cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic Investigation of Atmospheric-Pressure Counterflow Diffusion Flames Inhibited by Halons

Infrared spectra of atmospheric-pressure counterflow diffusion flames inhibited by halons (a contraction of halogenated hydrocarbons) and a few of their potential replacements are measured with the use of Fourier transform spectroscopy. Results are compared to spectra of similar flame systems examined at low pressure. It is shown that, for atmospheric-pressure counterflow diffusion methane/air flames inhibited by CF3Br, CF2H2, and CF4, the two major fluorine-containing combustion products are HF and CF2O. A correlation is shown between flame inhibition efficiency and CF2O formation for atmospheric-pressure counterflow diffusion flames inhibited by these halons. For low-pressure premixed flames inhibited by CF3Br, HF appears to be the only fluorine-containing combustion product, even at relative dopant levels 15 times higher than those capable of extinguishing atmospheric-pressure counterflow diffusion flames. The results of these experiments illustrate the need for flame inhibitant testing over a wide spectrum of flame conditions, while providing further evidence that, for atmospheric-pressure inhibition of real fires by halons, CF2O may be a good indicator of inhibitor efficiency when that inhibition is at least partly accomplished by chemical scavenging of reactive combustion intermediates.
Characterization and quantification of nanoparticle-antibody conjugates on cells using C60 ToF SIMS in the event-by-event bombardment/detection mode

Abstract Cluster C 60 ToF-SIMS (time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry) operated in the event-by-event bombardment-detection method has been applied to: (a) quantify the binding density of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs)–antiCD4 conjugates on the cell surface and (b) identify the binding sites between AuNPs and antibody. Briefly, our method consists of recording the secondary ions, SIs, individually emitted from a single C 60 1,2+ impact. From the cumulative mass spectral data we selected events where a specific SI was detected. The selected records revealed the SIs co-ejected from the nanovolume impacted by an individual C 60 with an emission area of ∼10 nm in diameter as an emission depth of 5–10 nm. The fractional coverage is obtained as the ratio of the effective number of projectile impacts on a specified sampling area ( N e ) to the total number of impacts ( N o ). In the negative ion mass spectrum, the palmitate (C 16 H 31 O 2 − ) and oletate (C 18 H 33 O 2 − ) fatty acid ions present signals from lipid membrane of the cells. The signals at m / z 197 (Au − ) and 223 (AuCN − ) originate from the AuNPs labeled antibodies (antiCD4) bound to the cell surface antigens. The characteristic amino acid ions validate the presence of antiCD4. A coincidence mass spectrum extracted with ion at m / z 223 (AuCN − ) reveals the presence of cysteine at m / z 120, documenting the closeness of cysteine and the AuNP. Their proximity suggests that the binding site for AuNP on the antibody is the sulfur-terminal cysteine. The fractional coverage of membrane lipid was determined to be ∼23% of the cell surfaces while the AuNPs was found to be ∼21%. The novel method can be implemented on smaller size NPs, it should thus be applicable for studies on size dependent binding of NP–antibody conjugates.
IIIB- Nitride Semiconductors for High Temperature Electronic Applications

Thin films of ScN and YN were grown on silicon, quartz and sapphire using metal evaporation and an RF atomic nitrogen source. YN decomposes on contact with water vapor, and only AlN capped films could be stabilized. ScN is stable in air and water, and thin films of this material deposited at temperatures between 300 and 900 °C show a substrate-dependent film texture. Typical growth rates were ~ 0.1 nm/second with a 300W N discharge at about 0.1 mTorr Nitrogen pressure. Structural characterization by x-ray diffraction, infrared transmission spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements on n-type ScN and the fabrication of p-n junctions of n- type ScN with silicon are presented.
Mechanisms and management of hypertensive heart disease: from left ventricular hypertrophy to heart failure

Hypertensive heart disease (HHD) is a spectrum of abnormalities that represents the accumulation of a lifetime of functional and structural adaptations to increased blood pressure (BP) load. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), increasing vascular and ventricular stiffness, and diastolic dysfunction are prominent intermediate features of this syndrome that operate in parallel with ischemic heart disease and ultimately cause heart failure (HF) if inadequately treated. Outcomes in HHD and HF are improved by antihypertensive drugs at any stage of the condition. This review describes an integrated model of the natural history, pathogenesis, and drug treatment of hypertensive heart disease that is consistent with the recommendations of the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) [1,2], including an important modification to the HF guideline published by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) [3] that includes LVH and diastolic dysfunction as treatable conditions within the HHD-HF continuum. Demographics of hypertensive heart disease
The WHO-DAS II: Measuring Outcomes of Hearing Aid Intervention for Adults:

The World Health Organization's Disability Assessment Scale II (WHO-DAS II) is a generic health-status instrument that provides six domain scores and a total, aggregate score. Two of the domain scores, communication and participation, and the total score, have good validity, internal-consistency reliability, and test-retest stability in individuals with adult-onset hearing loss. As such, these two domain scores and the total WHO-DAS II score may be useful as generic outcome measures to assess the effectiveness of hearing aid intervention for this population. Before the use of the WHO-DAS II in hearing aid clinical trials, however, the responsiveness of the instrument and the short- and long-term outcomes to hearing aid intervention had to be determined. Responsiveness and outcomes were assessed in 380 veterans (approximately half received hearing aids and half served as controls) by examining group differences, effect-size estimates, and individual differences as a function of hearing aid intervention. For comparison, data also were obtained on two disease-specific measures, the APHAB and the HHIE. The WHO-DAS II communication domain and total scores were sufficiently responsive to hearing aid intervention for use in future studies in which group differences are to be detected. The WHO-DAS II participation domain was not sufficiently responsive to hearing aid intervention. The APHAB and HHIE, both disease-specific measures, were more sensitive to hearing aid intervention than the generic measure. The short- and long-term outcomes of hearing aid intervention were also examined in the present study. Group outcomes for hearing aid intervention can be expected to be stable for at least 6 months when measured by WHO-DAS II total score and for at least 12 months when measured by the WHO-DAS II communication domain scores. Effect-size estimates and examination of the number of individuals exhibiting change scores exceeding 90% critical differences for true changes in scores indicate that for clinical applications, disease-specific instruments are more useful than the WHO-DAS II. The findings of this study support the use of the WHO-DAS II as a generic measure in hearing aid trials research so as to allow for comparisons of health-status outcomes across different diseases or disorders.
Writing wrongs: Promoting forgiveness through expressive writing:

Forgiveness involves forgoing destructive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and, instead, engaging in constructive responses following an interpersonal offense. The current pilot study compared two expressive writing tasks with a control writing task to determine whether writing about an interpersonal offense promotes forgiveness of the offender. Participants who empathized with the offender and identified benefits of forgiveness experienced decreases in avoidance and increases in perspective-taking. Participants who wrote about their thoughts and feelings or about daily events did not experience such forgiveness outcomes. The implications of expressive writing for healing damaged interpersonal relationships are discussed.
Conditioned Suppression as an Animal Psychophysical Technique

The purpose of this chapter is to describe and evaluate the conditioned suppression technique for the measurement of sensory thresholds in animals. Conditioned suppression was described by Estes and Skinner in 1941, but the technique was not used in animal psychophysics until recently. In a conditioned suppression experiment, a warning stimulus, which is terminated with a brief unavoidable electric shock, is superimposed on a baseline of ongoing lever pressing or key pecking independent of any responding by the animal. Conditioned suppression has, then, the advantages of aversive control while the ongoing behavior of the animal is being maintained on a positive reinforcement schedule.
Do Low-Density Cerebral Oximetry Measures Accurately Detect Variability of Cerebral Perfusion during Cardiac Surgery?

Neurocognitive deficits due to inadequate cerebral perfusion are prevalent sequelae of cardiac surgery. FDA approved non-invasive cerebral oximetry devices based on low-density arrays, are unlikely to yield accurate representation of complex heterogeneous cerebral perfusion.
Characterization of Concentrated Systems: Constraint and Compressibility Effects

While the rheology of isolated macromolecules in dilute solutions has been extensively studied, concentrated macromolecular systems have received little theoretical consideration.1 Theories developed for isolated macromolecules are usually not applicable to concentrated solutions, mainly because factors such as; intermolecular interactions, spacial constraints, molecular entanglements and aggregation are not considered.1 These factors are interdependent and their effects need to be analyzed and considered.
Rediscovering the Concept of Asylum for Persons with Serious Mental Illness

Treating persons with serious mental illness is a complex and challenging endeavor. One intervention that has received little attention in recent years is the need for asylum. Asylum means a sanctuary, a place that lowers levels of stress and provides protection, safety, security, and social support, as well as an array of treatment services. The concept of "asylum" may have lost favor because it was equated with the abysmal conditions found in the state psychiatric hospitals of the past. Among the reasons persons with serious mental illness have been arrested and incarcerated is society's failure to provide adequate levels of asylum. With the release of tens of thousands of mentally ill inmates from state and federal jails and prisons, it is time to revisit this concept, not only for these persons but for those who have not been criminalized. Asylum can be found in various settings, including with family in the patient's home, in a board-and-care facility, or in a psychiatric hospital if necessary. Not all persons with a major mental illness are capable of achieving high levels of social and vocational functioning; however, living in a place that provides asylum can promote a higher quality of life. The value of asylum for many persons with serious mental illness should not be underestimated.
Research on Multi-Field Collaborative Simulation Test Environment

