cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speciation of some triorganotin compounds in sediments from the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, Washington, DC, using Mossbauer spectroscopy

Triorganotin compounds, namely the tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) moieties, have been used as the active components in antifoulant marine paints. Mossbauer spectroscopy was used in this work to identify the products of speciation of these triorganotin compounds in various types of sediment from rivers around the Washington, DC, USA, area. Aerobic and anaerobic sediments from several sites in the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers were spiked with tributyl- and triphenyl-tin chloride, bis-(tri-n-butyltin) oxide and triphenyltin hydroxide. Mossbauer spectra were recorded for the resultant interactions of the species produced with the various sediments. The Mossbauer spectra of both types of sediment, aerobic and anaerobic, spiked with tributyltin chloride and bis-(tri-n-butyltin) oxide were the same, suggesting that these compounds were converted to the same species, mostly likely the hydrated tributyltin cation, TBT+. The spectra of all triphenyltin chloride and triphenyltin hydroxide spiked sediment samples were the same, indicating again that these compounds were converted to the same species, in this case the hydrated triphenyltin cation, TPT+. Thus the species that interacts with the various sediments are the respective hydrated cations. The results also support the previous conclusion obtained with Chesapeake Bay sediments, that the product of triorganotin speciation depends on the nature of sediment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PARTICULATE AND DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER IN THE AMERASIAN BASIN OF THE ARCTIC OCEANS1

Vertical profiles for total particulate matter, particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen, and dissolved organic carbon were determined along with supporting hydrographic and chemical parameters in the Amerasian Basin of the Arctic Ocean.
Revealing America's welfare state. [Review of: Howard, C., The hidden welfare state: tax expenditures and social policy in the United States. Princeton University Press, 1997].

In the simplest sense, historians write narratives about change over time. What distinguishes social welfare historians from their colleagues is that they choose to write not about what happened but rather about what did not happen. This strange tendency has to do with a desire to compare the American and European welfare states. Such comparisons cause historians to emphasize what we do not have, such as a guaranteed income or a program of national health insurance, and to miss much of what we do have. Christopher Howard, a political scientist rather than a historian, seeks to redress the balance by pointing out that much of our welfare state remains hidden from scholarly view because it takes the form of tax expenditures. Instead of providing national health insurance directly, for example, we finance it indirectly through our tax code. Simply put, employers who choose to pay for part of their employees' health care get a tax break. According to Howard, the hidden welfare state of tax expenditures amounts to nearly half the size of the visible welfare state "making the United States appear less a welfare state laggard than many cross-national studies claim" (p. 17). The concept of the hidden welfare state has great utility in capturing the unique nature of America's social welfare policy. Not only do we use tax policy as a tool of social policy, creating important links between public and private social welfare provision, we also rely on the courts to transfer money to certain classes of individuals, such as those who have been exposed to asbestos, harmed by medical malpractice, or denied what the court deems to be adequate care in a public facility such as a state mental health hospital. The federal nature of our social policy also obscures the size of our welfare state. For example, although we have no national workers' compensation law, we do have a series of state laws that cover the entire country and make our workers' compensation system among the largest in the world. Howard does not push the concept that far. Instead, he focuses on tax
Passion at the Periphery: The Contexts of a Clandestine Converso Conjunction

With these words Cecil Roth opened his essay ‘Romance at Urbino’, in which he deals with a case in an era and vein not far removed from the one I will discuss here. During the period since Roth published the original version of his essay in 1925 Jewish scholarship has turned increasingly to those ‘ponderous tomes’ for historical information. While it is no longer novel to use responsa or other legal texts in this way, the discovery of dramatic episodes has not lost its romance.
Optimized methods for epilepsy therapy development using an etiologically realistic model of focal epilepsy in the rat.

Conventionally developed antiseizure drugs fail to control epileptic seizures in about 30% of patients, and no treatment prevents epilepsy. New etiologically realistic, syndrome-specific epilepsy models are expected to identify better treatments by capturing currently unknown ictogenic and epileptogenic mechanisms that operate in the corresponding patient populations. Additionally, the use of electrocorticography permits better monitoring of epileptogenesis and the full spectrum of acquired seizures, including focal nonconvulsive seizures that are typically difficult to treat in humans. Thus, the combined use of etiologically realistic models and electrocorticography may improve our understanding of the genesis and progression of epilepsy, and facilitate discovery and translation of novel treatments. However, this approach is labor intensive and must be optimized. To this end, we used an etiologically realistic rat model of posttraumatic epilepsy, in which the initiating fluid percussion injury closely replicates contusive closed-head injury in humans, and has been adapted to maximize epileptogenesis and focal non-convulsive seizures. We obtained week-long 5-electrode electrocorticography 1 month post-injury, and used a Monte-Carlo-based non-parametric bootstrap strategy to test the impact of electrode montage design, duration-based seizure definitions, group size and duration of recordings on the assessment of posttraumatic epilepsy, and on statistical power to detect antiseizure and antiepileptogenic treatment effects. We found that use of seizure definition based on clinical criteria rather than event duration, and of recording montages closely sampling the activity of epileptic foci, maximize the power to detect treatment effects. Detection of treatment effects was marginally improved by prolonged recording, and 24 h recording epochs were sufficient to provide 80% power to detect clinically interesting seizure control or prevention of seizures with small groups of animals. We conclude that appropriate electrode montage and clinically relevant seizure definition permit convenient deployment of fluid percussion injury and electrocorticography for epilepsy therapy development.
Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Cocaine Abusers

