cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Radiological and Shielding Design Aspects of the TFTR DT Operation

The Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) is scheduled to begin DT operation in late 1990. Intense nuclear radiation that will accompany this phase of operation necessitates the installation of additional radiation shielding to satisfy various radiological and diagnostic design objectives. In this paper the design basis of the bulk shielding and the shielding for the major penetrations is presented. The results of neutronics analyses, which were used to formulate the design basis and to guide the detailed engineering designs, are summarized.
Pain Management for Gastroparesis

In some patients with gastroparesis, abdominal pain can be a prominent component of their symptoms. Treatment of abdominal pain, as well as any type of pain, in patients with gastroparesis is difficult, as some of the treatments may impact adversely on gastric emptying and other symptoms of gastroparesis. This chapter discusses the symptom of abdominal pain in gastroparesis and the management of pain in patients with gastroparesis.
Real time and Efficient Unicast Routing Protocols for Vehicular Ad Hoc Network: A Survey and Recommendations for efficiency enhancement

Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET) is a new class of wireless technologies that integrates ad hoc network, wireless local area network and mobile technologies to achieve intelligent transportation system and improve road traffic safety. But there are numerous challenges to deal with. VANET has large-scale size, hybrid network architecture, frequent connection breaks, swift topology changes, characteristics of node movements, and new application platforms. Therefore, developing highly efficient and real time unicast routing protocols for VANETs is a difficult task. In this paper, we study and analyze some state-of-the-art unicast routing protocols developed to achieve efficiency in real-time scenario and describe their advantages and disadvantages. We further make some recommendations for potential improvements in terms of delay, throughput and overall efficiency.
Assessing Phase Diagram Accuracy

Assessing the predictive power of any computational model requires the definition of an appropriate metric or figure-of-merit (e.g. mean square error, maximum error, etc). However, quantifying errors in an alloy phase diagram with a single figure-of-merit is a considerably more complex problem. The “distance” between phase boundaries is not a uniquely defined concept and different phase diagrams may differ in the possible stable phases which they predict, making it unclear which “distance” to measure. Given the difficulty associated with such metrics, we instead propose to use differences in predicted phase fractions between different phase diagrams as the basis of a suitable metric. We prove that our criterion satisfies all the properties of the mathematical notion of a norm or of a metric, in addition to other properties directly relevant to phase stability problems. We illustrate the use of such criterion to the study of the convergence of assessments performed on the same alloy system by different authors over time.
Change Management at the University of Virginia Health System's Body Imaging Division

This field-based case explores the University of Virginia's Body Imaging Division (BID) along with the group's new director, Arun Krishnaraj, who is trying to assess and ameliorate the frustrations, confusions, delays, and other issues BID and its patients are dealing with.The case challenges students to address issues related to change management, in this case in a health care setting. If the instructor would rather focus on problem solving, Lean, and A3 thinking, please see "Improving the Body Imaging Division at the University of Virginia Health System" (UVA-OM-1597).Krishnaraj knew instinctively that there was much untapped potential in BID and significant value that could be created for the patients receiving care there. In addition, the entire health system and all BID employees would benefit from removing the waste in the various processes. The key would be moving beyond individual definitions of the issues toward a commonly accepted description of both the problem and the best approach to finding real solutions and managing change. Excerpt UVA-OM-1609 Dec. 12, 2018 Change Management at the University of Virginia Health System's Body Imaging Division A 64-year-old gentleman presented to the hospital with a fever and elevated white blood cell count, which are signs of an infection. After admission and treatment with antibiotics, the patient did not respond as expected. A CT scan of the abdomen was ordered, which revealed an organized fluid collection in the abdominal cavity. The referring physician requested that the fluid collection be aspirated and potentially drained under image guidance to determine if the fluid collection was the source of infection. —Arun Krishnaraj . . .
X-linked myotubular myopathy: A prospective international natural history study

Objectives Because X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) is a rare neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the MTM1 gene with a large phenotypic heterogeneity, to ensure clinical trial readiness, it was mandatory to better quantify disease burden and determine best outcome measures. Methods We designed an international prospective and longitudinal natural history study in patients with XLMTM and assessed muscle strength and motor and respiratory functions over the first year of follow-up. The humoral immunity against adeno-associated virus serotype 8 was also monitored. Results Forty-five male patients aged 3.5 months to 56.8 years were enrolled between May 2014 and May 2017. Thirteen patients had a mild phenotype (no ventilation support), 7 had an intermediate phenotype (ventilation support less than 12 hours a day), and 25 had a severe phenotype (ventilation support 12 or more hours a day). Most strength and motor function assessments could be performed even in very weak patients. Motor Function Measure 32 total score, grip and pinch strengths, and forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in the first second of exhalation, and peak cough flow measures discriminated the 3 groups of patients. Disease history revealed motor milestone loss in several patients. Longitudinal data on 37 patients showed that the Motor Function Measure 32 total score significantly decreased by 2%. Of the 38 patients evaluated, anti–adeno-associated virus type 8 neutralizing activity was detected in 26% with 2 patients having an inhibitory titer >1:10. Conclusions Our data confirm that XLMTM is slowly progressive for male survivors regardless of their phenotype and provide outcome validation and natural history data that can support clinical development in this population. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02057705.
Estimating the Profile of Incentive-Based Demand Response (IBDR) by Integrating Technical Models and Social-Behavioral Factors

