cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maintaining stem cells from the embryonic pancreas in vitro and guiding their subsequent lineage selection

Introduction: Previously, we have blocked both exocrine and endocrine differentiation by the embryonic pancreas in vitro by inhibiting expression of the exocrine inductive factor, laminin-1, and the a-cell transcription factor, pax-6, with antisense treatments. Within these blocked pancreata, we characterized a novel population of cells that co-express primitive endocrine (glucagon) and exocrine (carbonic anhydrase II) markers. The presence of these primitive cells within the undifferentiated pancreatic specimens suggested that we had maintained the embryonic pancreas in a protodifferentiated, pluripotent state. To confirm the possible stem-cell identity of these epithelial cells, we attempted to then induce the further differentiation of these antisense-blocked cells toward different pathways of mature pancreatic lineages using various growth conditions.
Ideal Brittle Fracture of Silicon Studied with Molecular Dynamics

Silicon is very brittle and a wafer dropped on the floor easily shatters. A clue to explaining why comes from static cracks. Even at room temperature, static cracks in silicon can have tips that are atomically sharp [1], and there is every reason to believe that crystals can be severed very efficiently by the propagation of such sharp cracks. Relations between crack speed and energy consumption have been measured, mainly in brittle plastics [2], but have never realistically been calculated. The only full characterization of how things break at the atomic level has been obtained in an ideal brittle crystal, which is a lattice of atoms in which forces between nearest neighbors rise linearly with separation up to a critical distance, after which they fall immediately to zero. That is, nearby atoms attract each other according to Hooke’s law, until they separate too far, at which point the bond between them instantly snaps. Slepyan [3,4] first showed that cracks in crystals of this type can completely be described analytically. A summary of some of the most important results [5,6] is as follows: (i) Moving cracks can naturally evolve to steady states in which patterns of atomic motion repeat indefinitely, and the crack leaves behind atomically flat surfaces. (ii) Cracks in steady state emit surface phonons whose phase velocity equals the crack velocity [3]. (iii) When energy flux to the crack tip falls below a lower critical value, crack motion becomes impossible. This lower critical value is larger than the value one would deduce from considering energy conservation [7], and the minimum allowed crack speed is on the order of 20% of the transverse sound speed, rather than zero. (iv) If energy flux to the crack passes an upper critical value, the tip goes unstable, is no longer atomically sharp, and the system’s dynamical behavior rapidly becomes very complex. These qualitative findings have been limited to the very special models that could be solved by hand. There was no persuasive argument that cracks in real materials should behave similarly, no determination whether ideal brittle fracture is a pathological feature of an artificial model, or whether it is a broad universality class. We therefore decided to check how much of the scenario would be preserved in three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations of silicon, employing realistic two- and threebody potentials. All the features of the idealized lattice models carry over to the realistic case, although cracks in silicon act in a hysteretic way we had not anticipated from the analytical work.
Lime effects on phosphorus availability in a calcareous soil

Crop yields are sometimes reduced on irrigated calcareous soils with elevated lime concentrations. This study was conducted to determine the influence of lime on P availability. The effects of acid-equivalent lime concentrations and P fertilization rates on NaHCOrsoluble P, anion resin-extractable P, P-adsorption isotherms in 0.01 M CaCl 2, and P uptake by sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) were investigated in the greenhouse on soil samples from the Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, mesic Durixerollic Calciorthid). Plant P uptake was increased by P fertilization and decreased by increasing lime concentration. Phosphorus uptake was curvilinearly related to solution P (extracted by 0.01 M CaCl2). Solution P concentrations increased linearly as the resin-extractable P/equilibrium buffer capacity (EBC) ratio increased, where EBC is the slope of the P-adsorption isotherm at the indigenous equilibrium P concentration. The EBC increased as the lime concentration increased. Phosphorus applications increased solution P and resinextractable P and decreased EBC within a given lime concentration. These data indicate that the soil-test P concentration or P fertilization rate should increase as the lime concentration increases to provide the same degree of P availability and plant P uptake in this calcareous soil. M
The evolving treatment of aortic stenosis: do new procedures provide new treatment options for the highest-risk patients?

