cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polarimetric retrievals of surface and cirrus clouds properties in the region affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Abstract In 2010, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) performed several aerial surveys over the region affected by the oil spill caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore platform. The instrument was deployed on the NASA Langley B200 aircraft together with the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL), which provides information on the distribution of the aerosol layers beneath the aircraft, including an accurate estimate of aerosol optical depth. This work illustrates the merits of polarization measurements in detecting variations of ocean surface properties linked to the presence of an oil slick. In particular, we make use of the degree of linear polarization in the glint region, which is severely affected by variations in the refractive index but insensitive to the waviness of the water surface. Alterations in the surface optical properties are therefore expected to directly affect the polarization response of the RSP channel at 2264 nm, where both molecular and aerosol scattering are negligible and virtually all of the observed signal is generated via Fresnel reflection at the surface. The glint profile at this wavelength is fitted with a model which can optimally estimate refractive index, wind speed and direction, together with aircraft attitude variations affecting the viewing geometry. The retrieved refractive index markedly increases over oil-contaminated waters, while the apparent wind speed is significantly lower than in adjacent uncontaminated areas, suggesting that the slick dampens high-frequency components of the ocean wave spectrum. The constraint on surface reflectance provided by the short-wave infrared channels is a cornerstone of established procedures to retrieve atmospheric aerosol microphysical parameters based on the inversion of the RSP multispectral measurements. This retrieval, which benefits from the ancillary information provided by the HSRL, was in this specific case hampered by prohibitive variability in atmospheric conditions (very inhomogeneous aerosol distribution and cloud cover). Although the results presented for the surface are essentially unaffected, we discuss the results obtained by typing algorithms in sorting the complex mix of aerosol types, and show evidence of oriented ice in cirrus clouds present in the area. In this context, polarization measurements at 1880 nm were used to infer ice habit and cirrus optical depth, which was found in the subvisual/threshold-visible regime, confirming the utility of the aforementioned RSP channel for the remote sensing of even thin cold clouds.
MR imaging of symptomatic peripheral vascular malformations.

We performed a retrospective study of symptomatic peripheral vascular malformations to determine if MR imaging can be used to distinguish slow-flow venous malformations from high-flow arteriovenous malformations and arteriovenous fistulas. Twenty-seven MR examinations in 25 patients with malformations outside the CNS were reviewed. Sixteen venous malformations, nine arteriovenous malformations, and two arteriovenous fistulas were included. In all cases, the MR findings were correlated with the results of angiography. The distinction between slow-flow venous malformations and high-flow arteriovenous malformations and arteriovenous fistulas was made primarily on T2-weighted MR images, which showed high signal intensity in venous malformations and flow voids in high-flow lesions. In addition to the previously described MR features of venous malformations (serpentine pattern with septations, associated muscle atrophy, and typical T1 and T2 signal intensities), several new MR features were apparent. Venous mal...
Base-cover paracompactness

Call a topological space X base-cover paracompact if X has an open base B such that every cover C C B of X contains a locally finite subcover. A subspace of the Sorgenfrey line is base-cover paracompact if and only if it is F σ . The countable sequential fan is not base-cover paracompact. A paracompact space is locally compact if and only if its product with every compact space is base-cover paracompact.
International Variation in the Business-Government Interface: Institutional and Organizational Considerations

This article combines concepts from institutional analysis in modern political economy and from organizational behavior better to understand variation in the business-government interface among major industrialized democracies. We contend that differences in business-government relations across countries can be better understood by examining the institutions through which business and government interact with particular attention to formal constraints such as rules that individuals devise and informal constraints—such as culture and norms of behavior. We also submit that attributes of the institutions involved in the interaction of business and government can be better understood by examining how individuals are attracted to, selected by, and choose to remain as members of institutions. From this theoretical framework we have developed some implications for the types of economic policies that are likely to be adopted in different countries and the tactics and strategies that businesses may use to represen...
Restitution over coffee: truth, reconciliation, and environmental violence in East Timor

Abstract Truth commissions have become an almost obligatory component of the process by which national societies attempt to reconstruct themselves in the aftermath of, and recover from, periods of violent, authoritarian rule, and/or war, especially of the civil variety. Proponents of truth commissions see them as indispensable to promoting reconciliation between former adversaries as well as a transition to a more just, democratic, and peaceful political order, while serving as an important component in nation-state-(re)building. This paper analyzes and critiques the boundaries that typically define the tasks of truth commissions with a focus on East Timor’s. It contends that commissions achieve less than they might in terms of their goal of facilitating a justice-infused notion of reconciliation between conflicting parties because of their tendency to focus on individual acts or events of violence, while giving relatively little weight to systemic or structural forms of violence. To substantiate this argument, the paper analyzes the relationship of coffee—East Timor’s primary export commodity—to the violence and terror that the country’s truth commission addresses. In doing so, the paper illustrates the dynamic links between violence and the environment and how said environment comes to embody that violence and to reproduce it in various forms. It also demonstrates the limits of truth commissions as conventionally defined as they relate to matters of social justice. In doing so, it potentially points the way toward more ambitious, and more successful, truth-telling and reconciliation processes—if we assume the goal is to promote a just and peaceful coexistence between former adversaries. The framework employed is one of a Third World political ecology of violence, one that understands violence not only in terms of direct acts of physical brutality, but also in terms of indirect acts and social structures that cause injury.
Synthesis and characterization of BTDA-based polyamide-imides