This paper introduces a multi-field collaborative simulation test environment and its function blocks.Techniques during the environment construction,such as workflow management and content repository are discussed in detail.Afterwards application of the environment to helicopter dynamic component simulation test is demonstrated.Finally the scheme of how to implement multi-field collaborative simulation test environment is introduced briefly too.
The giving and taking of wounds: Friendship and hagiography in Frederick Buechner’s Godric

Reading Frederick Buechner’s novel Godric against the conventions of the hagiographic genre, this article examines Buechner’s innovation to the tradition of the saint’s life. Focusing on the novel’...
Revolution 2.0: Beatles Fan Scholarship in the Digital Age

This essay argues that digital culture has fundamentally altered the relationship between the Beatles and their fans, enabling them to forge previously unimaginable connections to the music and the musicians. Specifically, the digital revolution has allowed fans not simply to become active “prosumers,” creating art in response to the objects of their affection, but genuine fan-scholars, who are constructing a new, popular scholarship that alters what we know about the Beatles and how we know it. Using shareware and editing software, fans have created graphs, charts, and videos that illustrate patterns in songwriting and that dissect the deep structure of the songs themselves. Access to digitized music files has also allowed fans to collaborate imaginatively with the Beatles, for example, by producing a custom mix of Sgt. Pepper from copies of the four-track masters of the album. Finally, digital collaboration has fueled “proleptic nostalgia”—that is, the desire not simply to return to the fabled past, but to put the Beatles back together in the present. Through such digital interpolations, fans move from collecting product, however rare or illegal, to actively re-shaping our understanding of the Beatles and carrying the band with us boldly into the future.
The William Weinman Mineral Center and Museum: Cartersville, Georgia

(1984). The William Weinman Mineral Center and Museum: Cartersville, Georgia. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 59, No. 6, pp. 283-285.
An amino acid-based oral rehydration solution (AA-ORS) enhanced intestinal epithelial proliferation in mice exposed to radiation.

Destruction of clonogenic cells in the crypt following irradiation are thought to cause altered gastrointestinal function. Previously, we found that an amino acid-based oral rehydration solution (AA-ORS) improved gastrointestinal function in irradiated mice. However, the exact mechanisms were unknown. Electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, qPCR, and Western blot analysis were used to determine that AA-ORS increased proliferation, maturation, and differentiation and improved electrolyte and nutrient absorption in irradiated mice. A single-hit, multi-target crypt survival curve showed a significant increase in crypt progenitors in irradiated mice treated with AA-ORS for six days (8.8 ± 0.4) compared to the saline-treated group (6.1 ± 0.3; P < 0.001) without a change in D0 (4.8 ± 0.1 Gy). The Dq values increased from 8.8 ± 0.4 Gy to 10.5 ± 0.5 Gy with AA-ORS treatment (P < 0.01), indicating an increased radiation tolerance of 1.7 Gy. We also found that AA-ORS treatment (1) increased Lgr5+, without altering Bmi1 positive cells; (2) increased levels of proliferation markers (Ki-67, p-Erk, p-Akt and PCNA); (3) decreased apoptosis markers, such as cleaved caspase-3 and Bcl-2; and (4) increased expression and protein levels of NHE3 and SGLT1 in the brush border membrane. This study shows that AA-ORS increased villus height and improved electrolyte and nutrient absorption.
The cat that never dies

Robert P Crease wonders why the idea of Schrodinger's cat is still so alive today – more than 75 years after its birth.
Influence of Plant Toxins on Laying Hen Performance and Egg Quality

Abstract The poisonous plant literature is voluminous and global, with most reports centering on plant toxicoses in livestock (cattle, sheep, and horses) that cause significant annual economic losses. However, poultry can be poisoned following plant ingestion when given access to outdoor environments, or via consumption of toxin-containing cultivars of cereal grains, legumes, oilseed meals, roots and tubers, and seeds (contaminants) that can potentially be incorporated into their diets. This chapter will provide an overview of the effect of plant toxins in pullets, laying hens, and breeder hens as well as any associated effects on egg quality and reproduction. An attempt also was made to provide an historical perspective when discussing various toxicoses. Reports of poisonings in broilers, immature birds, or “chickens” or “poultry” (i.e., strain or species were not identified), or layer studies where a plant toxicant was unknown, generally will not be discussed.
Mathematical Analysis and Physical Profile of Blalock-Taussig Shunt and Sano Modification Procedure in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Review of the Literature and Implications for the Anesthesiologist:

The first stage of surgical treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) includes the creation of artificial systemic-to-pulmonary connections to provide pulmonary blood flow. The modified Blalock-Taussig (mBT) shunt has been the technique of choice for this procedure; however, a right ventricle-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) shunt has been introduced into clinical practice with encouraging but still conflicting outcomes when compared with the mBT shunt. The aim of this study is to explore mathematical modeling as a tool for describing physical profiles that could assist the surgical team in predicting complications related to stenosis and malfunction of grafts in an attempt to find correlations with clinical outcomes from clinical studies that compared both surgical techniques and to assist the anesthesiologist in making decisions to manage patients with this complex cardiac anatomy. Mathematical modeling to display the physical characteristics of the chosen surgical shunt is a valuable tool to predict flow patterns, shear stress, and rate distribution as well as energetic performance at the graft level and relative to ventricular efficiency. Such predictions will enable the surgical team to refine the technique so that hemodynamic complications be anticipated and prevented, and are also important for perioperative management by the anesthesia team.
Osteoinductive effects of glyceollins on adult mesenchymal stromal/stem cells from adipose tissue and bone marrow.

