cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laboratory investigation of biodegradability of a polyurethane foam under anaerobic conditions

Polyurethane (PU) foams can be used in many remediation applications as an isolation material to prevent the release of hazardous materials into the environment. The integrity of a PU foam was investigated in this study using short-term accelerated laboratory experiments including bioavailability assays, soil burial experiments, and accelerated bioreactors to determine the fate of PU foam in the soil where anaerobic processes are dominant. The experimental results have shown that the studied PU foam is likely not biodegradable under anaerobic conditions. Neither weight loss nor a change in the tensile strength of the PU material after biological exposure was observed. The FT-IR chemical signature of the PU foams was also nearly identical before and after biological exposure. The composition of the PU material (aromatic polyester and polyether PU) used in this study could have played a significant role in its resistance to microbial attack during the short-term accelerated experiments.
Examining and designing community crime prevention technology

My doctoral research examines how middle and low socio-economic communities use technology to address crime. To accomplish this, I have conducted ethnographic fieldwork at joint meetings with Chicago communities and police for the past year. I have also conducted an online content analysis where I have collected over 7000 online crime forum posts that are neighborhood-specific dating back to 2004. The results of my research will inform the design of community crime prevention technologies.
Overexpressed Activated Retinoid X Receptors Can Mediate Growth Inhibitory Effects of Retinoids in Human Carcinoma Cells

Abstract Retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) mediate the effects of retinoids on gene expression by binding to response elements in retinoid-sensitive genes. RAR- but not RXR-selective retinoids were found in many previous studies to suppress the growth of various cells, implicating RXR-RAR in these effects. Using a co-expression vector for identifying cells that expressed retinoid receptors transiently and 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine incorporation for labeling DNA-synthesizing cells, we found that RXR-selective retinoids inhibited DNA synthesis in squamous carcinoma 1483 cells transfected with RXRα but not with RARs. Ligand-induced transcription of the reporter luciferase gene via the activation of RXR-RXR but not RXR-RAR correlated with growth suppression. Studies with RXRα deletion mutants indicated that the DNA binding and the ligand binding domains are essential for mediating growth inhibition. A point mutation in the ligand binding domain (L430F) that decreased RXRα homodimerization compromised its growth inhibitory function. Further, RXRα mutant (F313A), which functions as a constitutively active receptor, inhibited DNA synthesis in the absence of ligand. These results demonstrate that RXR homodimer activation leads to growth inhibition and suggest that transfection of RXRα and treatment with RXR-selective retinoids or the transfection of constitutively activated RXRα mutant alone may have a therapeutic potential.
Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Ventricular Tachycardia in a Patient with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

Introduction: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare disorder in which left ventricular dysfunction and symptoms of heart failure occur in the peripartum period in previously healthy women. Electroanatomical mapping and catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) due to PPCM has not been previously reported. Methods: N/A. Results: A 38-year-old female with prior failed endocardial ablation for VT was referred for further treatment. She had been diagnosed with PPCM 7 years ago and had persistent ventricular dysfunction. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed left ventricular ejection fraction of 20%, left ventricular end diastolic diameter of 64 mm. Epicardial voltage mapping showed extensive scattered epicardial scar (bipolar voltage<1.5 mV) despite absence of endocardial scar. Five distinct VT morphologies were induced; one due to bundle branch reentry and the other 4 due to scar-related reentry. Ablation was aided by electrogram characteristics, pace mapping, entrainment mapping and establishing electrical inexcitability along areas of epicardial scar. After epicardial ablation no sustained VT was induced on isoproterenol infusion. No periprocedural complication occurred. The patient had no VT recurrence but died one year later due to progressive heart failure. Conclusion: This case shows that in PPCM, scars similar to other non ischemic cardiomyopathies greater in extent on the epicardium than on the endocardium, can occur and likely cause VT requiring epicardial ablation.
Role for the nitrogenase MoFe protein α-subunit in FeMo-cofactor binding and catalysis

TWO components constitute Mo-dependent nitrogenase (EC 1.18.6.1)— the Fe protein (a homodimer encoded by nifH) and the MoFe protein (an α2β2 tetramer encoded by nifDK). The MoFe protein provides the substrate-binding site1–3 and probably cona-tains six prosthetic groups of two types—four Fe-S centres and two Fe- and Mo-containing cofactors4,5. To determine the distribution and catalytic function of these metalloclusters, we6,7 and others8 are attempting to change the catalytic and spectroscopic features of nitrogenase by substituting specific amino acids targeted as potential metallocluster ligands, particularly those to the FeMo-cofactor, which is responsible for the biologically unique electron paramagnetic resonance signal (S =3/2) of nitrogenase9,10, and is believed to be the N2-reducing site11. Here we describe mutant strains of Azotobacter vinelandii that have single a mi no-acid substitutions within the MoFe protein α-subunit. These substitutions alter both substrate-reduction properties and the unique electron paramagnetic resonance signal, indicating that the FeMo-cofactor is associated with both the α-subunit and the substrate-reducing site.
Sample indexed spatial orthogonal frequency division multiplexing

