cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liver transplantation for non-hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy.

Liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma is effective for selected patients. LT for other malignancies like cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), hepatoblastoma (HB), hepatic epithelioid hemangioepithelioma (HEHE), angiosarcoma (AS), and neuroendocrine tumors (NET) is being defined. For CCA, series that did not emphasize highly selected early stage disease and neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiation had an average 5-year survival of 10%. However, emphasizing neoadjuvant radiation and chemosensitization in operatively confirmed stage I or II hilar CCA has led to improved 5-year survival, up to 82%. LT is indicated under strict research protocols at selected centers, for patients with early stage CCA and anatomically unresectable (Bismuth type IV) lesions. HB is typically sensitive to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. LT plays a role as primary surgical therapy for those individuals in whom tumors remain unresectable after chemotherapy or as rescue therapy for those who are incompletely resected, recur after resection, or develop hepatic insufficiency after chemotherapy and/or resection. Long-term survival is reported at 58–88%. HEHE is a multifocal tumor that lies somewhere between benign hemangiomas and malignant AS. The extensive multifocal nature makes resection difficult and LT an attractive option. Series on LT for HEHE report overall survival of 71–78% at 5 years. However, AS is an aggressive tumor and LT is contraindicated. For NET, resection of the primary tumor and all gross metastatic disease is reported to provide 5-year survival of 70–85%. LT has been employed for some patients for unresectable tumors or for palliation of medically uncontrollable symptoms with 5-year survival reported between 36% and 80%.
Study of Steady and Dynamic Behavior of Gas Core of Passive Cyclonic Separator for Space Applications

The separation of multiphase flow constituents in a microgravity environment is of considerable interest as the functionality of many spacecraft systems is dependent on the proper sequestration of interpenetrating gas and liquid phases. Cyclonic separators provide the desired gas-liquid separatory action by swirling the multiphase flow—causing the gas to accumulate along the axis of the vortex as the denser liquid is forced to the walls—thereby allowing segregated extraction of the respective phases. Passive cyclonic separators utilize only the inertia of the incoming flow to accomplish this task. In the current work, combined experimental, numerical, and phenomenological modeling analyses have been performed to quantitatively describe the steady and dynamic response of these separators. Specifically, the gas core behavior under steady conditions as well as under single-phase and multiphase injection step-changes have been examined experimentally and compared to computational fluid dynamics results. Also, a simple control-volume analysis of the cyclonic separator has been created and compared to these results. The results afford insight into the transient behavior of the device with respect to both the device and system-level conduct.
Improving Service Delivery in Education Through Collaboration: An Exploratory Study of the Role of Cross‐Sectoral Alliances in the Development and Support of Charter Schools*

Objective. This article explores cross-sectoral alliances as mechanisms for enhancing service delivery in public education. We assess the extent to which the three economic sectors-nonprofit, for-profit, and public-are involved in partnerships with charter schools and identify the benefits that charter schools receive from partnering with other organizations. Methods. The study utilized a qualitative approach: data collection involved interviews with charter school experts in 37 states. Results. We found that organizations from each of the three economic sectors were involved in alliances with charter schools and that these alliances offered a range of financial (e.g., facilities, salaries), political (e.g., legitimacy, credibility), and organizational (e.g., curriculum, management) benefits. Conclusions. Our findings from this exploratory study suggest that cross-sectoral alliances have the potential to enhance the capacity of charter schools to deliver high-quality educational services. Three hypotheses generated from the findings are also offered to guide future research on charter school alliances.
Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Machining and Sheet Metal Forming

Simulations are presented of machining and multistage sheet metal forming that improve on the accuracy of existing approaches by incorporating accurate representations of additional physical phenomena. In the e nite element simulation of machining, chip formation is simulated without using a separation criterion. This capability has been successfully used to investigate fundamental aspects of machining such as the shape of the primary and secondary shear zones, chip curl, the size effect, and the uniqueness of machining. The analysis of multistage forming incorporates the effects of material property changes due to heat treatments between forming stages. Results of simulated forming operations are employed to evaluate the effectiveness of intermediate die shapes and heat treatments in improving the sheet metal formability. It is found that intermediate heat treatments enhance the ability of intermediate die shapes to promote uniform deformation of the sheet.
Effect of benztropine on the diurnal prolactin responses to haloperidol

Prolactin (PRL) responses to haloperidol were investigated at 0900 and 1800 h in six young healthy men under basal conditions and after benztropine mesylate administration. Haloperidol administration induced significantly higher PRL release during the evening compared to the morning. The anticholinergic drug, benztropine, potentiated the PRL responses to haloperidol both in the morning and in the evening. The possible mechanisms of these findings are discussed.
Regulation of Ras proteins by reactive nitrogen species