Abstract Background While current therapies for osteoporosis focus on reducing bone resorption, the development of therapies to regenerate bone may also be beneficial. Promising anabolic therapy candidates include phytoestrogens, such as daidzein, which effectively induce osteogenesis of adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Purpose To investigate the effects of glyceollins, structural derivatives of daidzein, on osteogenesis of ASCs and BMSCs. Study Design Herein, the osteoinductive effects of glyceollin I and glyceollin II were assessed and compared to estradiol in ASCs and BMSCs. The mechanism by which glyceollin II induces osteogenesis was further examined. Methods The ability of glyceollins to promote osteogenesis of ASCs and BMSCs was evaluated in adherent and scaffold cultures. Relative deposition of calcium was analyzed using Alizarin Red staining, Bichinchoninic acid Protein Assay, and Alamar Blue Assay. To further explore the mechanism by which glyceollin II exerts its osteoinductive effects, docking studies of glyceollin II, RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, and quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR) were performed. Results In adherent cultures, ASCs and BMSCs treated with estradiol, glyceollin I, or glyceollin II demonstrated increased calcium deposition relative to vehicle-treated cells. During evaluation on PLGA scaffolds seeded with ASCs and BMSCs, glyceollin II was the most efficacious in inducing ASC and BMSC osteogenesis compared to estradiol and glyceollin I. Dose-response analysis in ASCs and BMSCs revealed that glyceollin II has the highest potency at 10 nM in adherent cultures and 1 µM in tissue scaffold cultures. At all doses, osteoinductive effects were attenuated by fulvestrant, suggesting that glyceollin II acts at least in part through estrogen receptor-mediated pathways to induce osteogenesis. Analysis of gene expression demonstrated that, similar to estradiol, glyceollin II induces upregulation of genes involved in osteogenic differentiation. Conclusion The ability of glyceollin II to induce osteogenic differentiation in ASCs and BMSCs indicates that glyceollins hold the potential for the development of pharmacological interventions to improve clinical outcomes of patients with osteoporosis.
Three Challenges for Teachers in the Era of Trump

Since the presidential election on Nov. 8, we've seen a wave of hate speech, harassment, bullying, and violent incidents hit K–12 and college campuses nationwide. One informal collection of nationw...
Measurements of the nonlinear refractive index of noble gases and major air constituents at 10 µm using four-wave mixing

We report measurements of the nonlinear refractive index of air, N2, O2, Kr, and Xe at a wavelength near 10 µm by four-wave mixing of an intense, 200 ps, CO2 laser beat-wave.
Source-Side Left-to-Right or Target-Side Left-to-Right? An Empirical Comparison of Two Phrase-Based Decoding Algorithms

This paper describes an empirical study of the phrase-based decoding algorithm proposed by Chang and Collins (2017). The algorithm produces a translation by processing the source-language sentence in strictly left-to-right order, differing from commonly used approaches that build the target-language sentence in left-to-right order. Our results show that the new algorithm is competitive with Moses (Koehn et al., 2007) in terms of both speed and BLEU scores.
Differential Response in Novel Stem Cell Niches of the Brain after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury

Populations of neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in a number of defined niches in the adult central nervous system (CNS) where they continually give rise to mature cell types throughout life, including newly born neurons. In addition to the prototypical niches of the subventricular zone (SVZ) and subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, novel stem cell niches that are also neurogenic have recently been identified in multiple midline structures, including circumventricular organs (CVOs) of the brain. These resident NSCs serve as a homeostatic source of new neurons and glial cells under intact physiological conditions. Importantly, they may also have the potential for reparative processes in pathological states such as traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). As the response in these novel CVO stem cell niches has been characterized after stroke but not following SCI or TBI, we quantitatively assessed cell proliferation and the neuronal and glial lineage fate of resident NSCs in three CVO nuclei-area postrema (AP), median eminence (ME), and subfornical organ (SFO) -in rat models of cervical contusion-type SCI and controlled cortical impact (CCI)-induced TBI. Using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling of proliferating cells, we find that TBI significantly enhanced proliferation in AP, ME, and SFO, whereas cervical SCI had no effects at early or chronic time-points post-injury. In addition, SCI did not alter NSC differentiation profile into doublecortin-positive neuroblasts, GFAP-expressing astrocytes, or Olig2-labeled cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage within AP, ME, or SFO at both time-points. In contrast, CCI induced a pronounced increase in Sox2- and doublecortin-labeled cells in the AP and Iba1-labeled microglia in the SFO. Lastly, plasma derived from CCI animals significantly increased NSC expansion in an in vitro neurosphere assay, whereas plasma from SCI animals did not exert such an effect, suggesting that signaling factors present in blood may be relevant to stimulating CVO niches after CNS injury and may explain the differential in vivo effects of SCI and TBI on the novel stem cell niches.
Ultrasonic Properties of Biological Media