Several thermally stable tough linear polyimides containing amide linkages were synthesized which have application as matrix resins in graphite reinforced structures. Isomers of diaminobenzanilide were reacted with 3,3-prime,4,4-prime-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride, and then thermally converted to the polyamide-imide. Polymers prepared from unsubstituted amide diamines and from N-substituted amide diamines exhibited high inherent viscosities and glass transition temperatures. The mechanical properties of these polymers were found to be superior to those of LARC-TPI.
Physical apertures as constraints on egg size and shape in the Common Musk Turtle, Sternotherus odoratus

Summary 1 Egg size in turtles often increases with female size, contrary to expectations of optimality. Functional constraints on egg width imposed by the pelvic aperture or the gap between the carapace and plastron (the caudal gap) have been inferred for a few populations but appear inapplicable in others. 2 For Sternotherus odoratus (the Common Musk Turtle), the pelvic aperture was always wider than the width of the female’s largest egg by at least 3·7 mm. The caudal gap was narrower than the widest egg for 25·7% of the females. 3 Egg width increased, and elongation (length/width) decreased, as female size and clutch size increased. 4 Females at three ecologically contrasting sites differed appreciably in size but produced eggs of the same mean shape and size, despite the strong within-site changes in both egg size and shape with female size. As the younger females at all sites were of similar age and produced eggs of similar size and shape (again, despite differences in body size), egg size and shape may be age-specific. 5 No optimal egg size prevailed but the scaled residuals of egg size with female mass were less variable than were those for clutch size.
Neural network based retrieval issue on prototype database systems

A prototype database system using neural network associative memory is proposed. A new measurement of Hamming distance is discussed in order to examine the closeness between the probe vector and the store vector. A reduced interconnection neural network technique is used to construct a tree index database system. A multiple query is used in the model to retrieve a multiple output. >
An iterative power allocation algorithm in OFDM system based on power relaxation

We present an efficient algorithm for power allocation and bit loading in multi-user OFDM system. We start with the close-form optimum power solution based on ideal channel coding and allowing negative transmission power. The solution is then revised by removing the subcarrier of negative power from the objective function and power constraints. The result of this procedure is proven to be the optimum power allocation in the continuous space. The continuing power/rate solution is then mapped to the feasible (non-continuous) rate space. Our algorithm is very efficient in computation (O(N)) and the resultant discrete space power/rate vector is very close to the optimum solution (less than 1% difference in the overall data rate).
Pointer cache assisted prefetching

Data prefetching effectively reduces the negative effects of long load latencies on the performance of modern processors. Hardware prefetchers employ hardware structures to predict future memory addresses based on previous patterns. Thread-based prefetchers use portions of the actual program code to determine future load addresses for prefetching. This paper proposes the use of a pointer cache, which tracks pointer transitions, to aid prefetching. The pointer cache provides, for a given pointer's effective address, the base address of the object pointed to by the pointer. We examine using the pointer cache in a wide issue superscalar processor as a value predictor and to aid prefetching when a chain of pointers is being traversed. When a load misses in the L1 cache, but hits in the pointer cache, the first two cache blocks of the pointed to object are prefetched. In addition, the load's dependencies are broken by using the pointer cache hit as a value prediction. We also examine using the pointer cache to allow speculative precomputation to run farther ahead of the main thread of execution than in prior studies. Previously proposed thread-based prefetchers are limited in how far they can run ahead of the main thread when traversing a chain of recurrent dependent loads. When combined with the pointer cache, a speculative thread can make better progress ahead of the main thread, rapidly traversing data structures in the face of cache misses caused by pointer transitions.
Structural bone grafting for glenoid deficiency in primary total shoulder arthroplasty.

