cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of footprint patterns

Summary form only given, as follows. Planar arrays are potentially useful in space-vehicle applications when the requirement is to provide uniform radiation over a portion of the Earth's surface. Conceptually, proper array excitation will permit control of the ripple in the shaped region of the pattern and control of the sidelobe level in the unshaped region. An extension of Taylor's circular aperture synthesis procedure provides a means for achieving this type of control. The requisite continuous aperture distributions are phi -symmetric and complex. Discretization is then practical for circular grid arrays. However, at the expense of a modest increase in aperture size, a pure real distribution can be found that will achieve the same pattern. In that case, discretization becomes practical for a rectangular grid array. In both cases, a one-dimensional linear stretch yields an elliptical boundary and a flat-topped beam of elliptical contour with controlled ripple, surrounded by sidelobes of controlled heights, also possessing elliptical contours. >
Commerce on the Internet

The article discusses the World Wide Web (Internet), focusing on using the WWW to support commerce-electronic marketing and digital publishing. Businesses are increasingly using the Web for advertising and electronic catalog based retail sales. Immediate benefits from the use of the technology include the ability to monitor and track the behavior of one's customers, provided by access statistics the WWW server maintains. In addition, many aspects of managing customer interaction can be automated, for example, submission and collection of customer surveys, billing, and so forth. In the future, more organizations will use the net for innovative ways of providing online magazines and electronic commerce. Although the approximately 20 million Internet users represent only a small fraction of the world population, the dramatic growth of the market in recent years will continue to lure commerce online. >
A generic set-formation service

Dynamic group formation and discovery is an important component of several emerging end system applications and network services including peer-to-peer and overlay systems, network storage/caching systems, and reliable multicast/distribution services. In our previous work, we proposed a programmable, scalable grouping service based on multicast and concast. In this paper, we present a generalized abstraction that subsumes the earlier service and can be implemented using other forms of network support in addition to (or apart from) multicast/concast. In designing the new grouping abstraction, we have attempted to separate the policies governing set formation from the network mechanisms (multicast, concast, distributed hash tables, etc.) used to implement those policies. In addition, we allow policies to be specified in terms of both application-specific criteria and network-based criteria. We describe how the service can be used to solve grouping problems from different application areas, and give an example showing how it can leverage different network support mechanisms, including ephemeral state processing.
How many pathways underlie socioeconomic differences in the development of cognition and achievement

Abstract Children whose parents are more highly educated enjoy greater age-linked gains in cognitive abilities and academic achievement. Different researchers have typically focused on different outcomes, and the extent to which parental education relates to multiple child outcomes via a single developmental pathway has received little empirical attention. This issue was examined by applying common factor structural equation models to a large (N = 4810) nationally representative sample of kindergarten through 12th grade children, who were measured on 6 distinct cognitive abilities and 5 distinct forms of knowledge and academic achievement. Results indicated that a single pathway accounted for the relations between parental education and age differences in children's cognitive abilities. However, additional unique pathways were necessary to account for the relations between parental education and age differences in academic knowledge and mathematics. These results suggest that while socioeconomic differences are largely manifested in global aspects of cognitive development, they have incremental relations with some forms of academic achievement.
An RNA Polymerase Pause Site Is Associated with the Immunoglobulin μs Poly(A) Site

Immunoglobulin μ alternative RNA processing is regulated during B-cell maturation and requires balanced efficiencies of the competing splice (μm) and cleavage-polyadenylation (μs) reactions. When we deleted sequences 50 to 200 nucleotides beyond the μs poly(A) site, the μs/μm mRNA ratio decreased three- to eightfold in B, plasma, and nonlymphoid cells. The activity could not be localized to a smaller fragment but did function in heterologous contexts. Our data suggest that this region contains an RNA polymerase II pause site that enhances the use of the μs poly(A) site. First, known pause sites replaced the activity of the deleted fragment. Second, the μ fragment, when placed between tandem poly(A) sites, enhanced the use of the upstream poly(A) site. Finally, nuclear run-ons detected an increase in RNA polymerase loading just downstream from the μs poly(A) site, even when the poly(A) site was inactivated. When this μ fragment and another pause site were inserted 1 kb downstream from the μs poly(A) site, they no longer affected the mRNA expression ratio, suggesting that pause sites affect poly(A) site use over a limited distance. Fragments from the immunoglobulin A gene were also found to have RNA polymerase pause site activity.
Critical reappraisal of pulmonary artery catheterization and invasive hemodynamic assessment in acute heart failure