This paper comprises a brief review of the ultrasonic propagation properties of biological media, with particular attention to those properties that are considered to influence, or to be otherwise useful in, the obtaining of significant diagnostic ultrasound information and those properties important in producing and assessing biological effects. The properties are discussed according to categories which emerge readily from the reported literature(1,2). Generalizations are then employed to characterize tissues from these categorical suggestions.
Ethical Issues of Health Promotion, Health Education, and Behavioural Control

The second paper of this session will now be presented by Dr Doxiadis on behalf of Dr Leon Eisenberg who is unfortunately unable to be here. Dr Eisenberg is an eminent child psychiatrist and Professor of Social Medicine and Health Policy at Harvard University Medical School.
Hall Effect in Single Crystals of Iron

In this paper we review the results of measurements of the Hall effect in pure iron in the temperature range 1 – 247 K. For most temperatures measurements were made in the field range 0 – 50 kOe while in the range 1.2 – 4.2 K measurements have been made in fields up to 220 kOe. Previous experiments1–3 have reported measurements at selected temperatures in the above range and measurements for a continuous set of temperatures in this range and in fields up to 150 kOe were reported by Klaffky and Coleman.4 The field range has been extended to 220 kOe by Coleman, et al.5
Re: Wide Gap between Preparation and Scope of Practice of Early Career Family Physicians.

To the Editor: Peterson et al.[1][1] have published a stimulating piece that leaves the reader wanting more analysis, which will probably show up in future articles. For all the years since residency education began, a family medicine residency graduate faces a “buyers' market” relative to job
Assessment of the Effectiveness of Seven Biometric Feature Normalization Techniques

The importance of normalizing biometric features or matching scores is understood in the multimodal biometric case, but there is less attention to the unimodal case. Prior reports assess the effectiveness of normalization directly on biometric performance. We propose that this process is logically comprised of two independent steps: (1) methods to equalize the effect of each biometric feature on the similarity scores calculated from all the features together and (2) methods of weighting the normalized features to optimize biometric performance. In this report, we address step 1 only and focus exclusively on normally distributed features. We show how differences in the variance of features lead to differences in the strength of the influence of each feature on the similarity scores produced from all the features. Since these differences in variance have nothing to do with importance in the biometric sense, it makes no sense to allow them to have greater weight in the assessment of biometric performance. We employed two types of features: (1) real eye-movement features and (2) synthetic features. We compare six variance normalization methods (histogram equalization, L1-normalization, median normalization, z-score normalization, min–max normalization, and L-infinite normalization) and one distance metric (Mahalanobis distance) in terms of how well they reduce the impact of the variance differences. The effectiveness of different techniques on real data depended on the strength of the inter-correlation of the features. For weakly correlated real features and synthetic features, histogram equalization was the best method followed by L1 normalization.
Physics-informed CoKriging: A Gaussian-process-regression-based multifidelity method for data-model convergence

Abstract In this work, we propose a new Gaussian process regression (GPR)-based multifidelity method: physics-informed CoKriging (CoPhIK). In CoKriging-based multifidelity methods, the quantities of interest are modeled as linear combinations of multiple parameterized stationary Gaussian processes (GPs), and the hyperparameters of these GPs are estimated from data via optimization. In CoPhIK, we construct a GP representing low-fidelity data using physics-informed Kriging (PhIK), and model the discrepancy between low- and high-fidelity data using a parameterized GP with hyperparameters identified via optimization. We prove that the physical constraints in the form of deterministic linear operators are satisfied up to an error bound. Furthermore, we combine CoPhIK with a greedy active learning algorithm for guiding the selection of additional observation locations. The efficiency and accuracy of CoPhIK are demonstrated for reconstructing the partially observed modified Branin function, reconstructing the sparsely observed state of a steady state heat transport problem, and learning a conservative tracer distribution from sparse tracer concentration measurements.
The Linguistic Modeling of Variation in Islam: Constructing Saussure’s Concepts of Langue and Parole to Religious Studies