Background Glenoid bone grafting can be useful to restore an asymmetrically eroded glenoid to better support the glenoid component and improve positioning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of patients undergoing structural bone grafting for glenoid deficiency with placement of a cemented glenoid component during primary total shoulder arthroplasty. Methods Between January 1, 1976, and December 31, 2008, 24 patients (25 shoulders) of 2607 shoulders undergoing primary total shoulder arthroplasty (0.96%) had structural bone grafting with a humeral head autograft and screw fixation. The mean clinical follow-up was 8.7 years, and the mean radiographic follow-up was 7.6 years. Results Twenty-three shoulders experienced pain relief, and patients expressed satisfaction with the operation in these shoulders. Postoperative active elevation averaged 148°, and external rotation with the arm at the side averaged 60°. On radiographic evaluation, 10 shoulders had glenoids at risk for component loosening. Two of these shoulders were symptomatic and underwent revision surgery to address glenoid component loosening. The Neer result rating was excellent in 18 shoulders, satisfactory in 5, and unsatisfactory in the 2 shoulders undergoing revision. Conclusion Structural bone grafting in primary total shoulder arthroplasty is uncommonly necessary. When it is performed, the clinical outcomes are favorable; however, radiographic analysis shows a moderate rate of failure of glenoid component fixation. It seems likely that alternative treatment methods may prove to be more effective in addressing glenoid wear.
Diurnal and seasonal behaviour of adult and juvenile European catfish as determined by radio‐telemetry in the River Berounka, Czech Republic

The first telemetry study analysing behaviour of the largest freshwater predator in European rivers, Silurus glanis, was performed bimonthly during the years 2002–2004. Movement of juveniles and adults occurred mostly in the same time intervals. The only statistical differences occurred for nocturnal activity in spring and autumn. In spring and winter, activity was low with the peaks during daylight, and in autumn, maximal movement was recorded during dusk. In summer, the European catfish were active across the whole 24 h even during high-flow conditions. During all other seasons, movement was inversely related to flow rate. Maximal home ranges occurred in summer, being larger for adults. Juveniles and adults were spatially segregated. With increasing flow, fish were displaced, and individuals from both groups got closer to each other. Only juveniles migrated downstream from the upstream isolated river stretch suggesting a negative impact of lateral obstructions on the fish population structure.
Medusahead Dispersal and Establishment in Sagebrush Steppe Plant Communities

Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski) is an invasive annual grass that reduces biodiversity and production of rangelands. To prevent medusahead invasion land managers need to know more about its invasion process. Specifically, they must know about 1) the timing and spatial extent of medusahead seed dispersal and 2) the establishment rates and interactions with plant communities being invaded. The timing and distance medusahead seeds dispersed from invasion fronts were measured using seed traps along 23 35-m transects. Medusahead establishment was evaluated by introducing medusahead at 1, 10, 100, 1 000, and 10 000 seeds ? m 22 at 12 sites. Most medusahead seeds dispersed less than 0.5 m from the invasion front (P , 0.01) and none were captured beyond 2 m. Medusahead seeds dispersed from the parent plants from early July to the end of October. More seeds were trapped in August than in the other months (P , 0.01). Medusahead establishment increased with higher seed introduction rates (P , 0.01). Medusahead density was negatively correlated to tall tussock perennial grass density and positively correlated to annual grass density of the preexisting plant communities (P 5 0.02). Medusahead cover was also negatively correlated with tall tussock perennial grass density (P 5 0.03). The results suggest that containment barriers around medusahead infestations would only have to be a few meters wide to be effective. This study also suggests that promoting or maintaining tall tussock perennial grass in areas at risk of invasion can reduce the establishment success of medusahead. Tall tussock perennial grass and annual grass density, in combination with soil data, may be useful in predicting susceptibility to medusahead invasion.
Predicting mesh-independent ballistic limits for heterogeneous targets by a nonlocal damage computational framework

During highly dynamic and ballistic loading processes, large inelastic deformation associated with high strain rates leads, for a broad class of heterogeneous materials, to degradation and failure by localized damage and fracture. However, as soon as material failure dominates a deformation process, the material increasingly displays strain softening and the finite element predictions of ballistic response are considerably affected by the mesh size. This gives rise to non-physical description of the ballistic behavior and mesh-dependent ballistic limit velocities that may mislead the design of ballistic resistant materials. This paper is concerned with the development and numerical implementation of a coupled thermo-hypoelasto-viscoplastic and thermo-viscodamage constitutive model within the laws of thermodynamics in which an intrinsic material length scale parameter is incorporated through the nonlocal gradient-dependent damage approach. This model is intended for impact and ballistic penetration and perforation problems of heterogeneous metallic targets such as metal matrix composites with dispersed particles at decreasing microstructural length scales. An evolution equation for the material length scale as a function of the material microstructural features (e.g. mean grain size in polycrystalline materials or particle size and inter-particle spacing in metal matrix composites), course of plastic deformation, strain hardening, strain-rate hardening, and temperature is presented. It is shown through simulating plugging failure in ballistic penetration of high-strength steel targets of different thicknesses by a hard blunt projectile that the length scale parameter plays the role of a localization limiter allowing one to obtain meaningful values for the ballistic limit velocity independent of the finite element mesh density. It is also shown that a local damage model incorporating viscosity and heat conduction as localization limiters, which are known to implicitly introduce length scale parameters, is insufficient in illuminating the mesh sensitivity at impact velocities close to the ballistic limit and that the mesh sensitivity increases as the target thickness increases. Therefore, the proposed nonlocal damage model leads to an improvement in the modeling and numerical simulation of high velocity impact related problems.
Eddy–Mean Flow Interaction in the Gulf Stream at 68°W. Part I: Eddy Energetics