Use of the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) in the management of heart failure has declined precipitously despite guideline-supported indications, especially among patients hospitalized with acute heart failure (HF) syndromes. Here, the authors critically review the current role of the PAC and the management of patients with HF, and discuss the role of the PAC in the development of new therapies for HF. Pulmonary artery catheterization is a safe procedure when performed by experienced operators, and invasive hemodynamic evaluation with the PAC is recommended in select clinical settings. The PAC may have a unique role in identifying high-risk HF patients with persistent hemodynamic abnormalities during hospitalization. Early-phase trials of novel therapies to improve outcomes in patients with acute HF should include an assessment of hemodynamic effects utilizing the PAC. Once therapies that are effective in improving outcomes are available, the PAC might be a useful or necessary tool in the initiation and titration of such treatments and improved outcomes from PAC guided therapy may be demonstrated. Adequate training and experience are required to successfully use the PAC to minimize complications, ensure proper data collection and appropriate decision-making. Improved education and guidelines are required to ensure continued safe and appropriate contemporary use of the PAC.
An Analytical Model for a Book-Ahead Bandwidth Scheduler

Optical networks with book-ahead bandwidth schedulers are being deployed to meet the high-speed and predictable-service networking requirements of applications in the scientific research community. We present an analytical model for a single-link book-ahead bandwidth scheduler, which responds to advance reservation requests with the first-available time interval in which a channel is available. The link is assumed to be divided into m channels, and time is discretized into intervals. Our proposed model is a non-homogeneous continuous-time Markov chain, which has an embedded discrete-time Markov chain. We solve the model for call congestion, mean scheduling delay, and link utilization. This model can be used by network designers to select the size of the reservation window, K, in time-interval units, corresponding to a desired set of values for the output metrics, for a given value of m. For example, when m is 8, increasing the reservation window beyond 4 intervals does not affect the call congestion or system utilization, but causes the mean scheduling delay to increase. We show with comparative simulations that our analytical model can be used as a solution for an M/D/m/p queueing system at moderate-to-high loads.
Predictability and Information Theory. Part II: Imperfect Forecasts

This paper presents a framework for quantifying predictability based on the behavior of imperfect forecasts. The critical quantity in this framework is not the forecast distribution, as used in many other predictability studies, but the conditional distribution of the state given the forecasts, called the regression forecast distribution. The average predictability of the regression forecast distribution is given by a quantity called the mutual information. Standard inequalities in information theory show that this quantity is bounded above by the average predictability of the true system and by the average predictability of the forecast system. These bounds clarify the role of potential predictability, of which many incorrect statements can be found in the literature. Mutual information has further attractive properties: it is invariant with respect to nonlinear transformations of the data, cannot be improved by manipulating the forecast, and reduces to familiar measures of correlation skill when the forecast and verification are joint normally distributed. The concept of potential predictable components is shown to define a lower-dimensional space that captures the full predictability of the regression forecast without loss of generality. The predictability of stationary, Gaussian, Markov systems is examined in detail. Some simple numerical examples suggest that imperfect forecasts are not always useful for joint normally distributed systems since greater predictability often can be obtained directly from observations. Rather, the usefulness of imperfect forecasts appears to lie in the fact that they can identify potential predictable components and capture nonstationary and/or nonlinear behavior, which are difficult to capture by low-dimensional, empirical models estimated from short historical records.
Observations on Giardia of Budgerigars

Sick budgerigars from a local aviary were found to be infected with Giardia. The trophozoites were of the Giardia duodenalis type as defined by Filice with elongate median bodies pointed on one or both ends and more or less perpendicular to the long axis of the body. Using three fixation-straining methods, and material from three birds, the length ranged from 10 to 18 micrometers and the width from 4.5 to 11 micrometers with a mean length to width ratio of 2. Attempts to culture the trophozoites in vitro from intestinal scrapings were unsuccessful. Also attempts to transmit the infection by fecal cysts to canaries and mice failed. It is proposed that the budgerigar form be called Giardia duodenalis, race psittaci.
Integration of behavioral fault-detection models and an intelligent reactive scheduler

An integrated approach for monitoring large-scale distributed processes and modifying the control plan in real-time, in reaction to deviations from the planned production schedule, is described. The monitoring is accomplished via behavioral models that represent and manipulate both discrete and continuous process dynamics. Reactive scheduling and control is accomplished by combining artificial intelligence and numeric optimization techniques to minimize the cost of recovery. The feasibility of recovery strategies is checked online using the behavioral models in a simulation mode. A prototype systems has been implemented using CROPS5 (Concurrent real-time OPS5) and C++ and runs on the Mach operating systems. The system is intended for online monitoring and reactive scheduling of continuous-caster steel mills. >
The BAT: a beginner's assembler tutor for the arcane art

Some might declare that knowledge of the "arcane art" of programming in assembler language is no longer relevant to computer science education. It is probably true that many, if not most, graduates of computer science degree programs spend much of their time contriving, more or less successfully, programs written in higher level languages such as C, C++, and so forth.
Barbie and the Tree of Life: the Multiple Functions of Gender in Development:

Gender identity is the lens through which people experience being boy or girl, man or woman. It is a complex compromise formation that is not separate from the wishes, fears, and intrapsychic conflicts of other domains. Over the course of development, gender identity becomes layered and reconfigured. This paper looks at one child's experience of gender over several phases in her development in order to learn how gender is integrated into identity. At different times, as different conflicts came to the fore, she used gender to shape and lend definition to these conflicts. Conversely, her experiences in other spheres influenced her experience of gender.
Tissue Factor, the Emerging Link Between Inflammation, Thrombosis, and Vascular Remodeling

Tissue factor (TF) is a cell surface protein that is expressed by endothelial cells, monocytes, and smooth muscle cells in response to a variety of stimuli including lipopolysaccharide,1 growth factors,2 and lipoproteins3 (Figure⇓). The main function of TF is to bind coagulation factor VII, leading to activation of both the intrinsic and extrinsic blood coagulation cascades.4 In normal arteries, TF expression is limited to the adventitia except for sporadic expression in the media.5 Although TF is important in maintaining vascular integrity in response to injury, abnormal TF expression has broad-ranging importance in a variety of human diseases including disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients with sepsis6 and arterial thrombosis in patients with unstable angina.7 In this issue of Circulation Research , Singh et al8 further our understanding of the importance of TF in vascular disease by demonstrating the importance of TF expression on the development of neointimal growth in response to hemostasis. Previous studies using this model of carotid artery ligation leading to smooth muscle cell hyperplasia and neointimal formation9 have demonstrated the necessity of fibrin deposition for the smooth muscle cell migration and …
Changes in medial cortical blood flow with a stimulus-response compatibility task

Previous work has suggested that human subjects engaged in tasks, like the Stroop task, that require response selection utilize the medial frontal cortex. We used positron emission tomography to measure blood flow changes in a stimulus-response compatibility task designed to maximize the demand on response selection processes. We report significant activation in the cingulate sulcus (Brodman's area 32) and a correlation of activity in this region with faster response time for an incongruent stimulus-response task.
Biosynthesis of the metalloclusters of molybdenum nitrogenase.

Summary: Nitrogenase catalyzes a key step in the global nitrogen cycle, the nucleotide-dependent reduction of atmospheric dinitrogen to bioavailable ammonia. There is a substantial amount of interest in elucidating the biosynthetic mechanisms of the FeMoco and the P-cluster of nitrogenase, because these clusters are not only biologically important but also chemically unprecedented. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in this research area, with an emphasis on our work that aims at providing structural and spectroscopic insights into the assembly of these complex metalloclusters.
HIV/AIDS: a case study for social work and other allied health educators

As the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to grow through a third decade, the need for to prepare future social workers and allied health professions for practice with those infected and affected is of paramount importance. This article features a case study of HIV/AIDS in the USA focused on HIV prevention and treatment practice challenges. Seven modules are integrated throughout that highlight practice needs and challenges of vulnerable populations including women, children and youth, sexual minorities, racial and ethnic minorities, persons that are incarcerated, and persons with substance use disorders or mental health challenges. Each module is accompanied by additional readings and sample discussion questions designed for easy use by educators. The article concludes with suggested recommendations for content integration into social work and allied health courses, and next steps for content integration.
Approximating Prediction Uncertainty for Random Forest Regression Models

Abstract Machine learning approaches such as random forest have increased for the spatial modeling and mapping of continuous variables. Random forest is a non-parametric ensemble approach, and unlike traditional regression approaches there is no direct quantification of prediction error. Understanding prediction uncertainty is important when using model-based continuous maps as inputs to other modeling applications such as fire modeling. Here we use a Monte Carlo approach to quantify prediction uncertainty for random forest regression models. We test the approach by simulating maps of dependent and independent variables with known characteristics and comparing actual errors with prediction errors. Our approach produced conservative prediction intervals across most of the range of predicted values. However, because the Monte Carlo approach was data driven, prediction intervals were either too wide or too narrow in sparse parts of the prediction distribution. Overall, our approach provides reasonable estimates of prediction uncertainty for random forest regression models.
The U.S., Impunity Agreements, and the ICC: Towards the Trial of a Future Henry Kissinger

