cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Power of Promotion: Using Social Media to Promote a Radiology Department

The emergence of social media has provided medical practices with a new means of delivering content to a wide and varied audience. There are a number of different social media channels; however, each allows users to interact with each other, sharing and consuming content in a manner governed by rules unique to the specific social media platform. In this paper, we will introduce several common platforms, describe the advantages and disadvantages of each, and discuss how we have used each platform to connect to a target audience, highlight our department's educational content, and showcase our research.
Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir without ribavirin is effective in the treatment of recurrent hepatitis C virus infection post-liver transplant

Background/aim Recurrent hepatitis C virus infection is a challenging complication post-liver transplant. Current guidelines recommend the combination of ribavirin and ledipasvir/sofosbuvir for 12 weeks for the treatment of recurrent HCV genotype 1 post-liver transplant. Data are limited on the use of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir without ribavirin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir without ribavirin for the treatment of recurrent hepatitis C virus post-liver transplant.
Hepta-Mutant Staphylococcus aureus Sortase A (SrtA7m) as a Tool for in Vivo Protein Labeling in Caenorhabditis elegans

In vivo protein ligation is of emerging interest as a means of endowing proteins with new properties in a controlled fashion. Tools to site-specifically and covalently modify proteins with small molecules, peptides, or other proteins in living cells are few and far between. Here, we describe the development of a Staphylococcus aureus sortase (SrtA)-based protein ligation approach for site-specific conjugation of fluorescent dyes and ubiquitin (Ub) to modify proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans. Hepta-mutant SrtA (SrtA7m) expressed in C. elegans is functional and supports in vitro sortase reactions in a low-Ca2+ environment. Feeding SrtA7m-expressing C. elegans with small peptide-based probes such as (Gly)3- biotin or (Gly)3-fluorophores enables in vivo target protein modification. SrtA7m also catalyzes the circularization of suitably modified linear target proteins in vivo and allows the installation of F-box domains on targets to induce their degradation in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. This is a noninvasi...
Parameters controlling pressure and fracture behaviors in field injectivity tests: A numerical investigation using coupled flow and geomechanics model

Abstract Field injectivity tests are widely used in the oil and gas industry to obtain key formation characteristics. The prevailing approaches for injectivity test interpretation rely on traditional analytical models. A number of parameters may affect the test results and lead to interpretation difficulties. Understanding their impacts on pressure response and fracture geometry of the test is essential for accurate test interpretation. In this work, a coupled flow and geomechanics model is developed for numerical simulation of field injectivity tests. The coupled model combines a cohesive zone model for simulating fluid-driven fracture and a poro-elastic/plastic model for simulating formation behavior. The model can capture fracture propagation, fluid flow within the fracture and formation, deformation of the formation, and evolution of pore pressure and stress around the wellbore and fracture during the tests. Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the impacts of a multitude of parameters on test behaviors. The parameters include rock permeability, the leak-off coefficient of the fracture, rock stiffness, rock toughness, rock strength, plasticity deformation, and injection rate. The sensitivity of pressure response and fracture geometry on each parameter is reported and discussed. The coupled flow and geomechanics model provides additional advantages in the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of field injectivity tests.
Stabilization Options in the Adolescent: Open Bankart Repair

While arthroscopic stabilization has generally been successful in the over 30-year-old age group, recurrence rates in the younger old group have been disturbingly high.This has been especially problematic in the under 18-year-old contact athlete. For this reason, treatment alternatives to traditional arthroscopic Bankart repair have been reexamined. One option has been open Bankart repair.
Imaging of Neuroendocrine Tumors: Indications, Interpretations, Limits, and Pitfalls

Imaging is critical in the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). NETs share common imaging features, but each type exhibits unique features. Computed tomography scans or MRI of the abdomen is used to assess tumor burden routinely. Functional imaging with octreotide scan or gallium-68 somatostatin analog PET is used selectively to confirm diagnosis and guide therapy. Clinicians and radiologists should be familiar with the indications and interpretations of imaging modalities. Novel functional imaging modalities likely will be developed to detect small NETs, predict prognosis, guide therapeutic choices, and design novel therapies.
Angiogenesis and Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerotic heart disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite recent advances in our understanding of atherosclerosis the role of angiogenesis in atherosclerosis is still being debated. The use of therapeutic angiogenesis has been widely regarded as an attractive approach in treatment of ischemic heart disease. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that neovascularization contributes to the progression of atherosclerotic lesions, and that it may play key role in intraplaque hemorrhage, plaque destabilization and rupture. Most trials on therapeutic angiogenesis using growth factors like VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)/FGF (fibroblast growth factor) have used single agents and are inconclusive. Bench and bedside research continues to bring insight into new mechanisms of atherosclerosis and tumor growth. Further understanding of different facets of angiogenesis may help in the development of novel and specific therapies.
Donald J. Trump and the Enduring Religion Factor in US Elections