Ras GTPases have been a subject of intense investigation since the early 1980s, when single point mutations in Ras were shown to cause deregulated cell growth control. Subsequently, Ras was identified as the most prevalent oncogene found in human cancer. Ras proteins regulate a host of pathways involved in cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis by cycling between inactive GDP-bound and active GTP-bound states. Regulation of Ras activity is controlled by cellular factors that alter guanine nucleotide cycling. Oncogenic mutations prevent protein regulatory factors from down-regulating Ras activity, thereby maintaining Ras in a chronically activated state. The central dogma in the field is that protein modulatory factors are the primary regulators of Ras activity. Since the mid-1990s, however, evidence has accumulated that small molecule reactive nitrogen species (RNS) can also influence Ras guanine nucleotide cycling. Herein, we review the basic chemistry behind RNS formation and discuss the mechanism through which various RNS enhance nucleotide exchange in Ras proteins. In addition, we present studies that demonstrate the physiological relevance of RNS-mediated Ras activation within the context of immune system function, brain function, and cancer development. We also highlight future directions and experimental methods that may enhance our ability to detect RNS-mediated activation in cell cultures and in vivo. The development of such methods may ultimately pave new directions for detecting and elucidating how Ras proteins are regulated by redox species, as well as for targeting redox-activated Ras in cancer and other disease states.
Satisfaction and compensatory hyperhidrosis rates 5 years and longer after video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathotomy for hyperhidrosis

Objective The objective of the present study was to determine the long-term fate and factors of compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) in patients who have undergone video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathotomy for focal hyperhidrosis. Methods The same quality-of-life survey was administered 6 months postoperatively and then annually to all patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathotomy for hyperhidrosis. A second rib (R2)/R3 sympathotomy was most commonly performed until September 2007 and then R4/R5 sympathotomy was used. Results From January 1999 until December 2012, 193 patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathotomy for hyperhidrosis, of whom, 173 had provided ≥1 year of postoperative survey information. No operative mortalities occurred. Of the 173 patients, 133 (77%) reported "clinically bothersome" CH. This rate had decreased to an average of 35% at 5 and 12 years postoperatively. Univariate analysis showed the CH incidence was significantly greater for the patients who had undergone R2/R3 versus R4/R5 sympathotomy ( P P P = .022), or were female ( P = .002). On multivariate analysis, only R2/R3 versus R4/R5 sympathotomy ( P P Conclusions Patients who undergo sympathotomy for hyperhidrosis will commonly report "clinically bothersome" compensatory hyperhidrosis. CH will more likely if R2/R3 sympathetic interruption has been performed instead of R4/R5 and in patients who present with multiple areas of sweating. The severity of clinically bothersome CH decreased during the first 3 years postoperatively.
DETERMINATION OF THE CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELD AND THE RADIO-EMITTING ELECTRON ENERGY FROM A TYPE IV SOLAR RADIO BURST.

The intensity and frequency spectrum of gyro-synchrotron emission from energetic solar electrons radiating in coronal magnetic fields are calculated. These calculations, based on a recent study of the generation of gyro-synchrotron emission in a magnetoactive plasma, are applied to a Type IV radio burst originating at a high altitude in the solar corona. It is shown that the observed frequency spectrum of the burst, which exhibits very sharp low and high frequency cutoffs, can be best understood in terms of gyro-synchrotron emission in an ionized medium and that from the observed frequency spectrum and the ambient coronal density it is possible to deduce both the magnetic field at the site of the emission and the range of electron energies responsible for the burst.
The SKPO-1 Peroxidase Functions in the Hypodermis To Protect Caenorhabditis elegans from Bacterial Infection

In recent years, the synergistic relationship between NADPH oxidase (NOX)/dual oxidase (DUOX) enzymes and peroxidases has received increased attention. Peroxidases utilize NOX/DUOX-generated H2O2 for a myriad of functions including, but not limited to, thyroid hormone biosynthesis, cross-linking extracellular matrices (ECM), and immune defense. We postulated that one or more peroxidases produced by Caenorhabditis elegans would act in host defense, possibly in conjunction with BLI-3, the only NOX/DUOX enzyme encoded by the genome that is expressed. Animals exposed to RNA interference (RNAi) of the putative peroxidase genes were screened for susceptibility to the human pathogen Enterococcus faecalis. One of three genes identified, skpo-1 (ShkT-containing peroxidase), was studied in depth. Animals mutant for this gene were significantly more susceptible to E. faecalis, but not Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A slight decrease in longevity was also observed. The skpo-1 mutant animals had a dumpy phenotype of incomplete penetrance; half the animals displayed a dumpy phenotype ranging from slight to severe, and half were morphologically wild type. The SKPO-1 protein contains the critical catalytic residues necessary for peroxidase activity, and in a whole animal assay, more H2O2 was detected from the mutant compared to the wild type, consistent with the loss of an H2O2 sink. By using tissue-specific skpo-1 RNAi and immunohistochemical localization with an anti-SKPO-1 antibody, it was determined that the peroxidase is functionally and physically present in the hypodermis. In conclusion, these results characterize a peroxidase that functions protectively in the hypodermis during exposure to E. faecalis.
A phosphatidylinositol phosphate-specific myo- inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase required for seedling growth