To what extent the ICC will succeed in its ambitious task is a question on the minds of many, but it will only be answered many years in the future. This note will attempt to provide insight on one aspect of this question: what effect, if any, the ICC may have upon US. By far the dominant discourse on the subject of the US and the ICC has focused on the US government's proffered reasons for its anti-ICC stance, and whether the so-called “Article 98 agreements" the US has been signing with dozens of other countries are “legal" or not. This author's position is that US government objections to the ICC are mere procedural fig leaves to cover a substantive dispute the US government fears would not sit well domestically or internationally. Furthermore, the question of the “legality" of Article 98 agreements is moot without a discussion of the US government's motives in signing them - since in a Legal Realist sense “legality" is the equivalent of effectiveness, and how effective these agreements will prove to be is determined by the extent to which the US government is willing and able to ensure their enforcement. This note will argue that the US government will have an uphill battle to fight should the legality of its Article 98 agreements ever be called into question by a trying circumstance. However, since the motivation behind these agreements goes to the very core of current US government values, namely what it perceives as US sovereignty, by hook or by crook these Article 98 agreements may yet achieve their desired effect.
Retinal Imaging and Cone Pointing Measurements in the Living Chick Eye

The chick eye is widely used in the study of ocular growth and emmetropization. Here, high resolution retinal imaging was used to measure the angular tuning properties of individual photoreceptors in vivo. A small amount of disarray in the alignment of the chick photoreceptors was measured implying that the photoreceptors are aligned to optimize the light entering the eye through the central portion of the pupil.
Self-Assembly of Particles Into 2D Lattices With Adaptable Spacing

It was recently shown in [1–3] that spherical particles floating on a fluid-fluid interface can be self-assembled, and the lattice between them can be controlled, using an electric field. The technique works for a broad range of fluids and particles, including electrically neutral (i.e., uncharged) particles and small particles (micro- and nano-sized particles). In this paper we show that the technique also works for rod-like and cubical particles floating on fluid-fluid interfaces. The method consists of sprinkling particles at a liquid interface and applying an electric field normal to the interface, thus resulting in a combination of hydrodynamic (capillary) and electrostatic forces acting on the particles. It is shown that the relative orientation of two rod-like particles can be controlled by applying an electric field normal to the interface. The lattice spacing of the self-assembled monolayer of rods can be increased by increasing the electric field strength. Furthermore, experiments show that there is a tendency for the rods to align so that they are parallel to each other. The alignment however is not complete. Similarly, the spacing between two cubes, as well as the spacing of a monolayer of cubes, can be adjusted by controlling the electric field strength.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Cherish the Past, Prepare for the Future.

I t has truly been a privilege and a wonderful honor to serve as president of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons this past year. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you here in attendance today, and to everyone who supported my presidency year. I am sincerely grateful to our three past presidents on the nominating committee: Dr. Rick Billingham, Dr. David Schoetz, and Dr. Bruce Wolff, as well as to all of you who endorsed my nomination. This is the pinnacle of my career. I also appreciate the hard work and outstanding effort of the Executive Council in helping me through this year; and the Society’s administrative staff which, for many years, has efficiently organized and maintained our society at such a high level. And I am extremely grateful to my colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering for their enduring support. They are an outstanding group of surgeons, and it is an honor for me to work with them. I would also like to thank my former colleagues from Minnesota who initially trained and mentored me, and set my career on the right pathVas opposed to the ‘‘Wong path’’ to which I am accustomed! Finally, there are two ladies I have relied on most during this past year. Stella Zedalis, Associate Executive Director of our Society, is a remarkable individual: extraordinarily efficient, well-organized, and personable; I know that all of our presidents have relied on her for support. And of course, my dear wife Sola; she has been my guiding light throughout our married life and throughout my entire career. She did a marvelous job of raising our three wonderful children while I worked long hours. During those early years I never thought that I had the potential to rise to the position in which I find myself today. But she did, and always encouraged me to do my very best. Without her influence and loving support I would not be standing here. The title of my talk is ‘‘Cherish the Past, Prepare for the Future’’. To set the stage, I would like to share a quote from the personal development expert Chuck Gallozzi, who has stated that ‘‘The secret of life is to do your best now. When we live by this rule, we guarantee a happy past and a successful future. We need to make the most of the past, not get distracted by the past, but learn from it. Cherish the past, learn, let go of it, and move on. Use the past as a guiding light.’’ As Ivern Ball has stated, ‘‘The past should be a springboard, not a hammock!’’ It is the future that provides promise and potential. Life is about endless growth. One of our tasks in life is to prepare for the future, make plans, and boldly take on the challenges that lie ahead. Well, one of the major challenges I have taken on over the years has been to give quite a large number of talks and lectures nationally and internationally, including this presidential address. So I’d like to share a story with
Research of extraction technology of the melanin from core-shell of wild apricots using response surface analysis