Abstract From June 1988 to August 1990 twelve tall, high-performance, current meter moorings measured the Gulf Stream's velocity and temperature fields at nominal depths of 400 m, 700 m, 1000 m, and 3500 m along three lines centered at 68°W. The overall eddy variability during the 26-month experiment was dominated by six large amplitude trough formation events, with each event lasting approximately one month. To determine the source(s) of energy for this eddy variability, the eddy energy budget is evaluated. Traditionally, the baroclinic conversion of mean potential energy to eddy potential energy is defined as a downgradient heat flux. However, because a nondivergent heat flux can be downgradient even under conditions in which there is no barolinic conversion occurring, a better, more dynamically correct definition of a baroclinic conversion rate is a downgradient horizontally divergent heat flux. The horizontally divergent heat flux component is estimated to be approximately half the full horizontal hea...
Mechanisms of Plastic Deformation of Metal–Organic Framework-5

We use large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the mechanisms responsible for plastic deformation in metal–organic framework-5 (MOF-5). Simulations of uniaxial compression along [001], [101], and [111] directions reveal that structural collapse of {001} planes is responsible for irreversible deformation. The process involves slip along either one of the two ⟨100⟩ directions on the collapsing plane; this local shear process is due to the flexibility of the connection between of Zn–O clusters and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate ligands. Thus, the collapse is driven both by compressive and shear stresses, and this fact explains the anisotropy in the mechanical response of this cubic crystal. The development of shear-collapse bands follows a nucleation and growth process with nuclei elongated along the slip direction and their subsequent growth in the directions normal to the slip and at much slower rates. This process is reminiscent of the glide of screw dislocations. Compression along the [101] a...
When can feedback-seeking behavior result in a better performance rating? Investigating the moderating role of political skill

ABSTRACTFeedback-seeking behavior is generally used to acquire job-related information that enables performance improvement. However, it can also be a form of impression management that improves an employee’s reputation. In this study, we show that employees who hold an image enhancement motive are more likely to seek feedback from their supervisors. Further, this feedback-seeking behavior mediates the relationship between the image enhancement motive and task performance ratings, consistent with the self-concept enhancing tactician (SCENT) model. However, we additionally incorporate socioanalytic theory to demonstrate that this indirect effect is moderated: the image enhancement motive translates into greater feedback-seeking behavior and task performance ratings only for employees with high political skill, who are capable of acting on their image enhancement motive successfully.
Energy Harvesting From Heartbeat Using Piezoelectric Beams With Fan-Folded Configuration and Added Tip Mass

A fan-folded piezoelectric energy harvester is designed to generate electricity using heartbeat vibrations. This energy harvester consists of several bimorph beams stacked on top of each other making a fan-folded shape. Each beam has a brass substrate and two piezoelectric patches attached on both sides of it. These beams are connected to each other by rigid beams. One end of the device is clamped to the wall and the other end is free to vibrate. A tip mass is placed at the free end to enhance the output power of the device and reduce the natural frequency of the system.High natural frequency is one major concern about the microscaled energy harvesters. The size for this energy harvester is 1 cm by 1 cm by 1 cm, which makes the natural frequency very high. By utilizing the fan-folded geometry and adding tip mass and link mass to the configuration, this natural frequency is reduced to the desired range.The generated electricity can be used to power up a pacemaker. If enough electricity is generated, the pacemaker operates without having a battery and the patient does not need to have a surgery every seven to ten years to have the battery replaced. The power needed for a pacemaker to operate is about 1 microwatt. In this paper, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of fan-folded energy harvesters with added tip mass and link mass are analytically derived. The electro-mechanical coupling has been included in the model and the expression for the multi-mode power frequency response function is calculated.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Mechanical enhancement of graphite nanoplatelet composites: Effect of matrix material on the atmospheric plasma-treated GnP reinforcement