Demand response (DR) has been widely recognized as an important approach to balance the power grid and reduce peak load of power systems. In order to better estimate the capability and the expense of peak load reduction through DR, we need to obtain the residential load profile and customers’ attitudes toward DR programs. Based on a large-scale online survey collected among over 1500 customers from New York and Texas in the U.S., this paper investigates the relationships among household appliance activities (e.g., electric water heater and air conditioner), load profiles, and incentive-based DR (IBDR) participation for peak load curtailment through reward payment. The daily load profiles of major home appliances are developed. Additionally, this paper estimates the expense of reducing the yearly peak of the local grid load. Finally, this paper addresses the importance of investigating the multifaceted factors of affecting IBDR participation and provides useful suggestions to utility companies when implementing DR programs.
Racial factors and inpatient outcomes among patients with diabetes hospitalized with foot ulcers and foot infections, 2003-2014.

BACKGROUND In patients with diabetes, foot amputations among Black patients have been historically higher compared with White patients. Using the National Inpatient Sample database, we sought to determine if disparities in foot amputations and resource utilization have improved over time. We hypothesized there would be improvements and reduced differences in foot amputations between the two races as quality of care and access to healthcare has improved. METHODS AND FINDINGS Patients over 18 years old with a principal diagnosis of diabetic foot complications and secondary diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus were selected. We compared the primary outcome of foot amputations between Black and White patients. Adjusted rates, odds ratios (aOR) and trends of foot amputations among Black and White patients were studied. Healthcare utilization was measured via length of hospital stay (LOS). Of 262,924 patients, 18% were Black. Following adjustment for confounders, major foot amputations decreased among Whites (1.5% in 2003 to 1.1% in 2014) and Blacks (2.1% in 2003 to 0.9% in 2014). On pooled analysis, Black patients had higher adjusted odds of major foot amputations in 2003-2004 [aOR 1.7; (1.16-2.57), p<0.01]. Disparities in major foot amputations disappeared in 2013-2014 [aOR: 0.92 (0.58-1.44), p = 0.70]. Black patients had declining but persistently longer LOS (adjusted mean difference (aMD): 1.1 days (0.52-1.6) p<0.01 in 2003-2004 and 0.46 days (0.18-0.73) p<0.01 in 2013-2014). The main limitation of the study was that the NIS uses ICD-9 and ICD-10 CM codes, and hence prone to incorrect or missing codes. CONCLUSIONS Major foot amputations declined among Black and White patients hospitalized with Diabetic foot complications between 2003 and 2014. The observed difference for amputations in 2003-2004 was absent by 2013-2014. Future research to determine specific contributors for this reduction in health disparities is needed for ongoing improvements and sustainability.
Multilingual Diversity in the Field of Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism: A Brief Review and Discussion of Future Directions

This review addresses multilingual diversity within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as it relates to treatment for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The United States was founded as a diverse, multicultural "melting pot" and migration patterns continue to increase cultural and linguistic diversity, making it increasingly important to address these issues within the field of ABA. The role of multilingualism in ABA treatment for autism has scarcely been addressed in practice or in research and yet these factors likely impact the ABA treatment process significantly. The purpose of this review is to discuss how multilingualism might be better addressed within the field of ABA. We briefly review the very small amount of existing research on multilingual approaches when using ABA and discuss directions for future research. In addition, we discuss potential future directions for the field, in terms of increasing the number of international students in graduate programs, enhancing diversity curricula within graduate programs and continuing education, and efforts by professional organizations to address diversity.
Informant Reporting in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Sources of Discrepancy on the Functional Activities Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE Relative to dementia, little is known about informant bias in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We investigated the influence of informant demographic and relational characteristics on reports of everyday functioning using the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ). METHOD Four thousand two hundred eighty-four MCI participants and their informants from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set were included. Informants were stratified according to cohabitation, relationship, visit frequency, race/ethnicity, education, and sex. Informant-rated Mean FAQ score was compared across these groups using univariate general linear model analyses and post hoc tests. Interactions were tested between informant variables. The predictive contribution of informant variables to FAQ score was explored using hierarchical linear regression. Analyses covaried for participant cognition using a cognitive composite score, and for participant age, sex, and depression. RESULTS After controlling for participant cognition, depression, age, and sex, informant-rated FAQ scores varied significantly across all informant variables (p's < .005, ηp2's ≤ .033) except sex and visit frequency. FAQ scores were higher (more impaired) among informants who cohabitate with the participant, among paid caregivers, spouses, and adult children, and among informants with higher levels of education. Scores were lowest (less impaired) among Black/African American informants as compared to all other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS Demographic and relational characteristics of informants influence the perception and reporting of instrumental activities of daily living in adults with MCI. As everyday functioning is crucial for differential diagnosis and treatment outcome measurement, it is important to be aware of sources of informant report discrepancies.
DASH and Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) Diets Are Associated With Fewer Depressive Symptoms Over Time