Optical spatial modulation (OSM) is a multiple-transmitter technique that can provide higher data rates with low system complexity as compared with single-input single-output systems. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is widely implemented to achieve better spectral efficiency in wireless channels. Asymmetrically clipped optical OFDM (O-OFDM) and DC-biased O-OFDM are two well-known O-OFDM techniques suitable for intensity-modulation direct-detection optical systems. In this work, sample indexed spatial OFDM (SIS-OFDM) is proposed to combine OSM and O-OFDM in a novel way and achieve significant performance gain. By assigning time-domain samples of the O-OFDM transmit symbol to different transmitters, SIS-OFDM achieves much better spectral efficiency and reduces computational complexity at the transmitter as compared with previous work that combines OSM with O-OFDM in the frequency domain. We also consider the impact of optical source biasing on overall performance, and the relative performance of imaging receiver (ImR) versus non-imaging receiver (NImR) design for our proposed SIS-OFDM technique. Results indicate that for an Ntx × Nrx multiple-input multiple-output configuration where Ntx = Nrx = 4, SIS-OFDM using ImR can achieve up to 135 dB of signal-to-noise ratio gain over comparable system using a NImR. Also, using Nsc number of O-OFDM subcarriers provides up to Nsc × log2(Ntx) additional bits per symbol of spectral efficiency over techniques that combine OSM and O-OFDM in the frequency domain.
Low-frequency electromagnetic induction in the Moon: linearized inverse theory and lunar core calculations

Summary. Day-side lunar electromagnetic transfer function estimates of Hood, Herbert & Sonett are analysed using the linearized inverse theory of Backus & Gilbert. A smooth conductivity distribution exponentially increasing with depth in the range 260-1200 km is found to fit the data. The conclusions are compatible with the forward model calculations of Hood et al. Further calculations explore the compatibility of a silicate or metallic lunar core with the data. A metallic lunar core of radius 438 km is allowed but not required.
Relationship Between Material Characteristics of Asphalt Mixtures and Highway Noise

Traffic noise is a main source of total environmental noise. The major component of traffic noise is the interaction between tire and pavement. One way of reducing traffic noise is to engineer pavements such that tire–pavement noise is minimized. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between the tire–pavement noise generation (and absorption) and the material characteristics of asphalt pavements. This paper presents the impact of material mix design characteristics, as well as linear viscoelastic properties on sound absorption. To focus on the relationship between the noise and the internal material characteristics, a novel laboratory tire–pavement noise measurement system was developed. Although the individual material characteristics did not have an appreciable influence on the damping of sound, a strong correlation between the sound pressure level and a combination of several material characteristics was observed.
Cross-Trained Staffing Levels With Heterogeneous Learning/Forgetting

A skilled workforce is an increasingly expensive resource for organizations. Determining minimum staffing levels to meet production requirements is critical to competitiveness. This paper investigates the effects of several exogenous and controllable factors on minimum staffing levels in parallel dual resource constrained (DRC) systems in the presence of heterogeneous individual learning and forgetting throughout a fixed-planning horizon. We examine factors of worker selection policy, task heterogeneity, individual cross-training level, time-schedule granularity, and the production requirement. We explore two cases of parallel systems in which a system consists of an equal number of workers and tasks and another with more tasks than workers. Results show that a best worker subset requires fewer workers than an average subset, greater task heterogeneity requires fewer workers with an equal number of workers and tasks. The magnitude of this effect is stronger with an average subset or less slack in the system capacity. Unlike previous studies with homogeneous workers or without considering learning and forgetting, setting a maximum allowable individual cross-training requires more workers. Further, the results suggest that the magnitude of this effect becomes greater with a best subset worker group or more slack in capacity. The time-schedule granularity does not affect the minimum staffing levels.
Color contrast enhancement for visually impaired people

We propose an automatic color contrast enhancement algorithm that improves the visual quality of static images for both normally sighted people and for low-vision patients. Existing methods have been shown to work on people either with normal vision or with low vision. Due to the framework of this approach, an enhanced visual experience can be simultaneously provided to normally sighted people and low vision patients.
Retinal oxygenation response and retinopathy.