The percutaneous treatment of valvular heart disease is rapidly progressing through clinical trials. For one valvular lesion, critical aortic stenosis, recent advances in technology and percutaneous techniques may potentially change the way in which we manage this disease in the most frail and elderly patients. Some of these new techniques blur the distinction between surgical and nonsurgical treatments. In this issue of Circulation , Lichtenstein and colleagues report the first series of patients to have an aortic valve implanted via a thoracotomy to expose the left ventricular apex, for subsequent sheath insertion, over-the-wire delivery system advancement, and image-guided implantation of a stent mounted equine crimped on a delivery balloon.1 This article is seminal in defining 2 major emerging issues: valvular heart disease treatments that are hybrids of surgical and catheter-based techniques and the challenges inherent in determining what treatment modalities are best in the growing problem of aortic stenosis in mature, ie, elderly, adults. This report adds to the recently published report from the St. Paul’s Hospital group in Vancouver using the retrograde percutaneous aortic valve (PAV) implantation technique.2 Article p 591 Which patients will be appropriate for these new approaches to the treatment of aortic stenosis in the mature adult population? Timely assessment of the efficacy and safety of these techniques will be critical for patients, care providers, regulatory agencies, and insurers to evaluate for patient-specific decision making and healthcare policy.
Conservation of information: applications in functional, reversible, and quantum computing

Microscopic physics is entirely reversible, yet almost all computation is done using irreversible processes. Adding two numbers together, for example, destroys information, unless one of the numbers is retained. Over the past few years, some advantages of taking reversible computation seriously have emerged -- first in the context of saving energy, through the development of dissipationless logic, and then in the promise of quantum computation, which is necessarily also reversible and dissipationless.The necessary conservation of information in these systems raises the question of how we can best capture this strong constraint from an abstract point of view. Already ideas such as linear logic can be applied, but the full implementation of conservative logic ideas will require language and architectural innovation and a rethink of our computational models.
The Feminization of Poverty in the United States Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Family Factors

This article delineates the contribution of gender, race, ethnicity, marital, and parental status to the feminization of poverty. Its analysis of recent published and unpublished census data suggests that gender, race, and ethnicity strongly affect poverty rates. However, parenthood interacts with gender in such a way as to affect only women and to affect White women more than Blacks and Hispanics. By examining these sources of poverty separately, the authors articulate more clearly the forces that have generated rapid feminization of poverty. They also specify trends across White, Black, Puerto Rican, Mexican American, and other Hispanic populations as well as preschool and school-age children in female-householder families. The analysis takes into account a range of factors that have contributed significantly to women's poverty. It also evaluates competing arguments regarding public policies that best alleviate the problem.
Laser Ignition and Flame Speed Measurements in Oxy-Methane Mixtures Diluted With CO2

Ignition and flame propagation in methane/O2 mixtures diluted with CO2 are studied. A laser ignition system and dynamic pressure transducer are utilized to ignite the mixture and to record the combustion pressure, respectively. The laminar burning velocities (LBVs) are obtained at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in a spherical combustion chamber. Flame initiation and propagation are recorded by using a high-speed camera in select experiments to visualize the effect of CO2 proportionality on the combustion behavior. The LBV is studied for a range of equivalence ratios (ϕ = 0.8–1.3, in steps of 0.1) and oxygen ratios, D = O2/(O2 + CO2) (26–38% by volume). It was found that the LBV decreases by increasing the CO2 proportionality. It was observed that the flame propagates toward the laser at a faster rate as the CO2 proportionality increases, where it was not possible to obtain LBV due to the deviation from spherical flame shape. Current LBV data are in very good agreement with existing literature data. The premixed flame model from chemkin pro (Reaction Design, 2011, CHEMKIN-PRO 15112, Reaction Design, San Diego, CA) software and two mechanisms (GRI-Mech 3.0 (Smith et al., 1999, “The GRI 3.0 Chemical Kinetic Mechanism,” http://www.me.berkeley.edu/gri_mech/) and ARAMCO Mech 1.3 (Metcalfe et al., 2013, “A Hierarchical and Comparative Kinetic Modeling Study of C1–C2 Hydrocarbon and Oxygenated Fuels,” Int. J. Chem. Kinetics, 45(10), pp. 638–675)) are used to simulate the current data. In general, simulations are in reasonable agreement with current data. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is carried out to understand the important reactions that influence the predicted flame speeds. Improvements to the GRI predictions are suggested after incorporating latest reaction rates from literature for key reactions.
Demographic Characteristics of Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus and Peripheral Neuropathy

Background: Studies have established a positive association between peripheral neuropathy and diabetes mellitus. The purpose of the present investigation is to determine the predictor variables for demographic characteristics of individuals with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy. Methods: Frequency and χ2 statistic analyses were conducted on the data to determine significance of predictor variables. Results: Among individuals with and without diabetes mellitus, men are more at risk to develop complications related to peripheral neuropathy, such as foot insensate areas and numbness in extremities. Diabetic individuals older than 61 years are at higher risk than other age groups. Among diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy, women are more likely to have emotional disorders such as panic, anxiety disorder, and depression than men of the same age or younger. Conclusions: Predictor variables will assist clinicians in better diagnosing peripheral neuropathy, contributing to more effective treat...
Modeling tree-level fuel connectivity to evaluate the effectiveness of thinning treatments for reducing crown fire potential