Graphite nanoplatelets (GnPs) are currently employed to manufacture a new class of carbon nanomaterial composites with unique electrical and thermal as well as mechanical properties. However, due to their unreactive graphitic structure, surface activation of GnPs is critical to promote bonding to the matrix material. In a previous study, the effect of atmospheric plasma treatment (APT) on the mechanical performance of GnP epoxy composites was evaluated where the GnP surface activation resulted in a significant increase in composite strength. The current investigation evaluates the effect of GnP plasma activation when using a polycyanurate (PCN) resin as the matrix material. GnPs (5, 25 microns in particle size) were surface treated as a function of plasma exposure durations and then used to manufacture composites. Flexural strengths of these plasma-treated PCN composites increased by 25%, for both the 0.5 wt.% loaded M25 and M5 composite systems. The higher loaded systems (1.0 wt.%) exhibited smaller incr...
Structure and Stability of (TiO2)n, (SiO2)n, and Mixed TimSin-mO2n [n = 2-5, m = 1 to (n - 1)] Clusters

Structures, energetics, and vibrational spectra are investigated for small pure (TiO2)n, (SiO2)n, and mixed TimSin−mO2n [n = 2−5, m = 1 to (n − 1)] oxide clusters by density functional theory (DFT). The BP86/ATZP level of theory is employed to obtain constitutional isomers of the oxide clusters. In accordance with previous studies, our calculations show three-dimensional compact structures are preferred for pure (TiO2)n with oxo-stabilized higher hexavalent states, and linear chain structures are favored for pure (SiO2)n with tetravalent states. However, the herein theoretically first reported mixed TimSin−mO2n oxide clusters prefer either three-dimensional compact or linear chain structures depending upon the stoichiometry of the compound. Vibrational analysis of the important modes of some highly stable structures is provided. Coupled-cluster single and double excitation (with triples) [CCSD(T)] computed energy gaps for the TiO2 dimers compare well with results from previous study. Excitation energies a...
Insect Resistance of Chlorpyrifos-methyl and Permethrin-treated Film Overwraps on Cases of Packaged Food

Paperboard shipping cases containing individual meals in plastic pouches were wrapped in polymer films treated with permethrin or chlorpyrifos-methyl. Wraps were sealed and shrunk with heat, after which the cases were stored for 30 months in rooms heavily infested with 11 species of stored-product insects. Because chlorpyrifos-methyl killed all insects in the test room, separate rooms had to be used for the two treated films. Permethrin-treated film, while not toxic to Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in bioassays, prevented damage to the plastic pouches for 30 months, and no live insects were found in these cases. Pouches in wrapped control cases were scarred by insects within 3 months and insect penetrated pouches were found in unwrapped cases at 6 months. Pouches scarred by insects were found in cases wrapped in chlorpyrifos-methyl-treated film at 15 months, and live insects were found in the cases at 18 months. Live insects were found in wrapped control cases at 6 months, and scarred pouches were present at 9 months. Unwrapped cases contained insect-penetrated pouches at 9 months. Chlorpyrifos-methyl-treated film remained toxic to T. castaneum for <;15 weeks in bioassays. Adjacent untreated film wraps and surfaces of untreated cases were toxic for <11 weeks because of translocation of chlorpyrifos-methyl. At 24 months, 18.1% of the original chlorpyrifos-methyl treatment was found in the film and cases, while at the same time 62.1% of the original permethrin treatment was found in the film.
17β-ol Androgens and Free Index in Hirsute and Hirsute Obese Women*

We have found the mean levels of combined serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (T+DHT) and the free index (FI) to be significantly higher and the mean dihydrotestosterone precipitation index (DHT-PI) to be significantly lower in hirsute women than in normal women. Although the mean T+DHT values of the different groups of hirsute patients were comparable, the FI value of the oligomenorrheic and/or obese patient was higher than that of the nonobese, normally menstruating group. In addition, the mean DHT-PI level of obese patients was significantly lower than that of nonobese patients. The lowest androgen binding was found in obese patients with oligomenorrhea. In our experience, hirsutism is associated with T+DHT values of 150ng/dl or lower. Measurement of androgen binding and androgen levels in unchromatographed serum extracts provides valuable inforrhation in the treatment of hirsute women.
David Bendel Hertz

David Bendel Hertz, through his writings and his work at the management consulting firms of Arthur Andersen and Company and McKinsey and Company, helped bring the ideas and methods of operations research (OR) to the corporate world. In particular, he defined the field of modern risk analysis with his 1964 seminal paper, “Risk Analysis in Capital Investment,” that appeared in the Harvard Business Review. This paper achieved the status of a Harvard Business Review Classic in 1979. He is a founding member of both the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) and The Institute of Management Sciences(TIMS); he is one of only five individuals who served as president of both organizations (TIMS in 1964; ORSA in 1974). David received the George E. Kimball Medal for outstanding service to the profession from ORSA and is a fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). He served as president of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) from 1977 to 1979.
Is Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation Indicated in Hereditary/Genetic Pancreatitis?

Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) has been used in selected centers to treat intractable hereditary/genetic forms of recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis. It has theoretical advantages over continued medical management or traditional endoscopic and surgical interventions because it entails the complete removal of the inflamed and fibrotic organ to treat the symptoms of pain while both eliminating the long-term risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and preserving islet mass and to limit post-pancreatectomy diabetes. While an emerging consensus favors TPIAT in this setting, the evidence base largely relies on retrospective patient series and expert opinion.
Inflammatory bowel disease mimicking granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report

We report a case in which the extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease preceded development of gastrointestinal symptoms by nearly 9 months in the context of an unusual autoantibody panel, mimicking granulomatosis with polyangiitis. This case highlights the intricacies and overlap of autoimmune diseases, and illustrates an interesting clinical phenotype: cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positive inflammatory bowel disease with predominantly extraintestinal manifestations. Perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positivity has been frequently reported in association with inflammatory bowel disease, but cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positivity is uncommon. A 54-year-old African-American man presented to our internal medicine resident clinic at the Johns Hopkins Hospital with several months of systemic inflammatory features: anterior uveitis, auricular chondritis, monoarthritis, fever, and weight loss. He did not have a primary care physician due to lack of health insurance and had been seen in our emergency department several times over the past year. These features fit nicely with a diagnosis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, especially given positive cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. However, 9 months into his clinical course he developed hematochezia with perirectal abscess and fistula. A colonoscopy with biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. This case highlights the fact that extraintestinal manifestations may precede gastrointestinal symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease for months, which may delay diagnosis if not understood and recognized. It further highlights an interesting disease phenotype that has not been widely reported, but may deserve further study. Lastly, the case stresses the importance of the internist in identifying a unifying diagnosis in a slowly evolving clinical process with the assistance of subspecialists. In this respect, the case is of interest to general internists, as well as rheumatologists and gastroenterologists.
Chloride-Deficient Diet and Cognitive Deficits

Distinctive cognitive impairments and a specific neurobehavioral syndrome are reported in 11 of 13 children who had failed to thrive on chloride-deficient formula during infancy.
Abstract P118: Differential Effects of Renal α- and β-Adrenoreceptors in the Development of Sodium Chloride Cotransporter (NCC) Dysfunction and Salt-sensitive Hypertension

Aim: Determine the contribution of α vs. β-adrenoeceptors in NCC dysfunction & the development of salt-sensitive hypertension (HTN). Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats receiving a sc saline, NE (600ng/min), NE with propranolol (Pro; 9.9mg/kg/day) or NE with prazosin (Praz; 2.5mg/kg/day, orally) infusion were fed a 0.4% (NS) or 8% NaCl (HS) diet for 14 days (N=6). On day 14, MAP & NCC activity (peak natriuresis to iv hydrochlorothiazide infusion; HCTZ; 2mg/kg) was assessed. Immunoblotting for NCC, STE-20 Alanine/Proline kinase (SPAK), & oxidative stress response-1 (OxSR1) was performed on kidney cortex tissue. Results: NE infusion results in HTN that is exacerbated by HS (MAP [mmHg] NE+NS 151±3; NE+HS 171±4; p<0.05). Excess NE prevents HS-evoked suppression of NCC function and NCC & SPAK expression. NE:Pro co-infusion significantly decreased MAP (MAP NE:Pro+NS 136±4; NE:Pro+HS 136±4), regardless of Na+ intake, when compared to rats receiving the NE infusion, but failed to restore HS-evoked suppression of NCC activity (similar to results observed when AT1Rs are chronically antagonized during NE infusion; data not shown), or NCC, SPAK, or OxSR1 expression despite reduced baseline SPAK & OxSR1 compared to NE alone. NE:Praz co-administration abolished the salt-sensitive component of NE-induced HTN (MAP NE:Praz+NS 159±5; NE:Praz+HS 156±5) and restored HS-evoked suppression of NCC function and expression (Peak ΔUNaV [μeq/μl] NE:Praz+NS 10.7±1.2; NE:Praz+HS 6.14±1.2; p<0.05). NE+Praz co-administration resulted in HS-evoked suppression of SPAK, but not OxSR1 expression, in addition to decreased baseline expression of SPAK/OxSR1. Discussion: Our data suggests that α, but not β, adrenoreceptors are predominantly responsible for NE-mediated NCC dysregulation and the development of salt-sensitive HTN. During a HS intake, α-adrenoreceptors mediate NE-evoked salt-sensitivity via a SPAK-NCC dependent pathway. Chronic antagonism of β-adrenoreceptors decreased MAP independent of direct effects on NCC possibly via actions on the RAS. Our data shows a synergistic relationship between α-/β-adrenoreceptors to upregulate SPAK/OxSR1 during chronic adrenergic stimulation with SPAK as the primary driver of NCC dysfunction & salt-sensitivity.
Habitat occupation of birds in a New Zealand high country drainage during the breeding season.