Abstract Oxygen supply and demand of the retina, one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body, must be dynamically balanced to insure the health of the tissue. The integrity of such active regulation can be assessed by measuring retinal oxygenation response (ROR) to a hyperoxic provocation. Over the last decade, we have developed an MRI-based technique to measure ROR as a change in vitreal oxygen level from room air breathing to a new hyperoxic condition (ΔPO 2 ). This review summarizes progress to-date in the development and application of MRI ROR measures in retinopathy with emphasis on the spatial and temporal association of subnormal ROR and non-proliferative and proliferative retinopathy, as well as examining the usefulness of ROR as a surrogate marker of drug treatment efficacy. Recent adaptation of the MRI technique has made measurement of human ROR routine raising the likelihood of clinical trials.
Epidural morphine with butorphanol in pediatric patients.

Abstract Study Objective: To determine whether the addition of butorphanol to epidural morphine is effective in reducing the frequency of side effects caused by neuraxial opioids. Design: Randomized, double-blind study. Setting: Large tertiary care pediatric hospital. Patients: 20 children between the ages of 2 and 17 years undergoing spinal, abdominal, or thoracic procedures. Interventions: Patients were divided randomly into one of two groups to receive either 80 μg/kg of preservative-free epidural morphine (Group 1) or 80 μg/kg of preservative-free epidural morphine with 40 μg/kg of butorphanol (Group 2). Measurements and Main Results: Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and the first need for additional opioids were monitored in the two groups. In addition, pruritus, nausea and vomiting, and supplemental oxygen (O 2 ) required to maintain oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) above 90% were monitored. Children who received butorphanol in addition to epidural morphine were much less likely to develop pruritus or nausea and vomiting or to require supplemental O 2 to maintain SpO 2 above 90%. Conclusion: Butorphanol 40 μg/kg added to epidural morphine 80 μg/kg is effective in decreasing the occurrence of side effects caused by neuraxial opioids in pediatric patients.
Childhood Methanol Ingestion Treated With Fomepizole and Hemodialysis

Fomepizole (4-methylpyrazole; Antizol) is used increasingly in the treatment of methanol toxicity in adults. Little experience exists with this drug in the pediatric population, however. We present a case of methanol poisoning in a child in whom the use of fomepizole averted intravenous ethanol infusion and the attendant side effects of this therapy.
Apathy in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Apathy is a common feature of basal ganglia disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), yet it is often 'invisible' to the clinician, patient and family. Factors responsible for the lack of recognition of apathy include confusion between the presence of depression and apathy and the overlap of symptoms of apathy with the phenomenology of PD. Raising awareness of apathy in PD is important because apathy contributes to PD-related disability and has an important impact on quality of life. The neurotransmitter dopamine is central to normal motivational behavior. Therefore, PD, a disorder of primary dopamine deficiency, is an ideal model for the study of apathy and its management.
PocketPT - A Personalized Therapeutic Game Platform

Consumer gaming platforms such as the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect have been used for therapeutic purposes with varying levels of success. One limitation is the fact that most commercially available video games are designed for the general population and are often overwhelming and difficult for patients to use that present with motor and cognitive impairments as a result of brain injury. Specialized therapeutic medical devices are not only expensive and non-portable, they also make limited use of video games features to better engage and motivate the patient. This study aims to overcome these shortcomings and provide game developers and stakeholders with a more nuanced understanding of how video game technology can be effectively used for physical therapy. A collaborative initiative involving a group of software developers, hardware designers and physical therapists, set out to identify and address the issues that have made the adoption of existing game platforms for therapeutic purposes problematic in a clinical setting. The outcome of this initiative is PocketPT – a personalized therapeutic game platform that provides a therapist designed and configured therapeutic game experience that is customized for a particular patient’s unique presentation. Results from an initial clinical study with participants with brain injuries are reported and discussed.
The World’s Most Influential Prison: Success or Failure?

This article traces both the history and worldwide influence of a system of complete separation of prisoners from each other during their entire sentence and the unique architecture developed and instituted on a large scale at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia in 1829. Although not followed in other U.S. prison systems, the so-called Pennsylvania System was adopted, along with the architecture, in most of Europe, South America, and large parts of Asia until early in the 20th century. This article considers the successes and failures of the system and assesses its place in the history of corrections.
Effects of Photoperiod on Behavior and Courtship of the Neosho madtom (Noturus placidus)

ABSTRACT To test effects of long and short day-length on behavior of the Neosho madtom (Noturus placidus), we held six pairs of fish in separate tanks under 16 hr (L): 8 hr (D) (long-day) and six pairs under 12 hr (L): 12 hr (D) (short-day) photoperiods. An ethogram was created and behavior was electronically and continuously recorded. Two-minute intervals for each hour over four 4-day periods were examined, and proportion of time active and performing specific behaviors in each tank was analyzed to compare differences between treatments. Individuals held under 16 L, 8 D were more active during the light cycle than those in 12 L, 12 D. Specific behaviors examined included resting, swimming, feeding, aggression, cavity enhancement, and courtship. A higher proportion of time was spent performing cavity enhancement, cavities were deeper, and gravel size in cavities was smaller for those fish in the long-day treatment. Throughout the experiment various courtship behaviors were observed in male-female pairs he...
The ozone hole indirect effect: Cloud-radiative anomalies accompanying the poleward shift of the eddy-driven jet in the Southern Hemisphere

