cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Confirmation of successful therapy of Helicobacter pylori infection: number and site of biopsies or a rapid urease test.

Background : Although a number of tests have been described to detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori in biopsy specimens, studies of positive and negative value have largely been performed on untreated patients ; testing the reliability of posttherapy has not been done. Methods : We examined the value of the number and site of biopsies performed and the method used for specimen evaluation posttherapy. For postantimicrobial therapy of 141 patients with previously confirmed H. pylori infection, three biopsies were taken, two from the antrum and one from the corpus. Individual slides were coded, randomized, and interpreted blindly by two pathologists. Furthermore, in 143 patients, a biopsy specimen was taken from the antrum and was immediately inserted into the gel of the rapid urease test, and the results were compared with those obtained from histopathology obtained at the same time. Results : In 71 patients, H. pylori therapy was unsuccessful ; in 61 (86%), all three sites were positive. The highest yield with a single large cup biopsy specimen was 94% ; the lowest was 91%. Two antral biopsies were negative in 4% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1-12%]. The combination of a biopsy from the angulus incisura and one from the greater curvature of the corpus correctly identified all treatment failures (95% CI = 95-100 %). The rapid urease test was false-negative in 5% (95% CI = 1-13%) ; there were no false-positives. Conclusion : Use of either the rapid urease test or two antral biopsies for evaluation of success of antimicrobial therapy for H. pylori infection will result in a false declaration of cure in at least 5% of cases. Three large cup gastric mucosal biopsies for histology are recommended for evaluation of the success of anti-H. pylori therapy.
Computer Graphics Optique

We present some ideas and demonstrations for a hybrid projector-based rendering and display technique we call Computer Graphics Optique. Instead of partially overlapping projected images to achieve a wide-area display, we completely overlap projected images on top of each other to achieve the addition of light and color in an “optical composition buffer.” The idea is to use the optical composition to replace some analytical computation, to increase rendering speed, gain flexibility, intensity range, and intensity resolution. Where projector-based displays are appropriate, potential uses include the optical realization of certain effects normally requiring a digital accumulation buffer, the optical composition of heterogeneous lighting techniques, and the ability to use heterogeneous graphics engines, in parallel. In addition one can make use of the optical projector control of focus augmented with the optical superposition to achieve effects that are otherwise computationally expensive. We believe that this technique offers the possibility of a new paradigm for combined rendering and projector-based display.
New breeding technique “genome editing” for crop improvement: applications, potentials and challenges

Crop improvement is a continuous process in agriculture which ensures ample supply of food, fodder and fiber to burgeoning world population. Despite tremendous success in plant breeding and transgenesis to improve the yield-related traits, there have been several limitations primarily with the specificity in genetic modifications and incompatibility of host species. Because of this, new breeding techniques (NBTs) are gaining worldwide attention for crop improvement programs. Among the NBTs, genome editing (GE) using site-directed nucleases (SDNs) is an important and potential technique that overcomes limitations associated with classical breeding and transgenesis. These SDNs specifically target a compatible region in the gene/genome. The meganucleases (MgN), zinc finger nucleases (ZFN), transcription activator-like effectors nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated endonuclease (Cas) are being successfully employed for GE. These can be used for desired or targeted modifications of the native endogenous gene(s) or targeted insertion of cis/trans elements in the genomes of recipient organisms. Applications of these techniques appear to be endless ever since their discovery and several modifications in original technologies have further brought precision and accuracy in these methods. In this review, we present an overview of GE using SDNs with an emphasis on CRISPR/Cas system, their advantages, limitations and also practical considerations while designing experiments have been discussed. The review also emphasizes on the possible applications of CRISPR for improving economic traits in crop plants.
Intravenous Drug Use Is Novel Predictor of Infectious Intracranial Aneurysms in Patients with Infective Endocarditis.

Introduction Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are a rare but potentially devastating complication of infective endocarditis. The clinical and radiographic findings that predispose patients to IIA remain poorly understood. Methods We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of consecutive endocarditis patients undergoing catheter-based angiography at a single tertiary-level academic center during the period of July 2013–December 2017. Patient records were reviewed for clinical and radiographic characteristics that may be associated with IIA. Multivariate regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between clinical and radiographic characteristics and presence of IIA on invasive imaging. Results Of 92 patients included in this analysis, 12 of them with 19 IIAs were discovered. Univariate analysis identified age, male sex, presence of hemorrhage, and history of IV drug use (IVDU) as predictors of IIA presence. After multivariate analysis, only intracranial hemorrhage and IVDU remained as independent predictors of IIA. Conclusions Presence of hemorrhage on noninvasive imaging and history of IVDU are independently predictive of IIA presence in patients with infectious endocarditis. Risk stratification using these 2 factors may help identify the most vulnerable populations for IIA formation.
Day of Discharge Does Not Impact Hospital Readmission After Major Cardiac Surgery.

