cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
POLARIZATION PROPERTIES OF THE RETINAL NERVE FIBER LAYER

Recently developed optical techniques provide quantitative structural measurements of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). A complete interpretation of these measurements requires understanding of the optical properties of the RNFL. This paper gives a review of the polarization properties and relevant anatomy of the ocular tissues, followed by a thorough discussion of the optical properties of the RNFL. The RNFL reflectance arises from light scattering from cylinders. Microtubules are a major component contributing to the reflectance. The RNFL reflectance exhibits weak intrinsic diattenuation and well preserves polarization. RNFL birefringence varies across the retina; the variation suggests that birefringence depends on the ultrastructure of the nerve fiber bundles, which offers hope that measurement of RNFL birefringence may be able to provide early detection of subcellular changes in glaucoma.
Cuprate high-Tc superconductors

Crystal structures of high- T c cuprate materials are discussed. A general overview of perovskite-type-II materials are presented in detail. It is followed by a detailed discussion of each of the major members of high- T c family of superconductors. An emphasis is put onto the layered nature of high- T c cuprates and related materials, such as Sr 2 RuO 4 .
Preliminary work on a perturbed-wall Vlasov launcher for a TE 0n mode using Surf3d

Although much attention has been given to launchers for high-order rotating modes for quasi-optical mode converters, there are still some gyrotrons in use that have outputs in a TE0n mode. Radiation patterns from square-cut Vlasov launchers calculated by some simple models was compared with those from Surf3d. Some simple initial considerations of perturbations in the waveguide was discussed and initial results presented.
A NASBA on microgel-tethered molecular-beacon microarray for real-time microbial molecular diagnostics.

Despite their many advantages and successes, molecular beacon (MB) hybridization probes have not been extensively used in microarray formats because of the complicating probe–substrate interactions that increase the background intensity. We have previously shown that tethering to surface-patterned microgels is an effective means for localizing MB probes to specific surface locations in a microarray format while simultaneously maintaining them in as water-like an environment as possible and minimizing probe–surface interactions. Here we extend this approach to include both real-time detection together with integrated NASBA amplification. We fabricate small (∼250 μm × 250 μm) simplex, duplex, and five-plex assays with microarray spots of controllable size (∼20 μm diameter), position, and shape to detect bacteria and fungi in a bloodstream-infection model. The targets, primers, and microgel-tethered probes can be combined in a single isothermal reaction chamber with no post-amplification labelling. We extract total RNA from clinical blood samples and differentiate between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bloodstream infection in a duplex assay to detect RNA- amplicons. The sensitivity based on our current protocols in a simplex assay to detect specific ribosomal RNA sequences within total RNA extracted from S. aureus and E. coli cultures corresponds to tens of bacteria per ml. We furthermore show that the platform can detect RNA- amplicons from synthetic target DNA with 1 fM sensitivity in sample volumes that contain about 12 000 DNA molecules. These experiments demonstrate an alternative approach that can enable rapid and real-time microarray-based molecular diagnostics.
Technical Note: On the accuracy of parametric two-parameter photon cross-section models in dual-energy CT applications

Purpose To evaluate and compare the theoretically achievable accuracy of two families of two-parameter photon cross-section models: basis vector model (BVM) and modified parametric fit model (mPFM). Method The modified PFM assumes that photoelectric absorption and scattering cross-sections can be accurately represented by power functions in effective atomic number and/or energy plus the Klein-Nishina cross-section, along with empirical corrections that enforce exact prediction of elemental cross-sections. Two mPFM variants were investigated: the widely used Torikoshi model (tPFM) and a more complex “VCU” variant (vPFM). For 43 standard soft and bony tissues and phantom materials, all consisting of elements with atomic number less than 20 (except iodine), we evaluated the theoretically achievable accuracy of tPFM and vPFM for predicting linear attenuation, photoelectric absorption, and energy-absorption coefficients, and we compared it to a previously investigated separable, linear two-parameter model, BVM. Results For an idealized dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) imaging scenario, the cross-section mapping process demonstrates that BVM more accurately predicts photon cross-sections of biological mixtures than either tPFM or vPFM. Maximum linear attenuation coefficient prediction errors were 15% and 5% for tPFM and BVM, respectively. The root-mean-square (RMS) prediction errors of total linear attenuation over the 20 keV to 1000 keV energy range of tPFM and BVM were 0.93% (tPFM) and 0.1% (BVM) for adipose tissue, 0.8% (tPFM) and 0.2% (BVM) for muscle tissue, and 1.6% (tPFM) and 0.2% (BVM) for cortical bone tissue. With exception of the thyroid and Teflon, the RMS error for photoelectric absorption and scattering coefficient was within 4% for the tPFM and 2% for the BVM. Neither model predicts the photon cross-sections of thyroid tissue accurately, exhibiting relative errors as large as 20%. For the energy-absorption coefficients prediction error, RMS errors for the BVM were less than 1.5%, while for the tPFM, the RMS errors were as large as 16%. Conclusion Compared to modified PFMs, BVM shows superior potential to support dual-energy CT cross-section mapping. In addition, the linear, separable BVM can be more efficiently deployed by iterative model-based DECT image-reconstruction algorithms.
Design of a dual-band platform-mounted HF/VHF antenna using the characteristic modes theory