The phosphatidylinositol phosphate signaling pathway is involved in many crucial cellular functions. The myo-inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases (5PTases) (E.C. 3.1.3.56) comprise a large protein family that hydrolyze 5-phosphates from a variety of phosphatidylinositol phosphate and inositol phosphate substrates. We previously reported that the At5PTase11 enzyme (At1g47510), which is one of the smallest predicted 5PTases found in any organism, encodes an active 5PTase whose activity is restricted to tris- and bis-, but not mono-phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol phosphate substrates containing a 5-phosphate. This is in contrast to other unrestricted Arabidopsis 5PTases, which also hydrolyze tris- and bis inositol phosphate molecules. To further explore the function of At5PTase11, we have characterized two T-DNA mutants in the At5PTase11 gene, and have complemented this mutant. Seed from 5ptase11 mutants germinate slower than wildtype seed and mutant seedlings have decreased hypocotyl growth as compared to wildtype seedlings when grown in the dark. This phenotype is the opposite of the increased hypocotyl growth phenotype previously described for other 5ptase mutants defective in inositol phosphate-specific 5PTase enzymes. By labeling the endogenous myo-inositol pool in 5ptase11 mutants, we correlated these hypocotyl growth changes with a small increase in the 5PTase11 substrate, phosphatidylinositol (4,5) bisphosphate, and decreases in the potential products of 5PTase11, phosphatidylinositol (3) phosphate and phosphatidylinositol (4) phosphate. Surprisingly, we also found that dark-grown 5ptase11 mutants contain increases in inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate and an inositol bisphosphate that is not a substrate for recombinant 5PTase11. We present a model for regulation of hypocotyl growth by specific molecules found in this pathway.
Advances in multimodality therapy for laryngeal cancer

Combined induction chemotherapy and external beam radiation therapy is an effective treatment for selected patients with advanced-stage laryngeal cancer. The larynx can be preserved in two-thirds of patients receiving this treatment. Investigations continue to evaluate the ideal treatment regimen, the delivery of chemotherapy, patient selection, biologic markers predicting response, functional outcome, and the effectiveness of this treatment at other sites.
STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF QUIESCENT FILAMENT CHANNELS OBSERVED BY HINODE/XRT AND STEREO/EUVI

We present a study of the structure and dynamics of quiescent filament channels observed by Hinode/XRT and STEREO/EUVI at the solar minimum 23/24 from 2006 November to 2008 December. For 12 channels identified on the solar disk (Group I channels), we find that the morphology of the structure on the two sides of the channel is asymmetric in both X-rays and EUV: the eastern side has curved features while the western side has straight features. We interpret the results in terms of a magnetic flux rope model. The asymmetry in the morphology is due to the variation in axial flux of the flux rope along the channel, which causes the field lines from one polarity to turn into the flux rope (curved feature), while the field lines from the other polarity are connected to very distant sources (straight). For most of the 68 channels identified by cavities at the east and west limbs (Group II channels), the asymmetry cannot be clearly identified, which is likely due to the fact that the axial flux may be relatively constant along such channels. Corresponding cavities are identified only for 5 of the 12 Group I channels, while Group II channels are identified for all of the 68 cavity pairs. The studied filament channels are often observed as dark channels in X-rays and EUV. Sheared loops within Group I channels are often seen in X-rays, but are rarely seen in Group II channels as shown in the X-ray Telescope daily synoptic observations. A survey of the dynamics of studied filament channels shows that filament eruptions occur at an average rate of 1.4 filament eruptions per channel per solar rotation.
Chronic counterpulsation devices for heart failure.

The C-Pulse System (Sunshine Heart, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minnesota) is a novel implanted counterpulsation heart assist pump that is positioned around the ascending aorta. It is non–blood contacting and may be turned off intermittently or weaned off in cases of ventricular recovery. In this issue of
An Investigation of Stresses in Bolted Connectors for Marine Risers

This paper presents a procedure on the finite element method for analyzing a bolted flange connector and compares this method with three traditional approaches. The finite element method considers such effects as flange interface separation, nonlinear and nonconstant flange stiffness, and bolt bending. A comparison of the finite element model with the three traditional methods (each employs a formula for flange stiffness) shows a fairly close correlation for total bolt force versus applied load, but a wide discrepancy for maximum bolt stress versus applied load. 21 refs.
Changes in submersed macrophytes in Chautauqua Lake, 1937–1975

SUMMARY. Changes in macrophyte richness, relative abundances, depth distributions and dominant species from 1937 to 1975 were assessed in Chautauqua, a eutrophic lake. Change was greatest in dominant species, with several formerly abundant native Potamogeton species being replaced by the exotics, Potamogeton crispus and Myriophyllum spicatum. Two extensively practiced management techniques, herbicidal poisoning and mechanized cutting, were considered to be primarily responsible for the observed macrophyte changes.
Conservative groups, indicability, and a conjecture of Howie