Land managers have been using fire behavior and simulation models to assist in several fire management tasks. These widely-used models use average attributes to make stand-level predictions without considering spatial variability of fuels within a stand. Consequently, as the existing models have limitations in adequately modeling crown fire initiation and propagation, the effects of fuel treatments can only be evaluated based on average conditions, where the effects of thinning design (e.g., cut-tree locations) on changing fire behavior are largely ignored. To overcome these limitations, we coupled an advanced physics-based fire behavior model with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology to capture the spatial distribution of trees within stands and model crown fire initiation and propagation in more detail. Advanced physics-based fire behavior models are computationally demanding, and it is not currently feasible to run such models for large landscapes (thousands of hectares) at which fuel treatments are often considered. Thus, to extend the capabilities of these fine scale models to larger landscapes, we developed logistic regression models based on tree data and fire behavior model output to predict crown fire initiation and propagation for given tree locations and attributes for two weather scenarios, representing average and severe conditions, for our study area. We applied these regression models and used treelevel fuel connectivity prediction as measures to evaluate the effectiveness of thinning treatments for reducing crown fire potential. We demonstrate this method using LiDAR-derived stem map and tree attributes developed for a 4.6-ha forest stand in western Montana, USA.
Transient Analysis of the Rectified Superconducting Alternator

A set of five differential equations is derived to describe the transient electrical behavior of a three-phase superconducting alternator connected to a full-wave thyristor bridge. The approximation of constant flux linkages for the rotor circuits is utilized to reduce the number of numerical integrations from five to two. This produces a very efficient algorithm that is quite useful for studies requiring a large number of simulations. Numerical results based on the parameters of a 10-MVA superconducting machine are included.
Selection of Models of Invasive Species Dynamics1

Abstract Mathematical and process-based simulation models are powerful tools for synthesizing information about invasive species. However, there are a number of different types of models, ranging from simple to complex that can be selected for any given application. In this article, a model classification framework of three types of models is applied to studies of invasive species that allows the objective selection of a model type on the basis of its ability to capture key processes and dynamics, yet minimize the errors in prediction. Model selection is illustrated using a series of increasingly complex models. Additional index words: Nonspatial models, spatially explicit models, spatially implicit models.
Needs Assessment of Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening in Vietnamese American Health Care Providers

Vietnamese women living in the United States have a cervical cancer incidence rate that is five times that of White women. The low rate of cervical cancer screening among this high-risk population contributes to this disparity. In 2004, the National Cancer Institute collaborated with the Vietnamese American Medical Association to conduct a short needs assessment questionnaire (Pap Test Barriers Questionnaire for Health Care Providers) among its members to assess provider views about cervical cancer, barriers to Pap testing among Vietnamese women living in the United States, and types of patient education materials needed to help motivate Vietnamese women to receive a Pap test. Information from the questionnaire was used to inform development of a brochure and identify additional strategies to enhance outreach to Vietnamese women and providers. Almost all of the respondents (95%) thought that Pap tests were “very important” in the early detection of cervical cancer in Vietnamese women. In addition, knowledge about the importance of Pap tests was identified as the most influential factor for Vietnamese women not seeking a Pap test. Print materials that included both English and Vietnamese translations in the same publication were cited as a preferred communication tool. Further, health education through Vietnamese media was recommended as a primary strategy for reaching women with educational messages. Findings from this needs assessment contributes to a larger formative research effort to build NCI’s cervical cancer education program within its Office of Education and Special Initiatives.
Strong gastric contractions cause mucosal ischemia

Contractions of a segment of bowel result in alterations of its blood flow. However, the precise temporal and spacial relationships between contractions and mucosal blood flow are unknown. Rats were fitted with strain gauge force transducers and implanted with silver wire electrodes into the muscularis externa of the stomach. In vivo microscopic observation of motility and of the gastric mucosal blood flow was performed during electrical field-stimulated contractions. Contractions originated in the midcorpus, were 0.237 +/- 0.018 cm wide, traveled along the corpus at 0.133 +/- 0.024 cm/s, and had a duration of 5.9 +/- 0.1 s. Antral contractions were 0.174 +/- 0.032 cm wide, traveled at 0.070 +/- 0.009 cm/s, and had a duration of 5.6 +/- 0.7 s. During the contraction, capillary flow velocity in the corpus decreased from a basal value of 410 +/- 105 to 206 +/- 104 microns/s at the peak of a contraction. Five seconds after the contraction was released hyperemia was observed with the flow velocity increasing to 570 +/- 102 microns/s. In the antrum, flow stopped completely during the contraction irrespective of the initial flow velocity and no hyperemia occurred with release of the contraction; rather, flow velocity slowly returned to baseline values. In both regions the flow reductions were in phase with the contractions as measured by the force transducers. These studies provide direct evidence that strong gastric contractions can effectively reduce or stop gastric mucosal blood flow.
Spin-orbit coupling controlled ground state in Sr 2 ScOsO 6