In this paper, we report the results of a preliminary study of the design of dual-band platform-mounted antennas. In this approach, appropriately-designed coupling elements are employed to excite a desired platform mode to obtain an operating band in the HF frequency range. Moreover, the coupling elements are also designed to act as ultra-wideband radiators within the VHF frequency band. The coupling elements are modified loops with two feed points, one at each end of the loop and they can be excited either in the common or in the differential mode. When the coupling loops are fed differentially, they excites the fundamental mode of the platform resulting in an HF NVIS antenna. On the other hand, exciting the coupling loops in the common mode allows them to radiate as a vertically-polarized, omni-directional ultrawideband radiator operating in the VHF frequency band. By designing an appropriate feed network, the coupling elements can be excited in the appropriate modes simultaneously at both the HF and VHF frequencies. This way, a dual-band antenna with narrow band, tunable HF operation and ultra-wideband VHF operation is obtained.
Translating Arab Women Academics: The Case of Olfa Youssef’s Ḥayratu Muslimah

Combining the insight of Else Ribeiro Pires Vieira’s poetics of transcreation; Susan Bassnett and Andre Lefevere’s rapprochement between cultural studies, translation studies, and globalization; and Mona Baker’s recent scholarship on translating dissent in the Egyptian Revolution, this chapter examines not only the translator’s double role as translator and transcreator of Olfa Youssef’s original reading of the Qur’an from Arabic into English, but also the various challenges the author encountered while trying to introduce into the Anglophone world this Tunisian scholar’s groundbreaking work Ḥayratu Muslimah (Perplexity of a Muslim Woman). This chapter’s main thesis is that translation from Arabic into English is a patriarchal enterprise, and any attempt to translate beyond the parameters of that hom(m)osexual exchange is a subversive act of political intervention.
When architecture meets activism: The transformative experience of Hank Williams Village in the Windy City, by Roger Guy

University of North Carolina at Pembroke sociologist Roger Guy ably uses Chicago’s Uptown as a case study of the emergence of activist architecture and advocacy planning in the mid-20th century. Up...
Association of the Presence of Trainees With Outpatient Appointment Times in an Ophthalmology Clinic.

Importance Physicians face pressure to improve clinical efficiency, particularly with electronic health record (EHR) adoption and gradual shifts toward value-based reimbursement models. These pressures are especially pronounced in academic medical centers, where delivery of care must be balanced with medical education. However, the association of the presence of trainees with clinical efficiency in outpatient ophthalmology clinics is not known. Objective To quantify the association of the presence of trainees (residents and fellows) and efficiency in an outpatient ophthalmology clinic. Design, Setting, and Participants This single-center cohort study was conducted from January 1 through December 31, 2014, at an academic department of ophthalmology. Participants included 49 448 patient appointments with 33 attending physicians and 40 trainees. Exposures Presence vs absence of trainees in an appointment or clinic session, as determined by review of the EHR audit log. Main Outcomes and Measures Patient appointment time, as determined by time stamps in the EHR clinical data warehouse. Linear mixed models were developed to analyze variability among clinicians and patients. Results Among the 33 study physicians (13 women [39%] and 20 men [61%]; median age, 44 years [interquartile range, 39-53 years]), appointments with trainees were significantly longer than appointments in clinic sessions without trainees (mean [SD], 105.0 [55.7] vs 80.3 [45.4] minutes; P < .001). The presence of a trainee in a clinic session was associated with longer mean appointment time, even in appointments for which the trainee was not present (mean [SD], 87.2 [49.2] vs 80.3 [45.4] minutes; P < .001). Among 33 study physicians, 3 (9%) had shorter mean appointment times when a trainee was present, 1 (3%) had no change, and 29 (88%) had longer mean appointment times when a trainee was present. Linear mixed models showed the presence of a resident was associated with a lengthening of appointment time of 17.0 minutes (95% CI, 15.6-18.5 minutes; P < .001), and the presence of a fellow was associated with a lengthening of appointment time of 13.5 minutes (95% CI, 12.3-14.8 minutes; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance Presence of trainees was associated with longer appointment times, even for patients not seen by a trainee. Although numerous limitations to this study design might affect the interpretation of the findings, these results highlight a potential challenge of maintaining clinical efficiency in academic medical centers and raise questions about physician reimbursement models.
Least tern (Sternula antillarum) population response to water levels on Cheyenne River and Oahe Reservoir, South Dakota, USA