BACKGROUND Depression is common in older adults and more prevalent in those with cognitive impairment, vascular risk factors, or stroke. Nonpharmacologic strategies to reduce depression, such as diet, may be effective; however, few studies have investigated the relation. METHODS A total of 709 participants (23.3% men, mean age 80.4), from an observational prospective cohort study were assessed annually for an average of 6.53 years of follow-up. Participants with missing or invalid baseline dietary evaluations or fewer than two depression assessments were excluded. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. High burden of depressive symptoms was defined as the presence of four or more depressive symptoms. Diet scores were computed using a validated food frequency questionnaire for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Mediterranean diet, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, and Western diets. Diet scores were modeled in tertiles. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was performed for the longitudinal analysis of depression as a binary outcome. RESULTS Participants in the highest tertile of the DASH (β = -0.10, confidence interval [CI]: -0.20, -0.0064) and MIND (β = -0.12, CI: -0.23, -0.0092) diet scores had lower rates of depressive symptoms over time when compared to those in the respective lowest tertiles. The Western diet was positively associated with depressive symptoms over time (β = 0.093, p-trend = .05). CONCLUSIONS Diet may be effective in reducing depressive symptoms in older adults. A diet intervention trial may be needed to determine the optimal nutritional components for prevention of late onset depression.
Impact of biomaterials’ physical properties on cellular and molecular responses

Abstract The implantation of biomaterials and medical devices into an in vivo environment elicits a series of positive and negative inflammatory events. These cellular and molecular responses surrounding the biomaterials are not only influenced by surgical methods and the local environment at the implantation site, but also by the material physical properties, such as size, configuration and topography, stiffness, and surface chemistry. Understanding the effect of material properties on the host response can provide important insights to modulate the inflammatory response, improve the longevity of medical implants and devices, and thus increase patient acceptance of the technology. This chapter, starting from the basic mechanisms of the cellular and molecular response to biomaterials, focuses on the effects of physical properties on the host response.
Causes and Effects of Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System

The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis for educators, students, and practitioners. In that light, we join much of the nation in ...
Neoplasia Detection Rate in Barrett's Esophagus and Its Impact on Missed Dysplasia: Results from a Large Population-Based Database.

ABSTRACT Background & Aims It is a challenge to detect dysplasia in Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinomas (EACs) are missed in 25%–33% of cases. The neoplasia detection rate (NDR), defined as the rate of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or EAC detection during initial surveillance endoscopy, has been proposed as a quality metric for endoscopic evaluation of patients with BE. However, current estimates are from referral center cohorts, which might overestimate NDR. Effects on rates of missed dysplasia are also unknown. We analyzed data from a large cohort of patients with BE to estimate the NDR and factors associated with it, and assess the effects of the NDR on the rate of missed dysplasia. Methods We analyzed data from 1066 patients the Rochester Epidemiology Project-linked medical record system, a population-based cohort of patients with BE (confirmed by review of the endoscopic and histologic reports) from 11 southeastern Minnesota counties from 1991 through 2019. Biopsies reported to contain dysplasia were confirmed by expert gastrointestinal pathologists. The NDR was calculated as the rate of HGD or EAC detected by histologic analyses of biopsies collected during the first surveillance endoscopy. Patients without HGD or EAC at their initial endoscopy (n=391) underwent repeat endoscopy within 12 months; HGD or EAC detected at the repeat endoscopy were considered to be missed on index endoscopy. Factors associated with NDR and missed dysplasia were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Results The NDR was 4.9% (95% CI, 3.8–6.4); 3.1% of patients had HGD, 1.8% had EAC, and 10.6% had low-grade dysplasia. Factors associated with higher rates of detection of neoplasia included older age, male sex, smoking, increasing length of BE, and surveillance endoscopies by gastroenterologists. This NDR was associated with a substantially lower rate of missed dysplasia (13%). Conclusions In an analysis of 1066 patients with BE in a population-based cohort, we found a lower NDR and lower rate of missed dysplasia than previously reported. NDR may have value as a quality metric in BE surveillance if validated in other cohorts.
Discordant anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and RNA staining in cutaneous perniotic lesions suggests endothelial deposition of cleaved spike protein.