To the Editor: I read with interest but some skepticism the article on the triggering of myocardial infarction by cocaine by Mittleman et al.1 They reported that in the first hour after cocaine use, the risk of acute myocardial infarction was 23.7 times …
Low-latency interaction through choice-points, buffering, and cuts in Tactus

Multimedia streams usually require prefetching and buffering to ensure steady, glitch-free delivery to audio and video displays, but buffering causes undesirable latency. This latency may be manifested as startup delays, glitches, dropouts, and loss of synchronization. In interactive media presentations where there are a small number of choices, alternative streams can be prefetched to reduce latency. This technique is supported by the Tactus system, which manages the computation and synchronization of multimedia data. Tactus offers a systematic approach to prefetching, precomputation, choice points, and synchronous cuts. Tactus consists of an object-oriented client toolkit for media generation and a synchronization server for media presentation. >
Engraftment of insulin-producing cells from porcine islets in non-immune-suppressed rats or nonhuman primates transplanted previously with embryonic pig pancreas

Transplantation therapy for diabetes is limited by unavailability of donor organs and outcomes complicated by immunosuppressive drug toxicity. Xenotransplantation is a strategy to overcome supply problems. Implantation of tissue obtained early during embryogenesis is a way to reduce transplant immunogenicity. Insulin-producing cells originating from embryonic pig pancreas obtained very early following pancreatic primordium formation (embryonic day 28 (E28)) engraft long-term in non-immune, suppressed diabetic rats or rhesus macaques. Morphologically, similar cells originating from adult porcine islets of Langerhans (islets) engraft in non-immune-suppressed rats or rhesus macaques previously transplanted with E28 pig pancreatic primordia. Our data are consistent with induction of tolerance to an endocrine cell component of porcine islets induced by previous transplantation of embryonic pig pancreas, a novel finding we designate organogenetic tolerance. The potential exists for its use to enable the use of pigs as islet cell donors for humans with no immune suppression requirement.
Stapled ileal pouch anal anastomoses are safer than handsewn anastomoses in patients with ulcerative colitis

Background One of the theoretic advantages of using a stapled versus handsewn ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) in restorative proctocolectomy is a reduction in septic complications. We performed this study to compare the incidence of early septic complications in patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy with stapled or handsewn IPAA. patients and methods: A chart review of 692 patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy for treatment of ulcerative colitis was performed. The incidence of early septic complications in patients having stapled IPAA was compared to that in patients having handsewn IPAA. Follow-up studies included an annual questionnaire and physical examination. Results Of the 692 patients, 238 had handsewn IPAA and 454 had stapled IPAA; these two groups were similar in sex, duration of disease, age at surgery, and type of surgical procedure performed. In the handsewn IPAA group, 25 patients (10.5%) had 32 septic complications, and 24 required 89 reparations. In 7 patients, the pouch was excised. In the stapled IPAA group, 21 patients (4.6%) had 23 septic complications, and 14 required 40 reparations. One patient needed pouch excision. There were more patients ( P = 0.0001) with early septic complications, and more ( P Conclusions The stapled technique for IPAA has fewer septic complications and results in fewer sepsis-related pouch excisions, in our hands, than the handsewn technique, for treating patients with ulcerative colitis.
Natural Filling Cystometry in Small Boys With Posterior Urethral Valves: Unstable Valve Bladders Become Stable During Sleep

AbstractPurpose: Our aim was to demonstrate the voiding pattern in small boys with posterior urethral valves during the day and night.Materials and Methods: Long-term natural filling and standard cystometry was performed in 16 boys 1.4 to 6 years old (mean age 3.4) in whom posterior urethral valves were diagnosed in infancy. The boys were divided into 2 groups according to whether they had day incontinence.Results: All boys had instability in the daytime but at night bladders were mainly stable. Voiding frequency during the day was high at a mean of 1.7 and 0.5 voidings per hour in the day incontinent and day continent groups, respectively, compared to 0.1 voiding per hour at night in both groups. Voiding detrusor pressure was higher and functional bladder capacity was lower during the day than at night in both groups.Conclusions: Natural filling cystometry revealed pronounced instability during the day and stable bladders at night. This difference between day and night is an important factor contributing...
Hollow Fiber Inorganic Membranes for Gas Separations

