cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Definition of the minimal simian virus 40 large T antigen- and adenovirus E1A-binding domain in the retinoblastoma gene product.

Abstract It has previously been demonstrated that the simian virus 40 large T antigen and adenovirus E1A proteins can form complexes with the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product (RB). We studied the ability of these proteins to bind to mutant RB proteins in vitro. A region of RB spanning residues 379 to 792 was found to be both necessary and sufficient for binding to T or E1A. Furthermore, this region of RB contains sufficient structural information to mimic wild-type RB in its ability to distinguish between wild-type T and the transformation-defective T mutant K1. The results of competition experiments with peptide analogs of the RB-binding sequence in T suggest that this region of RB makes direct contact with a short colinear region of T, i.e., residues 102 to 115, previously implicated in both transformation and RB binding.
Contrast mechanisms in polarization-sensitive Mueller-matrix optical coherence tomography and application in burn imaging

We investigate the various contrast mechanisms provided by polarization-sensitive (PS) Mueller-matrix optical coherence tomography (OCT). Our PS multichannel Mueller-matrix OCT is the first, to our knowledge, to offer simultaneously comprehensive polarization-contrast mechanisms, including the amplitude of birefringence, the orientation of birefringence, and the diattenuation in addition to the polarization-independent intensity contrast, all of which can be extracted from the measured Jones or the equivalent Mueller matrix. Theoretical analysis shows that when diattenuation is negligible, the round-trip Jones matrix represents a linear retarder, which is the foundation of conventional PS-OCT, and can be calculated with a single incident polarization state, although the one-way Jones matrix generally represents an elliptical retarder; otherwise, two incident polarization states are needed. The experimental results obtained from rat skin samples, which conform well with the histology, show that Mueller OCT provides complementary structural and functional information on biological samples and reveal that polarization contrast is more sensitive to thermal degeneration of biological tissue than amplitude-based contrast. Thus, Mueller OCT has significant potential for application in the noninvasive assessment of burn depth.
NATIONAL CONSUMER RETAIL BEEF STUDY: INTERACTION OF TRIM LEVEL, PRICE AND GRADE ON CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF BEEF STEAKS AND ROASTS

Consumers in San Francisco, California and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA were asked to purchase, in simulated retail markets, beef retail cuts of different grades, Choice versus Select (equivalent to Good), or of different trim levels, Regular Trim (no more than 13 mm of external fat; Philadelphia only), Extra Trim (no more than 8 mm of external fat) or Super Trim (no external fat), all priced at Parity or Premium (Parity plus 10%) prices. Consumers in Philadelphia purchased significantly more Extra Trim and Super Trim steaks and roasts than Regular Trim. At the time of purchase, consumers in both cities could not detect the visual differences in Choice versus Select, but upon eating them found that Choice cuts were better tasting, but also fatter, and that Select cuts were leaner, but had problems with taste and texture. Both Choice and Select were rated high for consumer acceptance, but for different reasons, taste for Choice, leanness for Select.
[NZP], NaZr2P3O12-type materials for protection of carbon-carbon composites

Carbon-carbon composites, if not suitably protected, suffer from the problem of oxidation of the surface in normal atmospheres at temperatures above 350 °C. For this reason they need to be protected from oxidizing environments by either using an impermeable coating, or using a sacrificial protective coating of a suitable material, and/or doping of an oxidation inhibitor in the carbon. In this study we have used a new family of materials with tailorable thermal expansion characteristics, namely, the [NZP] family as the materials for developing a suitable coating material for C-C composites. The candidates selected for matching thermal expansion with that of carbon are Ca0.5Sr0.5Zr4P6O24, SrZr4P6O24, and Ba1.175Zr4P5.65Si0.35O24. They can be sintered in inert atmosphere without decomposition of the phases, and can be hot-pressed in inert atmosphere with C-C composites at 1250 °C without decomposition or chemical interaction. They are stable in the presence of carbon up to 1200 °C for at least a period of 4 h. They also do not show any weight loss after exposure to various temperatures up to 1200 °C for 4 h.
Nicotine and brain development.

Preclinical studies, using primarily rodent models, have shown acetylcholine to have a critical role in brain maturation via activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), a structurally diverse family of ligand-gated ion channels. nAChRs are widely expressed in fetal central nervous system, with transient upregulation in numerous brain regions during critical developmental periods. Activation of nAChRs can have varied developmental influences that are dependent on the pharmacologic properties and localization of the receptor. These include regulation of transmitter release, gene expression, neurite outgrowth, cell survival, and synapse formation and maturation. Aberrant exposure of fetal and neonatal brain to nicotine, through maternal smoking or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), has been shown to have detrimental effects on cholinergic modulation of brain development. These include alterations in sexual differentiation of the brain, and in cell survival and synaptogenesis. Long-term alterations in the functional status and pharmacologic properties of nAChRs may also occur, which result in modifications of specific neural circuitry such as the brainstem cardiorespiratory network and sensory thalamocortical gating. Such alterations in brain structure and function may contribute to clinically characterized deficits that result from maternal smoking, such as sudden infant death syndrome and auditory-cognitive dysfunction. Although not the only constituent of tobacco smoke, there is now abundant evidence that nicotine is a neural teratogen. Thus, alternatives to NRT should be sought as tobacco cessation treatments in pregnant women. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 84:30–44, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Injections that kill: nosocomial bacteraemia and degedege in Tanzania.