[1] This study quantifies the response of the clouds and the radiative budget of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) to the poleward shift in the tropospheric circulation induced by the development of the Antarctic ozone hole. Single forcing climate model integrations, in which only stratospheric ozone depletion is specified, indicate that (1) high-level and midlevel clouds closely follow the poleward shift in the SH midlatitude jet and that (2) low-level clouds decrease across most of the Southern Ocean. Similar cloud anomalies are found in satellite observations during periods when the jet is anomalously poleward. The hemispheric annual mean radiation response to the cloud anomalies is calculated to be approximately +0.25 W m 2 ,a rising largely from the reduction of the total cloud fraction at SH midlatitudes during austral summer. While these dynamically induced cloud and radiation anomalies are considerable and are supported by observational evidence, quantitative uncertainties remain from model biases in mean-state cloud-radiative processes. Citation: Grise, K. M., L. M. Polvani, G. Tselioudis, Y. Wu, and M. D. Zelinka (2013), The ozone hole indirect effect: Cloud-radiative anomalies accompanying the poleward shift of the eddy-driven jet in the Southern Hemisphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, doi:10.1002/ grl.50675.
Dynamics of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in the Weinberg-Salam Theory

We argue that the existence of fundamental scalar fields constitutes a serious flaw of the Weinberg-Salam theory. A possible scheme without such fields is described. The symmetry breaking is induced by a new strongly interacting sector whose natural scale is of the order of a few TeV.
Multiple Antenna Enhancements via Symbol Timing Relative Offsets (MAESTRO)

MAESTRO, a novel transmission scheme using multiple synchronized transmitters, is introduced in this paper. A non-zero (but known) symbol timing offset is introduced between the signals transmitted from the different transmitters to improve the performance of MIMO systems. This leads to a reduction in interference and it is shown that an advanced receiver can utilize this information to extract significant performance gains. This transmission scheme may be used in conjunction with different kinds of receivers. In particular, comparisons are made to the joint detection MMSE receivers, to the MIMO VBLAST MMSE receiver as well as to the MIMO VBLAST MMSE receiver with ordered successive interference cancellation. It is shown that under certain conditions the MAESTRO system could achieve close to 6dB of performance gain in comparison to an equivalent system with no timing offset.
Differences in the Occurrence of Carotid Transient Ischemic Attacks Associated With Antiplatelet Aggregation Therapy

Twenty-six of 117 consecutive patients with a provisional diagnosis of transient ischemic attacks answered the following criteria: (1) transient hypofunction of an area supplied by a branch of an internal carotid artery, (2) no evidence of infarction, (3) carotid and vertebral arterial systems visualized angiographically, (4) cerebral blood flow and metabolism studies performed, (5) followed a minimum of three months, (6) other causes of transient dysfunction had been ruled out, and (7) no carotid arterial system surgery. Only six (23%) had occlusion greater than 50% and 21 (81%) had evidence of irregularity or ulceration of an atherosclerotic plaque in the appropriate internal carotid artery. It was noted in retrospect that 15 of the patients were treated with aspirin (300 mg b.i.d.) and 11 were not. No difference in ultimate infarction or death was noted, but only two (13%) of those treated with aspirin had an additional attack compared to nine (82%) of those who had no aspirin. These findings suggest that fibrin-platelet emboli may be a major contributor to transient ischemic attacks in the carotid circulation. The authors stress that this is a retrospective study and its importance is to further support the need for prospective studies before antiplatelet aggregating drugs are used indiscriminately.
Predictive discomfort of supine humans in whole-body vibration and shock environments.

AbstractThis work presents a predictive model to evaluate discomfort associated with supine humans during transportation, where whole-body vibration and repeated shock are predominant. The proposed model consists of two parts: (i) static discomfort resulting from body posture, joint limits and ambient discomfort; and (ii) dynamic discomfort resulting from the relative motion between the body segments as a result of transmitted vibration. Twelve supine subjects were exposed to single and 3D random vibrations and 3D shocks mixed with vibrations. The subjects’ reported discomfort and biodynamic response were analysed under different support conditions, including a rigid surface, a stretcher and a stretcher with a spinal backboard. The results demonstrated good correlations between the predictive discomfort and the reported discomfort for the different conditions under consideration, with R2 = 0.69–0.94 for individual subjects and R2 = 0.94 for the group mean. The results also indicated a strong relationship ...
Revisiting the Concept of Sexual Motivation