Abstract Pure gas permeabilities of He, H2, CO2, N2, and CO were measured for microporous silica hollow fiber membranes as a function of temperature. The transport mechanism for gas permeation is clearly non-Knudsen since several heavier gases permeate faster than lighter gases. An excellent correlation is obtained between permeability and kinetic diameter of the penetrant. The proposed mass transfer mechanism is a combination of surface diffusion and molecular sieving. High ideal separation factors (permeability ratios) are observed at 343 K for H2/N2 and H2/CO of 163 and 62.4, respectively, which compare very favorably with polymeric and molecular sieve gas separation membranes.
Keeping your eye on the ball: tracking occluding contours of unfamiliar objects without distraction

Visual tracking is prone to distractions, where features similar to the target features guide the track away from its intended object. Global shape models and dynamic models are necessary for completely distraction-free contour tracking, but there are cases when component feature trackers alone can be expected to avoid distraction. We define the tracking problem in general and devise a method for local, window-based, feature trackers to track accurately in spite of background distractions. The algorithm is applied to a generic line tracker and a snake-like contour tracker which are then analyzed with respect to previous contour-trackers. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of our approach and suggest that existing model-based trackers can be improved by incorporating similar techniques at the local level.
Blood Flow to Uteri of Sows during the Estrous Cycle and Early Pregnancy: Local Effect of the Conceptus on the Uterine Blood Supply

Uterine blood flow (UBF) of 6 sows was monitored throughout an estrous cycle and the first 30 days of pregnancy using electromagnetic blood flow probes. Probes were placed around both uterine arteries of each sow on Day 12, 13 or 14 of the estrous cycle (first day of estrus = Day 0). The UBF (mI/mm) was recorded twice daily for 15 mm at 0700 and 1600 h. Values were averaged over both 15 mm periods on each day for each artery and considered an estimate of UBF. Blood flow to uteri of nonpregnant sows was highest from Day -5 to estrus and this was followed by a gradual decline during the remainder of the estrous cycle. The pattern of blood flow to uteri of the sows during early pregnancy was similar to that observed during the previous estrous cycle until Day 11 after mating. On Days 12 and 13 of pregnancy, UBF increased (P<0.0l) 3-fold to 4-fold. No corresponding increase in UBF was observed in nonpregnant sows during this 2 day period. By Day 14 of pregnancy, UBF had returned to a level slightly higher than that observed on Day 11, remained relatively constant from Day 14 to 19, then increased (P<0.O1) dramatically to Day 30. A second study was conducted using 7 sows made unilaterally pregnant on Day 2 postmsting (first day of mating = Day 0). Fertilized ova were flushed from one oviduct and the ipsilateral uterine horn was ligated at the uterine body with silk sutures (nongravid horn). Blood flow probes were placed around both uterine arteries and UBF was recorded twice daily. Sows were slaughtered on Day 16 postmating. Five of the 7 sows had embryos and/or embryonic tissue in the nonligated uterine horn (gravid horn) at slaughter. Sows in which embryonic tissue was found had higher (P<0.05) blood flow to the gravid compared with the nongravid uterine horn on Days 12 and 13 of pregnancy. Corpora lutes on the ovary ipsilateral to a gravid uterine horn had higher (P<0.05) progesterone concentrations (± SEM) than did corpora lutes on the contralateral ovary (5.45 ± 1.69 vs 2.07 ± 0.49 Mg/g luteal tissue).
Validation of a chicken wing training model for endoscopic microsurgical dissection.

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine if training with a chicken wing model improves performance of endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) with microvascular dissection. Study Design Randomized experimental study. Methods A single-blinded randomized clinical trial of trainees with various levels of endoscopic experience was conducted to determine if prior training on a nonhuman model augments endoscopic skill and efficiency in a surrogate model for live surgery. Medical students, residents, and fellows were randomized to two groups: a control group that performed an endoscopic transantral internal maxillary artery dissection on a silicone-injected anatomical specimen, and an interventional group that underwent microvascular dissection training on a chicken wing model prior to performing the anatomic dissection on the cadaver specimen. Time to completion and quality of dissection were measured. Results A Mann-Whitney test demonstrated a significant improvement in time and quality outcomes respectively across all interventional groups, with the greatest improvements seen in participants with less endoscopic experience: medical students (P = .032, P = .008), residents and fellows (P = .016, P = .032). Conclusions Prior training on the chicken wing model improves surgical performance in a surrogate model for live EES. Level of Evidence 1b. Laryngoscope, 125:571–576, 2015
Effectiveness of Fly Ash and Slag in Mitigating Alkali – Silica Reaction Induced by Deicing Chemicals

Recent studies have shown that potassium acetate based deicers are capable of triggering deleterious expansion and cracking in concrete specimens containing alkali–silica reactive (ASR) aggregates. This paper presents the results and analysis from a research study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (slag) in mitigating expansions induced by ASR in the presence of a potassium acetate based deicer. Standard and modified ASTM C 1260 and 1567 tests were conducted on mortar specimens prepared with five aggregates to study the mitigation behavior of fly ashes and slag. In this study, fly ash was evaluated at 15, 25, and 35%, and slag at 40 and 50% by mass replacement of cement. Changes in length, dynamic elastic modulus, and microstructure of the mortar bars were studied. Results from these studies indicate that low- and intermediate-lime fly ashes were more effective than high-lime fly ash at 25 and 35% cement replacement levels. High-lime fly ash was in...
Why the “stimulus-error” did not go away