A B S T R A C T Context: In Tanzania and some other African rural settings, a traditional proscription of injections for the treatment of cerebral malaria ( degedege ) stems from parents’ fear that injections will kill a child with fever and convulsions. The re-use of injection equipment in rural clinics is associated with bacterial contamination even where sterilization is practiced to prevent HIV transmission. A secondary infection with bacterial sepsis is indistinguishable from non-responsive malaria on clinical examination, and may be a significantly under-reported adverse event in rural Tanzania. In a prospective survey of patients whose venous catheter was culture positive on removal, 61% developed bloodstream infections. Issue: Parents report having witnessed a child’s death following an injection for the treatment of fever and convulsions in rural Tanzania, and some traditional healers who would refer a child with uncomplicated malaria for Western biomedical treatment are convinced that injections are fatal for a child with convulsions. Injection drug users learn aseptic technique to avoid what is called a ‘dirty hit’, a systemic infection that is felt immediately after injecting, indicating sudden deterioration is likely in a sick child if an IV injection is unsafe. Community mistrust of injection providers has been too casually attributed to superstition; to address parents’ concerns, injection safety should be a priority in rural health services. Intravenous injections carry a 0.2% risk of acute bacteremia when given with unsterile equipment, while unsafe infusions carry a 3.7% risk of infection, much greater than the risk from intramuscular injections of vaccine. Sepsis should be considered an important adverse event in the management of severe malaria, but the diagnosis of nosocomial bloodstream infections is a challenge in hospitals that cannot culture for bacteria. When the auto-disable syringe was introduced, patient safety improved at a Tanzanian district hospital; a reduction in the burden of serious secondary infections large enough to reduce the average inpatient length of stay was observed. Nosocomial bloodstream
Design of supervisory control scheme for fault tolerant control of telerobotic system in operational space

This paper addresses the issues of developing fault tolerant control system for telerobotic systems in operational space. First, the characteristics of operational faults and the relevant sensor signals are studied and classified. Secondly, the framework for FDI and the associated supervisory control scheme are proposed to effectively integrate the FDI approaches into telerobotic systems.
Toward an Effective Design of Behavioral Health Care Delivery: An Empirical Analysis of Care for Depression

A criticism of behavioral health care delivery is that it has largely missed the social determinants of behavioral health disorders and their diagnosis. Toward addressing this criticism, this study evaluates the delivery of behavioral health care as a part of primary care operations. Focusing on the treatment of depression, the study results show that: (i) primary care clinics operating in communities with superior social environment characteristics are associated with improved depression outcomes in the short term, and (ii) psychosocial resources (social and emotional support) and the built environment (man-made resources and infrastructure to support human activity) of primary care clinics are associated with sustaining the improvement in depression outcome in the long term. Centering our attention on IT-enabled, evidence-based, and affordable primary care as mechanisms that can enable the integration of behavioral and medical care delivery, the results suggest that IT-enabled and evidence-based primary care are associated with improvements in depression outcomes. We also find that the effect of improving the affordability of behavioral health care delivery depends on the community's socioeconomic status. Primary care clinics in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities practicing cost-containment are associated with improvements in depression outcomes, and, therefore, can contribute toward reducing disparities in behavioral health care delivery. Counter to our original expectations, we find that the effect of evidence-based care on improvements on depression outcomes increases as the availability of medically trained behavioral health care specialists practicing in a community increases lending support to concerns that primary care clinics in resource-rich communities obtain greater benefit from quality improvement interventions.
Shrinkage of Post-Cure Die Attach Adhesives During Isothermal Storage

Polymeric die-attach adhesives have been widely utilized for attaching the sensor die to the lead-frame substrate in the packaging of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Although much study has been performed regarding viscoelastic behaviors of packaging materials, less literature has addressed the issue of post-cure shrinkage, which occurs in isothermal storage and in accelerated tests. However, the influence of post-cure shrinkage cannot be ignored in characterizing long-term viscoelastic properties or evaluating long-term reliability for highly sensitive automotive sensors.In this study, a non-contact digital image correlation (DIC) method was used to characterize the post-cure aging shrinkage on a commercial epoxy-based die attach adhesive. The shrinkage strain of bulk specimens was monitored over a period of isothermal aging. Analysis indicates that the process of postcure shrinkage can be expressed in terms of exponential time functions. Using hygroscopic shrinking as an analogous process, this aging was introduced into a time-dependent finite element (FE) simulation in ANSYS®15.0. FE case studies combining both stress and dimensional relaxation indicate that certain differences can occur in the long-term finite element analysis if the shrinkage strain is ignored.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Optical Fiber, Cables, and Connectors

