from ten leiomyomata and six portions of myometrium were cooled (5°C/min) to -20°C, -40°C, -60°C, and - 80°C, held for 15 minutes, and then rapidly thawed to 21°C. In conjunction with tissue culturing and appropriate controls, cell death was assessed using a viability dye (ethidium homodimer/Hoechst) and routine histology. After normalizing to controls, leiomyomata cell death (LCD) increased from -20 to -80°C by histology (12 to 27 percent LCD) and dye assay (26 to 38 percent LCD). Myometrial cell death (MCD) from -20 to -80°C was 10 to 12 percent by histology and 4 to 20 percent by dye assay. In contrast to LCD from -40 to -80°C, MCD was significantly less and plateaued over this range (p<0.05). The dye assay appears to be more sensitive for detecting cell death than histology. This study suggests that both leiomyomata and myometrium are moderately resistant to direct cryothermic injury, with leiomyomata somewhat more susceptible.
Active injection drug-abuse offsets healthcare engagement in HIV-infected patients.

Active injection drug use (IDU) is a behavior with the potential to offset healthcare engagement for those with HIV. At the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center, we identified 316 patients with a history of addiction during an 11-year period while actively engaged in routine visits to our HIV-primary care clinic. Among all IDU, active-abuse was determined in 141/316 (45 %). There were 120 clinically relevant blood stream infection (BSI) episodes. HIV/HCV co-infection (95 %) and use of antiretroviral therapy (76 %) were common at the time of BSI. The majority of BSIs occurred among those with active-IDU (72/120, 60 %). Active-IDU behavior was associated with more thrombotic disease (12 vs. 2 %, P = 0.001) and more frequent hospitalization (1.1/year ± 1.2 vs. 0.8/year ± 1.1, P = 0.03). When compared to drug-users with no active injection practices or those with remote IDU, active-IDU was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality (43 vs. 27 %, P = 0.003) and a decrease in age-adjusted survival (HR 1.7, CI 1.16–2.51, P = 0.007). Addressing addiction has the potential to impact avoidable medical complications and contribute to the continued, overall health of patients linked to HIV-care.
Justification, Scepticism, and Nihilism

Sinnott-Armstrong's paper principally defends our inability to justify, philosophically, normal moral claims. In particular, we cannot justify them against other claims, especially the claim of moral nihilism. Moral nihilism is the doctrine that there are no moral obligations (for anybody to do anything). This thesis ‘does not lie in meta-ethics. It is a universally quantified substantive moral claim’ (p. 219). Sinnott-Annstrong makes it clear that he does not actually believe this doctrine (p. 217), but he believes that it is coherent, and that a variety of strategies philosophers might attempt all fail to disprove it. And because of this, ordinary claims to obligation are philosophically unjustified.