Psychologists in the early years of the discipline were much concerned with the stimulus-error. Roughly, this is the problem encountered in introspective experiments when subjects are liable to frame their perceptual reports in terms of what they know of the stimulus, instead of just drawing on their perceptual experiences as they are supposedly felt. "Introspectionist" psychologist E. B. Titchener and his student E. G. Boring both argued in the early 20th century that the stimulus-error is a serious methodological pit-fall. While many of the theoretical suppositions motivating Titchener and Boring have been unfashionable since the rise of behaviourism, the stimulus-error brings our attention to one matter of perennial importance to psychophysics and the psychology of perception. This is the fact that subjects are liable to give different kinds of perceptual reports in response to the same stimulus. I discuss attempts to control for variable reports in recent experimental work on colour and lightness constancy, and the disputes that have arisen over which kinds of reports are legitimate. Some contemporary psychologists do warn us against a stimulus-error, even though they do not use this terminology. I argue that concern over the stimulus-error is diagnostic of psychologists' deep theoretical commitments, such as their conception of sensation, or their demarcation of perception from cognition. I conclude by discussing the relevance of this debate to current philosophy of perception.
Phospholipid signals of microbial infection for the human immune system

The immune system must defend the body from pathogens while avoiding self-reactivity leading to autoimmune disease. This discrimination depends upon distinguishing molecular structures that are autologous, or self, from those structures that are nonself. Although self–nonself discrimination is a cardinal feature of immune recognition, self-reactivity is evident in various populations of T lymphocytes, although the degree of self-reactivity varies and in some cases can be weak. Interestingly, some self-reactive T cells also display cross-reactivity for microbial antigens (Table 1). In PNAS, Van Rhijn et al. define the cross-reacting bacterial and self-antigens of a group of T lymphocytes that respond to antigens bound to or presented by CD1b (1). Their findings suggest one mechanism whereby dangerous, CD1-mediated self-reactivity by T cells might be controlled, and the authors provide a hypothesis for why cross-reactive recognition of the antigens they define might be useful. View this table: Table 1. Human self-reactive T cells The T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) expressed by the majority of human T lymphocytes is a heterodimer consisting of α and β chains. CD4+ αβ T cells recognize peptide fragments presented by class II antigen-presenting molecules encoded in the MHC, whereas CD8+ αβ T cells respond to peptides presented by MHC class I proteins. The genes encoding MHC class I and class II proteins are highly polymorphic. Homologs of these genes, however, encode antigen-presenting molecules that are not polymorphic. Prominent among these nonpolymorphic antigen-presenting molecules is the CD1 family, which has highly hydrophobic antigen-binding grooves that present lipids (2). In humans there are four CD1 proteins: the group I proteins include CD1a, CD1b, and CD1c. CD1d is the single member of the more distantly related group 2 (2). Each of these proteins traffics differentially through endosomes and lysosomes to acquire antigens (3). For example, CD1a recycles predominantly through early endosomes. In contrast, CD1b traffics … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: mitch{at}lji.org. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Using the Hugoniot to Approximate the Release Adiabat

When analyzing data from uniaxial strain plate impact experiments, to obtain equation-of-state (EOS) information, material strength usually is assumed to be negligible, and consequently is ignored. However, anomalies in recent experimental data indicate that material strength may not be negligible. Quasi-isentropic (QI) compression (low strain-rate, long rise time uniaxial compression) data for aluminum1 (0–9 GPa) exhibit a stress-volume path lying a few percent above the principal Hugoniot. Theories not accounting for strength predict the opposite behavior. The release adiabat of copper2 shocked to ≈100 GPa shows equally peculiar behavior. The adiabat is below the Hugoniot for the initial ≈2/3 of the release, then crosses over for the remainder. Theories not accounting for strength predict that the release adiabat should lie above the Hugoniot. In a previous paper,3 we showed how material strength can explain the QI loading data, and that material strength along QI compression paths can be large. Here we examine the effects of material strength on the release adiabat. In particular, we discuss the magnitude of the strength correction to data from laboratory impedance matching (IM) experiments. Our analysis differs from an earlier study by van Thiel and Cochran4 in that we use experimental dynamic strength data to construct the release adiabat.
It takes a village: supporting inquiry- and equity-oriented computer science pedagogy through a professional learning community