Consideration of annual population count data, stream flows, water levels, and nesting habitat availability over a 29-year period suggest that Least Terns (Sternula antillarum athalossos) nesting along the Cheyenne River and Oahe Reservoir in South Dakota, USA, select areas primarily in response to reservoir water levels early in the breeding season. Generalized linear models were selected in an information-theoretic framework and showed important relationships between adult Least Tern numbers and reservoir levels, as well as a negative long-term temporal trend in both survey areas. Reservoir levels alone could not account for the temporal trend. The number of adult Least Terns on the Cheyenne River was positively correlated (R = 0.668) with mean May reservoir water levels—a more important relationship than that between adult numbers and river levels. The number of adults on the Oahe Reservoir was negatively correlated (R = -0.573) with mean May reservoir water levels. Numbers of adults on the Cheyenne River and on Oahe Reservoir were negatively correlated (R = -0.684), suggesting that birds may interact as one population across the two areas. This information should help managers to consider ecological relationships among segments of the Least Tern population on the Missouri River and its tributaries and options for managing Least Terns on the Cheyenne River, Oahe Reservoir, and elsewhere on the Missouri River system.
Translating Research Findings on Early Experience to Prevention: Animal and Human Evidence on Early Attachment Relationships

Abstract Recent studies provide a wealth of findings on the mechanisms by which early stress exposure, particularly within the early child–parent attachment relationship, may influence long-term adaptation. Translating these findings to clinical practice and social policy is now underway. In this review, some key considerations in this translational task are examined, specifically, the conceptual bases underlying the research designs, the putative mechanisms involved, and the degree to which currently available findings might shape interventions. Although the primary focus is on depression, a broader range of phenotypes associated with poor early caregiving environments is also considered.
Geometric Hyperplanes of Lie Incidence Geometries

A geometric hyperplane of a point--line geometry is a proper subspace which meets each line non-trivially. If H is a hyperplane of a projective space P, and the point line geometry Γ has an embedding in P , then the pullback from H is a geometric hyperplane of Γ. We show that all geometric hyperplanes arise in this way for polar spaces of typeD n , the Grassmann space of lines, and the exceptional geometry E 1,6 . The actual geometric hyperplanes are studied in several cases.
Absolute Polarities and Central Inversions

There are two different geometric transformations that go by the name of “inversion.” One is inversion in a point, also called “central” inversion, and the other is inversion in a circle or a sphere, which is the basis of inversive geometry. Other than the fact that both of these transformations are of period two, they seem to have little in common except for the name. However, when we extend the concept of inversion in a circle to include inversion in imaginary circles, we find that inversion in an ordinary or ideal point of hyperbolic space can be identified with inversion in an imaginary or real circle at infinity, thus uniting the two meanings of the term. Such a correspondence is possible because the group of isometries of a hyperbolic space of two or more dimensions is isomorphic to the group of circle-preserving transformations of an inversive space of one dimension less. This isomorphism, noted in 1905 by Liebmann [13, p. 54] and subsequently by many others, has been dealt with extensively in two papers by Coxeter [6; 10J.
Different Substances and Dry-Needling Injections in Patients with Myofascial Pain and Headaches

Trigger point injections with different solutions have been studied mainly with regard to the management of myofascial pain (MFP) patient management. However, few studies have analyzed their effect in a chronic headache population with associated MFP. The purpose of this study was to assess if trigger point injections using lidocaine associated with corticoid would be better than lidocaine alone, as in comparison with dry-needling in for the management of local pain and associated headache management. Forty-five (45) myofascial pain patients with headaches that could be reproduced by activating at least one trigger point, were randomly assigned into one of the three groups: G1, dry-needling, G2, 0.25% lidocaine, at 0.25% and G3, 0.25% lidocaine at 0.25% associated with corticoid, and were assessed during a 12 week period. Levels of pain intensity, frequency and duration, local post-injection sensitivity, obtainment time and duration of relief, and the use of rescue medication were evaluated. Statistically, all three groups showed favorable results for the evaluated requisites (p < or = 0.05), but only for post-injection sensitivity did the association of lidocaine with corticoid present the best results and ingestion of rescue medication.
Representation Levels Within Knowledge Representation

Representation of knowledge is used to store and retrieve informational data in a machine. Since meaningcannot be directly stored in the computer; this work proposes a series of levels of representation. The meaning of the data is transformed to a format that the machine can use to store and retrieve knowledge. These levels are designed to transform the knowledge from an abstract definition to a machine representation without loosing any meaning.
Prehospital Tranexamic Acid Administration During Aeromedical Transport After Injury.