Publisher Summary This chapter gives an overview of optical fiber, cables, and connectors. Light is most accurately described as a vectorial electromagnetic wave. In the case of optical fibers used for tele- and data communication, it is sufficient to use a scalar wave approximation to describe light propagation in single mode fibers and a ray approximation for light propagation in multimode fibers. Attenuation is an important factor in designing effective long-distance fiber-optic networks. In addition, dispersion occurs because different wavelengths experience different propagation constants, and therefore travel with different velocities, causing a longer temporal pulse at the end of the fiber. For tele- and data communication fibers, fused silica glass is the preferred material. An optical fiber is very brittle and susceptible to chemical degradation, so it is important to protect the optical performance. Two common types of fiber-optic cable construction are used for protection. It is important to be able to easily reconfigure communication links for cost and performance optimization, to replace link subunits, and to relocate equipment. To do this, connectors are a key component in the vast majority of optical links.
Effect of Substrate Orientation on the Growth Rate and Surface Morphology on GaSb Grown by Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

MOVPE of GaSb grown on (100), (111)A and (111)B GaSb substrates were investigated to study the effect of substrate orientation on the growth rate and surface morphology. Besides growth temperature and V/III ratio, the GaSb growth rate strongly depends on the crystallographic orientation. As the V/III ratio rises, the growth rate on the (111)B oriented substrate decreases, whereas that on the (111)A oriented substrate increases. The surface morphology on different substrates was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). On (111)A substrates, triangular hillocks are the dominant defects, while on (111)B planes, three distinct types of hexagonal hillocks are observed, namely, non-flat top hexagonal structure with spiral growth features (Type I), flat top structure with lateral growth features (Type II), and non-flat top hexagonal structure with multiple islands (Type III). For all types, the basal edges of each hillock are preferentially aligned along directions. A closer look reveals that the top surface of Type II feature consists of many levels of small hexagonal shaped terraces, with each step height in the monolayer range, indicating a step flow growth involved.
Precision electromagnetic calorimetry at the highest energy and intensity proton-proton collider: CMS ECAL performance at LHC Run 2 and prospects for high luminosity LHC

The electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) of the Compact Muon Solenoid Experiment (CMS) started operating at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Spring 2015 with proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy and at a reduced bunch spacing of 25 ns. The instantaneous luminosity during LHC Run 2 is expected to exceed the levels achieved in LHC Run 1 significantly. In this talk we present new reconstruction algorithms and calibration strategies to maintain the superb performance of the CMS ECAL under these challenging conditions. We will show first performance results from the 2015 data taking period and give an outlook on the foreseen performance for Run 2. The current Run 2 of LHC is expected to accumulate a few hundred inverse femtobarn of proton-proton collisions before LHC will be upgraded to provide an even higher instantaneous luminosity, referred to as High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). HL-LHC is expected to provide a few inverse attobarn of integrated luminosity. This will result in even higher rates of simultaneous proton-proton collisions, called pile-up (PU), up to and exceeding 140 PU collisions. Likewise the physics event rates will increase further which requires upgrades to the readout and trigger electronics of the existing ECAL. We will briefly discuss the upgrade plans and present in detail the plans to combat the PU under these conditions. One promising technique is based on the very good time resolution the CMS ECAL provides. We present the current status of timing performance of the CMS ECAL, plans to improve this for the future and examples of how this can be used for PU mitigation.
Making meaningful commitments: Accounting for variation in cities’ investments of staff and fiscal resources to sustainability

Environmental sustainability is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. A number of explanations have been advanced for why some local governments make strong commitments to sustainability while others do not. Most of the extant empirical research, however, has relied on models that employ only one or just a few of these explanations. As a result, empirical analyses do not encompass a comprehensive set of variables that account for alternative explanations. This study begins to fill this lacuna by specifying an empirical model that examines six explanations for local commitment towards sustainability: local sustainability priorities, regional governance, climate protection networks, interest group support, local fiscal capacity, and characteristics of the local governing institution. Moreover, we use the designation of human and financial resources specifically for sustainability to operationalise commitment. This is a more substantive measure than has been used in previous studies. We accomplish...
Did FDA Decisionmaking Affect Anti-Psychotic Drug Prescribing in Children?: A Time-Trend Analysis.