The 2016 presidential candidacy of Donald J. Trump posed a special challenge for many religious-motivated voters, especially those long associated with the religious right movement that has long anchored the Republican Party.
A compartmental network model for the spread of whooping cough

Bordetella pertussis bacterium is the main cause of whooping cough which is a highly contagious disease affecting the lungs. Outbreaks of whooping cough have increased over the past few years and have led to infant deaths over multiple states in the US and has drawn the attention of health care providers. The goal of our research is to develop a mathematical epidemiology model that can help in understanding how the disease is spread in the state of Nebraska.
On the possibility of using plasmonic metal nanoparticles embedded within the silicon substrate to enhance the energy conversion efficiency of silicon thin-film solar cells

While photovoltaic cells have become increasingly available commercially over the last few decades, their relatively low efficiencies leave much room for improvement. Plasmonic nanostructures have been used to enhance the optical and electrical activity within PV cells. However, while plasmonic nanostructures have been placed above the surface of the cell, the effect that nanostructures embedded within the cell can have on its energy conversion has not been extensively studied. This study analyzes the effect of plasmonic nanostructures embedded within a thin-film amorphous Si solar cell on the efficiency of the solar cell, and hopes to provide a relationship between the physical parameters of the nanostructures and the optical and electrical enhancement within the solar cell. The parameters considered were the size of the nanoparticles and the distance between neighboring nanoparticles. The metal chosen for the nanospheres is silver (Ag). The analyses performed were — plasmon resonance analyses, absorption enhancement, short circuit current density and near field enhancement imaging. Through this study, it was found that although there is no linear increase in optical and electrical activity with respect to particle size, the largest particle (diameter of 500nm) studied resulted in the highest enhancement. Furthermore, the closer the particles were, the greater the enhancements obtained.
Acute Nonhemorrhagic Adrenal Infarction in Pregnancy: 10-Year MRI Incidence and Patient Outcomes at a Single Institution

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the MRI incidence of nonhemorrhagic adrenal infarction in pregnant women undergoing MRI evaluation of acute abdominal or flan...
ANGINA AS A SEQUELA OF A CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT

In 2000, an estimated 800,000 adults with congenital heart disease lived in the United States. Medical care for this growing population of individuals often requires a coordinated multidisciplinary healthcare team. We present a case of atypical angina in a young female from suspected subclavian
Defect Abundances and Diffusion Mechanisms in Diamond, SiC, Si and Ge

Many of the important properties of semiconductors are affected by the presence of native defects. These include diffusion of native atoms and impurities, electronic properties, structural rearrangements during growth or processing, etc. We have used local density theory and non-local pseudopotentials to study trends in the relative abundance of native defects and in self-diffusion (diffusion of native tracer atoms) in diamond, SiC, Si and Ge. Both point-defect-mediated diffusion and direct exchange of lattice atoms were considered. All calculations were carried out using the same methodology and similar convergence criteria.
Apparent Genitive Subjects within the Scope of Negation

According to the analysis proposed in chapter 2, the possibility of Genitive occurring with ne or null quantifiers exists only in object position. Certain morphological processes make possible alternative pairings of logical arguments and grammatical functions. (Such constructions, including the passive, are discussed in more detail in chapter 5 and in the Appendix.) In particular, there are lexical rules that have the effect of allowing the argument often expressed as SUBJECT to be demoted, and to fulfill the OBJECT function. Such processes including so-called there insertion (see Bresnan, 1982b) in English and il extraposition in French (see Grimshaw, 1982b). If an analogous process existed in Russian, it would be somewhat hard to detect, for two reasons. First, Russian has relatively free word order, and the object may appear pre-verbally.
Cognitive Improvement in Older Adults in the Year After Hip Fracture: Implications for Brain Resilience in Advanced Aging.

Objective We examined cognitive function in nondemented, nondelirious older adults 1 year post hip fracture. Design Prospective observational study. Setting and Participants Three hundred eighty-six hip fracture patients aged 60 years and older with no history of cognitive impairment, such as clinical dementia or persistent delirium, recruited from eight area hospitals 2–3 days after hip surgery (week 0), and 101 older adults with no recent acute medical events for control comparison. Methods Cognitive function was examined with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and the Short Blessed Test (SBT) at weeks 0 (SBT only), 4, and 52 using a repeated measures mixed model analysis. Baseline predictor variables included demographics, personality, genetic factors, and depressive symptom level. Results Hip fracture participants had lower cognitive scores than healthy comparisons. Cognitive scores improved in the hip fracture group relative to healthy comparison participants from week 4–52. The only significant predictor of cognitive improvement after hip fracture was education: individuals with college education showed cognitive improvement by week 52, while those with high school or less did not. Conclusion Nondemented, nondelirious older adults suffering hip fracture have poorer cognitive function immediately after the fracture but then exhibit cognitive improvement over the ensuing year, especially among those with high education. This demonstrates brain resilience in older adults even in the context of advanced age, medical illness, and frailty.
Korean tigers in Honduras: Urban economic zones as spatial ideology in international policy transfer networks