Abstract The class of locally p -indicable groups coincides with the class of Z p conservative groups. Howie's conjecture is valid for locally p -indicable groups.
The impact of maternal obesity on satisfactory detailed anatomic ultrasound image acquisition

Objective. To assess the impact of maternal body mass index (BMI) on ultrasound visualisation of fetal morphology.Study design. Singleton pregnancies undergoing targeted ultrasound fetal anatomic evaluation at 18- to 25-weeks gestation from 1/05 to 12/05 were included. Ultrasound reports and maternal medical records were reviewed for maternal characteristics and documentation of adequatecy of ultrasound visualisation for each organ system was obtained by individual chart review. BMI was divided into normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) and obese (>30 kg/m2) groups. Overweight women (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2) were excluded. Suboptimal visualisation for each organ system was compared between BMI groups. Multivariable analysis controlled for sonographer, physician, US equipment, race, parity, fetal lie, weight and gestational age.Results. Eight hundred fourteen patients were included (Normal = 148, Obese = 666). The frequency of suboptimal visualisation was significantly increased in the obese group for the cardiovascular syst...
Life Stories, Law's Stories: Subjectivity and Responsibility in the Politicization of the Discourse of “Identity”

In this essay, my focus is on the politicization of “identity” as an aspect of political competition within the U.S. government at critical moments in the modern making (and unmaking) of rights. I draw on a comparison of two textual examples: transcripts of the hearings that yielded the Civil Rights Act of 1990 and a reading of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. Their antithetical visions of identity offer a “way in” to a particular moment in the recent U.S. past when race was resignified in public policy debates that clarified the emergent political dominance of the conservative movement—and then partially reclaimed with the assertion of identity as a theoretical object in anthropology and adjacent academic fields.
The residual stress state due to a spherical hard-body impact

Abstract The current study assesses the residual stresses and remnant damage caused by a spherical projectile impacting upon a flat surface. The immediate application of this information is to the problem of foreign object damage (FOD) associated with the ingestion of debris into an aircraft turbine engine and the subsequent reduction in component lifetime. The work is focused on two primary features: (i) the development of numerical models for the evaluation of the deformation and stresses associated with the impact process and (ii) the use of spatially resolved residual stress measurements to verify experimentally the numerical analysis. As a first approximation, a quasi-static numerical model was developed by ignoring time-dependent effects (i.e., strain-rate sensitivity, wave and inertia effects, etc.), where the effects of velocity were approximated by adjusting the depth and diameter of the resulting impact crater to match that of actual impact craters at the corresponding velocity. The computed residual stresses and associated elastic strain gradients were compared to experimentally measured values, obtained using synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. This comparison indicated that the quasi-static numerical analysis was adequate for moderate impact conditions (velocity=200 m/s, energy=2.7 J); however, under more aggressive conditions (velocity=300 m/s, energy=6.1 J), there was significant discrepancy between the numerical predictions and experimental measurements. Such discrepancy may be attributed to several factors that can occur at higher impact velocities, including strain-rate sensitivity, microcrack formation, and shear-band formation. A dynamic simulation, where the time-dependent effects of strain-rate sensitivity and elastic-wave interactions were approximated, provided results in closer agreement with the experimental diffraction observations.
Erythrocyte repopulation in x-irradiated recipients of nucleated, peripheral blood cells of normal mice.

Strains of mice are being prcduced that are isogenic with inbred stocks except for the hemoglobin locus. With mice of such strains, experiments were carried out to ascertain whether peripheral blcod of normal mice contains cells capable of repopulating the marrow of irradiated recipients. In 3 of 5 recipients injected intravenously with approximately 100 million nucleated peripheral blood cells after 600 r, increasing numbers of graft-derived erythrocytes were noted within 60 days after treatment, indicating the presence in peripheral blood of cells that are able to give rise to mature erythrocytes. (auth)
A method for document zone content classification

This paper describes an algorithm to classify each given document zone into one of nine classes and provides a protocol for its performance evaluation. The classification scheme uses an optimized binary decision tree and Viterbi algorithm for HMM to find the optimal solution. Our algorithm was trained and tested on a total of 24,177 zones within the 1600 images from UWCDROM III database. Its accuracy rate is 98.45% with a mean false alarm rate of 0.50%.
Letter by Diamond Regarding Article, “Bayesian Methods Affirm the Use of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention to Improve Survival in Patients With Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease”

describing a Bayesian meta-analysis of all-cause mortality in patients with unpro-tected left main coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which “suggested the equivalence of CABG and PCI,” and thereby justified the assignment of a Class IIa guideline recommendation in support of the latter. In my opinion, this affirmation is not supported by these analyses.The authors begin by reporting a 95% credible interval ranging from 0.74 to 1.39 for the posterior odds ratio based on a hierarchi-cal analysis of PCI versus CABG, and conclude that “[b]ecause the interval included 1, the results showed no significant difference between the 2 treatments.”
Genetic divergence causes parallel evolution of flower color in Chilean Mimulus