Background Because the rate of rehospitalization after major cardiac surgery has been reported up to 22%, an investigation of potential modifiable elements in the discharge process has led our group to evaluate whether the day of discharge affects readmission performance. Methods Our institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeons registry was used to identify all adult patients undergoing elective cardiac operations from 2008 to 2016. Emergency, transplant, and mechanical assist patients were excluded. The primary outcome was all-cause readmission within 30 days of operation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to develop a risk-adjusted predictive model of readmission risk. Results Of 4,877 patients discharged from our institution, 20% were discharged on a weekend or holiday. The overall rehospitalization rate was 11.3%, with comparable readmission rates for weekday and weekend and holiday discharges (11.4 vs 10.9, p = 0.73). A greater proportion of patients are discharged to facilities on weekdays than on weekends and holidays (15.0% vs 5.7%, p Conclusions Cardiac surgical patients in the weekend and holiday discharge cohort did not have significantly higher odds of readmission regardless of operative type and discharge disposition. Allocation of resources to changing weekend staffing may be better allocated to surgical site infection prevention and outpatient intervention programs.
Uncovering the role admixture in health disparity: characterization of hepatocyte gene expression and DNA methylation in African-Americans

In African Americans (AA), the proportion of West African ancestry (WAA) may explain the genetic drivers of health disparities in disease. Analysis of RNA sequencing data from sixty AA-derived primary hepatocytes identified 32 gene expression profiles associated with WAA (FDR <0.05) with enrichment in angiogenesis and inflammatory pathways (FDR <0.1). Association of DNA methylation to WAA identified 1037 differentially methylated regions (FDR <0.05), with hypomethylated genes enriched for drug response pathways. Within the PharmGKB pharmacogene, VDR, PTGIS, ALDH1A1, CYP2C19 and P2RY1 were associated with WAA (p <0.05) with replication of CYP2C19 and VDR in the GTEx liver cohort. For every 1% increment in WAA, P2RY1 gene expression increased by 1.6% and CYP2C19 gene expression decreased by 1.4%, suggesting effects on clopidogrel response and platelet aggregation. We conclude that WAA contributes to variablity in hepatic gene expression and DNA methylation with identified genes indicative of health disparities prevalent in AAs.
Schoenberg – Schenker – Bach: A Harmonic, Contrapuntal, Formal Braid

This article follows on the heels of one by Holly Watkins, who argues that music, “a subsystem of the social system of communication,” can evoke the organic (the bodily and the psychic) not by forming a self-contained unity of parts and whole but through the “internal recursiveness” of musical works, their external “recursiveness vis-a-vis other music,” and – crucially – “the knowingness the music displays toward its own operations.” I adopt the premise that music evokes the organic most vividly not through recursive processes in individual systems but through the as-if intentional integration of such processes in multiple systems, of which I concern myself particularly with the harmonic, contrapuntal, and formal domains (or, more precisely, the motivic). I offer correctives to the organicist theories of Arnold Schoenberg and Heinrich Schenker, which similarly concern these domains, and especially to their reception. And I explore this direction through an analysis of J. S. Bach’s Prelude No. 7 in E-flat major from book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 852, a singular piece that billows forth like an unfathomable blossom. Dieser Artikel folgt einem Essay von Holly Watkins, in dem die Autorin argumentiert, dass Musik, »a subsystem of the social system of communication«, das Organische (das Korperliche und das Psychische) nicht durch die Bildung einer in sich geschlossenen Einheit von Teilen und Ganzem, sondern durch die »internal recursiveness« von Musikwerken, ihre ausere »recursiveness vis-a-vis other music« und – was entscheidend ist – durch »the knowingness the music displays toward its own operations« hervorrufen kann. Ich ubernehme die Voraussetzung, dass Musik das Organische nicht durch rekursive Prozesse in einzelnen Systemen, sondern durch die quasi-intentionale Integration solcher Prozesse in mehreren Systemen am anschaulichsten hervorruft, von denen ich mich insbesondere mit dem harmonischen, kontrapunktischen und formalen Bereich (oder, genauer gesagt, dem motivischen) beschaftige. Ich biete Korrekturen zu den organizistischen Theorien von Arnold Schonberg und Heinrich Schenker an, die diese Bereiche ebenfalls betreffen, und insbesondere zu ihrer Rezeption. Daruber hinaus erforsche ich diese Richtung durch eine Analyse von J. S. Bachs Praludium Nr. 7 in Es-Dur aus Buch 1 des Wohltemperierten Klaviers, BWV 852, einem einzigartigen Stuck, das sich wie eine unergrundliche Blute forttreibt.
18F-16β-fluoro-5α-dihydrotestosterone (FDHT) PET as a prognostic biomarker for survival in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

4517 Background: At present there is no imaging biomarker for patients with mCRPC as the disease primarily metastasizes to bone, which is difficult to visualize and quantify using standard techniqu...
Consolidated Drug Purchasing Across Federal Agencies: A Policy to Decrease Cost Sharing for Medicare Beneficiaries