Abstract In 2012, the Honduran government and the state-run Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) reached an agreement though which KOICA would provide $4 million to conduct a feasibility study and master plan for three major Special Economic Development and Employment Zones (ZEDEs) in Honduras's Valle department in the southern part of the country. While post-coup right-wing regimes in Honduras seek legitimacy through association with the South Korean “Asian Tiger” and its conformity to global “rules and norms”, South Korean zone boosters engage in planning projects overseas as a form of speculative aid potentially opening up new frontiers of investment and development. Drawing on interviews with key actors and ethnographic fieldwork in both Honduras and South Korea, this paper explores representations of urban economic zones through the pinhole of international policy transfer between these two different political regimes. Rather than theorizing urban economic zones as a coherent mobile policy object proliferating in a world of neoliberal globalization, we propose a conceptualization of contemporary urban economic zones as a traveling spatial ideology. The political project of representation--comprised of spectacle and fantasy on one hand, and the erasures and exclusions of abstraction on the other--is a crucial precursor to the material transformations of land dispossession and the re-ordering of space.
Fine-tuning Polygenic Risk Scores with GWAS Summary Statistics

Abstract Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have wide applications in human genetics research. Notably, most PRS models include tuning parameters which improve predictive performance when properly selected. However, existing model-tuning methods require individual-level genetic data as the training dataset or as a validation dataset independent from both training and testing samples. These data rarely exist in practice, creating a significant gap between PRS methodology and applications. Here, we introduce PUMAS (Parameter-tuning Using Marginal Association Statistics), a novel method to fine-tune PRS models using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Through extensive simulations, external validations, and analysis of 65 traits, we demonstrate that PUMAS can perform a variety of model-tuning procedures (e.g. cross-validation) using GWAS summary statistics and can effectively benchmark and optimize PRS models under diverse genetic architecture. On average, PUMAS improves the predictive R2 by 205.6% and 62.5% compared to PRSs with arbitrary p-value cutoffs of 0.01 and 1, respectively. Applied to 211 neuroimaging traits and Alzheimer’s disease, we show that fine-tuned PRSs will significantly improve statistical power in downstream association analysis. We believe our method resolves a fundamental problem without a current solution and will greatly benefit genetic prediction applications.
Elevated Serum α-Fetoprotein is Associated with Abbreviated Survival for Patients with Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma Who Undergo a Curative Resection

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare variant of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with most clinical data stemming from single-institution series. The variability in the literature lends support for analysis using a large national dataset. In doing so, we sought to (1) define the characteristics and outcomes of patients with FLC; (2) determine factors associated with survival in patients undergoing resection; and (3) compare the overall survival (OS) of patients with FLC with a matched group of patients with HCC. The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with FLC, and their clinicopathologic features were recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to delineate factors associated with survival. Between 2004 and 2015, 496 patients were diagnosed with FLC, 229 of whom underwent a curative resection. The median OS for patients with FLC undergoing curative resection was 78.5 months. Factors associated with abbreviated OS in this surgical cohort include multiple tumors [hazard ratio (HR) 3.15, p = 0.025], positive regional lymph nodes (HR 2.83, p = 0.023), and elevated serum α-fetoprotein (AFP; HR 2.81, p = 0.034). When the OS of patients with FLC was compared with a matched group of patients with HCC, no difference was detected (p = 0.748); however, patients with FLC and elevated AFP had abbreviated OS compared with patients with HCC and elevated AFP (43 vs. 82 months, p ≤ 0.001). Elevations in serum AFP occur more frequently than previously documented for patients with FLC and are associated with abbreviated OS. AFP levels may help guide the decision for operative intervention in patients with FLC.
The development of subject case marking in Omotic Mao