(1999). Revisiting the Concept of Sexual Motivation. Annual Review of Sex Research: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 120-156.
Increasing the Number of Lawyer-Legislators Begins with an Understanding of Campaign Finance Regulation

This article discusses the potential impact of fewer lawyers serving in state legislatures with specific emphasis on Florida. The article highlights various laws that have led to the largest fines among candidates. The article concludes with an exhortation for the increase of lawyer-legislators in state government.
Development of a Tool to Calibrate Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger Model Using Optimization

This paper presents a calibration process and its tool of the vertical ground heat exchanger model used in a building energy simulation program, Energyplus. To adequately analyze the performance of the system, calibration of the system model is crucial. The calibration procedure is to estimate input data of the simulation that match the results of the simulation with measured data by an inverse method. The vertical ground loop heat exchanger consists of ground and borehole systems. The thermal properties of the borehole system usually can be found from manufacturer’s data. However, the thermal property of the ground is hard to evaluate. In this paper, an evaluation tool of the thermal properties of the ground around the borehole is developed using Matlab. This tool consists of three submodels. The first one is a G-function curve fit model which represents the relationship between variation of thermal conductivity and g-function values. The second model is the vertical ground loop heat exchanger model which predicts the return water temperature from a ground loop heat exchanger using the short time response factor method. The vertical ground loop heat exchanger model in Energyplus is converted to Matlab code and integrated into the calibration model for this research. The last sub-model is the optimization model that uses the Nelder and Mead simplex optimization scheme to find parameters which minimize the difference between the simulation results and the field measurement data. This tool estimates the ground thermal propertiesusing an optimization scheme based on data collected from field measurement. Far field ground temperature and the ground thermal conductivity are estimated to be used as input data of the vertical ground loop heat exchanger model in Energyplus. This program is validated using a case study which is performed for an actual building, ZOE which is located in the University of North Texas and its system. 2 weeks’ measurement data were compared with the simulation result. The average deviation between the simulation result and measurement data for 2 weeks is 0.27 °C.© 2013 ASME
Abstract A60: Preliminary findings from the Southern Community Cancer Survivorship Study: Disparities in late effects, Part 1

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe preliminary findings of breast cancer specific physical and functional limitations among African Americans (AAs), whites (Ws), poor, and medically underserved breast cancer survivors (BCS) living in the Southern United States. Methods and Data: We partner with the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) and are enrolling SCCS participants who are breast cancer survivors. We have enrolled 320 individuals who have completed our computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI). Over 80% were originally recruited by the SCCS from community health centers and the remainder was recruited from the general population. All are enrolled from the 12 states included in the SCCS (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia). The survey focuses on breast cancer specific physical and functional recovery after treatment. We report the preliminary findings on variables related to sociodemographics, range of motion, lymphedema signs and symptoms, and cancer treatment. We use descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests of independence to summarize our preliminary data. Results: Of our 313 AA or W participants, 49.2% are AAs. Slightly more than half of both groups (AA:53%, W:56%, p=.603) had more than a HS equivalent education. The Ws tended to be older on average (M=66.0, SD=8.6 years) than the AAs (M=62.8, SD=8.3 yrs, p=.001).A higher proportion of AAs than Ws tended to be the primary financial provider of the household (71.4% vs. 53.5%, p = .001), earn $30,000 or less per year (73.4% vs. 54.7%, p = .001), and reported to be on disability (29.2% vs. 11.9%, p (p = .048). Approximately 99% of the respondents had surgical treatment of some type with no statistically significant differences between AAs and Ws in terms of type of surgery or in number of lymph nodes removed. AA BCS were more likely than Ws to have reported swelling in the affected side (47.4% vs. 28.3%, p p p p Significance: Our study suggests that AA BCS may experience a heavier burden of late effects of cancer treatment and have less financial means to help mitigate this burden. The next step is to use multivariate approaches to determine whether these disparities persist when accounting for other important control variables such as age, time since diagnosis, and level of comorbidity. African American, poor and medically underserved have often not been included in epidemiologic research and our study will provide critical data useful towards the development of interventions aimed at the eventual reduction in cancer survivorship burden due to breast cancer related physical and functional impairments. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):A60.
Abstract 5610: Electric-field assisted delivery of gemcitabine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the world, with an incidence rate approximately equivalent to the death rate. The very poor prognosis for pancreatic cancer can be attributed to late diagnosis and the ineffectiveness of drug delivery to the primary tumor. Poor tissue perfusion plays a substantial role in preventing adequate drug exposure to primary pancreatic tumors. The systemic administration of gemcitabine, the current standard-of-care chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, has shown limited efficacy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, with only 5 to 10% of patients demonstrating an objective radiographic response at the primary tumor site. Furthermore, the toxicity associated with systemic chemotherapy has been found to reduce the quality of life of the patient and in extreme cases can be fatal. In an attempt to address the lack of effectiveness of systemically administered chemotherapy and associated toxicity, we have developed modalities for the localized delivery of chemotherapies to pancreatic tumors. These devices rely upon an applied electric potential difference between electrodes to drive chemotherapy into the tumor. This use of an electric potential for local delivery of chemotherapies offers the capability of overcoming considerable flow and pressure gradients. Significant work using an applied electric potential difference for drug transport has been performed in transdermal drug delivery. In the area of oncology, electric field-assisted delivery techniques have been proposed for skin and ocular cancers and have been clinically translated to the treatment of bladder cancers in the electromotive delivery of mitomycin C. This technique, combined with novel device approaches, is particularly well suited for the local treatment of the primary pancreatic tumor. Herein, we report the development of electric field-assisted delivery devices and the testing of these devices in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft mouse model of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and a healthy canine animal model. The results show that our devices provide a significant increase in the local delivery of gemcitabine while limiting systemic toxicity. Citation Format: James Byrne, Adrian O9Neill, Raheel Jajja, Mary Napier, James C. Luft, William Zamboni, Jen Jen Yeh, Joseph DeSimone. Electric-field assisted delivery of gemcitabine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5610. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5610
Quality Control of the Zeta Sedimentation Ratio