1. The distribution of twenty bird species during the breeding season was studied in relation to vegetation in the Tutaekuri drainage (Kaweka Range, North Island of New Zealand). 2. In general, each species had a characteristic pattern of habitat occupat
Proper Accounting for Surface Area to Solution Volume Ratios in Exaggerated Extractions

When drug products contact plastic manufacturing components, packaging systems, and/or delivery devices, leachables from the plastics can accumulate in the drug product, potentially affecting its key quality attributes. Given practical issues associated with screening drug products for leachables, potential leachables are frequently surfaced as extractables revealed in extraction studies. To facilitate extractables discovery and identification and to shorten extraction times, extraction studies can be exaggerated and/or accelerated. One means of exaggerating an extraction is to increase the test article9s extracted surface area to extraction solution volume ratio (SA/V), as it is generally accepted that an extractable9s concentration in an extract is proportional to SA/V in a 1 to 1 manner. However, as the relationship between an extractable9s concentration and SA/V depends on the extractable9s plastic/solvent partition coefficient (kp/l), the effect of SA/V on the extractable9s concentrations can be either under- or over-estimated if a 1 to 1 proportion is used. This article presents the theoretical relationship between SA/V, concentration, and kp/l; illustrates theory with a case study; and suggests proper exaggeration strategies. LAY ABSTRACT: When drug products are manufactured, stored, or delivered in systems that contain plastics, substances can be leached from the plastics and remain in the drug product, where they might affect the product9s key quality attributes. To discover and identify these leached substances, the plastics are extracted under laboratory conditions and the extracts are appropriately tested. To facilitate this process, extracts may be generated under laboratory conditions that exaggerate or accelerate the drug product9s clinical conditions of manufacturing or use. The proper use of the ratio of the extracted item9s surface area to the volume of the extracting solution as an exaggeration parameter is discussed in this paper.
Tubulogenesis of co-cultured human iPS-derived endothelial cells and human mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin and gelatin methacrylate gels

Here, we investigate the tubulogenic potential of commercially-sourced iPS-ECs with and without supporting commercially-sourced hMSCs within 3D natural fibrin or semi-synthetic gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels. We developed a selectable dual color third generation lentiviral reporter (hEF1α-H2B-mOrange2-IRES-EGFP PGK-Puro) to differentially label the nucleus and cytoplasm of iPS-ECs which allowed real-time tracking of key steps of vascular morphogenesis such as vacuole formation and coalescence to form shared multicellular lumens. We implement 3D quantification of the network character and validate that transduced and untransduced iPS-ECs can form tubules in fibrin with or without supporting hMSCs. In addition to natural fibrin gels, we also investigated tubulogenesis in GelMA, a semi-synthetic material that has received increased interest due to its ability to be photopatterned and 3D printed, and which may thus boost development of complex 3D models for regenerative medicine studies. We find that iPS-ECs alone have a muted tubulogenic response within GelMA, but that their tubulogenic response is enhanced when they are co-cultured with a small fraction of hMSCs (2% of total cells). Our work bolsters previous findings by validating established tubulogenic mechanisms with commercially available iPS-ECs, and we expect our findings will benefit biologic studies of vasculogenesis and will have applications in tissue engineering to pre-vascularize tissue constructs which are fabricated with advanced photopatterning and three-dimensional printing.
Abstract 15528: Immunoproteasome Activation During Mouse Adenovirus Type 1 Myocarditis

The immunoproteasome (IP) is essential for generation of peptides that are presented by MHC class I molecules to CD8 T cells. IP activity is also critical for IκB degradation, facilitating NF κB-mediated activation of inflammatory responses. As such, the IP is likely to contribute to pathology in viral myocarditis. Adenoviruses (Ad) are common causes of viral myocarditis, but their strict species specificity precludes detailed studies of human Ad myocarditis. We have established mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) as a novel model to study Ad pathogenesis. We used MAV-1 to test the hypothesis that IP activation contributes to Ad-induced myocarditis. Neonatal C57BL/6 mice were infected intranasally with MAV-1 or mock infected with conditioned media. Routine staining was used to assess cardiac inflammation and myocyte damage. Real-time PCR was used to quantify DNA viral loads and mRNA levels of IFN-γ, a key inducer of IP activity, and IP subunits β5i, and PA28α. Western blot was used to quantify protein levels of IP subunits β5, β5i, PA28Sα, and PA28Sβ. Active β5 and β5i subunits were quantified using PROCISE assay. Peak IFN-γ upregulation and peak viral loads were detected at 10 days post infection (dpi). Cellular inflammation and myocyte necrosis were most pronounced between 10 and 14 dpi. PA28α and β5i mRNA levels were upregulated in infected hearts coincident with peak viral replication and IFN-γ expression. Similarly, there were substantial increases in β5i, PA28α, and PA28β protein and a striking decrease of β5 protein in infected hearts at 11 dpi (Table). We detected a corresponding increase in β5i active subunits and decrease in β5 active subunits, with an overall increase in the β5i:β5 ratio at 11 dpi (Table). MAV-1 infection causes myocarditis characterized by cellular inflammation, IFN-γ upregulation, and IP activation. Inhibition of IP activity may provide a novel approach to decrease cardiac damage induced by Ad or other pathogens.
Spin-fermion model for skyrmions in MnGe derived from strong correlations