The Mao subgroup of the Omotic family shows various degrees of development of morphological subject case marking which results from largely internal, but very similar historical pathways across the group. These different patterns find their source in an older prenominal demonstrative + NP + bound postnominal form construction; in this construction the bound postnominal form of this construction is itself related to (and often reduced from) the corresponding prenominal demonstrative. Evidence of such a construction is found in each of the four Mao languages but in only three of the languages has the construction become clearly associated with marking grammatical subjects. The pathway toward subject case marking appears to have begun with the demonstrative construction becoming associated with topical referents in discourse. In three of the four Mao languages, the prenominal demonstrative then became associated with definiteness (a typologically common development from topic-marking devices); in those same three languages the frequent co-association between topics and grammatical subjects led to the postnominal form developing subject case marking status. The prenominal definite marker (the erstwhile demonstrative) eventually became emancipated from the postnominal case marker to various degrees across the Mao group. The degree to which subject-development and emancipation between the prenominal and postnominal portions of this demonstrative construction has become established in each of the languages has led to the diverse patterns across the subgroup.
Passions Read & Hearts Fed: Science Fiction Orients Library Science to the Anthropocene—A Review of “I Met a Traveler in an Antique Land”

A review of Connie Willis' recently-published story, “I Met a Traveler in an Antique Land,” (Asimov’s, December 2017). The setting for Willis’ cautionary tale is a chimeric Manhattan bookstore, Ozymandia’s. The labyrinthine business is a last refuge for endangered books. The protagonist, an ambitious, forward-thinking blogger, rethinks his penchant for all things innovative when he visits the store and becomes conscious of the havoc wreaked upon books by the circumstances of the Anthropocene (wars, weather, bookworms, bookburning, thoughtless culling, etc.). He comes to understand the urgent need for, and complexity of the systematic preservation of information. Pre-print first published online 11/08/2019
Adult lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: A clinical case series in a predominantly Hispanic cohort from the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital.

e20060Background: Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a systemic inflammation disorder secondary to immune dysregulation. Patients may present with fevers, splenomegaly, bone marrow failure...
Teaching public memory through analysis of confederate monument controversies on college campuses

Courses: Rhetorical criticism, public address, persuasion, public memory theory, argumentation.Objectives: Through analysis of public controversies about Confederate monuments on college campuses, ...
Generation of 7 mJ, 115 fs Pulses at 2.4 μm, 1 kHz from a Cr:ZnSe Amplifier

We report on the generation of 7 mJ, 115 fs pulses at 2.4 μm and 1 kHz repetition rate from a Cr2+:ZnSe chirped pulse amplifier, which is very promising for applications in strong-field and attosecond physics.
Examining the Learning Practice of Emergency Airway Management Within an Academic Medical Center: Implications for Training and Improving Outcomes:

Emergency airway management (EAM) is a "high stakes" clinical practice, associated with a significant risk of procedure-related complications and patient mortality. Learning within the EAM team practice is complex and challenging for trainees. Increasing concern for patient safety and changes in the structure of medical education have resulted in educational challenges and opportunities for improvement within the EAM team practice. This paper is divided into 3 sections that describe the past, present, and future of the EAM team learning practice within a large academic institution. Section 1 provides a brief overview of the evolution of the existing practice of EAM. Key features, goals, and challenges of the practice are outlined and a recently performed needs analysis to identify areas for improvement is described. Section 2 examines the underlying assumptions regarding learning within the existing practice and explores how these assumptions fit into major theories of learning. Section 3 proposes an idealized learning practice for the EAM team which includes the assumptions regarding learners, design of the learning environment, use of technology to enhance learning, and the means of assessment and measuring success. It is hoped that through this systematic exploration of the EAM team practice, learning efficacy and efficiency will be improved and remain adaptable for challenges in the future.
Disruption of Tip60 HAT mediated neural histone acetylation homeostasis is an early common event in neurodegenerative diseases

Epigenetic dysregulation is a common mechanism shared by molecularly and clinically heterogenous neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Histone acetylation homeostasis, maintained by the antagonistic activity of histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), is necessary for appropriate gene expression and neuronal function. Disruption of neural acetylation homeostasis has been implicated in multiple types of NDs including Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet mechanisms underlying alterations remain unclear. We show that like AD, disruption of Tip60 HAT/HDAC2 balance with concomitant epigenetic repression of common Tip60 target neuroplasticity genes occurs early in multiple types of Drosophila ND models such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntington's Disease (HD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Repressed neuroplasticity genes show reduced enrichment of Tip60 and epigentic acetylation signatures at all gene loci examined with certain genes showing inappropriate HDAC2 repressor enrichment. Functional neuronal consequences for these disease conditions are reminiscent of human pathology and include locomotion, synapse morphology, and short-term memory deficits. Increasing Tip60 HAT levels specifically in the mushroom body learning and memory center in the Drosophila brain protects against locomotion and short-term memory function deficits in multiple NDs. Together, our results support a model by which Tip60 protects against neurological impairments in different NDs via similar modes of action.
Analgesic and Opioid Use for Patients Discharged from the Emergency Department with Ureteral Stones.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe and characterize the analgesic and opioid use for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) with renal colic due to ureteral stone. Met...
An Expanded Life Satisfaction Model: A Component of Subjective Well-Being