The zeta sedimentation ratio (ZSR) is essentially a rapid micromethod with integral hematocrit correction for the determination of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). A quality control method for the ZSR procedure is described which identifies the problems most likely to occur during the analysis. The method requires the analysis of an EDTA-anticoagulated, undiluted, whole blood sample in a standard Westergren tube. From the table supplied, the corresponding ZSR is determined and the difference, if any, is plotted. Typical patterns diagnostic of various analytical problems are illustrated.
Developing Theoretical Constructs for Outcomes Research

Abstract Background: In March of 1998, The Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in Health Industry released a report in response to the US Presidential Executive Order that recommended increasing funding for outcomes research. This report indicated that outcomes research was critical to assessing the effectiveness of treatment and the quality of care. Methods: A systematic review was conducted of the pertinent English literature that describes the development, methods, and limitations of outcomes research to identify methods for minimizing its limitations. Results: Current evidence indicates that approximately 80°/0 of commonly used medical treatments have not been shown to be efficacious, primarily because the necessary randomized controlled trials have not been conducted because of methodological problems, the time required for their execution, the expense, or ethical reasons. Therefore, physicians disagree on the value of many common clinical practices, which is reflected in the large variation in medical care prescribed for different populations. Outcomes research, which is conducted under actual clinical practice conditions using effectiveness studies, offers an efficient approach for investigating the link between medical care and outcomes. However, the major limitation of past outcomes research has been its limited ability to link medical care with outcomes, because of the lack of theory development to guide the research process, inadequate data sources, or both. Conclusions: The literature review suggests that the use of pertinent theoretical constructs to guide the outcomes research process will generate the results needed to assess the effectiveness of treatment and the quality of care.
Studies in human reproduction. II. The influence of diabetes mellitus in men upon reproduction.

Abstract Semen analyses were performed on 11 men suffering from diabetes mellitus who complained of involuntary infertility of their wives. In 10 of the 11 subjects, abnormalities of the semen were discovered. The most common aberration was in the seminal volume. It would appear that diabetes mellitus may be a hitherto unrecognized cause of seminal deficiency. It is hoped that this report will stimulate others to study the problem further.
TU-F-PinS Room/Hall E-00: Digital Breast Tomosynthesis II

This session along with the others on Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) offered at this years meeting as part of the Educational, Scientific and Partners in Solutions is intended to meet the FDA requirements for physicists to survey a DBT system. Specifically this vendor offered session held as part of the Partners in Solutions is also meant to focus on those requirements. This session is being done along with the other two vendors of approved DBT systems in order to cover the machine specific features of those systems.
Medical Effects of Environmental Engineering

Did the medicine of the environment influence health? Specifically, did it diminish morbidity and mortality, as its practitioners wished it to do? The eighteenth-century sources consulted for this book do not provide a conclusive answer to these questions. They focus on the theory of the medicine of the environment, on the measures proposed by the environmentalists, and on measures implemented. They do not always discuss untreated sites, and they do not furnish satisfactorily detailed evidence about treated sites.
Through the Looking-Glass: Reflections on the Role of Consumption in the Journey to Motherhood