Abstract Background Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to reduce mortality in the treatment of traumatic hemorrhage. This effect seems most profound when given early after injury. We hypothesized that extending a protocol for TXA administration into the prehospital aeromedical setting would improve outcomes while maintaining a similar safety profile to TXA dosed in the emergency department (ED). Materials and methods We identified all trauma patients who received TXA during prehospital aeromedical transport or in the ED at our urban level I trauma center over an 18-mo period. These patients had been selected prospectively for TXA administration using a protocol that selected adult trauma patients with high-risk mechanism and concern for severe hemorrhage to receive TXA. Patient demographics, vital signs, lab values including thromboelastography, blood administration, mortality, and complications were reviewed retrospectively and analyzed. Results One hundred sixteen patients were identified (62 prehospital versus 54 ED). Prehospital TXA patients were more likely to have sustained blunt injury (76% prehospital versus 46% ED, P = 0.002). There were no differences between groups in injury severity score or initial vital signs. There were no differences in complication rates or mortality. Patients receiving TXA had higher rates of venous thromboembolic events (8.1% in prehospital and 18.5% in ED) than the overall trauma population (2.1%, P Conclusions Prehospital administration of TXA during aeromedical transport did not improve survival compared with ED administration. Treatment with TXA was associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolic events. Prehospital TXA protocols should be refined to identify patients with severe hemorrhagic shock or traumatic brain injury.
Comparative Study of Pore Formation Energy by High Intensity, Nanosecond Electrical Pulse

Nanosecond, high intensity electric pulses create nanopores in the cell membrane. Pore formation energy is probed by taking account of the strain energy based on the continuum model. Maxwell stress acting on the cell membrane is included in the 3D model calculation as well as the effect of membrane curvature. In addition, comparison between cylindrical and toroidal pores were made to explore the difference of strain energy and force over the pores at a range of radii. Through the analyses the transmembrane potential were kept constant in order to obtain a transient response in that the electric pulse has a ultrashort duration and pore-evolving process is rapid as well. Our results demonstrate that under the same circumstances toroidal pores have higher strain energy than cylindrical pores due to the surface area and volume of the pore shape.
Holographic argument for the Penrose inequality in AdS spacetimes

We give a holographic argument in favor of the AdS Penrose inequality, which conjectures a lower bound on the total mass in terms of the area of apparent horizons. This inequality is often viewed as a test of cosmic censorship. We further find a connection between the area law for apparent horizons and the Penrose inequality. Finally, we show that the argument also applies to solutions with charge, resulting in a charged Penrose inequality in AdS.
Acting on Authenticity: Individual Interpretations and Behavioral Responses:

Many individuals in advanced consumer economies prefer authentic producers, products, and services. An important but overlooked question concerns the psychology behind such preferences: How do indi...
Data-Driven Safety Verification of Complex Cyber-Physical Systems

Data-driven verification methods utilize execution data together with models for establishing safety requirements. These are often the only tools available for analyzing complex, nonlinear cyber-physical systems, for which purely model-based analysis is currently infeasible. In this chapter, we outline the key concepts and algorithmic approaches for data-driven verification and discuss the guarantees they provide. We introduce some of the software tools that embody these ideas and present several practical case studies demonstrating their application in safety analysis of autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), satellite control, and engine control systems.
Assessment of the impact of neutronic/thermal-hydraulic coupling on the design and performance of nuclear reactors for space propulsion

A series of studies has been performed to investigate the potential impact of the coupling between neutronics and thermal hydraulics on the design and performance assessment of solid core reactors for nuclear thermal space propulsion, using the particle bed reactor (PBR) concept as an example system. For a given temperature distribution in the reactor, the k[sub eff] and steady-state core power distribution are obtained from three-dimensional, continuous energy Monte Carlo simulations using the MCNP code. For a given core power distribution, determination of the temperature distribution in the core and hydrogen-filled annulus between the reflector and pressure vessel is based on a nonthermal equilibrium analysis. The results show that a realistic estimation of fuel, core size, and control requirements for PBRs using hydrogenous moderators, as well as optimization of the overall engine design, may require coupled neutronic/thermal-hydraulic studies. However, it may be possible to estimate the thermal safety margins and propellant exit temperatures based on power distributions obtained from neutronic calculations at room temperature. The results also show that, while variation of the hydrogen flow rate in the annulus has been proposed as a partial control mechanism for PBRs, such control mechanism may not be feasible for PBRs with highmore » moderator-to-fuel ratios and hence soft core neutron spectra.« less
Herbal Supplements or Herbs in Heart Disease: Herbiceutical Formulation, Clinical Trials, Futuristic Developments

Herbal formulas serve the purpose of alternative or combinatorial treatment as safe, cheap, and effective complementary and alternative medicines with no side effects. Coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are major disorders of dyslipidemia or elevated lipids in blood resulting in atherosclerosis and cardiac arrest. The biochemical mechanistic basis of changes in cardiovascular metabolites and regulation is described. A new noninvasive herbal testing method is described based on in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and ex vivo magnetic resonance microscopy – histology correlation. A scheme of herbal testing methods is presented, which is based on the herbal-induced change in physical symptoms and clinical diagnosis, and the experimental evaluation of herbal effects on heart biochemical and physiological functions. Herbal foods and herbal preparations are approved to benefit the public in CVD prevention. It remains to be seen if herbal medicine reduces or arrests cardiovascular injury without any long-term side effects under skepticism of ‘really herbs can work.’
Improving treatment efficiency via photon optimizer (PO) MLC algorithm for synchronous single-isocenter/multiple-lesions VMAT lung SBRT.