The role of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in 4$d$ and 5$d$ transition metal oxides is relatively poorly understood outside of the LS or JJ coupling limits. In this work, the importance of the intermediate regime is demonstrated through the identification of SOC as an essential feature of the collective properties in nominally orbitally quenched 5${d}^{3}$ systems. The authors probe the magnetic excitations in model system Sr${}_{2}$ScOsO${}_{6}$ via inelastic neutron scattering and model the results including the effects of SOC-induced anisotropy. Experimentally determining the strengths of nearest and next-nearest neighbor interactions leads to the important discovery that the magnetic ground state is controlled by anisotropy, which would not be possible in the LS coupling limit. This indicates that SOC plays a key role in relieving frustration and promoting heightened transition temperatures in 5${d}^{3}$ double perovskites.
Impact of Technology on Traditional Agriculture: The Peru Case

BOTH geographically and economically, Peru is divided into three major regions-the Coast, the Sierra, and the Selva. The Coastal region contains the major urban-industrial centers and a productive agricultural sector based largely on cotton and sugarcane production in the fertile irrigated valleys. The vast tropical Selva region comprises 60 percent of Peru's area but is sparsely populated, largely unexplored, and essentially isolated from the Coastal region by the Sierra. The Sierra region is a densely populated, low-income agricultural region based upon subsistence cereal and tuber production at the lower altitudes and livestock production on the high plains and mountain slopes. Although 52 percent of Peru's total population and 70 percent of the active agricultural labor force is located in the Sierra region, the Sierra region produces only 19 and 41 percent of the gross value of total production and gross value of agricultural production, respectively. Gross National Product per active worker in Sierra agriculture is approximately $109, as compared with $960 for non-Sierra agriculture, and $1,461 for nonagriculture [2, pp. 3-6]. The problems of the Sierra region are further complicated by short-day lengths, frost and drought hazards, rough and mountainous terrain, poor nonagricultural employment opportunities, bare subsistence diet levels of about 1,100 calories per day per capita, a primitive transportation network, a 67-percent rate of illiteracy, and stable or declining crop yields.' Given this brief but harsh description, it is clear that a program to reorient and redirect the Sierra economy is needed. The objective of this study is to examine one possible component of such a program-the effects of the
Surface Wave Inversion for Shear Wave Velocity

Land based seismic exploration has typically viewed the surface wave or ground roll as undesirable noise while earthquake seismology has been able to use the surface wave to invert for lateral variations in crust-upper mantle shear-wave velocity. Although surface-wave inversion techniques for shear-wave velocity and shear-wave Q are easy to apply once the phase velocity, group velocity and anelastic attenuation dispersion are known, the manner in which these parameters are obtained efficiently from large exploration data sets has not been fully explored. This paper will address the processing steps required and apply them to surface-waves recorded in a refraction experiment in the State of Maine in the U. S.
Sleep Fragmentation and Biomarkers in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objectives:(1) To compare sleep (nighttime sleep duration and sleep efficiency) and sleep fragmentation (movement and fragmentation index), as measured by actigraphy, and symptoms (pain and fatigue) in 8- to 14-year-old children with polyarticular and extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and (2) to examine the associations between sleep fragmentation (movement and fragmentation index) and the calcium-binding protein biomarkers S100A12 and myeloid-related protein (MRP8/14).Method:Participants included 40 children with extended oligoarticular (n = 15) or polyarticular (n = 25) JIA and their parents. Serum protein samples were obtained during routine rheumatology clinic visits. Children completed the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale and daily pain and sleep diaries and wore actigraphy monitors for 9 consecutive days. Parents completed the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ).Results:Of the 40 children, 68% scored above the CSHQ clinical cutoff score for sleep disturbances....
Optimal Lateral Trajectory Tracking using Backstepping with a Fully Tuned Growing RBF Neural Network.

This paper will present an approach to aircraft lateral trajectory tracking utilizing backstepping control with a fully-tuned Growing Radial Basis Function (GRBF) neural network. The aircraft lateral trajectory is generated via optimization of a cost functional using the Pontryagin maximum principle. The fully tuned growing RBF network is utilized to compensate for unknown perturbations in the aircraft model. Simulations are presented for an optimal turn and descent trajectory.
Conflict Measurement in the Distribution Channel

Conflict among firms in distribution channels is inherent, pervasive, and potentially disruptive. This article presents an approach to measuring dyadic conflict intensity. Conflict is related to a ...
Use of thiosulfate clearance as a measure of glomerular filtration rate in acidotic dogs.