Summary • Deciphering the genetic architecture of phenotypic change provides a framework for understanding how evolution proceeds at a genetic level, and paves the way for work at the molecular level. • A series of intra- and interspecific crosses were used to investigate the genetic control of recently evolved floral pigmentation phenotypes in a group of closely related Mimulus species from central Chile. • An intraspecific polymorphism was found to be controlled by a single Mendelian locus. Differences between species, by contrast, were composed of multiple independent patterning elements, including both Mendelian and polygenic traits. The most striking phenotypic novelty in this group, anthocyanin pigmentation in the petal lobes, has evolved three times independently. • The results illustrate how genetically simple modular elements can interact with polygenic or quantitative traits to create complex new phenotypes. The repeated evolution of petal lobe anthocyanins suggests that natural selection may have played a role in the evolution of red coloration in the Chilean Mimulus, and shows that red coloration has been achieved via different genetic pathways in these closely related species.
Yeast exonuclease 5 is essential for mitochondrial genome maintenance

Yeast exonuclease 5 is encoded by the YBR163w (DEM1) gene, and this gene has been renamed EXO5. It is distantly related to the Escherichia coli RecB exonuclease class. Exo5 is localized to the mitochondria, and EXO5 deletions or nuclease-defective EXO5 mutants invariably yield petites, amplifying either the ori3 or ori5 region of the mitochondrial genome. These petites remain unstable and undergo continuous rearrangement. The mitochondrial phenotype of exo5Δ strains suggests an essential role for the enzyme in DNA replication and recombination. No nuclear phenotype associated with EXO5 deletions has been detected. Exo5 is a monomeric 5′ exonuclease that releases dinucleotides as products. It is specific for single-stranded DNA and does not hydrolyze RNA. However, Exo5 has the capacity to slide across 5′ double-stranded DNA or 5′ RNA sequences and resumes cutting two nucleotides downstream of the double-stranded-to-single-stranded junction or RNA-to-DNA junction, respectively.
Virtual values for language extension

This paper focuses on extensibility, the ability of a programmer using a particular language to extend the expressiveness of that language. This paper explores how to provide an interesting notion of extensibility by virtualizing the interface between code and data. A virtual value is a special value that supports behavioral intercession. When a primitive operation is applied to a virtual value, it invokes a trap on that virtual value. A virtual value contains multiple traps, each of which is a user-defined function that describes how that operation should behave on that value. This paper formalizes the semantics of virtual values, and shows how they enable the definition of a variety of language extensions, including additional numeric types; delayed evaluation; taint tracking; contracts; revokable membranes; and units of measure. We report on our experience implementing virtual values for Javascript within an extension for the Firefox browser.
The Development of Aortic Insufficiency in Left Ventricular Assist Device-Supported Patients

Background—Aortic insufficiency (AI) following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement can affect device performance. The aim of this study was to examine AI development following LVAD implantation. Methods and Results—Echocardiograms (n=315) from 78 subjects undergoing HeartMate-XVE (n=25 [32%]) or HeartMate-II (n=53 [68%]) implantations from 2004 to 2008 were reviewed. Studies were obtained preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after surgery. AI was graded on an interval scale (0=none, 0.5=trivial, 1=mild, 1.5=mild-moderate, 2=moderate, 2.5=moderate-severe, 3=severe), and the change in AI at follow-up was analyzed with significance tests. Kaplan–Meier estimates for freedom from moderate or worse AI at follow-up were generated. Mixed-model linear regression was used to identify correlates of AI progression during LVAD support. The median (25th, 75th percentile) duration of LVAD support was 239 (112, 455) days, and preoperative AI grade was 0.0 (0.0, 0.0). At 6 months, 89±4% of subj...
On optimization of storage hierarchies

A simple model of the storage hierarchies is formulated with the assumptions that the effect of the storage management strategy is characterized by the hit ratio fqnction. The hit ratio function and the device technology-cost function are assumed to be representable by power functions (or piece-wise power functions). The optimization of this model is a geometric programming problem. An explicit formula for the minimum hierarchy access time is derived; the capacity and technology of each storage level are determined. The opfimal number of storage levels in a hierarchy is shown to be directly proportional to the logarithm of the systems capacity with the constant of proportionality dependent upon the technolagy and hit ratio characteristics. The optimal cost ratio of adjacent storage levels is constant, as are the ratios of the device access times and storage capacities of the adjacent levels. An illustration of the effect of overhead cost and level-dependent cost, such as the cost per "box" and cos for managing memory faults is given and several generalizations are presented.
Six Studies of Out-of-Body Experiences