With less utilization,core-shell of wild apricot was the scarps of production.On the basis of single factor experiments,the optimum conditions for the extraction of the melanin from core-shell of wild apricot were obtained through Box-Benhnken center-united experiment design and response surface methodology.The results showed that the optimum conditions of extraction of the melanin from core-shell of wild apricot were as follows:liquid ratio 1:20,temperature 60℃,alkali concentration 1mol/L,time 4h.Under this condition,the maximal yield of melanin was up to 8.33%.
Two‐dimensional circulation and mixing in the far field of a surface‐advected river plume

Field observations of the Hudson River plume are presented to discuss circulation and mixing in the far field of this coastally trapped buoyant flow. The plume was surface advected and propagated downshelf near the internal wave speed. The plume outflow was characterized by a two-layer bulge-like feature but became continuously stratified and vertically sheared in the far field, where Richardson numbers are generally below 0.5. High-frequency velocity and backscatter data from a moored ADCP revealed strong vertical and horizontal oscillatory motions at the front with a wavelength approximately 7–8 times the plume thickness, consistent with Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. These motions quickly died out after 2–3 cycles. The combination of vertical shear and stratification in the plume leads to a buoyancy flux toward the nose of the plume, which competes with mixing. However, the continued salinity increase of the plume as it propagated downshelf indicates that mixing overcomes this delivery of freshwater to the plume front. A simple 2-D model is developed, which relates the time rate-of-change of the plume salinity to: (1) salt entrainment due to vertical mixing, and (2) freshwater flux and salt removal due to the vertical shear of the stratified plume. Estimates of an entrainment coefficient from this model are consistent with previous estimates from the near field of a river outflow. A scaling of the plume width is obtained by assuming that vertical shears are controlled by both thermal wind and a critical Richardson number. This scaling yields plume widths that are consistent with previous laboratory studies.
Long-Term High-Temperature Stability of Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanoplatelets in Arab-D and API Brine

Partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO) was covalently functionalized with a zwitterionic polymer polyzwitterionic polymer to afford a composite material with excellent dispersibility and long-term stability in high salinity brines including standard API and Arab-D found in deep oil reservoirs. When heated at 90 °C, the dispersions remained stable in excess of 140 days. These results suggest the utility of imidazolium-based polymers for brine stabilization as well as the use of diazonium containing polymers for a “grafting-to” approach to nanocarbon functionalization.
Price Dispersion In The Airline Industry: A Conceptual Framework And Empirical Analysis

Price dispersion can influence product demand, firm profitability, and social welfare. The authors develop a framework centered on understanding the effects of competition and market structure on price dispersion. An empirical analysis evaluates the effects of competition in a multi-market context on price dispersion in the airline industry by focusing on competition and market characteristics. The results of this study show that multi-market contact between rival firms and the interaction of multi-market contact and market concentration have significant effects on price dispersion. This study provides valuable insights for developing marketing strategies and extends the stream of research on price dispersion.
Quest for Identity: In Search of Balance

As Americans emerged from the crisis of confidence and narcissism of the post-Vietnam/post-Watergate era, they sought to balance competing philosophies and tendencies in foreign affairs, domestic policy, and cultural endeavors. Determined simultaneously not to become bogged down in regional conflicts and indigenous disputes, the United States wisely stood back as the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact disintegrated. Post–Cold War administrations sought to encourage democracy and free market economies in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe, without threatening their security or sense of national sovereignty. As far as Communist China was concerned, the byword was watchful waiting. Policymakers did not deny that regional conflicts posed a threat to international stability and hence to the national interest, but in areas geographically remote from the United States or conflicts tangential to its interests, the U.S. government sought to work through international organizations and nations more proximate. However, in situations closer to home, as with Panama and Haiti, and in conflicts in which the United States was directly threatened, such as in the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the United States took the lead. The object of American policy was to assert leadership without seeking hegemony. In domestic affairs, the New Right continued its attacks on liberalism, whereas liberals scrambled to define and identify with the political center. America remained generally conservative without being ideological. The average person favored a balanced budget, workfare instead of welfare, lower taxes, and an emphasis on private enterprise. At the same time, they supported a social safety net for the elderly, infirm, disabled, and poor.
IBD: Mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis: what constitutes remission?

Patients with ulcerative colitis in clinical remission are increasingly undergoing colonoscopies to determine endoscopic remission. However, the histological evaluation of biopsy samples provides additional criteria to predict which patients are most likely to undergo relapse, so what is the ideal therapeutic end point for patients with ulcerative colitis?
Case Studies in Community

This chapter presents case studies of how community assets, strategies, and agents described in the previous two chapters can be mobilized in concert to build and transform communities. It includes (1) a comparison of three policies for addressing concentrated poverty in communities, (2) promising policies and practices to address chronic homelessness, (3) multi-pronged approaches to health and safety issues such as smoking, substance abuse, and obesity, (4) school choice strategies, and (5) collective impact, a collaborative approach to address community challenges. The chapter concludes with a brief analysis of a successful community-based campaign in Minnesota.
Probing the Perspectives of Stakeholder Engagement and Resistance Against Large-Scale Surface Mining in Developing Countries