Summary and ConclusionsThe data presented above confirm the observations of Gilman et al.1 that the thiosulfate clearance may be used as a valid measure of glomerular filtration rate in the dog, and extend these observations by showing that it is applicable to animals with disturbed acid base relationships as well as to normal animals. Because the administration of thiosulfate has no significant effect on glomerular filtration rate (creatinine clearance) and minimum effective renal plasma flow (p-aminohippurate clearance) the thiosulfate clearance may be used in studies on renal function in acidotic animals with minimal disturbance of these discrete renal variables. Since thiosulfate is not a buffer, the administration of this substance does not greatly alter the rate of excretion of titratable acid. This virtue is likewise possessed by mannitol and inulin, but the simplicity and accuracy of the thiosulfate analysis argues strongly in its favor.
Study of the influence of blade edge modification of low-pressure two staged turbine on the turbine efficiency

By the use of 3D numeric simulation technique,the numerical calculation and flow field analysis on four row blades of the low-pressure two staged prototype of multiple staged axial flow aero-turbine were carried out.And then the numerical calculations were carried through respectively on the blade edges modified two staged turbine with its front and trail blades edges being modified in its low pressure first stage and second stage.By comparing with the computed result of prototype blades its influence on the efficiency of low pressure turbine was determined.The calculation result showed that the efficiencies of turbines that adopted modified blades edges were all less than those of the turbines with the prototype blades and the efficiency of turbine would gradually drop down along with the augmentation of the amount of edge modification.
Analysis of characteristics of national food poisoning events from 2002 to 2012 and discussion on precautionary measures

Objective To investigate the characteristics of the food poisoning events from 2002to 2012and discuss the precautionary measures.Methods Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the general features,seasonal distribution,causes and occurring places.Results There were 3 546documented food poisoning events from 2002to 2012,resulted in 121 034cases,in which 2 234died.Most annual cases were reported in 2006while in 2003most death cases occured.The 3rd quarter of the year has the highest incidence rate,and the main causes were microbiological pathogens.Most cases occurred at dining hall.However,highest mortality rate of food poisonning events happened at home.Conclusion The serious situation of food poisoning requires enhancing publicity for food safety,strengthening survillance and prevention,launching the training for food poisoning emergency events and establishing the food risk-assessment frame.
Numerical analysis for variation of coal gas seepage nearby fault at heading face

In order to solve the problem of coal gas seepage variation anomaly when outburst coal heading face encounters the fault, the numerical simulation software ANSYS10.0 was adopted to simulate numerically the distribution rules gas pressure around the fault of the heading face, and compared the development and change of gas pressure and the distribution rules of pressure gradient with different fault and with no fault in heading face. The results show that, under the same condition, by comparison with and without fault, the pressure gradient of the former was significantly higher than the latter, and more likely to lead to coal and gas outburst disasters.
Screening for carotid artery stenosis.

N.C. is a 65-year-old woman who presents for her yearly checkup. She walks one to two miles daily, is in generally good health, has no significant cardiovascular history, and has no health concerns at today's visit.
Resident perceptions on pregnancy during training: 2008 to 2015

Abstract Background Perceptions of residents regarding pregnancy during training were compared over time and across surgical, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and anesthesia specialties. Methods A single-institution survey was distributed to female residents in 2008 and to female and male residents in 2015. Nonparametric comparisons of Likert scale response distributions were performed on the supportiveness for pregnancy of the residency program and childbearing influences of female residents in 2008 and 2015, between specialties for each survey year, and between male and female residents in 2015. Results The response rates of female residents were 74.8% and 50.5% in 2008 and 2015. In 2015, program directors and division chiefs were perceived to be more supportive of resident pregnancy than in 2008. Surgical residents had lower perceptions of support compared with other specialties. Residents in programs with female leadership perceived a more supportive environment for pregnancy. Conclusions Despite persisting negative stigma, residents across specialties report more support for pregnancy.
Phase Changes in Embedded HMX in Response to Periodic Mechanical Excitation

It is well known that energy can be spatially localized when explosives are mechanically deformed; however, the heat generation mechanisms associated with this localization process are not fully understood. In this work, mesoscale hot spot formation in ultrasonically-excited energetic materials has been imaged in real-time. More specifically, periodic, mechanical excitation has been applied to Dow Corning Sylgard® 184/octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) composite materials using contact piezoelectric transducers resulting in heating at various crystal locations. A thermally-induced phase transition from a β to δ non-centrosymmetric crystal structure for HMX results in the frequency doubling of incident laser radiation and can be used as a temperature proxy. In light of this, a high-repetition-rate 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser has been used to illuminate discrete HMX crystals, and a 532 nm filter has been applied to capture only the light emitted from δ-phase second harmonic generation (SHG). The visualization of δ-phase initiation and growth is useful for determining both heat generation mechanisms and heating rates at crystal/crystal and/or crystal/binder interfaces and contributes to the understanding and prediction of hot spots.
Anode coke from coal – A low cost approach