Background Following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, many drugs are prescribed for non-FDA-approved (“off-label”) uses. If substantial evidence supports the efficacy and safety of off-label indications, manufacturers can pursue formal FDA approval through supplemental new drug applications (sNDAs). We evaluated the effect of FDA determinations on pediatric sNDAs for antipsychotic drugs on prescribing of these products in children. Methods Retrospective, segmented time-series analysis using new prescription claims during 2003–2012 for three atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone). FDA approved the sNDAs for pediatric use of olanzapine and quetiapine in December 2009, but did not approve the sNDA for pediatric use of ziprasidone. Results During the months before FDA approval of its pediatric sNDA, new prescriptions of olanzapine decreased for both children and adults. After FDA approval, the increase in prescribing trends was similar for both age groups (P = 0.47 for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; P = 0.37 for other indications). Comparable decreases in use of quetiapine were observed between pediatrics and adults following FDA approval of its pediatric sNDA (P = 0.88; P = 0.63). Prescribing of ziprasidone decreased similarly for pediatric and adult patients after FDA non-approval of its pediatric sNDA (P = 0.61; P = 0.79). Conclusions The FDA’s sNDA determinations relating to use of antipsychotics in children did not result in changes in use that favored the approved sNDAs and disfavored the unapproved sNDA. Improved communication may help translate the agency’s expert judgments to clinical practice.
Presence of volatile fatty acids in bovine semen.

SummaryConcentrations of 0.79-2.50 meq of volatile fatty acids per 100 ml were found in pooled ejaculates of bovine semen. Acetic and formic acids were identified as the major volatile fatty acid constituents by column chromatography, paper chromatography and selective oxidation of the formic acid.
Mutation of methionine synthase gene in coronary heart disease and hyperhomocysteinemia

Objective To investigate the mutation of methionine synthase(MS)gene in Chinese patients with coronary heart disease and hyperhomocysteinemia.Method Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism(PCR-SSCP)and DNA sequencing were used to amplify and analysize 10 exons of MS gene in 60 patients.Results One novel missense mutation(A3869G,that is I1195V)in exon 31 and novel SNP(G to T)in intron 32 were identified.In addition,three nonsense mutation described previously in exon 31 were detected.Conclusion Some mutations of methionine synthase gene probably result in MS disorder and hyperhomocysteinemia.
STD/AIDS Detection and Comdom Use of Female Sex Workers

Objective To provide evidence for the intervention and control of sexually transmitted diseases/AIDS(STD/AIDS) by understanding the STD/AIDS infection and condom use status among female sex workers(FSW) in Kaixian county.Methods From May to June in 2011,totally 318 sex workers in the entertainments of the county were conducted STD/AIDS testing and survey on condom use situation.Results Among 318 sex workers investigated,the detection rate of STD was 22.96%,the detection rate of HIV positive was 0.31%,and the genital tract Chlamydia trachomatis infection took the first place in the detected diseases,accounting for 46.58%;STD infection was mainly in the people performed sex service for more than three years,accounting for 70.59%;the 318 sex workers were mainly unmarried and young,with low educational level.Conciusion Sex workers is high rist population of STD infection,and the condom use rate is low.Education on prevention of STD and AIDS knowledge should be carried out in the public entertainments,with the promotion of condom use,to control STD/AIDS transmission.
Sero-epidemiological Survey Of Anaplasmosis Among Natural Population In Different Areas Of Anhui Province

Objective To learn the infectious status and its distributed characteristics of Anaplasmosis among natural people in different areas of Anhui province,and provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of Anaplasma.Methods From May to July,2010,among natural people from Huai-yuan,Ming-guang,Lu-jiang,Zong-yang,Guang-de and Tai-hu County,a total of 603 serum specimens were collected and tested for Anaplasmosis IgG antibody using indirect immunofluorescent assay(IFA).The Anaplasmosis IgG antibody levels of people in different areas or in different age groups or of different sex were also compared.Results Among 603 serum specimens,98 specimens were antibody positive with the positive rate of 16.25%.And the antibody level had obvious difference in people of different sex.Conclusion In part of rural areas of Anhui,the infection of Anaplasmosis was found in natural people.The propaganda of Anaplasmosis knowledge and the doctors' diagnostic ability of Anaplasmosis should be enhanced.
Use of aerosols to estimate mean air-space size in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Using in vivo measures of aerosol recovery (RC) as a function of breath-hold time (t) (Gebhart et al. J. Appl. Physiol. 51: 465-476, 1981), we estimated the mean diameter (D) of the pulmonary air spaces in subjects diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 8) and in subjects with normal pulmonary function (n = 10). For each subject, RC (aerosol expired/aerosol inspired) decreased exponentially with t. Based on a model of the lung as a system of randomly oriented cylindrical tubes, the half time (t1/2) (i.e., the breath-hold time to reach 50% of RC with no breath hold) is proportional to a mean diameter (D) of air spaces filled with aerosol. Subjects with normal pulmonary function had a mean t1/2 = 6.5 +/- 0.8 s, corresponding to a mean D = 0.36 +/- 0.05 mm. On the other hand, subjects with COPD had a mean t1/2 = 12.7 +/- 3.2 s, corresponding to a mean D = 0.70 +/- 0.18 mm [i.e., twice as large (P less than 0.01) as normal subjects]. Furthermore, D correlated significantly with diffusing capacity in the patients with COPD (r = -0.95, P less than 0.001 for D vs. percent predicted diffusing capacity of CO) but not with any other measure of pulmonary function. In contrast, D varied only slightly in normals and did not correlate with any measure of pulmonary function. We conclude that in vivo measures of RC vs. t, in conjunction with other pulmonary function tests, may be a useful tool for identifying actual changes in pulmonary air-space sizes associated with pulmonary disease.
Intracoronary streptokinase in evolving infarction.