Background Prior studies have shown the presence of immunohistochemical staining for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SP) in endothelial cells and eccrine epithelium of acral perniosis classified as "COVID toes." Yet, other studies have been unable to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in skin biopsies of "COVID toes" by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing. Objective In order to address these apparently conflicting findings, we compared detection of SARS-CoV-2 SP, through RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) vs immunohistochemistry (IHC), in skin biopsies of acral perniotic lesions presenting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Three of six cases showed positive immunohistochemical labeling of endothelial cells, with one of three cases with sufficient depth also having labeling of eccrine glands, using an anti-SP SARS-CoV-2 antibody. These three cases positive with IHC were negative for SP by RNA ISH. Conclusion While the gold standard for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in tissue sections has yet to be determined, the detection of SARS-CoV-2 SP alone without spike RNA suggests that cleaved SP may be present in cutaneous endothelial cells and eccrine epithelium, providing a potential pathogenetic mechanism of COVID-19 endotheliitis.
Psychiatric mental health nursing in the international year of the nurse and COVID-19: One hospital's perspective on resilience and innovation - Past, present and future

In the International Year of the Nurse, we are in the midst of a global pandemic. Historically, nurses have been at the forefront of crises influencing standards of care and public health policy. Managing psychiatric patients during the current COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the psychiatric nurses' role within the therapeutic milieu fostering innovative practices to meet patient needs. Our behavioral health center met the challenges with resilience, creativity and commitment. The next challenge is to learn from experience. Building on innovative technology opens the window to new models of care. Understanding resilience is critical to preparing for the next crisis.
A randomised trial examining inflammatory signaling in acutely induced hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia in normal weight women-the reprometabolic syndrome

Context Obesity, is a state of chronic inflammation, characterized by elevated lipids, insulin resistance and relative hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. We have defined the accompanying decreased Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), ovarian steroids and reduced pituitary response to Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone (GnRH) as Reprometabolic syndrome, a phenotype that can be induced in healthy normal weight women (NWW) by acute infusion of free fatty acids and insulin. Objective To identify potential mediators of insulin and lipid-related reproductive endocrine dysfunction. Design, setting, participants Secondary analysis of crossover study of eumenorrheic reproductive aged women of normal Body Mass Index (BMI) (<25 kg/m2) at an academic medical center. Intervention Participants underwent 6-hour infusions of either saline/heparin or insulin plus fatty acids (Intralipid plus heparin), in the early follicular phase of sequential menstrual cycles, in random order. Euglycemia was maintained by glucose infusion. Frequent blood samples were obtained. Main outcome measures Pooled serum from each woman was analyzed for cytokines, interleukins, chemokines, adipokines, Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 (FGF-21) and markers of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (CHOP and GRP78). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare results across experimental conditions. Results Except for Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1β (MIP-1β), no significant differences were observed in serum levels of any of the inflammatory signaling or ER stress markers tested. Conclusion Acute infusion of lipid and insulin, to mimic the metabolic syndrome of obesity, was not associated with an increase in inflammatory markers. These results imply that the endocrine disruption and adverse reproductive outcomes of obesity are not a consequence of the ambient inflammatory environment but may be mediated by direct lipotoxic effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis.
Embodied Listening: Grassroots Governance in Electronic Dance Music Venues in Accra (Ghana)

The latest iterations of West African electronic dance music, such as Afrobeats, azonto, and akayida, have been gaining ground in Accra and around the world since the 2010s. Sound is part of the societal fabric of Accra; there are noise control and building regulations in Ghana, but they are outdated and easily ignored. This research reveals that nightclubs, bars, and restaurants with dance music are an elongated historic phenomenon due to the fact that the intermingling of dance and music—described here as “embodied listening”—morphed organically from traditional and popular Ghanaian dance/music genres into electronic versions. Afrocentric indigenous auto-ethnography and informal interviews with music communities, as well as local news articles and public policies, foreground an afrocentric discussion of the electronic music scene and community networks. Government interventions such as arts policies, building codes, and sound control policies that are relevant in the Global North are found to be potentially harmful in Ghana, as well as other similar communities in the Global South.
Perturbation Decay Constant Effects of Power-Law Errors on Refraction Autofocus

Recent investigations have yielded techniques for estimating and compensating for the deleterious atmospheric refraction effects in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image data. The defocused imagery are due to the bending and delay of the each radar pulse as it is refracted by the intervening atmosphere. One advantage of these recent methods is that they are robust to the bending and delay effects that can be different for each individual radar pulse along the synthetic aperture, since local atmospheric parameters can vary along the trajectory of the radar. Robust analysis of the performance of this refraction-based autofocus can be performed by using radar pulse bending and delay that are modeled as power-law spectra. The present analysis considers the effects of varying the value of the decay constants of the power-law spectra upon the overall focus quality of the imagery. These refraction autofocus techniques give well-focused imagery when applied to measured K-band data wherein power-law bending and delay errors have be inserted into the radar data.
Modulation of π-stacking modes and photophysical properties of an organic semiconductor through isosteric cocrystallization.