PURPOSE Elderly patients with multiple primary or oligometastases (<5 lesions) lesions with associated co-morbidities may not retain their treatment position for the traditional long SBRT treatment time with individual isocenters for each lesion. Treating multiple lesions synchronously using a single-isocenter volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) plan would be more efficient with the use of the most recently adopted photon optimizer (PO) MLC algorithm and improve the patient comfort. Herein, we quantified the clinical performance of PO versus its predecessor progressive resolution optimizer (PRO) algorithm for single-isocenter/multiple-lesions VMAT lung SBRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fourteen patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer lesions (two to five, both uni- and bilateral lungs) received a highly conformal single-isocenter co/non-coplanar VMAT (2-6 arcs) SBRT treatment plan. Patients were treated with a 6X-FFF beam and Acuros algorithm with a single-isocenter placed between/among the lesions, using PO for MLC optimization. Average isocenter to tumor distance was 5.5 ± 1.9 cm. Mean combined PTV derived from 4D-CT scans was 38.7 ± 22.7 cc. Doses were 54 Gy/50 Gy in 3/5 fractions prescribed to 70%-80% isodose line so that at least 95% of the PTV receives 100% of prescribed dose. Plans were re-optimized using PRO algorithm. Plans were compared via ROTG-0915 protocol criteria for target conformity, heterogeneity and gradient indices, and dose to organs-at-risk (OAR). Additionally, total number of monitor units (MU), modulation factor (MF) and beam-on time were compared. RESULTS All plans met SBRT protocol requirements for target coverage and OAR doses. Comparison of target coverage and dose to the OAR showed no statistical significance between the two plans. PO had 1042 ± 753 (P < 0.001) less MU than PRO resulting in a beam-on time of about 0.75 ± 0.5 min (P < 0.001) less, on average. For similar dose distribution, a significant reduction of beam delivery complexity was observed with PO (average MF = 3.7 ± 0.7) vs PRO MLC algorithm (average MF = 4.4 ± 1.3) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS PO MLC algorithm improved treatment efficiency without compromising plan quality when compared to PRO algorithm for single-isocenter/multi-lesions VMAT lung SBRT. Shorter beam-on time can potentially reduce intrafraction motion errors and improve patient compliance. PO MLC algorithm is recommended for future clinical lung SBRT plan optimization.
Characterization of abrasive wear using degradation coefficient

Abstract The application of the degradation entropy generation (DEG) theorem in assessing the degradation of tribo-pair experiencing dry as well as lubricated adhesive wear has been recently demonstrated. DEG theorem correlates the degradation forces and the entropy generation through a so-called degradation coefficient, B. The present paper endeavors to extend the application of the method to treat abrasive wear. For this purpose, a pin-on-disk test apparatus is used with pins and abrasives having different hardness ratios with extended tests on abrasives of different types and grit sizes. Results show that the grit number of abrasive sheets exhibited a pronounced effect on the wear rate as well as the friction coefficient. Inclusion of the friction coefficient in the evaluation of the wear coefficient, Kab, reduces the variation with wear rate with the grit size. The effectiveness of using the thermodynamic degradation coefficient B over Kab is demonstrated by determining the wear rate values for extensive sets of experimental results conducted over a wide range of operating conditions. The efficacy of the DEG theorem is demonstrated for a tribo-pair experiencing abrasive wear due to different combinations of particle sizes and types of abrasives. Illustrative examples of the applications of the results to polishing and grinding operations are presented to show the utility of the approach.
Reframing After-School Programs as Developing Youth Interest, Identity, and Social Capital:

An increasing focus on academics in after-school programs overlooks the substantial potential for such spaces to support populations of students who are also most likely to disengage from tradition...
Second chances in the second city: Public housing and prisoner reentry in Chicago:

In November 2014, the Chicago Housing Authority approved a pilot program to allow a limited number of individuals with criminal records to live in their housing programs. In this article, I contend...
Hydrogen Adsorption on Ordered and Disordered Pt-Ni Alloys