This paper probes the perspectives of resistance against large‐scale surface mining in developing countries. It draws extensively on scientific literature, governance sector policies and interventions, and mining industry reports. The paper finds that in resource‐rich developing countries, land use is the dominant issue between the mining industry and local communities. Communities that do not have previous experience with mining usually base their resistance on perception, uncertainties, and outside informants. It also found that the basic causes of local resistance are limited to narratives and impression management. Whilst a recognition of mechanisms developed by governments, the industry, and the scientific community toward addressing local communities' concerns is crucial, these approaches are rather inhibitory to mediations between the mining sector and host communities. There is the need to develop new mechanisms that would enhance mediation for optimum mining sector development in local space. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
The Ceramic Waste Form Process at Idaho National Laboratory

The treatment of spent nuclear fuel for disposition using an electrometallurgical technique results in two high-level waste forms: a ceramic waste form (CWF) and a metal waste form. Reactive metal ...
Cultural landscapes of South Asia: studies in heritage conservation and management (Routledge research in landscape and environmental design)

The South-Asian region, being one of the earliest inhabited regions of the world, shares a common vein that includes mythology, various cultural and spiritual associations with its natural landscap...
HIT the nail on the head

A 70-year-old male with CAD, DM and HTN presented with progressive symptoms of angina and was found to have an aortic murmur. Cardiac catheterization revealed severe calcified triple vessel coronary artery disease with aortic stenosis. He underwent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting with aortic valve replacement. Five days after the procedure, he developed thrombocytopenia with greater than 50% reduction in platelet count. His right fingertips developed thrombosis and skin necrosis ( Figures 1,2 ). There was strong suspicion for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) given his high 4T score. He was started on fondaparinux. Anti-platelet factor 4 antibodies and serotonin release assay (SRA) were sent and resulted positive. Gradually, his platelet counts began to increase with fondaparinux. Once they were greater than 50,000, he was taken for angiogram and thrombectomy to the right radial artery with improved circulation. He will continue on fondaparinux for a month and follow up with Hematology as an outpatient.
Open Anterior and Lateral Thoracic Interbody Approaches and Techniques

Due to their rarity and diversity, pathologies of the thoracic disc space can be challenging to manage surgically. The complexity of these cases is compounded by the increased risk of patient morbidity that is associated with any pathology in this area, including the potential for devastating neurological deficit, vascular injury, or CSF leak. Open and lateral approaches to the thoracic disc space are perhaps some of the more invasive techniques used in spine surgery to treat thoracic disc disease and subsequently require special attention. This chapter will focus on open and lateral approaches to the thoracic spine for the purpose of interbody placement.
Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) Small Satellites for Global Measurements of 3D Winds and Other Applications

HyperCube is a 6U CubeSat with a hyperspectral infrared instrument for measurements of three-dimensional (3-D) wind fields. This paper describes the HyperCube design and performance, and discusses other similar design variants.
Acceleration-invariant pulse compression using hyperbolic frequency modulated waveforms

It is well known that hyperbolic frequency modulated waveform is Doppler-invariant. However it suffers severe distortion when the velocity of the target is not constant. In this paper we demonstrate that the acceleration of the target results in a frequency shift which is the source of the signal distortion under the assumption that the acceleration is constant and along the direction of the velocity. Therefore the frequency-shifted version of the matched filter can be applied to eliminate the mismatch between the reflected signal and the matched filter caused by the acceleration of the target. An example of rectangular envelope hyperbolic frequency modulated pulse is presented to illustrate the effect of the acceleration on signal distortion and a bank of filters with selected value of frequency shift are applied to the distorted waveform to improve the compression of the pulse. The simulation also illustrates that the noise performance of the pulse compression is not affected by the frequency shift scheme.
METABOLISM AND ACUTE LUNG TOXICITY OF SOLUBILIZED DI(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE (DEHP) IN RATS.

Publisher Summary DEHP, a di-ester of phthalic acid, is highly water-insoluble oil that is widely used as a plasticizer to increase the pliability of vinyl plastics. The annual American production of phthalate esters is approximately one billion pounds. With recent evidence of the widespread environmental distribution of a number of different phthalate esters and contamination of human blood stored in vinyl plastic bags with DEHP, considerable interest has centered on the potential toxicologie hazard of these compounds. Because of its water insolubility, the physical state of DEHP in biological systems is of considerable concern, with particular interest in the nature of the formulations used in experimental animals for toxicologie testing. It has been reported that aqueous emulsions of DEHP—sonicated in 3% gum acacia or 4% serum albumin—were milky white and opaque. On the other hand, solubilization of DEHP in saline by the addition of a nonionic surfactant, Tween 80, was shown to result in a transparent solution with no microscopically visible particles at a resolution of 1 micron. The chapter describes the differences in biological disposition and action between the emulsified and solubilized forms of DEHP. It also focuses on the enhanced acute lethality and lung toxicity of the surfactant-solubilized DEHP.
Elementary recursive and primitive recursive functions

To show that many number-theoretic functions are Turing computable, it is convenient to distinguish some functions by closure conditions.
Age-related trends in pathogen frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility of bloodstream isolates in North America: SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, 1997-2000.