Because of confusion between science and scientism, many people react negatively to the idea of scientific investigation of near-death experiences (NDEs), but genuine science can contribute a great deal to understanding NDEs and helping experiencers integrate their experiences with everyday life. After noting how scientific investigation of certain parapsychological phenomena has established a wider world view that must take NDEs seriously, I review six studies of a basic component of the NDE, the out-of-body experience (OBE). Three of these studies found distinctive physiological correlates of OBEs in the two talented persons investigated, and one found strong evidence for veridical, paranormal perception of the OBE location. The studies using hypnosis to try to produce OBEs demonstrated the complexity of a simple model that a person's mind is actually at an out-of-body location versus merely hallucinating being out, and require us to look at how even our perception of being in our bodies is actually a complex simulation, a biopsychological virtual reality.
A hybrid polynomial dimensional decomposition for uncertainty quantification of high-dimensional complex systems

Abstract This paper presents a novel hybrid polynomial dimensional decomposition (PDD) method for stochastic computing in high-dimensional complex systems. When a stochastic response does not possess a strongly additive or a strongly multiplicative structure alone, then the existing additive and multiplicative PDD methods may not provide a sufficiently accurate probabilistic solution of such a system. To circumvent this problem, a new hybrid PDD method was developed that is based on a linear combination of an additive and a multiplicative PDD approximation, a broad range of orthonormal polynomial bases for Fourier-polynomial expansions of component functions, and a dimension-reduction or sampling technique for estimating the expansion coefficients. Two numerical problems involving mathematical functions or uncertain dynamic systems were solved to study how and when a hybrid PDD is more accurate and efficient than the additive or the multiplicative PDD. The results show that the univariate hybrid PDD method is slightly more expensive than the univariate additive or multiplicative PDD approximations, but it yields significantly more accurate stochastic solutions than the latter two methods. Therefore, the univariate truncation of the hybrid PDD is ideally suited to solving stochastic problems that may otherwise mandate expensive bivariate or higher-variate additive or multiplicative PDD approximations. Finally, a coupled acoustic-structural analysis of a pickup truck subjected to 46 random variables was performed, demonstrating the ability of the new method to solve large-scale engineering problems.
Sexual selection in wild baboons: from mating opportunities to paternity success

In mammals, high dominance rank among males is often associated with mating success. However, mating opportunities do not automatically translate into offspring production; observed mating success may be discordant with offspring production, for three reasons. (1) Observed mating may be nonrepresentative of actual mating if some mating is surreptitious (decreasing the chance that it will be observed), (2) mating may be nonrandom if some males allocate more mating effort to females with high fertility (i.e. if some males differentially invest in higher fertility mating) and (3) conception success may be nonrandom if sperm competition or sperm selection play a role in conception. We performed a genetic analysis of paternity in the well-studied savannah baboon, Papio cynocephalus, population in the Amboseli basin, eastern Africa, in order to measure the concordance between observed mating success and actual offspring production. We found that observed mating success was generally a good predictor of paternity success, that high-ranking males had higher paternity success than lower-ranking males, and that male density and male rank stability contributed to variance in male paternity success. We found little evidence for successful surreptitious mating (although subadult males did occasionally produce offspring, apparently using this strategy), and no clear evidence for differential sperm success or sperm depletion (although we could not rule them out). However, we found clear evidence that high-ranking males showed mate choice, concentrating their mating efforts on females experiencing conceptive rather than nonconceptive cycles.
The malignant potential of bronchial adenoma.

Abstract Sixty-one patients with variants of bronchial adenoma were seen at Memorial Hospital between 1926 and 1969. These included 44 with carcinoid, 12 with mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and 5 with adenoid cystic carcinoma. Fifty-nine percent of the patients with bronchial carcinoid, 60% of patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma, and none with mucoepidermoid carcinoma survived five years. These observations contradict the often reported conclusion that the different types of bronchial adenoma behave in a benign fashion and are usually compatible with prolonged survival. The term bronchial adenoma is a misnomer. The neoplasms frequently grouped under this heading should be called bronchial carcinoid, mucoepidermoid carcinoma , and adenoid cystic carcinoma. This terminology more truly depicts the potential behavior of the various neoplasms.
Geochronology of augen gneiss and related rocks, Yukon-Tanana terrane, east-central Alaska