Abstract Declining quality and availability of petroleum cokes, which have traditionally been used for the production of carbon anodes, is forcing aluminum producers to use cokes previously regarded as unsuitable. Domestic reserves of coal represent a potential alternative carbon resource for anode production, provided coke specifications can be economically achieved. Previous studies have shown that the solvent refining of coal could produce carbons suitable for aluminum production. To conform to coke specifications (e.g. metals content), it was necessary to remove mineral matter in the coal by a costly filtration step. This adds significantly to the cost of the process, making it uncompetitive with coke from other sources. However, cokes with properties very similar to the required specifications have been produced from very low ash coals by solvent extraction, but without the uneconomic solids removal step. Extraction in a suitable solvent was used to produce a coal digest, which when injected at high temperature into a coking vessel generated the anisotropic needle structure characteristic of high quality cokes. Reported herein are the results of our investigation into using low-ash coals (1–2 wt.%) from the southeastern Kentucky coalfield to produce anode-grade cokes using similar methods. The high cost filtration step was omitted, but the resulting coke did not meet the anode grade specifications.
Computationally fast EM field propagation through axi-symmetric media using cylindrical harmonic decomposition

We describe and provide a systematic procedure for computationally fast propagation of arbitrary vector electromagnetic (EM) fields through an axially symmetric medium. A cylindrical harmonic field propagator is chosen for this purpose and in most cases, this is the best and the obvious choice. Firstly, we describe the cylindrical harmonic decomposition technique in terms of both scalar and vector basis for a given input excitation field. Then we formulate a generalized discrete Fourier-Hankel transform to achieve efficient vector basis decomposition. We allow a slower, pre-computation step, that finds a representation of the axi-symmetric medium as a transfer matrix in a discrete, cylindrical-harmonic basis. We find this matrix from a series of axi-symmetric (2D) finite element simulations (also known as the 2.5D technique). This transfer matrix approach significantly reduces the computational load when the transverse size or range exceeds about 30 wavelengths. This matrix is independent of the input excitation field for a given space-bandwidth product and hence makes it reusable for different excitation fields. We numerically validate the above approaches for different axi-symmetric EM scattering media which include a hemispherical gradient-index Maxwell’s fish-eye lens, a transformation optics designed spherical invisibility cloak, a thin aspheric lens, and a cylindrical perfect lens.
Across the border and into the cold: hieleras and the punishment of asylum-seeking Central American women in the United States

AbstractThousands of Central American families are fleeing from violence in their own countries and seeking protection in the US. However, once they enter the country they are immediately confined in temporary holding cells – also called hieleras (iceboxes) due to their extremely low temperatures, where they undergo violence and neglect. The hieleras become the site where the categories of the asylum-seeker, the immigrant, and the criminal become conflated. Asylum-seekers entering the country also enter an already existing racialized structure where Latina/o subjects have been criminalized. This article analyzes the hieleras through a Foucauldian and a transnational feminist lens, and argues that these holding cells work as a site for punishing border crossers and deterring them (and others like them) from pursuing the asylum process; which are displays of both sovereign power and disciplinary power.
Switching Activity of Allosteric Modulators Controlled by a Cluster of Residues Forming a Pressure Point in the mGluR5 GPCR: A Computational Investigation

Abstract X-ray structures for ligand-modulated GPCRs were not available until 2007 and were limited to class A GPCRs. The recent availability of X-ray structures for mGluR5, a class C GPCR, provides a valuable tool for understanding drug action. For mGluR5, pairs of extremely closely related ligands have been shown to have opposite (activating PAM vs inactivating NAM) pharmacological switching effects, which have defied understanding in drug-discovery studies. Using MM and QM calculations, we have identified a cluster of mGluR5 residues that provide a pressure point that is sensitive to these small NAM/PAM differences. These residues reside in the extracellular side of the transmembrane region of the mGluR5 protein on helices 5 and 6, which for class A GPCRs are known to require conformational changes in the intracellular region for activation to occur. We also find that docking studies presented herein provide a clear explanation for the highly efficient mGluR5-NAM MPEP in terms of its interactions with the protein.
Abstract 277: The Relationship Between Aortic And PA Diameter Among Individuals With Genetic Conditions Of The Thoracic Aorta: A Report From The NIH Gentac Registry