Medicare beneficiaries would experience lower cost-sharing if all federal agencies purchased prescription drugs collectively, even if total drug spending remained the same. Assuming all federal agencies paid the same price for the same drug, prices would decline for Medicare Part D by 4.7% and overall Medicare Part D spending would decline by $3.17 billion. Prices would increase for Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) and spending would increase by $3.17 billion. The main advantage is that cost-sharing for Medicare beneficiaries would decline by $251.5 million, and there would be no change in cost-sharing for patients receiving drugs through the VA and DoD since cost sharing in these other programs are not based on the price of the drug. Our results suggest that consolidated purchasing could improve the economic well-being of seniors without affecting other government recipients.
Prevalence, challenges and solutions for F-18 FDG PET/CT imaging of claustrophobic patients

2137 Objectives : Lifetime prevalence of phobias in the USA is approximately 12.5 %. Claustrophobia is a specific type of phobia characterized by morbid dread of confined spaces. Claustrophobes may suffer from panic attacks when confined to a space such as an MRI or a PET/CT scanner due to the configuration of the scanners and the lengthy examination times. It has been reported that up to 37% of patients undergoing MRI experience claustrophobia resulting in termination of imaging in 5-10% of patients. The use of F-18 FDG-PET/CT has progressed rapidly as a standard diagnostic imaging tool in many types of cancer. In FDG-PET/CT imaging the length of study is comparable to that of MRI; hence, encountering claustrophobia in patients undergoing FDG-PET/CT imaging is to be expected. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate prevalence of claustrophobia as well as challenges and solutions in imaging claustrophobic patients undergoing FDG-PET/CT imaging in our institution. Methods : From August 1, 2004 to January 11, 2006, 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were performed in 1000 consecutive patients with known or suspected malignancy. Whole-Body FDG PET images were acquired on a PET/CT scanner (Gemini, Phillips Medical Systems) 60 minutes after an intravenous injection of a weight-adjusted dose of 0.14 mCi/ Kg with a max of 14 mCi FDG. Prior to injection, patients were asked whether or not they have claustrophobia. A log was kept of claustrophobic cases, any encountered problems resulting from claustrophobia as well as attempted solutions. Results : A total of 21 (2.1%) of 1000 consecutive patients reported claustrophobia (6 M, 15 F; mean age: 61 yr). Fifteen (71.4%) of the 21 claustrophobic patients encountered problems: one refused the study after FDG injection, four patients had motion artifacts, seven patients had limited bed positions, and three patients had both motion artifacts as well as limited bed position. Six (28.6%) of the 21 claustrophobic patients were able to complete the PET/CT exam. Attempted solutions included: dividing the study, thus allowing respite between bed positions, and or limited bed positions, soothingly conversing with the patient during image acquisition, blind folding, and pre-medications with Valium. Conclusions : Claustrophobia was reported in 21 (2.1%) of the 1000 studied patients. FDG-PET/CT study was either canceled, incomplete or contained motion artifacts in 15 (71.4%) of the 21 claustrophobic patients. We conclude that that FDG-PET/CT imaging of claustrophobic patients represents an ongoing challenge, which require patient-tailored solutions in order to avoid sub-optimal studies, loss of valuable scan time, and unnecessary radiation exposure.
Connections in Environmental Sustainability: Living in a Time of Rapid Environmental Change

Sustainability has been traditionally defined, using the Brundtland Report (1987) as a guide, as an activity that tries to preserve resources for future generations. However, our natural systems are at a breaking point. Many environmental systems are failing. Plus, many of the world’s social systems, especially in poorer areas, are under stress. In the Anthropocene, a term recently coined by geologists to denote our present era of environmental change, the idea of three equal pillars (environment, economy, and society) as a way to achieve sustainability is not working all that well. This book provides a fresh look at environmental sustainability that reviews the connections among major environmental systems. It highlights the role of history and disasters within the context of sustainability and also emphasizes the importance of data collection and management. The book also notes how different areas of the world, particularly the developed west and the less developed south, approach sustainability differently and how environmental sustainability is managed at different scales.
Alterations in mouse spinal cord and sciatic nerve microRNAs after the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain.