We report on the control of π-stacking modes (herringbone vs slipped-stack) and photophysical properties of 9,10-bis((E)-2-(pyridin-4-yl)vinyl)anthracene (BP4VA), an anthracene-based organic semiconductor (OSC), by isosteric cocrystallization (i.e., the replacement of one functional group in a coformer with another of “similar” electronic structure) with 2,4,6-trihalophenols (3X-ph-OH, where X = Cl, Br, and I). Specifically, BP4VA organizes as slipped-stacks when cocrystallized with 3Cl-ph-OH and 3Br-ph-OH, while cocrystallization with 3I-ph-OH results in a herringbone mode. The photoluminescence and molecular frontier orbital energy levels of BP4VA were effectively modulated by the presence of 3X-ph-OH through cocrystallization. We envisage that the cocrystallization of OSCs with minimal changes in cocrystal formers can provide access to convenient structural and property diversification for advanced single-crystal electronics.
Refining the Rib-sparing Approach in Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction: Keys to Success

Background Free tissue transfer using microsurgical techniques is a popular option for breast reconstruction, and the internal mammary vessels remain the most popular recipient vessels for the anastomosis. Traditionally, ribs were resected for better access to these vessels in the intercostal space. However, rib resection has the potential for complications and adds a surgical step. Here, the authors evaluate and compare both techniques in a retrospective study as well as offer technical pearls. Methods The 400 most recent consecutive patients who underwent microsurgical breast reconstruction by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. 54 patients underwent the traditional rib-resecting approach. 346 patients underwent the rib-sparing approach, which was the preferred approach of the senior author, when possible. Patients requiring the rib-resecting approach were distributed evenly throughout the series. Primary outcomes were any immediate post-operative complications. Results Between the two clinical groups, there was no difference between demographic or clinical details, the flap type, history of previous radiation, or timing of reconstruction. Complications of any kind as well as the subset of complications were significantly more frequent in the rib resection than in the rib-sparing group. Specifically, the rate of reanastomosis was higher in the rib resection group [10.6 vs 2.7%, p Conclusion In the largest reported series to date, the rib-sparing approach is demonstrated to be both safe and efficacious in microsurgical breast reconstruction.
The role of adiposity in enhancing LIF/LIFR signaling pathway in endometrial cancer

Objectives: The incidence of endometrial cancer (EC) is estimated to increase by 1-2% annually. More than half of all EC diagnoses are currently attributable to obesity, which is an independent risk factor for this cancer. Obesity is suspected to function as a potent inducer of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), the most pleiotropic member of the interleukin-6 family of cytokines. Our recent studies utilizing public databases revealed high levels of LIF and its receptor LIFR are associated with poor survival in EC patients (KM plotter). The objective of this study is to determine whether alterations in the LIF/LIFR signal cascade occur in EC cells under conditions of adiposity; and whether this pathway could be a target for therapy. Methods: All patient samples, EC tissue, serum, and adipose tissue, were collected through the UT Health San Antonio tumor registry under IRB approval. Expression of LIF in EC patient samples was analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a UT Health generated tumor tissue array (TMA) and scored by UT Health Pathology. Primary EC tissue derived cells and established EC cell lines were treated with primary adipocyte conditioned medium and non-obese patient serum or obese patient serum. The effect of adiposity on EC cells was determined using MTT cell viability assay and colony formation assay, in addition to utilization of organoids derived from primary EC tissue. Mechanistic studies were conducted using Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and reporter assays thus confirming the activation of LIF/LIFR downstream pathways including STAT3, mTOR, Akt, and MAPK. The recently developed LIFR inhibitor, EC359, was used to elucidate the therapeutic utility of targeting the enhanced LIF/LIFR pathway generated by high adiposity. Results: Treatment of established and primary EC cells with adipose environment increased the expression of LIFR protein, enhanced LIFR reporter activity, and increased cellular proliferation. Western blot and RT-qPCR analyses confirmed that increased expression of LIFR correlated with enhanced downstream LIFR signaling and subsequent activation of LIFR target genes. Treatment of EC cells with the LIFR inhibitor EC359 significantly reduced cell viability under adipose conditions. EC359 treatment also decreased adipose environment mediated organoid growth. IHC results using TMA that contained normal tissue (n=33) and EC tumors (n=45) with BMI >30 showed significantly increased expression of LIF in EC compared to normal endometrium. Further, LIF expression was upregulated in EC from obese patients compared to non-obese EC control patients. Conclusions: Collectively, our results suggest that increased adiposity contributes to accelerated EC cell growth via upregulation of the LIF/LIFR pathway. The LIF/LIFR axis represents a potential therapeutic target for adiposity driven EC and the LIFR inhibitor EC359 may be useful in modulating LIF/LIFR signaling in obese EC patients.
Validation of Simulated Earthquake Ground Motions for Displacement Response of Building and Bridge Structures Based on Intensity and Frequency Content Parameters

AbstractThis paper introduces a statistical methodology, titled vector-based intensity-measure method (VBIM), to validate simulated ground motions for the estimation of structural response paramete...
Hepatitis antigen. Detection of infectious blood donors.