Pinpointing the cause of myocardial ischemia—thrombus, spasm, or hemorrhage of an atherosclerotic plaque—can help determine appropriate management in selected infarct victims. The authors' clinical...
Studies on Internal Secretion III.--The Action of Pituitary Extract and Adrenaline on Contractile Tissues of Certain Invertebrata

1. The action of adrenaline and pituitary extract has been studied on the isolated heart of the crab Maia , the perfused heart of the bivalve Pecten , the isolated crop of the Gasteropod mollusc Aplysia , and the isolated pharynx of the annelid Aphrodite . 2. Methods for the study of the physiology of rhythmical contraction in these invertebrate preparations are described. 3. Pituitary extract in quantities comparable with those which excite the mammalian uterus was not found to have any action on invertebrate muscle. 4. Adrenaline (and epinine) in all cases produced a very pronounced increase in tone accompanied (in Maia, Aphrodite, and Pecten) with acceleration of the normal rhythm. 5. The specificity of the oxytocic action of pituitary extract and the parallelism between the action of adrenaline and of sympathetic excitation in vertebrates are discussed.
Hypnosis in the treatment of victims of sexual abuse

The relevance of hypnosis to the treatment of sexual assault derives from two sources: the fact that hypnotic phenomena are mobilized spontaneously as defenses during assault, becoming part of the syndrome of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the usefulness of formal hypnosis in treating PTSD. The role of dissociative defenses during and after traumatic experiences is reviewed; an analogy between the major elements of formally-induced hypnosis--absorption, dissociation, and suggestibility, and the major elements of PTSD--is drawn. Special problems relevant to sexual assault in childhood are discussed, including extreme self-blame and a profound sense of personality fragmentation. Uses of hypnosis in the treatment of sexual assault victims are reviewed, with an emphasis on helping such patients restructure their memories of the experience, both by reviewing them with greater control over their physical sense of comfort and safety and by balancing painful memories with recognition of their efforts to protect themselves or someone else who was endangered. The use of a split-screen technique in hypnosis is described with a clinical example. Special considerations in such treatment, including the traumatic transference and forensic complications of such psychotherapeutic work, are enumerated.
Automated QA/QC and time series analysis on OOI high-definition video data

The Ocean Observatories Initiative's (OOI) Cabled Array (CA) is delivering high-definition video data since August 2015 via fiber optic cable from a statically positioned SubC 1Cam HD (CAMHD) video camera, deployed at the Mushroom hydrothermal vent in the Axial Seamount Hydrothermal Expeditions (ASHES) Field off the coast of Oregon (lat 45° 56.0186′N, long 130° 00.8185′W, depth 1,542 m). Over 20 TB of video data have been archived and are publically available via the OOI raw data repository. The CAMHD runs a 14-minute pan/tilt/zoom routine at eight even intervals throughout the day, producing 13GB of uncompressed HD video each time, with a focus on locations of scientific interest across the vent. Due to the amount of video data already collected, and the anticipated data volumes over the life of the project, automating analyses on the quality and consistency of these data, as well as developing tools for the automatic generation of value-added data products, is critical. In this paper we present results from automated analysis of CAMHD video data files for quality assurance purposes. Objectives include ensuring consistent file size, duration and naming convention on the archive, as well as producing time-series on frames of interest to analyze change in content or image quality over time. For example, we identified that an issue in the video streaming software, which has since been resolved, truncated ∼25% of existing mp4 files on the archive. Analyses such as this allow scientists to rapidly understand the structure and quality of video data on the archive, laying the groundwork to create an array of customized analysis routines that meet a range of scientific needs.
Subtle hippocampal deformities in breast cancer survivors with reduced episodic memory and self-reported cognitive concerns