We report age-related trends in pathogen frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility from 25,745 bloodstream infections (BSI) due to bacterial pathogens reported from medical centres participating in the North American SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program between January 1997 and September 2000. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were the most common pathogens, together accounting for 55% of all BSI pathogens during this time period. Among nosocomial BSI, CoNS were the most frequently isolated pathogens in infants less than 1 year of age, but S. aureus increased in frequency with increasing age. Among community-onset BSI pathogens, Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequently reported pathogen causing BSI in patients aged 1-5, S. aureus among those aged 6-64, and E. coli predominated at the extremes of age (less than 1 year and > or = 65 years of age). Among key organism: antimicrobial agent combinations evaluated, oxacillin resistance in S. aureus increased with increasing age; conversely, oxacillin resistance among CoNS was highest among children 5 years of age or younger. Penicillin resistance among S. pneumoniae BSI was highest in children younger than 5 years, while vancomycin resistance among Enterococcus spp. predominated among nosocomial BSI in patients over 50 years of age. Important age-related differences exist in species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogens causing BSI. This information should be helpful for clinicians as they consider empirical antimicrobial therapy for patients with suspected BSI across the age continuum.
Combination of CT derived radiomic features and lymphovascular invasion status to predict disease recurrence following trimodality therapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

e24314Background: Currently there are no clinically validated biomarkers to identify which locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts) will benefit from trimodality therapy (...
Assessing Malnutrition Using Nutritional Risk Index Predicts Mortality after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation in Patients with End Stage D Heart Failure

Purpose Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), a measure of malnutrition, is a simple and rapid method to calculate individual nutritional risk of patients with Stage D Heart Failure (HF). We sought to determine whether NRI is an independent predictor of mortality in Stage D HF patients who require left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent LVAD implantation at an academic medical center between 1/1/2012 and 12/31/2017. We reviewed pre-VAD nutritional evaluations and prior clinical data to include key pre-VAD blood test results to calculate NRI using the formula (15.19 × serum albumin [in g/dl]) + (41.7 × weight [in kg] / ideal body weight [in kg]). Each individual was then categorized as low or high NRI based on being below or above/equal to the median pre-LVAD NRI. Baseline demographics and metabolic profiles were compared for patients with lower vs higher NRI using unpaired T tests and Fisher exact tests, as appropriate. Adjusted and unadjusted Cox models were constructed to examine the impact of NRI on mortality post-LVAD implant. Results Amongst 81 patients undergoing LVAD implantation, the mean albumin pre-LVAD implantation was 3.6 ±0.5 g/dL, mean BMI was 30.3 ±6.3 kg/m2 and the mean NRI was 96.4 ±7.2 (median 96.5, IQR 84.2 - 107). Patients with a lower NRI (n=40) had a lower body mass index than those with a higher NRI (BMI, 28.3 ±5.4 vs 32.2 ±6.5 kg/m2) and lower pre-albumin levels (17.9 ±6.5 vs 21.8 ±6.6 mg/dL), but were equivalent for age (55 ±12.4 vs 52 ±12.0 years), sex (40 vs 37% females), total cholesterol (127 ±36.1 vs 129 ±27.5 mg/dL) and glycosylated hemoglobin (6.2 ±1.4 vs 6.5 ±1.2%). Thirteen (33%) patients with lower NRI died during LVAD support, vs 9 (22%) with higher NRI. NRI was a significant predictor of mortality on LVAD support in both the unadjusted (hazard ratio, HR, 0.94, 95% 0.88-0.99 per 1-unit NRI, p=0.03) and after adjustment (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.86-0.98, p=0.016) for age, sex, total cholesterol, and glycosylated hemoglobin. Conclusion Lower NRI was an independent predictor of mortality post-LVAD implantation. This finding suggests NRI, as a measure of malnutrition, may help better risk stratify patients being evaluated for LVAD therapy.
Antithrombotic Therapy After Revascularization in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease: What Is Here, What Is Next.