The current investigation uses latent variable modeling to investigate Subjective Well-Being (SWB). Previous research has suggested that Subjective Well-Being is made up of a tripartite model consisting of life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. However, recently, extant research has suggested that the tripartite model of SWB comes short of considering nuances of SWB, specifically relationship outcomes and general life challenges. This investigation presents multiple hierarchical models of SWB, including a third-order factor structure of SWB to explain satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, resiliency, and assessment of the relationship.
Offense Wins Games but Does Defense Win Championships

This chapter focuses on examining which offensive and defensive variables contribute to winning championships. In other words, in this chapter, the analyses seek to uncover which offensive and defensive factors contribute to winning finals games. To investigate this question, statistics were collected for teams that played in the finals between 2010 and 2020. A multiple regression analysis revealed that offensively, overall field goal percentage and 3-point percentage significantly contributed to winning finals games, while defensively the only significant variable was defensive rebounds. These results show that both defense and offense matter in winning chips.
Melanocortin 4 receptor stimulation prevents anti-depressant-associated weight gain in mice caused by long-term fluoxetine exposure.

Contrasting with the predicted anorexigenic effect of increasing brain serotonin signaling, long-term use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants correlates with body weight gain. This adverse outcome increases the risk of transitioning to obesity and interferes with treatment compliance. Here we show that orally administered fluoxetine (Flx), a widely prescribed SSRI, increased body weight by enhancing food intake in healthy mice at two different time points and through two distinct mechanisms. Within hours, Flx decreased the activity of a subset of brainstem serotonergic neurons by triggering autoinhibitory signaling through the Htr1a receptor. Upon longer treatment Flx blunted Htr2c expression/signaling, decreased the phosphorylation of Creb and Stat3 and dampened the production of POMC/α-MSH in hypothalamic neurons, thereby increasing food intake. Accordingly, exogenous stimulation of the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) by co-treating mice with Flx and lipocalin-2, an anorexigenic hormone signaling through this receptor, normalized feeding and body weight. Flx and other SSRIs also inhibit CREB/STAT3 phosphorylation in a human neuronal cell line suggesting that these non-canonical effects could also occur in long-term users of SSRIs. By defining the molecular basis of the long-term SSRIs-associated weight gain this study proposes a therapeutic strategy to counter it.
Increased early processing of task-irrelevant auditory stimuli in older adults (P1.203)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of task load and executive capacity (EC) in age-related increases in early processing of task-irrelevant auditory stimuli. BACKGROUND: Age-related increases in N1 amplitude to task-irrelevant auditory stimuli presented under ignore conditions have been interpreted as reflecting diminished inhibitory capacity. If so, one might predict that N1 amplitude would be augmented by increasing task demands, and attenuated in individuals with high EC. DESIGN/METHODS: ERPs were measured in young, middle aged, young-old, and old-old adults, divided into high and average EC groups based on neuropsychological testing. Subjects were exposed to both auditory (repetitive pure tone, rare pure tone, rare novel) and visual (repetitive letters, infrequent letters) stimuli. Under the auditory-ignore (visual-attend) condition, subjects were instructed to ignore auditory stimuli and respond to rare target letters, under low and high task load. Under the auditory-attend condition, subjects were instructed to ignore visual stimuli and respond to rare target tones. RESULTS: N1 amplitude to novel and repetitive auditory stimuli was larger under the auditory-ignore than auditory-attend conditions for all age groups except young adults. There was an age-related an increased N1 under the auditory-ignore condition beginning at middle-age, but no age differences under the auditory-attend condition. EC modulated the pattern of response only among old-old subjects. Increasing the number of targets under the visual-attend condition was associated with a reduced N1 to task-irrelevant auditory stimuli in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study’s findings do not neatly fit the inhibitory-deficit hypothesis of cognitive aging. Augmenting visual task load led to decreased, not increased, N1 to task-irrelevant auditory events. Executive capacity played a limited role in modulating the N1 response. Older adults did not simply fail to suppress the N1 amplitude to auditory stimuli in the task-irrelevant modality; they actually generated a larger response than to identical stimuli in the task-relevant modality. Disclosure: Dr. Daffner has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tusch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fox has nothing to disclose. Dr. Porto has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alperin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Holcomb has nothing to disclose.
The Effects of Water Vapor on the Oxidation Behavior of Alumina Forming Austenitic Stainless Steels