Cancer survivors have lingering cognitive problems, however the anatomical basis for these problems has yet to be fully elucidated. Clinical studies as well as animal models of chemotherapy have pinpointed cell and volume loss to the hippocampus, however, few studies have performed shape analysis of the hippocampus on cancer survivors. This study used high-dimensional deformation mapping analysis to test whether localized hippocampal deformation differs in breast cancer survivors who received adjuvant chemotherapy coupled with hormone blockade therapy, and if deformation was related to subjective self-reported concerns and cognitive performance. 3 T MRI images were acquired from 16 pre-menopausal breast cancer survivors and 18 healthy controls without a history of cancer. Breast cancer survivors had undergone chemotherapy within the eighteen months prior to the study, and were receiving estrogen-blockade therapy at the time of the study. Automated high-dimensional deformation mapping was used to compare localized hippocampal deformation differences between groups. Self-reported subjective concerns were assessed using Neuro-QOL Cognitive Function assessment, whereas cognitive performance was evaluated using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery. Relative to healthy controls, cancer survivors showed significantly more inward hippocampal deformation, worse self-reported cognitive functioning, and inferior episodic memory test score. This study is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between hippocampal deformity and cognitive impairment in cancer survivors.
On the Similarity of Lower-Stratospheric Potential Vorticity Dipoles above Tropical and Midlatitude Deep Convection

AbstractSimulations of the effects of deep convection on the structure of potential vorticity (PV) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) have shown that a common signature in the presence of ambient horizontal vorticity is a horizontal PV dipole. Here, the relationship between convection and PV structures in the UTLS in Tropical Cyclone Talas and the extratropical “Super Tuesday” cyclone is investigated with the University of Wisconsin Nonhydrostatic Modeling System (UWNMS). Dipoles of potential temperature in the UTLS are interpreted as an upward deflection of the ambient flow over the updraft (cold), followed by subsidence in its lee (warm), aligned with the wind direction. PV dipoles larger than ±20 PV units (1 PVU = 10−6 K kg−1 m2 s−1) are identified, with typical vertical and horizontal extents of ~3 and ~200 km, respectively, and lifetimes up to 12 h. Confirming the findings of Chagnon and Gray, it is found that horizontal PV dipoles are related to vortex tilting, where horizontally...
Assessment of the Implementation of Manufacturing Excellence in a Fiber Based Packaging Manufacturing Environment

Abstract The paper industry is facing continuous decline due to a combination of input costs and competition. In addition to these concerns of input costs and competition, product quality has been an ongoing problem as customer complaints have been translating to cumulative increases to operational costs as observed by Evergreen Packaging. In a survey conducted by Evergreen Packaging in the year 2014 of customer complaints, these product quality issues materialized as an area of concern. As such, Evergreen Packaging felt the need to implement an improvement program with the goal of improving quality to increase customer satisfaction. The goal of the improvement program was to reduce the operating costs of the company through the reduction of the top five complaints, and the top five dollars lost due to complaints, in each facility by 90%. The improvement program followed the principles of Manufacturing Excellence, with the company working with external consultants who are experts in Manufacturing Excellence. Statistical tests were then conducted to determine the improvements of the improvement program following a set period of time after its implementation
Ecosystem Excitement: Using Everyday Items, Projects, Field Trips, and Exotic Images to Connect Students to Plants

When students explore their own connection to plants in everyday situations they can better understand botanical importance at a larger scale. Common items, student-driven mini projects, local field trips, and exotic images pique interest to further explore human–plant connections. Examples include: (1) bringing in chocolate and exploring the gender, history, language, and geography of this candy, and how the culturally laden item relates to the plant from which it comes; (2) weekly projects in which students devise activities for each other that require them to pay attention to the plants in their everyday life, such as analyzing what they see in their own refrigerator in terms of seasonality, marketing, and agricultural systems; (3) taking students to local gardens and incorporating hands-on activities to interact with the vegetation while including time to reflect in these settings on their personal experience; (4) using images of indigenous groups in the rainforest while personalizing these faraway groups through stories, and then encouraging the class to see how these peoples’ plant use, although in a distinct ecosystem, mirrors the students’ own utilization. Through connecting the students to plants in their own lives at home, their interest broadens about the role that flora play globally both for humans and the environment.
Chronic mild hypoxia promotes profound vascular remodeling in spinal cord blood vessels, preferentially in white matter, via an α5β1 integrin-mediated mechanism

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to rapid destruction of neuronal tissue, resulting in devastating motor and sensory deficits. This is exacerbated by damage to spinal cord blood vessels and loss of vascular integrity. Thus, approaches that protect existing blood vessels or stimulate the growth of new blood vessels might present a novel approach to minimize loss or promote regeneration of spinal cord tissue following SCI. In light of the remarkable power of chronic mild hypoxia (CMH) to stimulate vascular remodeling in the brain, the goal of this study was to examine how CMH (8% O2 for up to 7 days) affects blood vessel remodeling in the spinal cord. We found that CMH promoted the following: (1) endothelial proliferation and increased vascularity as a result of angiogenesis and arteriogenesis, (2) increased vascular expression of the angiogenic extracellular matrix protein fibronectin as well as concomitant increases in endothelial expression of the fibronectin receptor α5β1 integrin, (3) strongly upregulated endothelial expression of the tight junction proteins claudin-5, ZO-1 and occludin and (4) astrocyte activation. Of note, the vascular remodeling changes induced by CMH were more extensive in white matter. Interestingly, hypoxic-induced vascular remodeling in spinal cord blood vessels was markedly attenuated in mice lacking endothelial α5 integrin expression (α5-EC-KO mice). Taken together, these studies demonstrate the considerable remodeling potential of spinal cord blood vessels and highlight an important angiogenic role for the α5β1 integrin in promoting endothelial proliferation. They also imply that stimulation of the α5β1 integrin or controlled use of mild hypoxia might provide new approaches for promoting angiogenesis and improving vascular integrity in spinal cord blood vessels.
Pityriasis lichenoides: Long-term follow-up study.