Islam has some basic set of shared symbols, beliefs, and rituals that are found in the Quran and Hadith. These form the foundations of universal Islam. But even with the “universal” foundations of Islam we find considerable debate and disagreement. Dealing with the diversity in Islam, we will develop our model, especially through the more complete linguistic analogies. The core of our model borrows Saussure’s concepts of langue (language as a system) and parole (speech acts) and applied it to religion. The transcendent form of a religion, which is parallel to langue, is an ideal form in the minds and hearts of believers. The expressed form, which is analogous to parole, includes interpretations, discourse, debates, rituals, and daily life of believers. The aim of this paper is more to elucidate an analytical model than to make declarative statements about the nature of religion. We argue that a fuller linguistic analogy moves us further in our understanding of this relationship. The results of the analysis show that linguistic modeling of variation in Islam applied through several ways, there are: (1) dialects and local religious practice (2) the transcendent and the expressed as parallels to Saussure’s langue and parole (3) linguistic analogies (4) myth, doctrine, and grammar (4) syntax, Islam and ritual and (5) creoles and pidgins.
Frequency-difference beamforming in the presence of strong random scattering.

Frequency-difference beamforming [Abadi, Song, and Dowling (2012). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 132, 3018–3029] is a nonlinear, out-of-band signal processing technique used to beamform non-zero bandwidth signals at below-band frequencies. This is accomplished with the frequency-difference autoproduct AP(Δω)=P(ω2)P*(ω1), a quadratic product of complex field amplitudes that mimics a genuine field at the difference frequency, Δω=ω2−ω1. For frequency-difference beamforming, AP(Δω) replaces the in-band complex field in the conventional beamforming algorithm. Here, the near-field performance of frequency-difference beamforming is evaluated in the presence of 1 to 30 high-contrast spherical scatterers with radius a placed between, and in the plane defined by the source and a 12-element linear receiving array with element spacing d. Based on the center frequency wave number, k, of the 150–200 kHz frequency sweep source signal, the scatterers are large, ka ≈ 15; the array is sparse, kd = 37; and the average source-to-receiver distance is up to 4.3 mean-free-path lengths. Beamforming results from simulations and experiments show that in-band beamforming loses peak-to-sidelobe ratio and fails to reliably locate the source as the scatterer count increases. Using the same signals, frequency-difference beamforming with difference frequencies from 5 to 25 kHz localizes sources reliably with higher peak-to-side-lobe ratios, though with reduced resolution.Frequency-difference beamforming [Abadi, Song, and Dowling (2012). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 132, 3018–3029] is a nonlinear, out-of-band signal processing technique used to beamform non-zero bandwidth signals at below-band frequencies. This is accomplished with the frequency-difference autoproduct AP(Δω)=P(ω2)P*(ω1), a quadratic product of complex field amplitudes that mimics a genuine field at the difference frequency, Δω=ω2−ω1. For frequency-difference beamforming, AP(Δω) replaces the in-band complex field in the conventional beamforming algorithm. Here, the near-field performance of frequency-difference beamforming is evaluated in the presence of 1 to 30 high-contrast spherical scatterers with radius a placed between, and in the plane defined by the source and a 12-element linear receiving array with element spacing d. Based on the center frequency wave number, k, of the 150–200 kHz frequency sweep source signal, the scatterers are large, ka ≈ 15; the array is sparse, kd = 37; and the average source-to...
Geographic Co-Occurrence of Mesothelioma and Ovarian Cancer Incidence.

Background: Asbestos is an established cause of several cancers, including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. Incidence of mesothelioma, the sentinel asbestos-associated cancer, varies by state, like...
21 Toward a more inclusive leadership competency model and development framework

As the pace of health sector transformation continues to accelerate, effective medical and interprofessional leadership continues to increase in importance. Fortunately, there is a growing body of research that can help point the way toward more effective models of leadership and its development. This work delves into a summary of evidence-based guidelines for the ‘what’ (competencies) and the ‘how’ (techniques) of healthcare leadership development. The authors aim to help practitioners understand how they can apply a universal framework for organizing leadership development across health professions, understand evidence-based principles for implementing and evolving leadership development programs in healthcare settings, and access free resources that can help them implement effective leadership development initiatives. In summarizing these best practices, the authors intend to create a ‘common language’ among healthcare professionals in support of interdisciplinary leadership development.
Management of life-threatening hemoptysis in the ICU