Abstract Pain is one of the most common reasons to seek medical attention and chronic pain is a worldwide epidemic. There are currently no relevant biomarkers for the diagnosis of chronic pain, and new therapeutic strategies for chronic pain treatment are desperately needed. The chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve is a widely used preclinical model of pathological neuropathic pain. Over the past decade, investigators have come to appreciate the many contributions of noncoding RNA including microRNA (miRNA), and other long and short noncoding (nc) RNAs. The development and/or maintenance of chronic pain could be controlled epigenetically through ncRNAs. Here we seek to characterize CNS tissues in a mouse model of neuropathic pain as this may serve to elucidate potential biomarkers relevant to pathological pain in humans. Male C57BL6/J mice (6 CCI and 6 sham procedure) underwent surgery for sciatic nerve ligation with chromic gut sutures. Following 7 days, mechanical allodynia was quantified using the von Frey assay. Mice were then euthanized for collection of spinal cord and sciatic nerve. cDNA was synthesized to 627 unique mature miRNAs from the total RNA. In the CCI mice that displayed mechanical allodynia, 11 and 125 miRNAs were differentially expressed (i.e., greater than 1.5-fold increase or decrease; P
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A pilot study for using longitudinal cognitive and neuropsychological testing for functional outcomes.

Abstract Objectives Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) often sustain substantial cognitive and functional impairment. Traditional outcome measures have emphasized radiographic and gross clinical outcomes, but cognitive and functional outcomes are less frequently documented. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of administering longitudinal cognitive and neuropsychological testing and tracked patterns of functional improvement in aSAH patients. Patients and methods Standardized cognitive and neuropsychological testing were administered to a prospective cohort of aSAH patients admitted for treatment to our tertiary care center. Thirty consecutive aSAH patients (Hunt and Hess score 1-3) were enrolled over 23-months and baseline evaluations were completed within 24-h after admission. Patients were followed prospectively after treatment (coiling or clipping) at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months. Functional outcome measures included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory–Questionnaire, and the Functional Activities Questionnaire. Results Of the 30 patients, 23 (77%) followed-up at 3-months, 21 (70%) at 6-months, and 19 (63%) at 12-months. Improvement from baseline to follow-up at 12-months was noted for general cognitive function (p = .004), memory (p = .025), and executive function (p = .039), with the greatest improvement occurring within 6-months. Daily function also improved mostly within 6-months (p = .022) while changes in neuropsychological disturbances were insignificant from baseline to follow-up at 12-months (p = .216). Conclusion Standardized cognitive and neuropsychological testing provides metrics for evaluating functional outcomes following treatment of aSAH. The addition of a brief battery of tests to routine clinical and radiographic evaluations is feasible. The main limitations are related to practice and referral patterns, and future studies are needed to evaluate the impact of treatment modalities on functional outcomes.
Kinetic Effect of Surface Chemisorbed Oxygen on Platinum-Catalyzed Hydrogen Peroxide Decomposition

The chemical decomposition of H2O2 to H2O and O2 catalyzed by platinum nanocatalysts is important in many technologies such as steam propulsion, biosensors, fuel cells, and synthetic chemistry. Surface chemisorbed oxygen strongly impacts the kinetics of this reaction. However, the effect of this surface species has not been quantified in the context of the reaction mechanism. This study determined the rate constants of the elementary reaction steps of H2O2 decomposition on platinum nanocatalysts. For that, hydrogen peroxide decomposition rate measurements were analyzed on samples with variable surface chemisorbed oxygen (Pt(O)) abundance. The order of reaction in terms of surface Pt(O) abundance is 0.83, which indicates a nearly first order effect on the rate of H2O2 decomposition. This result is consistent with a reaction mechanism for H2O2 decomposition on platinum that involves two cyclic steps, where step 1 is the rate limiting step. $$\begin{array}{*{20}l} {{\text{Step}}\;1} \hfill & {{\text{Pt}} + {\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{2 } \xrightarrow{k = 0.0028} {\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}} + {\text{ Pt}}({\text{O}})} \hfill \\ {{\text{Step}}\;2} \hfill & {\underline{{{\text{Pt}}({\text{O}}) + {\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{2} \xrightarrow{k = 0.038}{\text{Pt}} + {\text{O}}_{2} + {\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}} } \hfill \\ {{\text{Overall}}} \hfill & {2{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{2 } \xrightarrow{k = 0.037}{\text{O}}_{2 } + 2{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}} \hfill \\ \end{array}$$ The rate constant $$(k)$$ of step 2 is 14 times higher than that of step 1 at a reaction temperature T = 295 K. This is consistent with a 4.4 time larger activation energy for step 1. Reaction rates are initially faster on samples with more surface Pt(O) sites because these sites decompose H2O2 through step 2 in the first cycle of the reaction. The relative rates of step 1 and step 2 become smaller at higher temperature. The method presented in this study can be used for determining the rate constants of the intermediate reaction steps of many other chemical reactions that are important for numerous scientific and technological applications.
To Serve and Protect Each Other: How Police-Prosecutor Codependence Enables Police Misconduct

