cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review: Monumentality in Etruscan and Early Roman Architecture: Ideology and Innovation by Michael L. Thomas and Gretchen E. Meyers, eds.

Michael L. Thomas and Gretchen E. Meyers, eds. Monumentality in Etruscan and Early Roman Architecture: Ideology and Innovation Austin: University of Texas Press, 2012, 184 pp., 58 b/w illus. $54.00 (cloth), ISBN 9780292738881 This volume is a collection of papers derived from a 2009 colloquium on Etruscan and early Roman monumentality organized to mark the retirement of Ingrid Edlund-Berry from the University of Texas at Austin. Monumentality was a central theme in both Etruscan and early Roman architecture, and the origins of this commitment to colossal scale, as well as its related decoration, symbolic meanings, and necessary technologies, is a topic that lies at the foundation of the development of later Roman architecture. The subject of monumentality is not purely tectonic in nature; as Bruce Trigger has argued, the universality of monumentalism in the architecture of complex societies can be understood through its enduring reflection of power over materials, specialized skills, and mass labor by patron elites.1 The most successful contributions to Monumentality in Etruscan and Early Roman Architecture address this relationship between architecture and its social and political structures. Gretchen E. Meyers sets out the parameters of the volume in an introduction titled “The Experience of Monumentality in Etruscan and Early Roman Architecture.” Since the topics of the essays are quite varied, this introduction outlines a necessary structure and sets forth a coherent theme for the volume. Meyers argues that despite the disparate topics, similarities across chapters can be found in the “means” through which architecture conveyed messages in the Etruscan and early Roman period. Although the essays are arranged chronologically, it is this structure of means—durability, visibility, and commemoration—that the editors use to unify the volume. While clear in its intent, the structure is, on more than one occasion, strained by essays that only secondarily address either monumentality or even architecture. One of the most valuable contributions of Meyers’s introduction is a clear definition of monumentality. This provides an important foundation for the volume, since the terms monumentality and monumental …
The use of free-space optical links for CATV applications

Free-space optics (FSO) is a technology that uses modulated laser beams to implement point-to-point communications links without optical waveguides. In many cases, FSO technology can be deployed in metropolitan areas at costs lower than required to install new optical fiber infrastructure. To date, the primary concentration of FSO research and development has been toward the transmission of digital signals, particularly for "last mile" applications. This paper investigates the use of FSO technology for the simultaneous transport of multiple radio frequency (RF) signals over a single FSO channel. Experimental measurements of transmission response and dynamic range, over the frequency range 46-870 MHz, indicate the suitability of FSO links for cable television (CATV) applications.
Reading Ricci : Whitening Discrimination, Racing Test Fairness

This Article posits that the Supreme Court's decision in Ricci v. DeStefano does not evaluate all claims of discrimination on a level playing field but rather "whitens" discrimination and "races" test fairness. The authors explicate how Ricci whitens discrimination by reframing antidiscrimination law's presumptions and burdens to focus on disparate treatment of whites as the paradigmatic and ultimately preferred claim; Ricci races test fairness by finding that efforts to use of job-related assessment tools that correct racial imbalance and better measure merit constitute racially disparate treatment of whites. Under Ricci all forms of racial attentivenes - like attending to the racial impact of promotional exams - become racial discrimination. This conflation derives in part from the application of the colorblindness/race-consciousness dyad, which obscures the more finely grained distinctions between racial attentiveness and inattentiveness that better parse the question of whether, in a given circumstance, taking account of race constitutes race discrimination. Contrary to Ricci's presumptions, not all racially attentive conduct is discriminatory; nor is all racially inattentive conduct nondiscriminatory. Secondly, while Ricci was framed as a reverse discrimination case, the authors evaluate it as a disparate impact claim using empirical analysis to examine the promotional lists at the heart of the Ricci lawsuit and to assess the effect of the City's failure to comply with accepted professional standards for proper test design and test use on Black and Latino firefighters and white firefighters who were not part of the Ricci plaintiff class. From this vantage point, New Haven's exams did not identify the most qualified candidates but instead unfairly and unncessarily reproduced the fire department's racially skewed status quo. Nevertheless, in Ricci, the City's efforts to ameliorate this racial imbalance were themselves treated as attempts to racially rig results, exemplifying how the pursuit of fair testing was raced. The Article concludes by evaluating proposals geared towards rectifying Ricci's dilution of Title VII disparate impact law, situating these alternatives in the broader context of the agenda to prevent the conversion of antidiscrimination law into discrimination itself.
Exploring the Products from Pinewood Pyrolysis in Three Different Reactor Systems