Life-threatening hemoptysis is commonly encountered in the ICU and its management can be challenging even for experienced clinicians. Depending on the etiology and severity, one can tailor the treatment modality and therapeutic intervention(s). The grading of severity of hemoptysis varies greatly in the literature; however, unlike hemorrhage in other scenarios, small amounts of blood can significantly impair oxygenation and ventilation leading to cardiovascular collapse. Importantly, the initial evaluation and management should focus on airway and hemodynamic stabilization along with maintenance of oxygenation and ventilation. In this review, we discuss commonly encountered etiologies, vascular anatomy, diagnostic evaluation, and therapeutic interventions. We examine the evolving trends in etiologies of life-threating hemoptysis over the years. The role of flexible and rigid bronchoscopy as both a diagnostic and therapeutic modality is explored, as well as the use and indications of several bronchoscopic techniques, such as topical hemostatic agents, endobronchial tamponade, and tranexamic acid (TXA). In addition, we assess the use of multi-row detector computed tomography as the initial rapid diagnostic method of choice and its use in planning for definitive treatment. The efficacy and long-term results of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) are evaluated, as well as indications for surgical intervention. Furthermore, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach is emphasized. The necessary interplay between intensivists, consultative services, and radiologists is described in detail and an algorithmic management strategy incorporating the above is outlined. Given the complexity in management of life-threatening hemoptysis, this paper aims to summarize the available diagnostic and therapeutic methods and provide a standardized approach for the management of patients with this often difficult to treat condition.
Robust Optimization for Electricity Generation

We consider a robust optimization problem in an electric power system under uncertain demand and availability of renewable energy resources. Solving the deterministic alternating current (AC) optim...
T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) is a Novel Prognostic and Therapeutic Target in Chordoma.

Objectives To assess the expression, prognostic value, and functionality of T-lymphokine-activated killer (T-LAK) cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) in chordoma pathogenesis. Materials and methods TOPK expression in chordoma was assessed via immunohistochemical staining of a tissue microarray (TMA) and correlated with patient clinicopathology. TOPK expression in chordoma cell lines and fresh patient tissues was then evaluated by Western blot. TOPK small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the specific inhibitor OTS514 were applied to determine the roles of TOPK in chordoma pathogenicity. The effect of TOPK expression on chordoma cell clonogenicity was also investigated using clonogenic assays. A 3D cell culture model was utilized to mimic in vivo environment to validate the effect of TOPK inhibition on chordoma cells. Results TOPK was highly expressed in 78.2% of the chordoma specimens in the TMA and all chordoma cell lines. High TOPK expression significantly correlated with metastasis, recurrence, disease status and shorter overall survival. Knockdown of TOPK with specific siRNA resulted in significantly decrease chordoma cell viability. Inhibition of TOPK with OTS514 significantly inhibited chordoma cell growth and proliferation, colony-forming capacity and ex vivo spheroid growth. Conclusions High expression of TOPK is an important predictor of poor prognosis in chordoma. Inhibition of TOPK resulted in significantly decrease chordoma cell proliferation and increase apoptosis. Our results indicate TOPK as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for chordoma.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Coronavirus Disease 2019: Crisis Standards of Care.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed extraordinary strain on global healthcare systems. Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with severe respiratory or cardiac failure attributed to COVID-19 has been debated due to uncertain survival benefit and the resources required to safely deliver ECMO support. We retrospectively investigated adult patients supported with ECMO for COVID-19 at our institution during the first 80 days following New York City's declaration of a state of emergency. The primary objective was to evaluate survival outcomes in patients supported with ECMO for COVID-19 and describe the programmatic adaptations made in response to pandemic-related crisis conditions. Twenty-two patients with COVID-19 were placed on ECMO during the study period. Median age was 52 years and 18 (81.8%) were male. Twenty-one patients (95.4%) had severe ARDS and 7 (31.8%) had cardiac failure. Fifteen patients (68.1%) were managed with venovenous ECMO while 7 (31.8%) required arterial support. Twelve patients (54.5%) were transported on ECMO from external institutions. Twelve patients were discharged alive from the hospital (54.5%). ECMO was used successfully in patients with respiratory and cardiac failure due to COVID-19. The continued use of ECMO, including ECMO transport, during crisis conditions was possible even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Global Functions at the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has always functioned in a worldwide context, but accelerating globalisation has changed dramatically the context in which WHO works, offering both opportunities and challenges for health and its distribution. But globalisation has also hastened the spread of infectious diseases. WHO's work and functions are defined by its constitution and can be categorised as global, national, and intranational. Global functions exceed the reach of individual nations and include standard-setting, global initiatives, professional management, financial resource transfer, and scientific research capacity. Global health functions can also be understood as actions to promote public health goods for the benefit of all. These goods include global advocacy for health, bio-ethical and human rights instruments, disease surveillance, and application of standards. Examples range from WHO's promotion of ethics and human rights through international legal instruments to WHO leadership in developing the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This article argues that these areas of work and others urgently need strengthening, and WHO must reassert its role in integrating, coordinating, and advancing the worldwide agenda on health.
Local development of nanotechnology-based diagnostics.