Background/objectives Pityriasis lichenoides is an uncommon papulosquamous disorder of unknown etiology. The objective of this study was to review the clinical features and treatment responses of individuals with pityriasis lichenoides seen at a tertiary referral center. Methods Seventy-five patients diagnosed with pityriasis lichenoides between 1997 and 2013 were reviewed, and 46 had long-term follow-up via telephone interviews. Results Fifty (67%) patients were diagnosed with pityriasis lichenoides chronica, 22 (29%) with pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta, and 3 (4%) with mixed pityriasis lichenoides chronica and pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta features. Mean ± standard deviation age at onset was 12 ± 13 years (median 8 years). Disease duration was significantly shorter for patients with pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta (35 ± 35 months) than for those with pityriasis lichenoides chronica (at least 78 ± 48 months). At long-term follow-up, 23 of 28 (82%) patients with pityriasis lichenoides chronica and 3 of 16 (19%) with pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta had active disease. None progressed to lymphomatoid papulosis or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Ten of 23 active pityriasis lichenoides chronica cases had residual pigmentary change independent of race and lasted at least 35 ± 20 months. The most effective treatments were phototherapy (47% response rate), heliotherapy (33%), topical corticosteroids (27%), and antibiotics (25%). Conclusion Pityriasis lichenoides is a predominantly pediatric disorder. The time course of pityriasis lichenoides chronica is significantly longer than that of pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta. Pityriasis lichenoides chronica may persist with pigmentary alterations in the absence of other signs of active inflammation. Treatment response is often limited, particularly for patients with pityriasis lichenoides chronica.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics and Intrathecal Delivery

Abstract Intrathecal delivery of opiates directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the oldest technique for the delivery of anesthetics to the central nervous system (CNS). Despite the long empirical experience with spinal anesthetics, the relationships between CSF dynamics and biodistribution of intrathecally delivered drugs are complex and the mechanisms that lead to this complex distribution are poorly understood. First-principle models of fluid mechanics have been created to elucidate complex flow patterns in subject-specific computations. It has also been shown that complex CSF flow patterns are responsible for the vigorous mixing effects that govern the biodistribution of intrathecally delivered drugs. This chapter aims to link CSF flow patterns to expected drug dispersion. However, predicting the biodistribution of drugs is not an easy task. Due to the difficulty of access to the CNS, computational analysis capable of interpreting spatial and temporally distributed imaging data plays a vital role in elucidating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intrathecal drug delivery. We review progress in our lab as well as the open literature to give a snapshot of this very active field. The chapter aims to understand better the relationship between infusion parameters and achievable drug distribution. In the near future we expect that the integration of imaging data with first-principle computational models such as those described here will enable us to design more effective drug administration strategies so that specific cells and tissue in any point of the CNS can be more effectively targeted than is the case with existing methods. We close by pointing out research directions that will pave the way for these imminent developments.
A Survival Tip for Small Residency Training Programs

Small psychiatric training programs with few trainees, limited funds, and suboptimal numbers of faculty face problems in maintaining quality education. As a survival tip for such programs, the authors describe a weekly experimental seminar for third-year residents which supplemented faculty with a large number of voluntary speakers from the community and supplemented the audience with other mental health personnel from the department. The residents, guest speakers, and guest audience were exceedingly pleased with the results, indicating that small programs can find ways around their limitations without using extra funds.
Analysis of jitter on RFPWM systems for all-digital transmitters

This paper presents a derivation of the effects of jitter on a RF pulsewidth modulated (RFPWM) all-digital polar transmitter. A full analysis of the effects of jitter on the transmitter's amplitude and phase error is provided, along with a derivation of the harmonic behavior with regards to jitter. These derived relations can be used in the design and specification of future RFPWM systems. All assertions are verified through circuit simulations of a RFPWM polar modulator in 65nm CMOS.
OAS Objectives and Hemispheric Development