Background The aorta and pulmonary artery (PA) share structural similarities, and thus genetic conditions affecting the thoracic aorta may also affect the PA. We evaluated the relationship between aortic and pulmonary artery dimensions on chest CT among a subset of participants in the Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Cardiovascular Conditions Registry (GenTAC). Methods Data Adults in GenTAC without a history of aortic surgery or aortic dissection (N = 144) and with computed tomography of the chest were included. Standardized double oblique measurements of the pulmonary artery, and thoracic aortic dimensions at 8 sites (sinus of Valsalva through the suprarenal aorta) were measured in a core laboratory. The relationship between the PA and aortic dimensions were analyzed using bivariate correlations, and multivariable linear regression controlling for age and body size. Results Mean age was 45±13 years. The mean maximum ascending aortic dimension was 3.8±0.9 cm (range 2.4-7.9 cm); mean PA dimension was 3.1±0.5 cm (1.8-4.8 cm). Using a cutoff of 2.8 cm defining the 90 th percentile value for PA diameter, 65% of the study population had dilated PA. Correlations between the aortic and pulmonary artery diameter were higher for the descending aorta than the ascending aorta. The highest observed correlation between PA and aortic diameter was observed for the thoracoabdominal aorta at the level of the diaphragm (r = 0.40; P Conclusions A dilated PA is common among individuals with genetically-associate thoracic aortic dilatation. The diameter of the PA relates modestly to aortic dimensions, most strongly with the descending thoracic aorta.
Defining trauma in complex care management: Safety-net providers' perspectives on structural vulnerability and time

Abstract In this paper, we delineate how staff of two complex care management (CCM) programs in urban safety net hospitals in the United States understand trauma. We seek to (1) describe how staff in CCM programs talk about trauma in their patients' lives; (2) discuss how trauma concepts allow staff to understand patients’ symptoms, health-related behaviors, and responses to care as results of structural conditions; and (3) delineate the mismatch between long-term needs of patients with histories of trauma and the short-term interventions that CCM programs provide. Observation and interview data gathered between February 2015 and August 2016 indicate that CCM providers define trauma expansively to include individual experiences of violence such as childhood abuse and neglect or recent assault, traumatization in the course of accessing health care and structural violence. Though CCM staff implement elements of trauma-informed care, the short-term design of CCM programs puts pressure on the staff to titrate their efforts, moving patients towards graduation or discharge. Trauma concepts enable clinicians to name structural violence in clinically legitimate language. As such, trauma-informed care and structural competency approaches can complement each other.
Some Problems of Shearing and Twisting of Shallow Spherical Shells

The present account has four separate purposes. The first of these is a concise rederivation of some results for two problems of stress concentration in shallow spherical shells due to the effect of a circular hole, or rigid insert. Aside from their numerical significance these results have a special analytical significance for shell theory, for the following reason. They involve the asymptotic analysis of shell problems for which the interior solution contribution is not either of the membrane type or of the inextensional bending type, but is such that a far-field membrane solution goes into a near-field inextensional bending solution, or vice versa, with a transition region in which membrane stresses and bending stresses are of the same order of magnitude. Of particular interest is that this kind of interior solution complexity is associated with stress concentrations which are an order of magnitude higher than analogous concentrations which are encountered for related problems with interior solution contributions which are of the membrane type, or of the inextensional bending type, throughout.
Fragility analysis of bridges due to overweight traffic load

AbstractIn the U.S. overloading represents the third cause of bridge failures just after hydraulic events and collisions. Large data assembled by Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems can be used to obtain improved region-specific or network-specific characterization of vehicle loads on highway bridges for a more accurate evaluation of the safety of critical bridges and the failure consequences to the concerned communities. To achieve this goal it is important to develop tools that allow engineers to estimate the reliability of various types of bridges subjected to realistic ranges of heavy truck load intensities as encountered on highway networks. The objective of this paper is to describe an approach that combines field data and numerical simulations to perform the fragility analysis of bridges due to different percentages of overweight loads and truck traffic. Numerical examples are provided by analyzing typical bridges using field truck data collected at WIM sites in upstate New York. The results of the analy...
Financial factors that influence the size of nonprofit operating reserves

Although operating reserves can aid nonprofit organizations in alleviating periods of fiscal stress, they are not widely used. This study examines organizational factors that impact the level of operating reserves in nonprofit organizations. It also explores the relationship of operating reserves with organizational demographics and financial health variables using a six-year (1998-2003) unbalanced panel regression model containing 460,437 observations. Findings demonstrate a positive relationship between operating reserves and administration ratio, profit margin, operating margin, and organization age. Conversely, the size of operating reserves is negatively related to leverage ratio, donations, and organization size. Revenue diversification, however, shows a mixed relationship with operating reserves among different types of nonprofit indicating complexity in risk-reducing strategy. This study contributes to understanding factors relevant to the presence, or absence, of nonprofit operating reserves.
Shielding p53 from destruction.