The bulk properties and chemical reactivity of disordered Pt-Ni alloys in the A1 (fcc) structure are investigated using different methods: Virtual Crystal Approximation (VCA), Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker Coherent Potential Approximation (KKR-CPA), and large explicit supercells generated using Super-Cell Random Approximates (SCRAPs). While VCA predicts lattice constants that closely follow Vegard’s law, the large supercells and KKR-CPA predict lattice constants that are consistently larger than Vegard’s law. KKR-CPA results closely agree with those from the large supercells for the disordered alloys, producing similar projected density of states and magnetic moment across the composition range. For instance, while VCA predicts the disordered alloys to be non-magnetic at a Pt concentration (xPt) ≥ 0.5, KKR-CPA and SCRAPs predict the disordered alloys to remain ferromagnetic to higher Pt concentrations. As xPt decreases, the adsorption of H becomes more exothermic on bulk-terminated (111) surfaces but less exothermic on Pt monolayer-terminated (111) surfaces due largely to strain effects. (111) surfaces cut from the large supercells predict average H adsorption energies on the disordered alloys similar to those on the ordered phases of the same compositions, while VCA predicts H adsorption to be more exothermic.
The Repetition Dimension in Dreams and Waking Cognition

In this chapter, we put some of our findings into a larger context to suggest that there is an overlooked dimension, a repetition dimension, underlying much of our dreaming. We also connect the “unfinished business” driving the repetition dimension to similar findings on the content of our thoughts when our waking minds are drifting, wandering, or daydreaming.
Expanding minds through explorations of our expanding universe

Science is the observation of patterns inherent in the universe, composing the language by which the natural world communicates. To provide non-STEM students a meaningful experience of science, I developed a series of engaging, investigative activities through which students in an introductory astronomy course act as scientists to explore the world they inhabit. These activities focus on having students use real data they gather, or data gathered from academic journals and databases, to reach important conclusions about the nature of our universe. As an example, one activity focuses on using Type Ia supernova magnitudes to measure the accelerating expansion of the universe and is the focus of this paper. By including this and other similar activities throughout the course, the students engage in scientific thinking in a fun and exciting way. To evaluate the success of these activities, students were asked an open-ended experimental design question at the start and end of the course. The growth shown by the 11 students in the six-week summer class is an indicator that the inclusion of these activities helped these students learn about the tools available to astronomers, while also facilitating an environment to foster scientific thinking.
Laser interstitial thermal therapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumor in adults. Patients with glioblastoma (GBM) tumors deemed inoperable with open surgical techniques and treated only with chemo/radiation have a median overall survival of less than 9 months. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) has emerged as a cytoreductive alternative to surgery for these patients. The present study describes the outcomes of twenty patients with newly diagnosed, IDH wild-type glioblastoma treated with LITT. We retrospectively reviewed patients with newly diagnosed, unresectable GBM who underwent LITT at our institution. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint measured in our study, defined as time from LITT to disease progression. Results Twenty patients were identified with newly diagnosed, inoperable GBM lesions who underwent LITT. The overall median PFS was 4 months (95% CI = 2 — N/A, upper limit not reached). The median progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with less than 1 cm 3 residual tumor (gross total ablation, GTA) was 7 months (95% CI = 6 — N/A, upper limit not reached), compared to 2 months (95% CI = 1 — upper limit not reached) for patients with a lower GTA (p = .0019). The median overall survival was 11 months (95% CI = 6 — upper limit not reached). Preoperative Karnofsky performance score (KPS) less than or equal to 80 and deep-seated tumor location were significantly associated with decreased PFS (HR, .18, p = .03; HR, .08, p = .03, respectively). At the end of 1 month, only 4 patients (20%) experienced persistent motor deficits. LITT is a safe and effective treatment for patients with unresectable, untreated GBM with rates of survival and local recurrence comparable to patients with surgically accessible lesions treated with conventional resection. Careful patient selection is needed to determine if GTA is attainable.
Modeling of Am-241 as an alternative fuel source in a radioisotope thermoelectric generator

Abstract Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) have been utilized in the USA to power satellites and space exploration equipment for over half a century. In our preceding paper, Dustin and Borrelli (2021), we assessed the performance of 241Am as an alternative to 238Pu by modeling the specific decay-heat and gamma spectra of several potential radioisotopes in SCALE-ORIGEN, and comparing these with 238Pu An analysis of heat output, heat stability, safety, availability and required mass showed that of the isotopes reviewed, 241Am had the greatest potential for replacing 238Pu, with additional design considerations. In our current work, we have assessed radiation transport for two configurations of an 241Am powered Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG), due to the potential health effects for operators, fabricators, and others with the potential to be exposed to neutrons and lower energy gamma rays. We have modeled the use of americium as a fuel source replacement for plutonium in current MMRTG designs. The assessment has been performed using MCNP6, in terms of neutron and gamma emissions that might interfere with sensitive equipment and power system production. The radiation transport behavior in terms of dose rate of the 241Am fueled models is compared with that of a 238Pu fueled model. Additional work was performed to validate modeling simplifications with regards to thermocouple material configurations.
Using Insights from Learning Journals to Rewrite Teaching and Learning Goals in Student-Friendly Language