The Latin American Republics that emerged from the dismantling of colonial empire in the Americas in the nineteenth century had traveled a long and difficult road to independence. It was not surprising, therefore, that the initial years of nation-building were marked by a passionate desire to safeguard their own future by cultivating regional and sub-regional solidarity and collaboration, in order to confront two major perceptions of that era. Those perceptions were a potentially aggressive re-colonization ambition by Spain and other “Western” European powers as well as a growing hemispheric polity from the giant of the North -the United States- which could conceivably result in the exercise of hegemony powers by that country throughout the Americas.
An Integrated Approach to Improving Power Grid Reliability: Merging of Probabilistic Risk Assessment with Resilience Metrics

The resilience of a system is often disconnected from its reliability. For many types of systems the sacrifice of nonessential processes may be acceptable for maintaining a resilient set of core operations. For the electric grid, however, this often translates to load shedding. Combining Idaho National Laboratory’s probabilistic risk assessment tool SAPHIRE and adaptive capacity measurement software PowDDER can provide insights for improving the electric grids ability to absorb disturbances. A quick survey of major power outages revealed that high wind related storms causing toppled power lines and failed transformers were most commonly associated with major power outages. These findings validated SAPHIRE’s output of most critical components for the IEEE 14 bus model during a windstorm scenario. SAPHIRE provided the probabilities of critical equipment being unavailable, providing insight into the likelihood a particular threat scenario would play out. An analysis of PowDDER revealed sensitivities within the system’s overall resilience could be improved by reducing the reliability of Load 10 (via load shedding). Combining information from both PowDDER and SAPHIRE enables one to consider preemptive strategies that would improve system resilience and system wide reliability simultaneously.
Poetics, Probability, and the Progymnasmata in Matthew of Vendôme's Ars versificatoria

Historians of rhetoric continue to debate the relative degree of transmission and implementation of the progymnasmata during the Middle Ages. This essay intervenes in this debate by analyzing Matthew of Vendome9s Ars versificatoria (Art of the Versemaker), showing that the treatise emphasizes the construction of probable assertions within a system of rhetorically-informed poetic composition. While past scholarship has shown Matthew9s indebtedness to Ciceronian and Horatian rhetoric and poetics, this essay argues that progymnasmata exercises focused on probability and verisimilitude may have also influenced Matthew, suggesting the continued influence of the exercises within rhetorical and grammatical education during the 12th century.
Giant megacolon: An unusual surgical emergency

Giant megacolon (GMC), an advanced form of chronic megacolon, is an uncommon diagnosis that may evolve into a surgical emergency. Here, we demonstrate a case of an elderly male who presented to our hospital with complaints of acute abdominal distention and diffuse abdominal pain. He was emergently taken to the operating room where necrotic cecum was found. The patient underwent total abdominal colectomy with end ileostomy. Radiographic and operative images of GMC are presented. The authors also discuss the pathophysiology and clinical management of this surgical condition. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Patient care.
The Effects of Accounting Complexity and the Choice of Accounting Methods on Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence From the Oil and Gas Industry

This study examines whether the financial reporting quality of oil and gas firms differs for firms that use successful efforts versus full cost accounting methods. Successful efforts is generally perceived as a more complex method, while full cost is perceived as a less complex method. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) considers reducing unnecessary complexity in financial reporting a benefit to all FASB stakeholders. This study provides additional insights into the discussion on accounting complexity and financial reporting quality. Using restatements as a proxy for financial reporting quality, we find that firms using successful efforts (the more complex method) have better financial reporting quality, as shown by a lower likelihood of restatements. This study has implications for regulators, investors, auditors, and academics interested in financial reporting quality and the relative association of complexity with financial reporting quality.
Guilt by Association? Creditor Rights and Industry Effects on Loan Terms

This study examines the role of the borrower’s industry for loan terms in regimes with varying strength of creditor rights, efficiency of debt enforcement, and other institutional characteristics. We argue that the extent of borrower-lender agency conflicts affecting loan repayment will vary with the borrower’s industry, holding borrower-level characteristics constant. Therefore, in weak creditor rights environments the expropriation of creditors is both severe and is more heavily influenced by aggregate factors. As a result, in weak creditor rights regimes, lenders are going to be less willing to gather costly information about borrower-specific risk and more likely to use industry factors in setting loan spreads. The alternative hypothesis is that collection of firm-specific private information becomes increasingly important when creditors face significant agency conflicts and expropriation risks, resulting in more discriminate loan pricing, all else equal. Empirically, industry factors have a larger impact on loan spreads in countries with fewer creditor rights protections and weaker enforcement of creditor rights. The creditor rights effect is partially mitigated during high volatility periods associated with a greater aggregate level of uncertainty. When included jointly with other institutional characteristics, the effects of creditor rights and accounting disclosure quality dominate insider agency conflicts and government expropriation. The main result is also observed for loan size, indicating that the relevance of industry for the quantity, and not only the pricing, of bank loans depends on the creditor rights environment. We corroborate the identified patterns in the role of industry factors for loan pricing using US data on state variation in creditor protections. The findings have important implications for prospective borrowers whose cost of bank debt will be more affected by industry peers in poor creditor rights environments.