In this issue of Blood , Jethwa et al identify a novel mechanism that facilitates the accumulation of mutant p53 (mutp53) as well as wild-type p53 (wtp53) that is induced by DNA damage in tumor cells. They demonstrate that transformation/transcription domain-associated protein (TRRAP), a constituent of multiple histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes, acetylates and stabilizes both mutant as well as DNA damage–induced wtp53 by preventing its nuclear export and subsequent degradation by MDM2, a negative regulator of p53. 1
Elementary Programming in C

This chapter presents examples of programs in C++. The programs are short and they illustrate elementary language features. It also discusses only programs with a single class and its associated functions. C++ includes C as a subset, and therefore, the shortest possible C++ program is the same as the shortest possible C program. The object-oriented features of C++ are demonstrated in the use of classes. A class in C++ consists of its data and the set of allowable transformations, or methods, used on the data. The data is called the member data and the methods are called the member functions. The word class is a reserved word in C++. It indicates the fundamental building block of object-oriented programs. The word protection is not a reserved word; it refers to the set of rules that determine the set of functions that can use the data and functions associated with the class. Functions associated with a class are called member functions.
L’Analyse de léIdée et la Participation

Les arguments critiques avances par Aristote contre la theorie platonicienne des Idees portent essentiellement sur deux points: a savoir le chorisme et l’homonymie des Idees, en reference aux etres concrets. En fait, selon l’interpretation qu’en donne Aristote, les Idees, chez Platon, ont un statut existentiel radicalement different de celui des etres concrets. Et cet ecart est si important, que Platon lui-meme parle a ce sujet de deux types d’etres totalement differents. Mais comment, — la question se pose a partir du moment ou l’on accepte cette separation —, les Idees peuvent-elles repondre a la fonction qui leur fut assignee dans le processus de developpement des etres concrets: origine, existence et devenir, ou encore dans la connaissance que nous pouvons en avoir? Et comment les etres concrets peuvent-ils etre contingents, ephemeres — dependant necessairement des Idees, — alors que aucune interaction directe n’est pensable a l’interieur d’une separation aussi radicale?
Abdominoplasty and Panniculectomy in the Presence of Abdominal Wall Hernias

The combination of abdominal panniculectomy and hernia repair is becoming an increasingly accepted technique. Panniculectomy can be performed immediately in conjunction with hernia repair or on a delayed basis. Advantages of immediate panniculectomy include reduced infection, better healing, and improved patient satisfaction. Disadvantages include added length of the operation, compromised vascularity of the abdominal skin and fat, and the potential for delayed healing. There is a variety of approaches to performing a panniculectomy. These include a standard transverse panniculectomy, fleur-de-lis incision, and a Mercedes incision. A significant advancement in support of immediate panniculectomy is the concept of perforator sparing that can preserve the vascularity to the surrounding adipocutaneous tissues and facilitate body contouring and minimize morbidities related to delayed healing. Panniculectomy should be considered in patients with an abdominal hernia and pannus.
Comparative Effectiveness of Surgical Options for Patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: An Instrumental Variable Approach.

Context Many patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) receive treatment that is too extensive. Objective To take a holistic approach in comparing the effectiveness in cancer prevention between mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery (BCS) for patients with DCIS. Design Female Kaiser Permanente Southern California members who underwent surgery for treatment of single primary DCIS from 2004 to 2014 were identified by the Kaiser Permanente Southern California cancer registry and HealthConnect database. Method Two-stage residual inclusion with the surgeon's preference of surgical procedure type as the instrumental variable was used to examine the effect of surgical choice on DCIS recurrence, breast cancer progression, and other cancer progression. Traditional Cox proportional hazards models were used for comparison. Results Of qualified subjects, 72.2% underwent BCS and 27.8% underwent mastectomy. Patients were likelier to receive BCS if their surgeon preferred to perform BCS in the past 5 years (odds ratio = 1.02, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-1.03). Although traditional Cox proportional hazards models suggested an association between BCS and higher risk of DCIS recurrence, no significant effect was observed when we adjusted for endogeneity. Neither model showed significant differences between mastectomy and BCS in progression of any cancer. Conclusion No significant benefit was observed with a more aggressive surgical procedure in preventing DCIS recurrence or cancer progression in a diverse population. Many patients with DCIS could benefit from BCS with preservation of their body image. Breast conservation followed-up with cancer surveillance is a rational approach to ensure affordable, effective care for patients with DCIS.
Calcified leiomyoma of the deltoid: pathophysiology and imaging review

Leiomyomas are benign tumors of smooth muscle cells. Leiomyomas of somatic soft tissue are a specific class of leiomyoma believed to arise from the smooth muscle cells found in the walls of blood vessels and represent less than 4% of benign, somatic soft tissue tumors. Of the somatic soft tissue tumors, approximately one-third will become calcified. We report an intramuscular, calcified leiomyoma arising from the left deltoid of a 47-year-old Caucasian male. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of a calcified, intramuscular leiomyoma of the deltoid. Imaging studies and patient presentation were initially suggestive of tumoral calcinosis or myositis ossificans. It was not until pathologic examination that the correct diagnosis of the calcified leiomyoma was made. Leiomyoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of calcified soft tissue masses. If excised with adequate margins, recurrence is unlikely.