This article describes the importance that high school computer science teachers place on a teachers’ professional learning community designed around an inquiry- and equity-oriented approach for broadening participation in computing. Using grounded theory to analyze four years of teacher surveys and interviews from the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program in the Los Angeles Unified School District, this article describes how participating in professional development activities purposefully aimed at fostering a teachers’ professional learning community helps ECS teachers make the transition to an inquiry-based classroom culture and break professional isolation. This professional learning community also provides experiences that challenge prevalent deficit notions and stereotypes about which students can or cannot excel in computer science.
A general chemical shift decomposition method for hyperpolarized 13C metabolite magnetic resonance imaging

Metabolic imaging with hyperpolarized carbon-13 allows sequential steps of metabolism to be detected in vivo. Potential applications in cancer, brain, muscular, myocardial, and hepatic metabolism suggest that clinical applications could be readily developed. A primary concern in imaging hyperpolarized nuclei is the irreversible decay of the enhanced magnetization back to thermal equilibrium. Multiple methods for rapid imaging of hyperpolarized substrates and their products have been proposed with a multi-point Dixon method distinguishing itself as a robust protocol for imaging [1-(13) C]pyruvate. We describe here a generalized chemical shift decomposition method that incorporates a single-shot spiral imaging sequence plus a spectroscopic sequence to retain as much spin polarization as possible while allowing detection of metabolites that have a wide range of chemical shift values. The new method is demonstrated for hyperpolarized [1-(13) C]pyruvate, [1-(13) C]acetoacetate, and [2-(13) C]dihydroxyacetone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regenerative Braking Simulation for Hybrid Electric Vehicle with Continuously Variable Transmission

According to the quick charging characteristic of nickel-hydrogen battery and the generating characteristic of ISG(Integrated starter/generator) motor acquired by test,the changing rules of motor generating and battery charging efficiency are analyzed,synthesis efficiency curves of battery and motor under different input condition are obtained,then a joint optimal high-efficiency working line of battery and motor is determined.Based on the optimal working line,CVT speed control strategy and regenerative braking control strategy are established,and the model of regenerative braking system of CVT hybrid electric vehicle is built.Simulation analysis and test verification are carried out under typical city driving cycles.The results show that the CVT control strategy based on the optimal working line of battery and motor can further improve the recover rate of regenerative braking energy in comparison to that based on motor working alone.
The Efficacy of Patient-Controlled Analgesia in Patients Recovering From Flank Incisions

We report on 13 patients undergoing flank incisions in whom the postoperative pain was managed with a patient-controlled analgesia device. An initial group of 7 patients was used to determine the optimal injection dose for each patient and to examine variability in narcotic requirement during the postoperative course. A progressive decrease in narcotic need was noted during the postoperative course with patient-controlled analgesia, resulting in excellent patient acceptance, no postoperative complications and no drug-seeking behavior. A second group of 10 patients was randomized prospectively to receive either patient-controlled analgesia or a standard regimen of intramuscular morphine sulfate. Based on nursing observations, an analgesia and sedation scale was developed that compared the 2 groups. Analysis of a questionnaire evaluating subjective perception of postoperative pain revealed significantly less pain, less sedation and greater activity among patients randomized to patient-controlled analgesia (95 per cent confidence limit).
The ATP-binding cassette transporter-2 (ABCA2) overexpression modulates sphingosine levels and transcription of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene

The ATP-binding cassette transporter-2 (ABCA2) is a member of a family of multipass transmembrane proteins that use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to transport substrates across membrane bilayers. ABCA2 has also been genetically linked with Alzheimer's disease but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. In this report, we hypothesized that ABCA2 modulation of sphingolipid metabolism activates a signaling pathway that regulates amyloid precursor protein transcription. We found that ABCA2 overexpression in N2a cells was associated with increased mass of the sphingolipid sphingosine, derived from the catabolism of ceramide. ABCA2 overexpression increased in vitro alkaline and acid ceramidase activity. Sphingosine is a physiological inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC) activity. Pharmacological inhibition of ceramidase activity or activation PKC activity with 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or diacylglycerol (DAG) decreased endogenous APP mRNA levels in ABCA2 overexpressing cells. Treatment with PMA also decreased the expression of a transfected human APP promoter reporter construct, while treatment with a general PKC inhibitor, GF109203x, increased APP promoter activity. In N2a cells, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that a repressive complex forms at the AP-1 site in the human APP promoter, consisting of c-jun, c-jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP2) and HDAC3 and this complex was reduced in ABCA2 overexpressing cells. Activation of the human APP promoter in A2 cells was directed by the upstream stimulatory factors USF-1 and USF-2 that bound to an E-box element in vivo. These findings indicate that ABCA2 overexpression modulates sphingosine levels and regulates transcription of the endogenous APP gene.
Health conception and health promotion in blue collar workers. Program planning issues.