Using several isotopic techniques, we have determined the ages of selected metamorphic rocks in the Yukon-Tanana terrane (YTT) of east-central Alaska. U-Pb zircon data from an augen gneiss body in the Big Delta quadrangle indicate that the granitoid protolith of the gneiss was intruded 341 ± 3 m.y. ago (lower intercept age). An upper intercept age of 2,136 ± 31 m.y. indicates an inherited early Proterozoic component in these zircons. This inheritance age is substantiated by a Sm-Nd whole-rock model age of 2.09 ± 0.08 b.y. from the Big Delta augen gneiss body. Detrital zircons from quartzitic wall rocks to this body were also derived from an early Proterozoic (∼2.1 to 2.3 b.y. old) crustal source(s). Zircons from three other augen gneisses occurring in an east-west belt which extends into the southern Yukon Territory, Canada, have similar Mississippian and early Proterozoic intercept ages. A Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron from widely separated bodies of augen gneiss has an age of 333 ± 26 m.y. and an initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of 0.728 ± 0.002, confirming the Mississippian intrusive age for the protolith. The high initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio further indicates an old crustal component in these rocks. A Rb-Sr mineral isochron (115 ± 4 m.y.), K-Ar data from hornblende and micas (128 to 107 m.y.), and U-Pb data from sphene (134. m.y.) from augen gneiss and related rocks are similar to many K-Ar ages in this region and confirm the occurrence of an early Cretaceous thermal event. U-Pb ages of zircons from three metavolcanic units in the YTT suggest that extrusion of the protoliths of these rocks occurred 360–380 m.y. ago. Scatter in the data is caused by ubiquitous inheritance and multiple lead-loss events. Significant Devonian-Mississippian igneous activity (380-340 m.y.) took place in the YTT, followed by one, or possibly two, metamorphic episodes (Mississippian? and Cretaceous). As yet, no early Proterozoic source rocks for the Paleozoic magmas have been identified in the YTT, but rocks of similar early Proterozoic ages occur to the east and south in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia, Canada.
Orthopedic Injuries: Protocols to Prevent and Manage Patient Falls

Health care organizations must adopt a culture of safety and implement effective fall prevention protocols. The teach-back method is a useful strategy for health providers to determine patient understanding of information taught to maintain a safe environment and prevent falls. PURPOSEful rounding is a proactive approach to ensure that patient assessments are accurate and research supports that patients use the call light less when nurses participate in hourly rounding. This article provides the reader with evidence-based fall prevention interventions, tips for using the teach-back method, and fall prevention tools to safely care for patients of all ages. Language: en
Left Gastric Artery Embolization to Treat Obesity: Rationale, Technique, Experimental, and Clinical Studies

The number of overweight and obese individuals has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, suggesting that current medical and surgical therapeutic options for the bariatric patient are limited. Ghrelin, a hormone primarily produced by the epithelium of the gastric fundus, is the only known appetite-stimulating hormone. Studies in animal models have shown that catheter-directed, trans-arterial embolization of the left gastric artery, which preferentially supplies the gastric fundus, can suppress ghrelin production and modulate body weight. Investigations into left gastric artery embolization as a mechanism for weight loss in patients are nascent. This chapter will briefly outline the gastrointestinal tract’s endocrine function in metabolic homeostasis, explain the rationale in targeting ghrelin to induce weight loss, describe the technical aspects of left gastric artery embolization, and review the studies evaluating the left gastric artery embolization as a means to treat obesity.
Adaptation and its discontents: Asian American cultural politics across platforms

The guest editors' introduction essay examines the relationship between Asian American Studies and Platform Studies. It summarizes how the collection's essays explore different platforms, including art, video gaming, and music, from the perspective of Asian American Studies.
Selecting LTE and Wireless Mesh Networks for Indoor/Outdoor Applications

The smart phone usage and multimedia devices have been increasing day by day and drastic increase of wireless technologies in these gadgets have been predicted for upcoming years. As data plans offered by the network service providers are expensive, users are inclined to utilize freely accessible and commonly available Wi-Fi networks indoors. LTE (Long Term Evolution) has been a topic of discussion in providing high data rates outdoors and various service providers are planning to roll out LTE networks all over the world. On the other hand, Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are becoming popular for their flexibility and low cost in both indoors and outdoors applications. The objective of this presentation is to compare usefulness of these two leading wireless schemes based on LTE and WMN and bring forward their advantages for indoor and outdoor environments. Both these networks are heterogeneous in nature, employ cognitive approach and support multi-hop communication. We also investigate to see if a hybrid LTE-WMN network may be feasible. The main motivation behind this work is to utilize similarities in these networks, explore their capability of offering high data rates and generally have large coverage areas. In this work, we compare both these networks in terms of their data rates, range, cost, throughput, and power consumption. We also compare 802.11n based WMN with Femto cell in an indoor coverage scenario; while for outdoors, 802.16 based WMN is compared with LTE. The main objective is to help users select a network that could provide enhanced performance in a cost effective manner.
'A Woman Will Fight as Primitively as Any Tiger in the Jungle': New York City Women in the Battle for Air Pollution Control, 1900-1966

Traces the prominent and relatively radical role of women in the various movements to control New York City's "smoke nuisance," later known as air pollution, from 1900 up to 1966 and the dawn of the new environmental movement of the late 1960s and 1970s. Includes the activities of early smoke-fighters Laura Cauble and Elizabeth Robinson, fights against railroad locomotive emissions, early automobile exhaust, and other chronic pollution sources, and the early history of New York City's Bureau of Smoke Control and Department of Air Pollution Control. The New York City women, in their determined battle against air pollution, were precursors of the anti-pollution wing of the environmental movement that came to dominate environmentalism during its formative period around 1970.
Ligand effects on hydrogen atom transfer from hydrocarbons to three-coordinate iron imides.