Abstract Of 12 patients who received blood containing hepatitis antigen, 9 developed hepatitis after transfusion. The hepatitis antigen appeared in 7 of these patients during the illness. In a control group of 69 patients transfused with blood which did not contain hepatitis antigen, 4 cases of hepatitis were observed. These findings indicate a positive association between the presence of hepatitis antigen and the potential infectivity of donor blood.
'Postcolonial Triangles': An Analysis of Masculinity and Homosocial Desire in Achebe's A Man of the People and Greene's The Quiet American

The love triangle, claims Eve Sedgwick in Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire, is useful "as a figure by which the "commonsense" of our intellectual tradition schematizes erotic relations, and because it allows us to condense in a juxtaposition with that folk-perception several somewhat different streams of recent thought" (Sedgwick, 21). There has been minimal work done, however, on the integration of Sedgwick's view of triangulated desire into studies of postcolonial representation. Many scholars only address the similarities between imperial oppression of the colonized land and masculine dominance of the female body, and thereby ignore the homosocial bonds that emerge in this structure. In my discussion, I will explore two postcolonial works whose plots contain triangulated desire, Graham Greene's The Quiet American and Chinua Achebe's A Man of the People. Although these works present different views of the postcolonial situation, both novels use the triangulated model of desire to create gender hierarchies. By integrating Girard and Sedgwick's theories into my reading of the two works, I will show how each author uses the triangulated model to promote an image of patriarchy and masculinity which matches that of Great Britain during the First and Second World Wars. Within this study, I will analyze how the structure of triangulated desire can represent the inherent power disjunction in the master/slave relationship; I will also relate the placement of the female object in the triangle to the idea of the subaltern and to the actual placement of women in both Western and Third World Countries after the Second World War. My talk with ultimately address how the triangulated model of desire both confronts and denies the realities of postcolonial power.
Beta decay of /sup 154/Lu and /sup 154/Yb

Using mass-separated sources, the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay properties of $^{154}\mathrm{Lu}$ and $^{154}\mathrm{Yb}$ were investigated. Limits of $^{154}\mathrm{Lu}$ decay to the first ${8}^{+}$ and ${6}^{+}$ levels in $^{154}\mathrm{Yb}$ suggest a ${7}^{+}$ spin for the odd-odd parent; also delayed proton emission and an indication of delayed $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle emission were observed to follow $^{154}\mathrm{Lu}$ $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay branch of the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-emitting nucleus $^{154}\mathrm{Yb}$ was identified for the first time by the observation of one intense 133.2-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray. This transition deexcites a ${1}^{+}$ 133.2-keV level in $^{154}\mathrm{Tm}$ which is fed by an allowed ${0}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\beta}$ transition with a $log\mathrm{ft}$ value of 3.6 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.3.
Quantum Physics Inspired Optical Effects in Tight-Binding Lattices

We theoretically investigated the propagation of light inside an array of single-mode evanescently coupled waveguides that can be described by the tight-binding Hamiltonian. We show that directed photonic transport can be achieved with phase-displaced inputs. In addition, the form of a parity-symmetric waveguide-dependent coupling constant can tune the dynamics of the photon’s wavepacket. Lastly, we examine the statistical aspects of the output light for different input fields when disorder is present in the waveguide array. We find that the light will undergo Anderson localization independent of the type of field and that the intensity fluctuations of the output light will increase with disorder at the initial waveguide.
Finite Element Study of Lamb Wave Interactions with Holes and Through Thickness Defects in Thin Metal Plates

TAP/NDE (Thermo-Acousto-Photonic nondestructive evaluation) has been developed to the point where it is possible to confidently explore many different application areas. One area of interest is the inspection of defects around rivet holes and under rivet heads. This problem is of concern not only from a safety point of view in aging aircraft, but also has major economic implications. For example, a heavy “C” check for a Boeing 707 requires the physical removal, inspection and replacement of many thousands of structural fasteners. Of the various types of rivets the round head rivet hole was chosen for this preliminary analysis (Fig. 1). Since it is not known how Lamb waves interact with an in situ rivet, we have chosen to restrict this analysis to the simplest possible case where there is no rivet in the hole. This corresponds to the current practice of removing the rivet and then using eddy current probes to inspect the hole. Our goal is to develop an inspection technique that does not require the physical removal of the rivet. The buried in-plane defect study was undertaken to provide real time, on-line detection of flaws during the processing of the material to prevent these flaws from causing in-service, premature rivet hole degradation. This inspection would prevent flawed materials from entering service.
From Rebellion to Riots: Collective Violence on Indonesian Borneo