Approximately four million women become mothers every year in the United States alone (CDC 2013). Motherhood is often seen as a life changing experience, and one that carries with it a great deal of significance for a woman’s identity and self-concept (Michaels and Goldberg 1988). Indeed, according to Michaels et al. (1982), the transition to parenthood is likely the most universally-occurring adult developmental transition, and one that has psychological, sociocultural, and biological implications. Women in particular experience profound psychological and biological changes, including noticeable appearance-related changes such as an increased body size and/or different body shape. As a result, a new mother is faced with having to forge a new, postpartum identity, and consumption often plays an important role in this process (Prothero 2002; Thomsen and Sorensen 2006). This study examines how new mothers use consumption to establish identity and the importance of consumption in conveying this identity to others.
Sex Differences in Formal Reasoning Ability

When I was in graduate school, teams of graduate students would conduct clinical interviews with elementary and secondary students to learn how to conduct the interviews and to help fellow students collect their data. This article comes out of that data gathering experience. Thus, the first submission of this article reflected a very traditional analysis of students by Piagetian levels and did not add much to the then current research.
Bleaching response of coral species in the context of assemblage response.

Caribbean coral reefs are declining due to a mosaic of local and global stresses, including climate change-induced thermal stress. Species and assemblage responses differ due to factors that are not easily identifiable or quantifiable. We calculated a novel species-specific metric of coral bleaching response, taxon-α and -β, which relates the response of a species to that of its assemblages for 16 species over 18 assemblages. By contextualizing species responses within the response of their assemblages, the effects of environmental factors are removed and intrinsic differences among taxa are revealed. Most corals experience either a saturation response, overly-sensitive to weak stress (α > 0) but under-responsive compared to assemblage bleaching (β 1). This metric may help reveal key factors of bleaching susceptibility and identify species as targets for conservation.
On Generating Variable Structure Architectures for Distributed Intelligence Systems

Abstract A quantitative approach for modeling and generating variable structure distributed intelligence systems is presented. In these systems, the interactions between the objects can change depending on the task being processed. Colored Petri Nets are used as the appropriate mathematical framework for representing design requirements and for modeling the variable structures. The set of variable structures that satisfy both the design requirements and some generic constraints is characterized, and an algorithm for solving the design problem is described. An application to a non trivial example for an Air Traffic Control System is outlined.
Single-footprint retrievals of temperature, water vapor and cloud properties from AIRS

Abstract. Single-footprint Atmospheric Infrared Sounder spectra are used in an optimal estimation-based algorithm (AIRS-OE) for simultaneous retrieval of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, surface temperature, cloud-top temperature, effective cloud optical depth and effective cloud particle radius. In a departure from currently operational AIRS retrievals (AIRS V6), cloud scattering and absorption are in the radiative transfer forward model and AIRS single-footprint thermal infrared data are used directly rather than cloud-cleared spectra (which are calculated using nine adjacent AIRS infrared footprints). Coincident MODIS cloud data are used for cloud a priori data. Using single-footprint spectra improves the horizontal resolution of the AIRS retrieval from ∼ 45 to ∼ 13.5 km at nadir, but as microwave data are not used, the retrieval is not made at altitudes below thick clouds. An outline of the AIRS-OE retrieval procedure and information content analysis is presented. Initial comparisons of AIRS-OE to AIRS V6 results show increased horizontal detail in the water vapor and relative humidity fields in the free troposphere above the clouds. Initial comparisons of temperature, water vapor and relative humidity profiles with coincident radiosondes show good agreement. Future improvements to the retrieval algorithm, and to the forward model in particular, are discussed.
From Lessons Learned to Real-life Performances of Cultural Capital and Habitus

In order to understand how this generation performs or signals their ethno-racial identity and class status to others, Lorick-Wilmot explores the ways being American-born and raised also influences how the MSGCIs “move through the world” and navigate intimate social spaces that are both similar to other middle class people in the United States (both whites and African Americans) and nuanced because of their Caribbean ethnicity, gender and middle class identity projects. Themes and topics discussed in the chapter include gender roles and sexuality (including homosexuality and hetero-normativity), mate selection and (intra- and inter-racial) marriage, religion and cultural traditions, symbolic expressions of Caribbean ethnicity and black racial identity, and the trappings of a middle class lifestyle, including the emotional and financial costs of conspicuous consumption.
Polyamide-crosslinked graphene oxide membrane for forward osmosis

Abstract A novel polyamide-graphene oxide (PA-GO) membrane was synthesized on a polyethersulfone support by first intra-crosslinking GO aggregates via m-xylylenediamine (MXDA) and then inter-crosslinking GO aggregates via trimethyle chloride (TMC). This method allows for the use of hydrophilic, more porous supports in forward osmosis (FO) membranes, thereby lending much flexibility to membrane synthesis and also potentially reducing internal concentration polarization in FO. The elemental composition, morphology, and hydrophilicity of the synthesized PA-GO membrane were characterized to confirm intra- and inter-crosslinking reactions and understand membrane properties. It was found that the mixing temperature of MXDA and GO should be controlled below 20 ℃ to avoid the formation of large GO aggregates and hence reduce membrane heterogeneity and defects. The performance of the PA-GO membrane was compared with that of a commercial FO membrane using trisodium citrate (TSC), Na 2 SO 4 , and MgCl 2 , respectively, as draw solutes. Under the same osmotic pressure, the water flux of the PA-GO membrane was the highest with TSC as draw solute, moderate with Na 2 SO 4 , and almost zero with MgCl 2 , while the ranking of solute fluxes followed a reverse order, revealing that an effective solute barrier plays an important role in making FO membranes with high water flux and low solute flux.
Novel hybrid approaches for superior sulcus tumors