Most American are rightly enraged when police shoot unarmed civilians, use excessive force, or engage in unethical practices like planting evidence. However, there is little popular understanding and scholarly attention as to why prosecutors fail to charge or otherwise hold officers accountable. This Article offers a novel contribution to the study of police misconduct by examining how prosecutors nationwide enable police misconduct on an institutional level. Through both social-scientific and legal analysis, we consider the codependent relationship between prosecutors and police that prevents accountability for police violence and misconduct against the public. Specifically, we analyze (1) the cultural norms created between police and prosecutors that allow police to influence prosecutorial discretion over police accountability and (2) the legal and extralegal tools that prosecutors wield to protect their police benefactors—and themselves in the process. In contrast to other scholarship on police misconduct, we show how adjacent criminal justice institutions—police and prosecutors—enable persistent patterns of practice that operate within the boundaries of legality, but often to deadly and unethical ends. We end with potential solutions to better equip conscientious prosecutors, lawmakers, and the public to combat this codependent dynamic that has left so many communities—particularly those on the margins—afraid of the very law enforcement actors that are supposed to protect them.
Examining the Relationship Between Trait Rumination and Mindfulness Across Development and Risk Status

Rumination, the process of perseveratively dwelling on symptoms of distress and their possible causes and consequences, is a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. Mindfulness, which involves paying attention, on purpose, and nonjudgmentally, is antithetical in nature to rumination and appears effective in reducing ruminative thoughts. However, the nature of the relationships between rumination and specific aspects of mindfulness are not well understood. We aimed to investigate the relationships between rumination and specific aspects of mindfulness across three samples varying in age and risk status. Participants included 88 emerging adults (M age = 18.51, SD = .64), 161 community adolescents (M age = 12.68, SD = 1.10), and 80 adolescents selected for moderate-to-high rumination (M age = 14.01, SD = .99). All samples completed questionnaires to assess trait rumination and mindfulness. Samples 1 and 2 completed questionnaires again 3 weeks and 1 year later, respectively. Linear regression models revealed that nonjudgment was the only facet that significantly predicted concurrent rumination among all samples (R2s = .27–.51). Higher baseline levels of nonjudgment also predicted lower levels of rumination prospectively among emerging adults (R2 = .62) and community adolescents, along with awareness (R2 = .33). Results suggest that rumination is uniquely associated with the judgment of inner experiences. Therefore, future research may investigate the utility of interventions that focus on nonjudgment for reducing rumination.
Racial and ethnic representation trends in United States oncology training programs.

6519Background: Utilizing race and ethnicity data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), this study aims to assess representation trends across American Society of C...
Double Deep Q-Learning and SAC Based Hybrid Beamforming for 5G and Beyond Millimeter-Wave Systems

Fully digital beamforming techniques are costly and power hungry when employed with massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems at the millimeter-Wave (mmWave) bands. Hybrid beamforming, which uses a very few number of radio frequency chain with a network of phase shifters, is a cost- and an energy-efficient alternative beamforming solution. However, the unit modulus constraint imposed by the phase shifters makes this problem inherently nonconvex, therefore may induce unaffordable computational complexity. Hence, designing hybrid beamforming algorithms which further improve the spectral efficiency, hardware efficiency, and computational efficiency is of crucial importance. Therefore, in this paper, we aim at solving hybrid beamforming using the theory of deep reinforcement learning, which has been successful in solving several high-dimensional nonconvex problems. Although deep reinforcement learning has been previously proposed, nearly all prior studies focus on Q-learning, which is known to suffer from overestimation bias. Different from these previous studies, we propose to solve hybrid beamforming for a single-user massive MIMO (SU-MIMO) using two methods 1) a double deep Q- learning with replay experience and soft target network updates method for discrete action space setting; 2) a soft actor critic method for continuous action space setting. These models are tested using numerical simulations and evaluated using the spectral efficiency and computational efficiency. This paper shows that these models can achieve a near-optimal performance in terms of the spectral efficiency while reducing the computational complexity.
Prolonged Time of Lung Collapse Associated With Decreased Recovery of Functional Lung Following Palliative Radiotherapy

Purpose/Objective(s) Bronchial obstruction leading to lung collapse from primary lung or metastatic tumors is a common urgent consult to radiation oncology. Palliative chest radiotherapy (RT) can reduce the risk of progression of endobronchial or extrabronchial disease can be utilized alone or in combination with bronchial stenting to re-open existing collapsed lung. The ability to re-open collapsed lung following RT is likely multi-factorial with time since lung collapse long thought as an important predictor of reversibility. In this study, we sought to quantify the time-dependency of recovery of functional lung volume in patients with partial or complete lung collapse using a CT-based imaging metric highly correlated with lung function. Materials/Methods Patients with primary lung or metastatic tumors who received palliative chest RT due to segmental, lobar or whole lung collapse who additionally had follow-up CT imaging of the chest were identified from the institutional electronic health record. Total lung volumes on simulation and follow-up chest CTs were manually segmented using a commercially available software. To evaluate functional lung volume, a subthreshold function was applied to the image sets to determine volume of lung with attenuation of -950 to -701 HU. An estimate of time since initiation of lung collapse was determined by review of clinical records and imaging. Results A total of 25 evaluable patients were identified with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being the predominant histology observed (19/25, 76%). The median time of collapse before initiation of RT was 11 days (range = 3-57). The median dose received was 20 Gy in 5 fractions (range = 8 Gy/1 fx to 30 Gy/10 fx). The mean change in total lung volume was 1090 cc with mean change in functional lung volume of 1006 cc. Overall, a 92% increase in functional lung volume was observed following chest RT in this cohort. A linear trend toward decreasing recovery of functional lung was observed with more prolonged lung collapse (P = 0.074). Patients with estimated time of lung collapse of ≤14 days had higher mean recovery of functional lung (113%) compared with those with lung collapse > 14 days (55%) (P = 0.040). Conclusion Early initiation of palliative RT following lung collapse may lead to greater recovery of functional lung volume, which may confer a survival benefit/decrease hospitalization rates/improve fitness for systemic therapy. Improvements in targeted therapies are leading to more durable systemic responses potentially increasing the importance of timely chest RT for patients with existing or pending lung collapse as a bridge during acute thoracic events.
The Collection of Electrocardiograms