Understanding the course mission and learning goals is an essential step for students in any learning environment. Reflective writing assignments may assist instructors in their quest to reformulate teaching and learning goals in a language accessible to students, while maintaining the mission and intent of the class relevant to their professional field and requirements. This study proposes using software-driven content analysis methods borrowed from media and communication research in an attempt to first identify the degree and manner in which students internalize the language of instruction; and second, rewrite course/training materials in a language that reflects student discourse. Because it can use either free-form or formal writing, this strategy can be adapted for a variety of interdisciplinary contexts.
Medical students' reactions to anatomic dissection and the phenomenon of cadaver naming

The teaching of gross anatomy has, for centuries, relied on the dissection of human cadavers, and this formative experience is known to evoke strong emotional responses. The authors hypothesized that the phenomenon of cadaver naming is a coping mechanism used by medical students and that it correlates with other attitudes about dissection and body donation. The authors developed a 33-question electronic survey to which 1,156 medical students at 12 medical schools in the United States voluntarily responded (November 2011-March 2012). They also surveyed course directors from each institution regarding their curricula and their observations of students' coping mechanisms. The majority of students (574, 67.8%) named their cadaver. Students most commonly cited the cadaver's age as the reason they chose a particular name for the cadaver. A minority of the students who did not name the cadaver reported finding the practice of naming disrespectful. Almost all students indicated that they would have liked to know more about their donor, particularly his or her medical history. Finally, students who knew the birth name of the donor used it less frequently than predicted. The authors found that the practice of naming cadavers is extremely prevalent among medical students and that inventive naming serves as a beneficial coping mechanism. The authors suggest that developing a method of providing students with more information about their cadaver while protecting the anonymity of the donor and family would be useful.
Appendix B Coefficients for gas thermal conductivity equation

Publisher Summary This chapter is an appendix of coefficients for gas thermal conductivity equation used in the book on, “Handbook of Thermal Conductivity.”
Post-transcriptional regulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha expression

The success of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists in the therapy of inflammatory arthritides has established the central role of this cytokine in the pathogenesis of these disorders. TNF is notable in that it is predominantly controlled at the post-transcriptional level in macrophages. TNF biosynthesis is highly regulated by the AU-rich element (AURE) found in its 3' untranslated region. This AURE regulates both the stability and rate of translation of TNF mRNA. In the macrophage, the ERK, JNK, and p38 SAPK signaling pathways converge on the AURE in regulating the nuclear export, stability and translation of TNF mRNA. Second, the C3H zinc finger protein, tristetraprolin (TTP), appears to play a major role in the post-transcriptional regulation of TNF by binding the AURE. Recent studies have identified that TTP is a target of the p38 SAPK/MAPKAP K2 kinase (MK2) pathway. Phosphorylation of TTP by MK2 has been reported in vitro and in vivo; data suggest that MK2 activation inactivates the function of TTP as a destabilizing protein. Intriguingly, TTP binding to the AURE does not appear to be regulated by this phosphorylation. Rather, the function of TTP seems to be modulated through interactions with specific proteins that alter its subcellular localization. This creates a model where TTP provides specificity in binding cytokine-type AURE but the consequences of this interaction are determined by protein–protein interactions. Second, we have identified that TTP does not bind all AURE, but rather exhibits specificity for nUAUUUAUn sequences. Third, we have identified that TTP regulates its own mRNA stability. Fourth, we have demonstrated that TTP localizes to the polysomes in the context of macrophage activation by lipopolysaccharide. Fifth, we have demonstrated that TTP is expressed in many different hematopoietic cells and appears to function as an AURE binding protein. Thus, although the role of TTP in TNF biology is best understood in the macrophage, it appears that some, if not all, of these concepts may be relevant to other cells involved in the immune and inflammatory response.
Exploration of lagged associations using longitudinal data.

Several statistical approaches for the analysis of longitudinal data require that models be correctly specified for the association betweeen a current outcome and the full history of past outcomes and time-dependent exposures. It is empirically challenging to determine the specific aspects of the outcome and/or exposure history that are predictive of a current outcome because the potential number of variables representing the history can be quite large. The purpose of this manuscript is to outline statistical methods that can characterize lagged effcts and to provide a structured approach for data analysis with the goal of appropriate model development. One of the main contributions of the paper is to emphasize the possibility that in practice transition models may frequently require more than simple additive and linear models for the predictors representing the history of the outcome and covariate processes. We illustrate the concepts using an example from anemia treatment for dialysis patients and show how linear models can be specified with flexible dependence on exposure and/or outcome histories.
The pathogenesis and prognosis of end-stage heart disease.