MnGe has been reported as a candidate for a three-dimensional (3D) skyrmion crystal in comparison to the two-dimensional (2D) skyrmion observed in most other B20 compounds like MnSi. In addition, the small-sized skyrmions in MnGe are desired properties for information storage. By performing the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and model simulations based on the DFT-informed tight-binding Hamiltonian, we explore the nature of the 3D skyrmion in MnGe. By invoking the dual nature of $d$ electrons on Mn atoms, we propose a strong-correlation-derived spin-fermion model with an antiferromagnetic coupling between the localized and itinerant moments. This model could explain the drastic difference in magnetic moments between MnGe and MnSi compounds. In addition, we find that the 3D or 2D nature of skyrmions is dependent on the coupling strength.
Surgical management of spinal metastases.

Introduction: Metastatic spinal disease is a source of significant morbidity in patients with cancer. Recent advancements in adjuvant oncologic therapy has led to increased survival for many patien...
Multipoint linkage analysis in neurofibromatosis type I: an international collaboration.

In addition to reporting, in accompanying papers, their individual analyses of mapping the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene on chromosome 17, members of the International Consortium for NF1 Linkage contributed their data for our joint analysis to determine the exact sequence of flanking markers and to obtain precise estimates and confidence limits of the recombination fractions for the closest markers, in anticipation of clinical use. With specimens from 142 families and more than 700 affected persons, eight teams used 31 markers in the pericentric region of chromosome 17 to perform 13,838 genotypings. With the combined data, we used the computer program CRI-MAP to build the most likely sequence of loci by sequentially adding single loci to a fixed pair of loci and separately calculating the likelihood of all permutations of four consecutive loci. The best order is pter-pA10-41-EW301-centromere (p17H8)-pHHH202-NF1-EW206-EW207-EW203++ +-CRI-L581-CRI-L946-HOX2-NGFR-qter. The total genetic distance from pA10-41 to NGFR is 26 cM in males and 56 cM in females, and the overall difference in sex-specific maps is statistically significant (P = .006). The upper 99% confidence limits of the recombination fraction of the closest proximal marker, pHHH202, is 4%, and that for the closest distal marker, EW206, is 9%. These limits should decrease with the use of additional probes and the further evaluation of DNA from the six persons showing multiple recombinations within short genetic distances. Clinical application is technically feasible with currently available markers, although its appropriate use for prenatal and presymptomatic diagnosis requires further discussion and evaluation.
The “Moral Point of View” in Tymieniecka’s the Moral Sense

Professor Tymieniecka’s essay on The Moral Sense is a thought-provoking essay. The general thesis of the work is relatively easy to identify and to state: the source of moral meaningfulness rests neither in an intellectual intuition nor an affective perception of objectively given moral values but directly in a sui generis experience of moral valuation. She writes on page 23, “Indeed, the moral valuation introduces a “moral point of view” into the interpretation of life-events, actions, and their interrelations. This moral point of view consists precisely in approaching an interpretation of the life-significance of personal feelings, qualities of judgment and actions, from the standpoint of benevolence.”1
Smart Transducer Interface Standards for Condition Monitoring and Control of Machines

This chapter presents a summary of the distributed architecture-based IEEE 1451 suite of smart transducer interface standards for sensors and actuators. These standards specify communication protocols and transducer electronic data sheets (TEDS) for networked digital smart sensors and actuators, high-speed synchronized distributed multi-drop sensor systems, and wireless sensor interfaces. The concept of IEEE 1451 is based on a distributed architecture, which means intelligence is decentralized and is pushed down to the sensor module level. This arrangement is well suited for remote monitoring and control applications, such as condition-based maintenance (CBM). Machinery condition and health could affect machine performance, part quality, and productivity. Machinery Information Management Open Systems Alliance (MIMOSA) was organized to establish an open architecture and a set of protocols for exchanging complex sensor information between condition-based maintenance (CBM) systems. With the capability and wide availability of the Web, any sensor connected to a wired or wireless network can be accessed anywhere via the network or Internet. This will greatly enhance the effectiveness and application of machinery health monitoring and control in the manufacturing and production environments.