Superior sulcus tumors of the lung, while relatively rare, represent a unique and complex challenge in thoracic surgery. As they are often locally advanced at the time of diagnosis, surgical resection, when feasible, is often complex and multidisciplinary in nature and carries significant complication risks for the patient. We present two cases of superior sulcus tumors successfully resected following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy using a hybrid, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)-assisted, posterior, limited access incisional technique that will be described in detail. With appropriate patient selection and careful preoperative planning, this is a safe and feasible approach to locally advanced superior sulcus tumors of the lung.
Molecular Testing of Non–Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Diagnosed by Endobronchial Ultrasound–Guided Transbronchial Fine-Needle Aspiration: The Cleveland Clinic Experience

Context.— Given the increasing demand for molecular testing of non–small cell lung carcinoma specimens to guide therapeutic decision-making, and the trend toward minimally invasive techniques for obtaining diagnostic tissue, cytopathology laboratories must devise strategies to maximize DNA yield for necessary molecular testing. Objective.— To describe our experience at Cleveland Clinic with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation testing by next-generation sequencing and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement testing by fluorescence in situ hybridization of non–small cell lung carcinomas diagnosed by cytology, with an emphasis on specimens obtained by endobronchial ultrasound–guided transbronchial fine-needle aspiration. Data Sources.— Data sources include a review of the current literature, including published articles from our institution. Conclusions.— At our institution, liquid-based cytology specimens are the primary resource used for molecular testing of non–small cell lung car...
Life cycle analysis of metals in emerging photovoltaic (PV) technologies: A modeling approach to estimate use phase leaching

Abstract The potential release of toxic metals from damaged emerging photovoltaic (PV) cells has raised concerns about the safe use of these new types of PVs. In this study, this concern was addressed by analysing the life cycle toxicity of metals (cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc) that are commonly used in emerging PVs. In estimating the potential metal release, a new model that incorporates field conditions (crack size, time, and glass thickness) and physiochemical properties (diffusion coefficient and solubility product) was introduced. The results show that the use phase toxicity of copper and lead can be higher than the extraction phase toxicity. Thus, precautionary loss limits to manage toxic impacts from the use phase were proposed. Also, the toxicity from different layers of perovskite, copper zinc tin sulphide (CZTS), and quantum dot (QD) type of solar cells was compared. It was found that cadmium sulphide (compared to zinc oxide and tin oxide) and lead (II) sulphide (compared to lead (II) iodine and CZTS) were less toxic alternatives for the electron selective layer and light absorber, respectively. Finally, in comparing the toxic metal releases of the PVs to today's coal power plants, it was seen that the metal emissions from PVs are expected to be several times less than the emissions from coal.
Use of Echocardiography in Patients with Intracardiac Devices

Intracardiac ventricular assist devices (VADs) are increasingly being used in the management of patients with severe heart failure refractory to medical therapy. In the CCU, echocardiography is utilized to confirm appropriate position and function of intracardiac VAD components as part of routine surveillance or in response to concerning signs and symptoms. This chapter will focus on the use of echocardiography in adult patients with durable continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as well as short-term, percutaneous left- and right-sided Impella VADs.
The disulfiram-ethanol reaction

The disulfiram-ethanol reaction (DER) is the name given to a syndrome experienced by individuals who, following treatment with disulfiram (DSSD), ingest ethanol. The DER is decidedly unpleasant. Accordingly, ever since the discovery of this syndrome, efforts have been made to utilize DSSD in aversive therapies of alcoholism, though the early therapeutic strategies employed differed markedly from the current ones (section 10.2). Partly as a result of this, a great deal has been learned regarding the pharmacological phenomena and toxicities characteristic of the human DER (section 10.3).
Evaluating University Technology Transfer Offices

Programs to transfer technology from universities and government agencies to the private sector are a cornerstone of economic development in the US economy. Most US universities today have a centralized technology transfer office which handles all of their intellectual property; however, the question remains “is this the most effective means of technology transfer?” The evidence is mixed or minimal for all other measurements including licensing and spin-offs, but suggests a bottleneck remains in the commercialization of new technologies. The author posits a new operational model and strategic principles university technology transfer offices should employ.