The isothermal oxidation behavior of three alumina forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steels with varying composition was studied at 650 and 800 °C in dry air and gases which contained water vapor. The AFA alloys exhibited better oxidation resistance than a “good chromia former” at 650 °C, particularly in H2O-containing atmospheres by virtue of alumina-scale formation. Although the AFA alloys were more resistant than chromia formers, their oxidation resistance was degraded at 650 °C in the presence of water vapor. In dry air the AFA alloys formed, thin continuous alumina scales, whereas in Ar–4%H2–3%H2O the areas of continuous alumina were reduced and Fe oxide-rich nodules and regions of Cr, Mn-rich oxides formed. In some regions internal oxidation of the aluminum occurred in the H2O-containing gas. The alloy OC8 had slightly better resistance than OC4 or OC5 in this atmosphere. The alumina-forming capability of the AFA alloys decreases with increasing temperature and, at 800 °C, they are borderline alumina formers, even in dry air. The oxidation resistance of all three alloys was degraded at 800 °C in atmospheres, which contained water vapor (Air–10%H2O, Ar–3%H2O and Ar–4%H2–3%H2O). The areas, which formed continuous alumina, were reduced in these atmospheres and areas of internal oxidation occurred. However, as a result of the borderline alumina-forming capability of the AFA alloys it was not possible to determine which of the H2O-containing atmospheres was more severe or to rank the alloys in terms of their performance. The experimental results indicate that the initial microstructure of the AFA alloys also plays a role in their oxidation performance. Less protective oxides formed at 800 °C when alloy OC8 was equilibrated before exposure rather than being exposed in the as-processed condition. The reason for this is the presence of different phases in the bulk of the two specimens.
Tissue distribution, excretion and biological effects of [14C]tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in rats.

Abstract When Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200 g were intubated intragastrically with 14C-labelled 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in a dose of 50 μg/kg body weight, 50% of the animals died within 25 days. Over 56% of the radioactivity was eliminated, mainly by the alimentary route, during the initial 21 days, 25% being accounted for during the first 3 days. The total amount of radioactivity in the urine was 4·5% of the total dose, the highest daily levels being excreted toward the end of the experiment. A large percentage of the radioactivity remaining in the body was localized in the liver and of this, over 90% was within the microsomal fraction. The major morphological changes in these rats were a marked liver hypertrophy and thymic regression.
Locked Up, Overlooked: Women Behind Bars: The Crisis Of Women In the U.S. Prison System

The Author reviews journalist Silja Talvi’s Women Behind Bars: The Growing Crisis of Women in the U.S. Prison System (“Women Behind Bars”) which presents an engaging overview of issues affecting incarcerated women. It succinctly illustrates some of the important connections involving the War on Drugs, racial disparity, and the high rate of substance abuse and physical and sexual abuse among incarcerated women. Each of the chapters could be assigned on its own to a class or reading group. While Talvi states that she is not trying to write a scholarly book, as a contribution to public discourse, Women Behind Bars furthers the goal of increasing awareness about the growing population of women prisoners. Talvi bases her account on interviews with women prisoners: she interviewed one hundred women prisoners over two years and corresponded with about three hundred. She visited prisons and jails in Florida, California, Arizona, Washington,and New Mexico and toured women’s institutions in the United Kingdom, Finland, and Canada for comparison.Because it is so accessible, Talvi’s project can help focus attention on this growing population of women prisoners. Incarcerated women’s stories represent a distillation of the larger forces that affect free women—racism, sexism, and economic pressure. For these reasons, among others, incarcerated women should not be forgotten, despite the stigma of their criminal convictions and their physical removal from the community. Though incarcerated women may be locked up, they should not be overlooked.
Goffman on Mental Illness: Asylums and “The Insanity of Place” Revisited

This case study is designed to demonstrate that sociological imagination can feed on personal experience, that research practice interpolates our biographical circumstances, and that a systematic inquiry into the interplay between our professional and everyday life offers a fruitful avenue for sociological analysis. The discussion focuses on Erving Goffman's treatment of mental illness. The argument is made that the evolution of Goffman's constructionist views on mental disorder had been influenced by his family situation and personal experience.
Effects of Ionomer Morphology on Oxygen Reduction on Pt

In this paper, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the interface between platinum and Nafion 1100 equivalent weight was studied as a function of temperature (20–80 °C), humidity (10–100%), scan rate, the manner in which Nafion film was deposited, and the state of the Pt surface using ultramicroelectrodes employing cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. ORR on smooth electrodes was strongly inhibited under specific conditions dependent on temperature, humidity, and scan rate. From the data presented, we postulate that dynamic changes in the molecular structure of the ionomer at the platinum interface result in differences in ORR voltammetry for films prepared and equilibrated under different conditions. The lack of similar changes for rough, platinized electrodes has been attributed to differences in initial ionomer structure and a higher energy barrier for ionomer restructuring. Finally, these model system studies yield insight into the ionomer-catalyst interface of particular interest for polymer electrolyte fuel cells.
Finding Shortest Proofs: An Application of Linked Inference Rules