Health conception and health promotion behaviors were measured in 160 blue collar workers ages 18 to 65, focusing on factors influencing blue collar workers' participation in health promotion progr...
Development of Fault Models for Hybrid Fault Detection and Diagnostics Algorithm: October 1, 2014 -- May 5, 2015

This report describes models of building faults created for OpenStudio to support the ongoing development of fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) algorithms at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Building faults are operating abnormalities that degrade building performance, such as using more energy than normal operation, failing to maintain building temperatures according to the thermostat set points, etc. Models of building faults in OpenStudio can be used to estimate fault impacts on building performance and to develop and evaluate FDD algorithms. The aim of the project is to develop fault models of typical heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment in the United States, and the fault models in this report are grouped as control faults, sensor faults, packaged and split air conditioner faults, water-cooled chiller faults, and other uncategorized faults. The control fault models simulate impacts of inappropriate thermostat control schemes such as an incorrect thermostat set point in unoccupied hours and manual changes of thermostat set point due to extreme outside temperature. Sensor fault models focus on the modeling of sensor biases including economizer relative humidity sensor bias, supply air temperature sensor bias, and water circuit temperature sensor bias. Packaged and split air conditioner fault models simulate refrigerant undercharging,more » condenser fouling, condenser fan motor efficiency degradation, non-condensable entrainment in refrigerant, and liquid line restriction. Other fault models that are uncategorized include duct fouling, excessive infiltration into the building, and blower and pump motor degradation.« less
Psychotherapy for Families After Brain Injury

In Psychotherapy for Families after Brain Injury, Dr. Klonoff takes her readers on a journey from the acute, immediate post-injury phase all the way to end-of-life. This approach sounds comprehensi...
Phase I Trials and Pharmacokinetic Studies of Intraperitoneal Cisplatin, Melphalan, Methotrexate, and Cytarabine

Phase I and pharmacokinetic studies of the intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin, melphalan, methotrexate, and cytarabine have been completed at the UCSD Cancer Center. For all four agents, there is a very large pharmacologic advantage to administration via the intraperitoneal route. The mean ratio of total drug exposure for the peritoneal cavity to plasma was 12.4 (range 2.9–37.4) for cisplatin, 65 (range 17–176) for melphalan, 92 (range 7–303) for methotrexate, and 570 (range 320–1000) for cytarabine. The dose-limiting toxicity for all four agents was systemic rather than local, and the dose administered into the peritoneal cavity could be escalated to the point where the amount of drug leaking into the sytemic circulation provided a total drug exposure for the plasma equivalent to that which could be obtained with intravenous injection. In the case of cisplatin, concurrent systemic administration of sodium thiosulfate provided excellent protection for the kidneys and permitted escalation of the total intraperitoneal cisplatin dose to 270 mg/m2. In the case of methotrexate and cytarabine, it was possible to maintain intraperitoneal concentrations well above the minimal cytotoxic level for ovarian carcinoma for a period of five days with acceptable systemic toxicity. The results indicate that these four drugs can be repeatedly administered into the peritoneal cavity and that this route of administration results in a very great pharmacologic advantage relative to systemic administration.
Nonparametric Survival Curve Estimation

We have seen that there are a wide variety of hazard function shapes to choose from if one models survival data using a parametric model. But which parametric model should one use for a particular application? When modeling human or animal survival, it is hard to know what parametric family to choose, and often none of the available families has sufficient flexibility to model the actual shape of the distribution. Thus, in medical and health applications, nonparametric methods, which have the flexibility to account for the vagaries of the survival of living things, have considerable advantages. In this chapter we will discuss non-parametric estimators of the survival function. The most widely used of these is the product-limit estimator, also known as the Kaplan-Meier estimator . This estimator, first proposed by Kaplan and Meier [35], is the product over the failure times of the conditional probabilities of surviving to the next failure time. Formally, it is given by $$\displaystyle{\hat{S}(t) =\prod \limits _{t_{i}\leq t}(1 -\hat{q}_{i}) =\prod \limits _{t_{i}\leq t}\left (1 - \frac{d_{i}} {n_{i}}\right )}$$ where n i is the number of subjects at risk at time t i , and d i is the number of individuals who fail at that time. The example data in Table 1.1 may be used to illustrate the construction of the Kaplan-Meier estimate, as shown in Table 3.1. Table 3.1 Kaplan-Meier estimate t i n i d i q i 1 − q i \(S_{i} =\prod (1 - q_{i})\) 2 6 1 0.167 0.833 0.846 4 5 1 0.200 0.800 0.693 6 3 1 0.333 0.667 0.497
Loss Of p53 Promotes Transformation Of Oncogenic Nras-Induced Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia To An Acute Phase