Objective:The optimal antithrombotic regimen in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is not known, leading to significant variations in antithrombotic treatment protocols in randomized trials and clin...
Prehistory of Nevada’s Northern Tier: Archaeological Investigations along the Ruby Pipeline

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) has long focused on Great Basin archaeology. Between 1979 and 1995, 10 volumes of the AMNH’s Anthropological Papers (AP) focused on topics ranging from...
O27 Prospective evaluation of a population pharmacokinetic model of pantoprazole for obese children

Background Pharmacokinetic (PK) data for proton pump inhibitors, acid suppressive medications commonly prescribed to children, are lacking for obese children who are at greatest risk for acid related disease. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of the only published population PK model of pantoprazole for obese children, in an independent cohort of obese and non-obese children. Methods A published 2-compartment structural model,1 modified to exclude transit compartments for delayed absorption, was used to predict the PK of pantoprazole (PAN) oral suspension, immediate release (ka=7.3 hr-1). Calculated population parameters and covariate relationships (e.g., weight, CYP2C19 genotype) were extracted. Predictions were based on dose, sampling times, and covariates from 57 children (6–17 years; 21% obese, 28% overweight) who received a single dose PAN and had plasma PAN concentrations collected at 10 time-points over 8 hours. Model predictive performance was assessed visually and by relative root mean squared error (RMSE), with mean ratio of predicted-to-observed area under the concentration time curve (AUC) compared via one-way ANOVA across weight groups, defined by body mass index for age (10–84th percentile normal-weight, 85–94th percentile overweight, >95th percentile obese; α=0.05, R). Results The model generally over-predicted observed PAN concentrations (RMSE 194%). Ratios of predicted versus observed AUC were not significantly different among obese, overweight and normal-weight children (1.5 vs. 1.7 vs. 2.2, p=0.06); however, a trend toward better model prediction was observed in the subset of obese children. Conclusion Observed PAN PK deviated from model predictions, which may be due to differences in patient demographics or PAN formulation. A validation study using a delayed release PAN formulation is in progress, with the overarching goal of understanding PAN disposition, and appropriate dose selection, for obese children, who are at potential risk for drug over- or under-dosing using commonly employed dosing strategies in pediatrics (e.g., mg/kg, weight-tiered). References Shakhnovich, et al. A Population-Based Pharmacokinetic Model Approach to Pantoprazole Dosing for Obese Children and Adolescents. Paediatr Drugs 2018 Oct;20(5):483–495. Disclosure(s) Nothing to disclose
Dementia Care Across a Tertiary Care Health System: What Exists Now and What Needs to Change.

Abstract Objectives This study explored the process of care for persons living with dementia (PLWDs) in various care settings across a tertiary care system and considers challenges and opportunities for change. Design Aimed at quality improvement, qualitative interviews were conducted with key stakeholders in dementia care across geriatric outpatient clinics, medical and psychiatric emergency departments, and the main hospital in 2016. Setting and participants Forty-nine interactive interviews were conducted with a purposive and snowball sampling of health care professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers, administrators) and families in a large, academic health care system. Measures Qualitative interview guides were developed by the study team to assess the process of care for PLWDs and strengths and challenges to delivering that care. Results Key themes emerging from the interviews in each care setting are presented. The outpatient setting offers expertise, a multidisciplinary clinic, and research opportunities, but needs to respond to long waitlists, space limitations, and lack of consensus about who owns dementia care. The emergency department offers a low nurse/patient ratio and expertise in acute medical problems, but experiences competing demands and staff turnover; additionally, dementia does not appear on medical records, which can impede care. The hospital offers consultative services and resources, yet the physical space is confined and chaotic; sitters and antipsychotics can be overused, and placement outside of the hospital for PLWDs can be a challenge. Conclusions and implications Five key recommendations are provided to help health systems proactively prepare for the coming boom of PLWD and their caregivers, including outpatient education, a dementia care management program to link services, Internet-based training for providers, and repurposing sitters as Elder Life specialists.
Toward a Psychology of Religion, Spirituality, Meaning-Search, and Aging: Past Research and a Practical Application

The current work is a combined review of several major theoretical issues in religious gerontology and of related research findings. It is intended to briefly inform, rather than to serve as a comprehensive review of the literature. The current author's primary goals are to put-forth points of information about contemporary terminology, to conceptualize motives for meaning-search at any age, to synthesize a few major findings and associated flaws in the research, and to describe a practical approach to the psychology of religion and spirituality (i.e., coping outcomes research). Within the current work, the reader is directed to sources of extensive reviews of data and of broader theoretical debates.
Influence of excess weight on lower-extremity vertical stiffness and metabolic cost of walking.

The purpose was to test whether lower-extremity vertical stiffness and gait mechanics explain differences in energy cost of walking (Cw) between individuals with normal weight (NW) and obesity (OB)...