In this article, we describe a procedure for systematically searching for shortest proofs in logical systems based on the inference rule condensed detachment. The procedure relies on applications of linked UR-resolution and uses demodulation to categorize derivations. Although the procedure is exhaustive in nature – and therefore realistically is applicable only to relatively small problems – it is shown to overcome the obstacles to finding shortest proofs presented by ordinary resolution-style theorem proving.
The Scope of Economics Historically Considered

Historically, Economics has been a discipline of two traditions, Economic Theory and Theory of Economic Policy. Whereas Economic Theory is concerned with resolution of three basic economic problems (BEP1–3) — resource allocation, income distribution, and aggregate-income determination — Theory of Economic Policy is concerned with a fourth problem (BEP4) — the organization of the economic system, ultimately the distribution of power. While Economic Theory has been highly articulated and generalized and has been conspicuously the major contribution of the profession, Theory of Economic Policy has not been articulated in a general corpus of theory although it has nevertheless been attended to by both orthodox and heterodox economists. This paper attempts (a) to systematize this second tradition as it has been treated, albeit piecemeal, by economists and (b) to present evidence of both the existence and major themes or components of Theory of Economic Policy.
Representations and Ensemble Methods for Dynamic Relational Classification

Temporal networks are ubiquitous and evolve over time by the addition, deletion, and changing of links, nodes, and attributes. Although many relational datasets contain temporal information, the majority of existing techniques in relational learning focus on static snapshots and ignore the temporal dynamics. We propose a framework for discovering temporal representations of relational data to increase the accuracy of statistical relational learning algorithms. The temporal relational representations serve as a basis for classification, ensembles, and pattern mining in evolving domains. The framework includes (1) selecting the time-varying relational components (links, attributes, nodes), (2) selecting the temporal granularity, (3) predicting the temporal influence of each time-varying relational component, and (4) choosing the weighted relational classifier. Additionally, we propose temporal ensemble methods that exploit the temporal-dimension of relational data. These ensembles outperform traditional and more sophisticated relational ensembles while avoiding the issue of learning the most optimal representation. Finally, the space of temporal-relational models are evaluated using a sample of classifiers. In all cases, the proposed temporal-relational classifiers outperform competing models that ignore the temporal information. The results demonstrate the capability and necessity of the temporal-relational representations for classification, ensembles, and for mining temporal datasets.
Murray Gell-Mann, A Short Appreciation

On September 25, 2014 Murray Gell-Mann was presented with the Helmholz Medal of the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities in a ceremony at the Santa Fe Institute. The author, among others, was asked to speak for fifteen minutes on Murray and his accomplishments. The following is an edited transcription of the author's speaking text.
On the Encoding of Stereotype-Relevant Information Under Cognitive Load

This research compared free recall and recognition memory for stereotype-consistent and stereotype-inconsistent information as a function of attentional capacity during encoding. Whereas recall was better for consistent information under conditions of limited capacity, recognition accuracy favored inconsistent information in the same conditions. Contrary to previous theorizations, these data demonstrate that stereotype-inconsistent information is encoded more thoroughly and represented more accurately in memory than stereotype-consistent information when resources are depleted. The recall advantage for consistent information appears to be due to retrieval advantages rather than more thorough encoding or representation. Implications of these findings for models of stereotype efficiency are discussed.
Retention in outpatient drug free treatment clinics.

This study examined time in treatment and the percentage of clients who quit or were expelled from drug treatment clinics as dependent measures in a general model including socioecological aspects of the clinic neighborhood environment, the clinic structure (attributes, e.g., size, and services and staffing), and the client composition of the clinic (sociodemographic and deviance). In this study the clinic was the unit of analysis. The data were analyzed by means of path analysis, for (1) drug free outpatient, nonopiate orientation (DFO-N) and (2) drug free outpatient, opiate orientation (DFO-O). There were 204 DFO-N and 130 DFO-O clinics. The path analytic model proved to be useful for the explanation of clinic retention outcomes. The socioecological variables predicted the types of clients who entered treatment. These in turn along with clinic attributes were significant predictors of clinic retention. Clinic attributes also predicted clinic services and staffing. The results suggested that both clinic variables and client composition variables are important predictors of clinic retention.
Increasing sampling density improves reproducibility of optical coherence tomography measurements.