Sharing protocols with the end-users may allow their flexible implementation to produce nanotechnology solutions for global health challenges that better cater for local needs.
Physiology of PEEP and Auto-PEEP

Whether deliberately applied or unintentionally developed, PEEP influences numerous determinants of hemodynamics as well as the interpretation of monitored hydrostatic pressures. Prominent among these are the loading conditions of both ventricles, heart rate, backpressure to venous return, and to a lesser degree, heart rate, left ventricular compliance, and perhaps, right ventricular contractility. Understanding the key physiologic concepts of global and regional lung and vascular transmural pressures, interactions between the heart’s Frank-Starling and venous return curves, and the determinants of dynamic hyperinflation primes the clinician to interpret and address many of PEEP’s hemodynamic consequences at the bedside.
Communication Strategy for Efficient Guidance Providing : Domain-structure Awareness, Performance Trade-offs, and Value of Future Observations

Service robots are gaining capabilities to be deployed in public environments for human assistance. While robot actively providing guidance has shown great success in field study, the communication strategy (the strategy to decide whom to initiate the service for and when), and hence the performance evaluation, has been based on behavioral-based qualitative analysis. We attribute this to the challenge of accessing large-scale field data with condition control, and approach the problem with simulation from the agent-based modeling literature, to simulate pedestrian behavior in unfamiliar environments and estimate travel cost. We contribute a planning approach that uses the pedestrian behavior prediction from the model, to decide whom to initiate guidance and when for performance maximization. The results suggest that our approach is more efficient based on the measure of saved pedestrian travel time, compared to the behavioral-based strategy and a baseline that maximizes service counts.
Discussion of evidence for an excitatory transmitter role of serotonin in molluscan central synapses.

Publisher Summary The chapter presents data on the 5-HTP decarboxylase of a gastropod, Busycon canaliculatum (L.). Of the tissues assayed (nervous ganglia, connective tissue surrounding the ganglia, blood, blood gland, and esophagus wall), only the ganglia were able to synthesize 5-HT from 14 C-labeled 5-HTP. In view of the large amounts of 5-HT found in molluscan ganglia only few neurons, among those studied, were responsive to iontophoretically applied 5-HT. In Busycon, the highest concentration was found in the pedal ganglia (25 μg/gm of tissue), the second highest in the cerebral (14 μg/gm), and the lowest in the parietal (7–8 μg/gm). 5-HT when injected iontophoretically has a very long effect on the neuronal membrane, as has the natural transmitter; therefore, 5-HT and the natural transmitter are not rapidly destroyed by an enzyme present either in the intercellular spaces or on the neuronal membrane. There is no monoamine oxidase (MAO) in Busycon ganglia or in the organs surrounding the ganglia.
Recyclable polyampholyte flocculants for the cost-effective dewatering of microalgae and cyanobacteria

Abstract Flocculation provides an attractive route for the primary dewatering of dilute suspensions of microalgae and cyanobacteria, however, economical harvesting and separations remain challenging. In this article, recyclable flocculants are demonstrated in a novel approach for the harvesting of fresh- and saltwater microalgae and cyanobacteria. Polyampholytes, based on model acrylamide polymers, provide reversible electrostatic interactions with negatively-charged cellular microorganisms through changes in pH. The behavior of the polyampholytic flocculants is characterized for the harvesting of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas Genetics Center CC124), Synechococcus PCC 7002, Aulacoseira ambigua (Varsity Lake, CU Boulder), Nannochloropsis gaditana (CCMP526), and Chlorella vulgaris (UTEX 395). The polyampholytic flocculants, with reversible electrostatic interactions, achieve greater than 97% flocculation efficiencies, can be recovered at greater than 90% yields following flocculation, and when recycled retain flocculation efficiencies of at least 95%. Additionally, the recyclable polymer flocculants, in contrast to what is possible with single-use commercial flocculants, are demonstrated to be more robust for the dewatering process, regardless of culture salinity and other differences (e.g., structural, motility, or surface charge) exhibited by the microorganisms. A techno-economic analysis of the dewatering process is also performed, with recyclable polyampholytic flocculants providing an opportunity to reduce flocculant operating costs by ~ 85% at standard conditions.
Heat-labile Enzymes in a Psychrophilic Bacterium

The oxidative and fermentative activities of a psychrophilic bacterium (strain 82), whose maximal growth temperature is 35 C, were completely destroyed by exposure of the cells to 46 C for about 1 hr, whereas those of mesophilic Escherichia coli were unaffected. Similar results were obtained with cell-free extracts. In attempts to determine some of the specific enzymes inactivated in strain 82 by exposure to 46 C, it was found that reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase was completely inactivated at 46 C in 2 hr. Also, cytochrome c reductase was completely destroyed at 46 C in 1 hr and was 70% destroyed at 40 C in 2 hr. The heat lability of the latter may determine the maximal growth temperature of the organism. In addition, the results indicated that the enzymes of strain 82 involved in the clastic split of pyruvate to formate and acetate are inactivated by exposure to 46 C and that the lactic and glycerol dehydrogenases are more heat-labile than those in E. coli. Succinic, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-alcohol, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases, however, in both strain 82 and E. coli, were essentially unaffected by exposure to 46 C for 2 hr.