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) primarily occurs in the elderly with the median age ranging from 65 to 75 years. As defined by WHO, CMML is characterized by persistent monocytosis in peripheral blood, hepatosplenomegaly, and the absence of BCR-ABL fusion gene. CMML is a devastating cancer for multiple reasons, one of which is that approximately 20% of CMML cases evolve into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) soon after their first diagnosis. However, little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this malignant transformation. Recently, our lab developed a CMML mouse model induced by oncogenic NrasG12D/+ expressed from its endogenous locus. Above 90% of recipient mice with NrasG12D/+ bone marrow cells developed CMML-like phenotypes with a median survival of ∼56 weeks. Interestingly, none of these mice spontaneously transform to AML. To identify the pathogenetic origins underlying CMML transformation to AML, we further deleted p53 expression in NrasG12D/+ bone marrow cells using p53fl/fl allele and Mx1-Cre because deletion of p53 is a common genetic event observed in oncogenic Ras-driven cancers. We found that ERK1/2 is significantly hyperactivated in NrasG12D/+; p53-/- hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (enriched for myeloid progenitors) in the absence of cytokines or in the presence of low concentration of GM-CSF. Concomitantly, the mutant myeloid progenitors show significantly increased self-renewal in a serial replating assay in vitro. We transplanted NrasG12D/+, p53-/-, or NrasG12D/+; p53-/- bone marrow cells into lethally irradiated mice. Unlike recipients with p53-/- cells that died of a T-cell disease with 100% penetrance and a median survival of 24 weeks, ∼70% of recipients with NrasG12D/+; p53-/- cells died of AML or acute myeloid sarcoma with a median survival of 16 weeks. These malignant myeloid diseases are transplantable in secondary recipients. Interestingly, only mutant hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) could initiate and maintain leukemia phenotypes in the NrasG12D/+ induced CMML model, whereas both NrasG12D/+; p53-/- HSCs and myeloid progenitors could initiate AML or acute myeloid sarcoma. Our results indicate that deletion of p53 cooperates with NrasG12D/+ mutation to transform CMML into an acute phase. This malignant transformation is initiated by mutant myeloid progenitors, which show increased self-renewal and potentially serve as leukemia initiating cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
36 SERIAL SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER INCREASES PREGNANCY LOSSES IN GOATS

Serial cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been successful in several mammalian species. This method can be beneficial for transgenic line expansion or resetting the lifespan of transgenic cells. Previous studies in bovine and porcine have shown a decrease in efficiency over multiple iterations of serial cloning. However, the contradictory data has been reported in mice where no decrease in cloning efficiency was observed after 25 generations of recloning. To our knowledge, no data have been reported investigating the efficiency of serial cloning in goats. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is an effect of recloning on goat SCNT efficiency. αMHC-TGF-β1 fetal fibroblast cells (containing transforming growth factor-β under control of a cardiac-specific promoter) were produced by electroporation and used for the first round of SCNT. For serial cloning, we used neonatal fibroblast cells obtained from skin biopsies used as nuclear donors. These cells were collected from the transgenic cloned goats generated by the first round of SCNT. Cumulus-oocyte complexes recovered from abattoir-derived ovaries using slicing technique were matured in vitro for 20 to 24 h. The first polar body and metaphase plate were removed from a cumulus cell-free oocyte, and a donor fibroblast cell was subsequently transferred into the enucleated oocyte. Fused embryos were then activated for 5 min in 5 mM ionomycin followed by 4 h in 2 mM DMAP with 5 mg mL−1 cycloheximide. Activated embryos were cultured in G1 medium with 5 mg mL−1 BSA for 12 h, followed by surgical transfer into the oviducts of recipients synchronized to show oestrus within 12 h of SCNT. In total, 592 and 395 embryos were transferred to 37 and 25 recipient goats, respectively, for the first and second round of SCNT. Pregnancy rate, rate of pregnancy loss, and term rate were analysed by Chi-squared with a 2-tailed P-value. No significant difference was observed in Day 40 pregnancy rates (32.4 v. 36%) and term rates (32.4 v. 20%) between the first round of cloning and the successive recloning. However, the rate of pregnancy losses was significantly greater in recloning group (P < 0.05), with 4 out of 9 pregnancies lost between Day 40 of gestation and term, whereas no pregnancy losses were observed after Day 40 of gestation in the first-round cloning group. The greater pregnancy loss in the recloning procedure might be caused by accumulation of epigenetic errors resulting from incomplete reprogramming. We are assessing the DNA methylation pattern of differentially methylated regions (DMR) of 2 paternally imprinted genes (H19 and IGF2R) in the cloned and recloned goats and expect to see a difference in their imprinted gene DNA methylation pattern, which could explain the greater rate of pregnancy loss in recloned goats.
Revisiting the Tax Treatment of Citizens Abroad: Reconciling Principle and Practice

In an increasingly mobile world, the taxation of citizens living abroad has taken on increased importance. Recent international administrative developments — most notably, the weakening of foreign bank secrecy and expansion of global information sharing norms — have further raised the profile of this issue. While U.S. law traditionally has taxed U.S. citizens living abroad in the same general manner as citizens living in the United States, a number of scholars have proposed abandoning the use of citizenship as a jurisdictional basis to tax. In its place, they would apply residence-based principles — i.e., exercising full taxing rights over U.S. citizens only if the citizens reside in the United States. Citizens residing outside the United States would be taxed in the same limited manner as non-citizens residing outside the United States. This Article examines the impact of the recent international administrative developments on proposals to eliminate citizenship-based taxation and replace it with residence-based taxation. It also discusses a number of substantive concerns with the residence-based taxation proposals. While the Article concludes that the United States should retain its citizenship-based taxation regime, it acknowledges that a number of practical steps could be taken to ameliorate unnecessary burdens faced by overseas citizens.
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events: The Mental Health Impact