In the scholarship on collective violence in Indonesia, the focus has largely been on anti-Chinese violence; radical Islamist groups; communal conflict in Maluku and Central Sulawesi; and secession...
General Purpose Optimization Technology

A necessary condition for the establishment, on a substantial basis, of a parallel software industry would appear to be the availability of technology for generating transportable software, i.e. architecture independent software which delivers scalable performance for a wide variety of applications on a wide range of multiprocessor computers. We are in the process of developing H-BSP — a general purpose parallel computing environment for developing transportable algorithms. H-BSP is based on the Bulk Synchronous Parallel Model (BSP), in which a computation involves a number of supersteps, each having several parallel computational threads that synchronize at the end of the superstep. The BSP Model deals explicitly with the notion of communication among computational threads and introduces parameters g and L that quantify the ratio of communication throughput to computation throughput, and the synchronization period, respectively. These two parameters, together with the number of processors and the problem size, are used to quantify the performance and, therefore, the transportability of given classes of algorithms across machines having different values for these parameters. Recently algorithm designers have developed algorithms for a number of regular problems that are provably optimal as functions of g and L, but for many irregular problems developing optimal solutions will depend on the compiler and the run-time system taking advantage of the g and L values for the intended target. This paper describes the unbundled compiler technology and, particularly, the optimization technology it provides, that facilitates the development of such a parallel computer environment.
Measuring standards of care for early breast cancer in an insured population.

PURPOSETo demonstrate the use of a combined data base to evaluate the care for local/regional invasive breast cancer in a large insured population of women aged less than 64 years.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe linked the procedural and hospital claims from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Virginia with clinical stage data from the Virginia Cancer Registry (VCR) from 1989 to 1991. A total of 918 women were assessed with a median age of 50 years; 68% had tumors less than 2 cm, 30% had positive axillary nodes, and 68% were assessed as having local summary stage. A quality-of-care "report card" was used based on standards of care from international Consensus Conferences.RESULTSEight percent had a mastectomy as the initial biopsy procedure. Sixty-nine percent of women ultimately underwent mastectomy. Of those women who underwent lumpectomy, 86% had subsequent radiation. Within 3 months of diagnosis, 43% had a bone scan and 20% a computed tomography (CT) scan. Of women with positive axillary lymph nodes, 83% aged less...
Agrobacterium tumefaciens Conn III. Effect of Thermal Shock on Bacteria in Relation to Tumor-Inducing Ability

Stonier, Tom (Manhattan College, Bronx, N.Y.), Robert E. Beardsley, Lowell Parsons, and James McSharry. Agrobacterium tumefaciens Conn. III. Effect of thermal shock on bacteria in relation to tumor-inducing ability. J. Bacteriol. 91: 266–269. 1966.—Bacteria heated to 42 C for 30 min exhibit a decrease in tumor-initiating ability without a detectable loss in viability. The thermal shock inhibits subsequent bacterial growth for up to 1.5 hr. As bacterial growth recovers, so does tumor-initiating ability. Respiration of the culture is somewhat increased by the heat treatment. The data suggest that living, actively respiring bacteria do not induce tumors unless they are also growing. The results also point to the necessity for excluding bacterial growth inhibition when interpreting data on the effect of various agents on tumor initiation.
The Effects of Pre- and Postweaning Dietary Protein Levels on Mitochondrial Metabolism in Developing Liver and Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue (IBAT) in Rats

Isoenergetic diets containing casein:carbohydrate:fat, 22:59:10% (control protein, CP), or 8:73:10% (low protein, LP), were fed to female rats during gestation and lactation and to offspring postweaning. Control fed rats were pair-fed to the LP-fed group. In the LP-fed group, body and liver weights were similar at birth but decreased at 10, 21, and 42 days, while intercapsular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) weight decreased from birth to 10 and 21 days but increased at 42 days compared to controls. Hepatic mitochondrial oxygen consumption (OC) with pyruvate + malate as substrate was similar at 21 and 42 days, whereas OC in state 3 and 4 with succinate was decreased at 42 days, only in the LP-fed group. In IBAT, OC was similar in each group at each age. In the LP-fed group, hepatic glycerolphosphate (GP) shuttle activity was the same as in controls at birth but increased progressively from 10 to 21 and 42 days, whereas malate-aspartate (M-A) shuttle activity was not substantially changed during development. In IBAT, shuttle activities were similar in both groups during development with M-A shuttle activity increased in the LP-fed group at 21 days. Serum triiodothyronine (T3) levels in the LP-fed group were increased at 10 and 42 days but decreased at 21 days after birth. These results suggest a role for both pre- and postweaning diet composition as a regulator of hepatic metabolism during development. The deficit in IBAT weight in the LP-fed group during early postnatal development indicates a decreased capacity for heat production in the neonate caused by maternal protein undernutrition.
Frequency-domain analysis of electromechanical disturbances in electric power systems