A new β-diketiminate ligand with 2,4,6-tri(phenyl)phenyl N-substituents provides protective bulk around the metal without exposing any weak C–H bonds. This ligand improves the stability of reactive iron(III) imido complexes with Fe═NAd and Fe═NMes functional groups (Ad = 1-adamantyl; Mes = mesityl). The new ligand gives iron(III) imido complexes that are significantly more reactive toward 1,4-cyclohexadiene than the previously reported 2,6-diisopropylphenyl diketiminate variants. Analysis of X-ray crystal structures implicates Fe═N–C bending, a longer Fe═N bond, and greater access to the metal as potential reasons for the increase in C–H bond activation rates.
Vorticity and Turbulence Properties of Microjet Arrays for Active Flow Control

Jet to crossflow velocity ratio and lateral jet-to-jet spacing are two important parameters which have a direct impact on separation control efficacy for fluidic jet in crossflow actuators (JICF). The influence these parameters have on the control of a separated flow field have been examined in this study. Two component Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and three component Stereo PIV techniques have been used to measure the global streamwise velocity field and cross plane velocity fields near the microjet injection location, respectively. Three microjet array configurations were evaluated; 6.25, 12.5, and 25 diameter jet-to-jet spacings. Jet velocity to crossflow velocity ratios of 2, 5, and 10 were examined at each array configuration. A highly adverse pressure gradient imposed on a flat plate provided a suitable flow field for examining actuator effectiveness (Reynolds number = 46,400 (1.47 m/s)). The smallest jet-to-jet spacing of 6.25d is characterized by high levels of Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) just downstream of injection accompanied by a rapid loss of coherent streamwise vortices. As the jet-to-jet spacing increases, mutual vortex interaction decreases and coherent streamwise vortices can be identified further downstream of injection. A drop in TKE levels is also seen as jet spacing increases due to decreased jet-to-jet interaction. Jet to velocity ratios of 2 and 10 are effective in drastically reducing or eliminating the separation bubble while a velocity ratio of 5 is the least effective. Two different mechanisms for boundary layer re-energization are seen; momentum transfer from large scale counter-rotating vortices (CVPs) and momentum flux through turbulent transport. Although both of these mechanisms are present for all blowing configurations, one is more dominant depending on the spatial actuator configuration or jet to crossflow velocity ratio.
Juvenile plantar dermatosis: the "wet and dry foot syndrome".

Juvenile plantar dermatosis is a distinctive symmetrical fissuring dermatosis that affects the weight-bearing surfaces of the forefeet in prepubertal children. Most patients are hyperhidrotic and some are atopic; none has fungal disease or relevant contact allergy. The thick stratum corneum of the affected areas cracks as a result of being alternately too wet and too dry. Cure can be effected by preventing rapid drying of the skin.
Troubles with assessments in gifting occasions

This article analyzes gift-exchange occasions as both a sequentially organized activity and as a ritual practice imbued with social and cultural meaning. Specifically, the article focuses on the role of assessments in gifting sequences, the distribution of assessments across participants, and some of the possible troubles which can arise in doing assessments of gifts based on discourse analysis of 44 gifting situations in one family’s 30 home videos spanning 13 years. I argue that participants encounter difficulties in the process of proffering assessments of gifts, and that such troubles revolve around the dilemma of constructing positive assessments as authentically given. The analysis discusses the organization of action in gifting occasions, outlines the expectations and dilemmas involved in doing assessments of gifts, and presents participants’ discursive practices for managing potential troubles in gift assessment.
The VaR model algorithm for open style fund investment risk

The measure of the open style fund investment risk with the investment income variance or the standard difference is a bigger malpractice, but using the VaR model analysis investment risk has the simple superiority of direct-viewing. The Hua'an Innovation Fund investment risk real diagnosis analysis indicated will help to estimate the fund investment risk with the VaR model to be allowed a more accurate estimation to assign the financial product or the combination in the future undulation of price. The way with the monetary unit to indicate losses has manifested direct-viewing and the uniform unification.
Power Combiner for High Power Cerenkov Devices

Two Cherenkov devices are effectively combined using a circular waveguide T-junction in a simulation study. The microwave sources are driven by the same high voltage pulser to prevent phase difference at the output of the power combiner. This passive power combiner not only combines the microwave power, but also outputs a Gaussian beam when a TM01 mode is used as the input. An efficient serpentine mode converter has been used as the basis of the power combiner design where the fields sum up at the common section of the two mode converters. A combined summation/conversion efficiency was $\sim 90$ % when the output power was more than 1.8 times the input power with a Gaussian output pattern. The combined microwave power was more than 600 MW at 10.2 GHz.