Climate change has the potential to increase the strength, intensity, and frequency of extreme weather events that threaten lives and property and affect the physical and psychological well-being of millions of people (United Nations 2014). This chapter considers how exposure to extreme weather events associated with climate change may influence preparedness for new threats and mental health and psychological functioning. Conservation of resources stress theory (Hobfoll 2012) is presented as a framework to examine these issues. The need for a chapter examining the mental health consequences of exposure to extreme weather events associated with climate change became apparent following research examining mental health in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and Cyclone Winston in Fiji. Exposure to an extreme weather event, life threat, resource loss, resource loss spirals, and secondary stresses that develop during recovery can negatively affect mental health and psychological functioning. Prospects for projects that educate about extreme weather events, including their cause, destructive potential, and ways to mitigate damage are discussed.
“Stethoscopes” for nonintrusive monitoring

This paper provides a survey of example sensors that can be implemented with nonintrusive electromagnetic measurements. Stray electric and magnetic fields exist around many important components in commercial and industrial processes. For example, power cables operate surrounded by magnetic and electric fields. Flow meters operate with cyclically-varying magnetic fields. And stray electromagnetic fields can serve as an energy source for powering sensors wirelessly. These stray fields provide remarkable opportunities for nonintrusive sensing of industrial processes. Sensed information can be used to establish monitoring in new or retrofit systems, or can be used as a backup or redundant source to verify the operation of an installed sensor network. Three different example sensors are presented in this paper for power monitoring, fluid flow tracking, and electromechanical vibration monitoring. All three sensors make use of a common set of circuits for electric and magnetic field sensing. They illustrate approaches that could be applied for many other sensing applications.
Personalized T cell-mediated cancer immunotherapy: progress and challenges

Immunotherapies are yielding effective treatments for several previously untreatable cancers. Until recently, vaccines and adoptive cell therapies have been designed to target public tumor antigens common to multiple patients rather than private antigens specific to a single patient. Due to the difficulty of identifying public antigens that are expressed exclusively on tumor cells, these studies have yielded both clinical successes and serious immune-related adverse events. Multiple avenues of research now underscore the centrality of tumor-specific mutated private antigens to endogenous anti-tumor immunity. Immunotherapies that target these neoantigens may enable safer and more durable tumor regression, but personalized targeting presents a number of challenges. Foremost among these is to develop processes that accelerate advancement from neoantigen discovery to use of these neoantigens as vaccines or as targets for adoptive cell therapies. Exome sequencing has facilitated discovery of neoantigens for melanoma and other highly mutated cancers. New technologies – possibly proceeding from T cell receptor repertoire sequencing – are needed to identify antigens for cancers with low mutational burden and few neoantigens. In this review, we discuss progress toward personalizing T cell-mediated immunotherapy for cancer as well as challenges going forward.
Fast algorithms for integral formulations of steady-state radiative transfer equation

Abstract We investigate integral formulations and fast algorithms for the steady-state radiative transfer equation with isotropic and anisotropic scattering. When the scattering term is a smooth convolution on the unit sphere, a model reduction step in the angular domain using the Fourier transformation in 2D and the spherical harmonic transformation in 3D significantly reduces the number of degrees of freedoms. The resulting Fourier coefficients or spherical harmonic coefficients satisfy a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. We study the uniqueness of the equation and proved an a priori estimate. For a homogeneous medium, the integral equation can be solved efficiently using the FFT and iterative methods. For an inhomogeneous medium, the recursive skeletonization factorization method is applied instead. Numerical simulations demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithms in both homogeneous and inhomogeneous cases and for both transport and diffusion regimes.
Clinical Reasoning: A young woman with symmetric weakness and behavioral disturbance.

A 19-year-old woman presented with altered mental status and progressive quadriparesis. One week prior to admission, she experienced headaches and behavior changes, including social withdrawal and a fixation on electronics. The day prior to admission, she developed weakness in both arms, and was unable to lift them above her head, followed shortly thereafter by proximal leg weakness and difficulty climbing stairs. The next day, she was intermittently unresponsive and unable to stand without assistance. Her medical history was notable for supraventricular tachycardia and depression. She was on an estrogen-containing oral contraceptive and fluvoxamine, which had been started for depression 6 weeks prior to admission. She had also recently completed a course of amoxicillin for bronchitis. She had no pertinent family history. Her social history was significant for IV heroin use approximately 2 months prior to admission. Her initial examination was notable for disorientation to time and place and impaired concentration and short term memory, with intact language and cranial nerves. There was 2/5 strength in both her arms and legs, with preserved sensation to light touch and vibration, and 2+ reflexes, although a Babinski sign was present bilaterally.