Purpose Published series of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measurements using optical coherence tomography (OCT) have sampled 100 evenly distributed points on a 360° peripapillary circular scan. The goal of this study was to determine whether a four-fold increase in sampling density improves the reproducibility of OCT measurements. Methods Complete ophthalmic examinations, achromatic automated perimetry, and OCT imaging were performed in all patients. The OCT scanning consisted of three superior and inferior quadrantic scans (100 sampling points/quadrant) and three circular scans (25 points/quadrant). The RNFL thickness measurements and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated for the superior and inferior quadrants for each sampling density technique. Results The study included 22 eyes of 22 patients (3 control subjects; 2 patients with ocular hypertension; and 17 patients with glaucoma). Quadrants with associated glaucomatous visual field loss on automated achromatic perimetry had thinner RNFLs than quadrants without functional defects for both the 25− and 100-points/quadrant scans. For quadrants associated with normal visual hemifields (n = 22), there was no difference between the 25− and 100-points/quadrant scans in mean RNFL thickness and CV. Among quadrants with visual field defects (n = 22), RNFL thickness measurements were thinner in the 25-points/quadrant scans than in the 100-points/quadrant scans. The CV for the 25-points/quadrant scans (25.9%) was significantly higher than that for the 100-points/quadrant scans (11.9%). Conclusion Increasing the sampling density of OCT scans provides less variable representation of RNFL thickness. The optimal sampling density to achieve maximal reliability of OCT scans remains to be determined.
Nanomedicine in chemoradiation

Chemoradiotherapy, the concurrent administration of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, is a treatment paradigm in oncology. It is part of the standard of care and curative treatment of many cancers. Given its importance, one of the primary goals of cancer research has been to identify agents and/or strategies that can improve the therapeutic index of chemoradiation. Recent advances in nanomedicine have provided a unique and unprecedented opportunity for improving chemoradiotherapy. Nanoparticles possess properties that are ideally suited for delivering chemotherapy in the chemoradiation setting. The goal of this review is to examine the role of incorporating nanomedicine into chemoradiation and the potential impact of nanomedicine to chemoradiotherapy.
Processing, Microstructures, and Properties of Cr-Cr3Si, Nb-Nb3Si, and V-V3Si Eutectics

Abstract The present paper examines the potential of refractory metal-A15 silicide composites as structural materials for high temperature applications. Three eutectic systems are considered, Cr-Cr3Si, Nb-Nb3Si, and V-V3Si, since they all have melting points above 1700°C and densities lower than Ni-based superalloys. Eutectic compositions were selected because directional solidification of eutectics can be used to generate aligned composite microstructures. The present paper describes processing, microstructures and properties of directional ly solidified Cr-Cr3Si, Nb-Nb3Si, and V-V3Si. Based on microstructural and chemical analyses, some phase diagram modifications are suggested. The orientation relationships between the refractory metal and A15-silicide phases were characterized using transmission electron microscopy. In the Cr-Cr3Si eutectic a strong orientation relationship was observed; there was excellent lattice matching of the (110) in Cr and (210) in Cr3Si. Room temperature and elevated temperatu...
Medicago truncatula ecotypes A17 and R108 show variations in jasmonic acid/ethylene induced resistance to Macrophomina phaseolina

Abstract The soilborne necrotrophic fungal pathogen Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid causes charcoal rot disease in many economically important crops. There are no effective control methods for this disease and no completely disease-resistant cultivar has been identified in crop species against M. phaseolina, including alfalfa, soybean and sorghum. In our previous study, we have established a pathosystem using the model legume Medicago truncatula to study the molecular interactions between the pathogen and its host. In this study, we investigated the possible variability in host response to M. phaseolina infection among different Medicago ecotypes. We found that disease progression in different ecotypes had little variation, and no ecotype was identified that showed resistance. We have previously found that methyl jasmonate (MJ) and ethylene (ET) could induce partial resistance in Medicago ecotype A17 against M. phaseolina. Here, we compared the disease progression after MJ or ET treatment between A17...
Noninvasive ultrasound image guided surface wave method for measuring the wave speed and estimating the elasticity of lungs: A feasibility study.

Abstract Lung diseases, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are closely associated with altered lung elastic properties. Pulmonary function testing and imaging are routinely performed for evaluating lung diseases. However, lung compliance, a measure of lung elastic properties, is rarely used in clinic, because it is invasive and provides only a global and arguably biased estimate of lung elastic properties. Current ultrasound methods also cannot be used for imaging lungs because ultrasound cannot penetrate the lung tissue. In this paper, an ultrasound image guided and surface wave based method is proposed to measure regional lung surface wave speed and estimate lung elasticity noninvasively. The method described here was not explored before to the best knowledge of the authors. Experiments in an ex vivo pig lung and an in vivo human lung pilot study are reported. The surface wave speed is measured to be 1.83 ± 0.02 m/s at 100 Hz by ultrasound for the ex vivo pig lung at 3 mmHg pressure, which is validated by an optical measurement. An in vivo human lung pilot experiment measures the surface wave speed to be 2.41 ± 0.33 m/s for the 100 Hz sinusoidal wave at total lung capacity (TLC) and 0.99 ± 0.09 m/s at functional residual capacity (FRC). These values of wave speed fall well within the range of available literature.