This paper covers the reasons for studying transient behavior of electromechanical disturbances in electric power systems. It motivates the idea of using measurement data from transient events to infer as much as possible about the power system. As a starting point, frequency-domain analysis is explained and utilized. As an extension of the work in [2], two additional faults have been simulated with the 9-bus system and the frequency-domain analysis technique has been utilized to infer knowledge about the system. Frequency measurements from a simulation of an example large-scale interconnected power grid have also been analyzed. Some relevant literature and potentially useful data is highlighted. Lastly, the key take-aways are mentioned.
Is There a Digital Divide? Check the Numbers

The spectacular, and global, increase of cell phone usage and infrastructure seems to promise dramatic improvements in health and education, as well as other benefits, but there is a problem: developed nations have low-cost, dependable service, while many poorer regions and nations are unable to provide affordable, dependable wireless access to their citizens.
Virus effects on stem cells influencing immunologic disorders and autoimmunity

bodies of systemic lupus erythematosus sera. J. Clin. Invest. 66: 210-219. ° 44. Swaak, A. J. G., et al. 1979. Reply to letter to editor from C. R. Steinman: Measurement of anti-dsDNA. Arthritis Rheum. 22:1413-1415. 45. Swaak, A. J. G., L. A. Aarden, and T. E. W. Feltkamp. 1979. AntidsDNA profiles as prognostic guides in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 22:226-235. 46. Tan, E. M., et ai. 1966. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and antibodies to DNA in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. J. Clin. Invest. 45:1732-1740. 47. Tan, E. M., and P. G. Natali. 1970. Comparative study of antibodies to native and denatured DNA. J. Immunol. 104:902-906. 48. Winfield, J. B., F. Faiferman, and D. Koffler. 1977. Avidity of anti-DNA antibodies in serum and IgG glomerular eluates from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with or without nephritis and in other connective tissue diseases. J. Clin. Invest. 59:90-96. 49. Wold, R. T., el al. 1968. Deoxyribonucleic acid antibody: A method to detect its primary interaction with deoxyribonucleic acid. Science 161: 806-807.
Fluorinated poly(α,L-glutamate)s

Poly(α,l-glutamate)s carrying C8, C10, and C12 fluorinated side chains were synthesized by polymerization of the corresponding amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides. Contact angle measurements with water were used to assess the effects of fluorination on the surface energies of films of the resulting polypeptides. The wettability of the polymers was found to decrease with increasing fluorine content, as expected. A remarkably high contact angle (121°) was measured for the homopolymer carrying C12 fluorinated side chains, indicating a surface consisting of closely packed trifluoromethyl groups. Side chain crystallization, consistent with the formation of such a surface, was suggested by the results of X-ray diffraction and calorimetric measurements.
Static and dynamic co-optimizations for blocks mapping in hybrid caches

In this paper, a combined static and dynamic scheme is proposed to optimize the block placement for endurance and energy-efficiency in a hybrid SRAM and STT-RAM cache. With the proposed scheme, STT-RAM endurance is maximized while performance is maintained. We use the compiler to provide static hints to guide initial data placement, and use the hardware to correct the hints based on the run-time cache behavior. Experimental results show that the combined scheme improves the endurance by 23.9x and 5.9x compared to pure static and pure dynamic optimizations respectively. Furthermore, the system energy can be reduced by 17% compared to pure dynamic optimization through minimizing STT-RAM writes.
Nuclear Moment of Ni 61 from Nuclear Resonance Studies in Steady External Magnetic Fields

The nuclear magnetic resonance of Ni/sup 61/ was studied with free precession equipment in applied external magnetic fields of up to 10,000 gauss. At 77 nif- K and above 2500 gauss the resonance frequency varies linearly with applied external field at a rate of 0.354 ction in DDT-C/ 0.020 Mc/kgauss sec, corresponding to an uncorrected nuclear moment of 0.70 ction in DDT-C/ 0.04 nm. Corrections for this value are discussed. (C.E.S.)
Efficient nonlinear room-temperature spin injection from ferromagnets into semiconductors through a modified Schottky barrier

We suggest a consistent microscopic theory of spin injection from a ferromagnet (FM) into a semiconductor (S). It describes tunneling and emission of electrons through modified FM-S Schottky barrier with an ultrathin heavily doped interfacial S layer. We calculate nonlinear spin-selective properties of such a reverse-biased FM-S junction, its nonlinear $I\text{\penalty1000-\hskip0pt}V$ characteristic, current saturation, and spin accumulation in S. We show that the spin polarization of current, spin density, and penetration length increase with the total current until saturation. We find conditions for most efficient spin injection, which are opposite to the results of previous works, since the present theory suggests using a lightly doped resistive semiconductor. It is shown that the maximal spin polarizations of current and electrons (spin accumulation) can approach 100% at room temperature and low current density in a nondegenerate high-resistance semiconductor.