Begin at the beginning. Between beats, when there is no electrical activity, the components of Einthoven’s dipole (85) coincide to define a single point, Wilson’s “central terminal of zero potential” (88), in the center of the chest at the level of the fourth intercostal space anteriorly. The EKG machine, a galvanometer, measures the difference in potential between two points, and when there is only one point there is no difference in potential, no voltage. The machine identifies this as its default level and places it at the center of the chart. As the paper moves, a flat line is written, the theoretical baseline. In a perfect tracing, this is the level in the interval between the U wave of one beat and the P of the next, and, for practical purposes, of the PQ segment, J point, and TU segment. Pragmatically, though, the trace is not perfectly steady, and the most nearly reproducible representation of neutral is the point that defines the beginning of QRS, the B point (8). Recognizing that it takes two points to determine a line, the baseline connects the B points of two contiguous beats in as nearly flat a section of the lead as possible (9, 221). All measurements are to or from the B point, or above or below the baseline. Position of the trace above this level means that the net force at that instant is directed toward the positive pole of the lead; negative, away from it.
Panthers and Pinstripes: The Case of Ezra Pound and Archibald Macleish

Analyzes the hitherto-unknown lifelong correspondence between two very different figures, one a scandal-prone, nonconforming Imagist poet, the other a somewhat inhibited, conventional lawyer who reached the upper levels of his profession. Shows how each needed what the other offered — freedom from inhibition in the one case, discipline and rigor in the other. Shows how excessive regimentation in legal work (formalism) can lead to unhappiness and professional dissatisfaction.
Refining Scheduling of Crude Oil Unloading, Storing, and Processing Considering Production Level Cost

Abstract This paper presents an integrated optimization approach for crude operations scheduling and production for refineries. The production process is composed of a pre-fractionator, crude, and vacuum distillation columns. It is modeled as an NLP. The scheduling problem is composed of unloading operations and simultaneous blending and charging of CDUs. It is modeled as a MILP. The nonlinear simulation model for the production process is used to derive individual crude costs for the two crudes considered (Dubai and Masila). This is performed using multiple linear regressions of the individual crude oil flow rates around the crude oil percentage range allowed by the production facility. These individual crude costs are then used to derive a linear cost function that is optimized in the MILP scheduling model, along with logistics costs. Results show that this integrated approach can lead to a 0.53 M$ decrease in production and logistics costs in a 15 day time horizon.
Profiling librarians with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: studies in self selection and type stability

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most used psychometirc instrument in the study of librarians. Recent MBTI studies suggest a librarian profile different from that of previous studies. This variation may be attributed to two causes: either the profession attracted recruits with profiles different from those of librarians of previous times, or the personality of practicing librarians evolved over time. This study was designed to test these hypotheses. Data supported the first, but only partially supported the second hypothesis. The personality oflibrarians has been a subject of interest to researchers since the turn of this century. The early studies used a wide range of psychometric instruments to assess a broad spectrum of traits generally assembled to build a complex personality profile. In general, their results were consistent with a normal personality profile and congruent with the stereotypical image of librarians (1). The most popular instrument in the study oflibrarians to date is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Based on its perceived usefulness, this instrument has been commended to libraries as a management tool to facilitate communication, team building and interpersonal understanding (2-5). The earliest classification oflibrarians using the MBTI was based on data collected by the Center for the Application of Psychological Type (CAPT) from 1971 and 1984 (6). In 1992, Mary Jane Scherdin administered the MBTI to librarians as part of a nation wide study commissioned by the Association of College and Research Libraries. She concluded that a majority of librarians have psychological types different from those surveyed for the CAPT database. This finding she asserted, "shattered" the old librarian stereotype which was based on "erroneous behavioral characteristics mined from previously conducted studies" (7). The present study assumed that purported changes in the librarian group profile could be attributed to two sources. Either the profession attracted recruits with profiles different from those of librarians in previous times, or the personality of
Bioprosthetic mitral valve effective orifice area using 4D flow cardiac magnetic resonance derived time velocity integral. An in vitro comparison with Doppler Echocardiography