Abstract The final outcome of many forms of heart disease is congestive heart failure (CHF), a condition in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood to fulfill the body's metabolic requirements. Systolic heart failure is characterized by an impairment of myocardial contractility, whereas diastolic heart failure results from the left ventricle's inability to distend normally. The general features of CHF include pressure or volume overload, muscle loss, decreased myocardial contractility, or restrictive filling. Treatment is palliative, and 50% of the patients with CHF can be expected to die within 5 years; the mortality is much higher in those with coronary disease or limiting symptoms. The following signs are associated with a particularly poor prognosis: age > 55 years, cardiomegaly, a cardiac index of 20 mmHg, an ejection fraction of < 30%, a thin ventricular wall, dyspnea, and evidence of atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. Because of their high mortality, many of these patients eventually become candidates for cardiac transplantation. (Texas Heart Institute Journal 1987; 14:346-350)
A monoclonal autoantibody that promotes central nervous system remyelination in a model of multiple sclerosis is a natural autoantibody encoded by germline immunoglobulin genes

Antibodies directed against self-Ags are frequently considered detrimental, and have been shown to play a pathogenic role in certain autoimmune diseases. However, the presence of autoreactive Abs in normal individuals suggests that some autoantibodies could participate in normal physiology. Our previous studies demonstrated that monoclonal autoantibodies SCH94.03 and SCH94.32, generated from the splenocytes of uninfected SJL/J mice injected with normal homogenized spinal cord, promote central nervous system remyelination when passively transferred into syngeneic mice chronically infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus, an established experimental model of multiple sclerosis. In this study we show that these two monoclonal autoantibodies are identical, and have phenotypic characteristics of natural autoantibodies. By using a solid phase assay system, SCH94.03 and SCH94.32 showed reactivity toward several protein Ags and chemical haptens, with prominent reactivity toward spectrin, (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl, and fluorescein. Sequence analysis showed that both SCH94.03 and SCH94.32 were encoded by identical germline Ig light chain V kappa 10/J kappa 1 and heavy chain V23/DFL16.1/JH2 genes, with no definitive somatic mutations. These results indicate that a natural autoantibody participates in a beneficial physiologic response to central nervous system injury.
An Endangered Species Act for Literacy Education

In our quest to move every child ahead, we have fallen behind, lost our way as a profession. In our all-out national effort to improve the quality of teaching and learning literacy, we have compromised some of our most enduring principles and practices. The time has come to reverse this trend and to restore the ecology of literacy instruction to a healthier state.
The Keynesian recovery myth: A rejoinder

Abstract Professors Peterson and Estenson's contrary view that the 1983 cyclical recovery conforms with a Keynesian rather than supply-side model finds fault with issues not raised in the original article. Their assertions are disputable in any event and not resolvable by the foreshortened analytic compass they use. Where relevant, their analysis is factually marred and probably conceptually deficient.
Measurement of electron-attachment line shapes, cross sections, and rate constants in HI and DI at ultralow electron energies

Electron-attachment cross sections are reported in the electron energy range 0-150 MeV, at an energy resolution of 6.5 MeV (full width at half maximum) for the molecules HI and DI. Use is made of the Kr photoionization method to obtain cross sections for HI, and a signal intercomparison technique to obtain cross sections and the thermal-attachment rate constant for DI. Attachment properties of the two molecules are very similar. The ratio of attachment cross sections is discussed in terms of the reduced-mass dependence of the dissociation width and the survival probability, and in terms of spectroscopic thresholds and rotational populations for attachment at 300 K. Approximate potential-energy curves for the lowest states of the neutral molecule and negative ion are given.
Matrilysin-1 (MMP7) cleaves galectin-3 and inhibits wound healing in intestinal epithelial cells

Background—Galectin-3 is an animal lectin that has been implicated in wound healing and is decreased in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7) also known as matrilysin-1, a protease shown to cleave extracellular matrix proteins, is highly expressed in IBD tissues, especially at the leading edge of gastrointestinal ulcers. The ability of MMP7 to cleave galectin-3 and influence wound healing has not been reported previously. Aim—To determine whether MMP7 cleaves galectin-3 and modulates wound healing in intestinal epithelial cells. Methods—The cleaved fragments of galectin-3 were identified by N-terminal sequencing and mass spectrometry. Western blotting was used to detect the cleaved galectin-3 products in a colonic epithelial cell line (T84 cells). Cell migration was studied by in vitro scratch method. Results—We demonstrate for the first time that MMP7 cleaves galectin-3 in vitro, resulting in three cleaved fragments (20.2 kDa, 18.9 kDa and 15.5 kDa). Exogenous treatment of T84 cells with recombinant MMP7 resulted in the appearance of secreted galectin-3 cleavage fragments in the supernatant. MMP7 inhibited cell migration and resulted in wound retraction and the addition of MMP7 to galectin-3 abrogated the wound healing and cell migration induced by galectin-3. Conclusions—We have demonstrated that galectin-3 is a substrate for MMP7. Cleavage of galectin-3 may be one mechanism by which MMP7 inhibits wound healing. This study has significance in understanding delayed wound healing in chronic intestinal diseases like intestinal ulcers and IBD where MMP7 protein expression is elevated with a decreased galectin-3 protein expression.