\Background 4D Flow Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is a novel imaging modality to assess bioprosthetic mitral valve (BMV) function. We describe a new, 4D Flow derived velocity time integral (TVI) based method to assess effective orifice area (EOA) for BMVs. Methods In our MRI-compatible circulatory loop 4 stented porcine BMVs (27, 29, 31, 33mm) underwent CMR with a 1.5T Siemens scanner. The valves were evaluated at forward stroke volumes of 70, 90 and 110ml at a beat rate of 70bpm. We plotted instantaneous peak velocities and calculated TVI for each scenario. 4D CMR-EOA was
Abstract 12495: Fibrin-Thrombin Patch for Endothelial Cell Differentiation and Cardiac-Tissue Patch Manufacturing Using Human Induced-Pluripotent Stem Cells

Aim: To explore the feasibility using fibrin-thrombin patch for endothelial cell differentiation and cardiac scaffold manufacturing using cardiac cells derived from human induced-pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Method and Result: hiPSCs were dissociated into single cells and seeded into three-dimensional (3D) fibrin-thrombin patches and undergo a two-stage differentiation protocol. With this protocol, up to 45% of the differentiated hiPSCs assumed an EC phenotype, and after purification, greater than 95% of the cells displayed the EC phenotype (based on CD31 expression). The hiPSC-ECs continued to display EC characteristics for 4 weeks in vitro. Gene and protein expression levels of CD31, CD144 and von Willebrand factor-8 (vWF-8) were significantly up-regulated in differentiated hiPSC-ECs. hiPSC-ECs also have biological function to up-take Dil-conjugated acetylated LDL (Dil-ac-LDL) and form tubular structures on Matrigel. A human cardiac-tissue patch (hiCP) was developed by seeding the hiPSC-ECs with hiP...
Middle-Agents for the Internet.

Like middle-men in physical commerce, middleagents support the flow of information in electronic commerce, assisting in locating and connecting the ultimate information provider with the ultimate information requester. Many different types of middleagents will be useful in realistic, large, distributed, open multi-agent problem solving systems. These include matchmakers or yellow page agents that process advertisements, blackboard agents that collect requests, and brokers that process both. The behaviors of each type of middle-agent have certain performance characteristics—privacy, robustness, and adaptiveness qualities—that are related to characteristics of the external environment and of the agents themselves. For example, while brokered systems are more vulnerable to certain failures, they are also able to cope more quickly with a rapidly fluctuating agent workforce and meet certain privacy considerations. This paper identifies a spectrum of middle-agents, characterizes the behavior of three different types, and reports on initial experiments that focus on evaluating performance tradeoffs between matchmaking and brokering middle-agents, according to criteria such as load balancing, robustness, dynamic preferences or capabilities, and privacy.
Essentials of Micro- and Nanofluidics: Elements of Electrochemistry and the Electrical Double Layer

Introduction A working definition of the field of electrochemistry is the study of charged chemical and biological material. The field of electrochemistry appears to have begun over 200 years ago, with the discovery by Galvani that a frog's limbs responded to the touching of its nerves by a scalpel with a severe twitch when the scalpel was electrically charged by a nearby source (Bockris & Reddy, 1998). Much of electrochemistry involves the study of the properties of ionic solutions first studied by P. Debye and E. Huckel in the 1920s. The modern field of electrochemistry is separated into two related but distinct aspects: ionic solutions and electrode kinetics. Of course, in the problems of interest in this book, the two are related; however, Bockris and Reddy (1998) point out that the two fields today are significantly different, with the field of what they call “electrodics” branching out to applications in the automobile industry, the study of batteries, and fuel cells. In this chapter, the essential principles of electrochemistry are presented, enabling a thorough understanding of the chemical principles involved in the study of electrokinetic phenomena to follow. Many biofluids are aqueous mixtures of electrolytes , which are species that are either positively or negatively charged. The mixtures of interest are aqueous and are usually dilute in the electrolyte species. An example of a common electrolyte mixture is phosphate buffered saline (PBS), which contains five different ionic species in an aqueous solution.
Estimating impulse response using only magnitude of radar backscatter

A recently developed phase retrieval algorithm of sparse signals [2] is used to estimate the impulse response of a radar target using only the magnitude of the backscatter. Estimating the impulse response from only the magnitude of the frequency-domain radar backscatter is first verified for synthetic targets then applied to real radar targets using real returns of commercial aircraft models recorded in a compact range.
Cellular origin of a mouse leukemia viral ribonucleic acid.

Abstract Mouse erythroblastosis virus, a member of the mouse leukemia virus group, was obtained from chronically infected C3H mouse embryo cells and purified on sucrose gradients. The ribonucleic acid (RNA) extracted from ribonuclease-treated virus consisted of a rapidly sedimenting (72S) species and a more slowly sedimenting component (4 to 30S). The 72S RNA did not contain base sequences homologous to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from infected cells as determined by hybridization studies. In contrast, the slowly sedimenting RNA enclosed within the virus had base sequences homologous to DNA from infected and uninfected C3H mouse embryo cells.
Impaired fibrinolytic activity in type II diabetes: Correlation with urinary albumin excretion and progression of renal disease

Progression of renal disease and cardiovascular complications in type II diabetes mellitus have been shown to correlate with control of blood glucose, lipids, blood pressure, and smoking. These factors, however, do not appear to totally explain these diabetic complications. Renal disease and cardiovascular complications in type II diabetes are associated with vascular abnormalities and fibrosis, both of which may occur with impaired fibrinolysis. A cross-sectional study was therefore performed in 107 type II diabetic patients recruited from the Denver Metropolitan Area to examine the effect of impaired fibrinolysis, as assessed by the ratio of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) to tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). With urinary albumin excretion (UAE) as a risk factor for both renal disease progression and cardiovascular complications, the patients were analyzed with respect to UAE less than and greater than 1 gm/day. The age, blood glucose, hemoglobin A1C, duration of diabetes, lipids, body mass index, and smoking were no different between the groups. As expected, the group with greater UAE had worse renal function, the serum creatinine (1.98±0.24 vs 1.21±0.05 mg/dl, P P P P
A Partial Chemical Characterization of Maize Coleoptile Cell Walls prepared with the Aid of a Continually Renewable Filter

THE present work was undertaken with the objective (a) of preparing plant cell-wall fragments free of contamination by intact cells, cytoplasm, plastids and other cell inclusions, but containing most of the constituents of the cell wall, including proteins, and (b) of characterizing such a cell-wall fraction chemically. The procedure differed from those previously reported in that a filtration technique was employed for purification of the cell-wall fragments and in that isolation was accomplished in an essentially non-aqueous media. It is believed that the filtration technique may prove generally useful in the preparation of cellular components where purification by differential or gradient centrifugation proves impossible. Previous reports of the chemical composition of plant cell-wall tissue have been based on the residue remaining after extraction of tissue macerates with water1. Such residues undoubtedly contain particulate cellular inclusions.
Large-group psychodynamics and massive violence

Beginning with Freud, psychoanalytic theories concerning large groups have mainly focused on individuals' perceptions of what their large groups psychologically mean to them. This chapter examines some aspects of large-group psychology in its own right and studies psychodynamics of ethnic, national, religious or ideological groups, the membership of which originates in childhood. I will compare the mourning process in individuals with the mourning process in large groups to illustrate why we need to study large-group psychology as a subject in itself. As part of this discussion I will also describe signs and symptoms of large-group regression. When there is a threat against a large-group's identity, massive violence may be initiated and this violence in turn, has an obvious impact on public health.
Preoperative biopsy of pararectal lymph nodes in rectal cancer using endoluminal ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Because definitive information regarding lymph node status in rectal cancer would be valuable preoperatively, we evaluated the safety, feasibility, and accuracy of performing endoluminal ultrasound-guided biopsies of pararectal lymph nodes in 26 rectal cancer patients. Biopsies were compared with the pararectal tissues removed at surgery. METHODS: Using a longitudinally oriented 7.0-MHz ultrasound probe and an 18-gauge spring-loaded core biopsy needle, patients underwent biopsies of lymph nodes detected ultrasonographically without complications. RESULTS: A biopsy of adenocarcinoma was obtained in 13 patients, lymphoid material in 5 patients, and irrelevant material in 8 patients. Accuracy rate (true positives divided by number of procedures) was 77 percent, with a sensitivity of 71 percent, a specificity of 89 percent, a positive predictive value of 92 percent, and a negative predictive value of 62 percent. When adenocarcinoma or lymphoid material was obtained, there was only one false positive and one false negative. CONCLUSION: Endoluminal ultrasonographyguided lymph node biopsy is simple and safe, and when adenocarcinoma or lymphoid material is obtained on biopsy, clinical decision making can be based on this information.
Morphology and mechanical properties of blown films of a low‐density polyethylene/linear low‐density polyethylene blend

The morphologies of films blown from a low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and their blend have been characterized and compared using transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, infrared dichroism, and thermal shrinkage techniques. The blending has a significant effect on film morphology. Under similar processing conditions, the LLDPE film has a relatively random crystal orientation. The film made from the LDPE/LLDPE blend possesses the highest degree of crystal orientation. However, the LDPE film has the greatest amorphous phase orientation. A mechanism is proposed to account for this unusual phenomenon. Cocrystallization between LDPE and LLDPE occurs in the blowing process of the LDPE and LLDPE blend. The structure–property relationship is also discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 507–518, 2002; DOI 10.1002/polb.10115