The product yields and selectivity from fast pyrolysis of biomass are highly dependent upon the physicochemical properties of the biomass feedstock and the process conditions. The objective of this study was to compare the product yields and selectivity from fast pyrolysis of pinewood using three different reactors systems typically used in research laboratory settings for studying biomass pyrolysis: a micropyrolyzer coupled to a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry system, a batch tubular reactor, and a fluidized-bed (FB) continuous reactor. The pyrolysis of pinewood using the three reactors gave different bio-oil yields, altered the amounts and compositions of the non-condensable gases, and gave rise to variations in the amount and types of chemicals in bio-oil produced. The variability in residence times of the three reactors and mechanical factors within the FB reactor altered the degree of secondary reactions of the primary pyrolysis vapor, leading to the observed changes in composition. Lower yields...
Bandwidth effects on third harmonic frequency conversion and beam smoothing on the Nova laser

Over the past few years, optical smoothing of the laser irradiance on targets for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) has been given increasing attention.1–3 Wavefront aberrations in high power laser systems for ICF produce nonuniformities in tire energy distribution of the focal spot that can significantly degrade the coupling of energy into fusion targets, driving various hydrodynamic and plasma instabilities. The introduction of temporal and spatial incoherence over the face of the beam using smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) reduces these irradiance variations when averaged over a finite time interval.2,3 This paper describes recent experiments on Nova that demonstrate our ability to generate significant bandwidth (>50 cm−1) and smoothing at 351 nm with a statistical bandwidth source. These results are compared with smoothing obtained on Nova using an RF-modulated bandwidth source.
Study Abroad in Africa: Learning about Race, Racism, and the Racial Legacy of America

In 1998, the American Association of Colleges and Universities raised the question of what higher education could do to prepare graduates to address “the legacies of racism and the opportunities for racial reconciliation in the United States.” One of the most powerful and pedagogically rich approaches to facilitate learning about race, racial identity, and the impact of racism in America today is study abroad in Africa. With a history that includes dynasties and empires; the capture and enslavement of Africans and the transatlantic slave trade; and the structures of colonialism, neocolonialism, and apartheid (which have often been conceptualized as parallel to the institutionalized racism of America), the continent of Africa can be a wonderful classroom for this type of learning. This is particularly the case when the location of study is West Africa, by most accounts where the majority of people of African descent living in the United States have ancestral ties. Visits to and interactions around the monuments to and symbols and physical remnants of the complex historical relationships between Europeans and Africans can be a catalyst for stimulating challenging but ultimately rewarding discussions and growth with regard to issues of race and racism.
Abstract TP274: Inactivation of Serpinf2 Saves Lives, Prevents Disability and Hemorrhage in Experimental Thromboembolic Ischemic Stroke

More than 15 million individuals suffer ischemic stroke each year. High levels of serpinf2 (Sf2, a2-plasmin inhibitor, a2-antiplasmin) have been identified as a potential risk factor for human ischemic stroke. Methods: We examined the integrated effects of sf2 in a thromboembolic MCA stroke model with translational relevance to human disease. Using a blinded observer, neuronal cell death was quantified by TTC staining; hemorrhage and brain swelling were determined by planimetry. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess apoptosis, matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression and breakdown of the blood brain barrier. Results: Increasing the levels of sf2 caused larger infarctions by comparison to control mice (51% larger, p 12 hrs.) showed that sf2-i reduced stroke infarct size by comparison to control mice or TPA treated mice (p Conclusions: Sf2 significantly enhances brain injury in ischemic stroke. Since inactivation of Sf2 prevents disability, hemorrhage and death it may prove to be a safe and effective strategy for treating acute ischemic stroke.
13C and 63,65Cu ENDOR studies of CO Dehydrogenase from Oligotropha carboxidovorans. Experimental Evidence in Support of a Copper–Carbonyl Intermediate

We report here an ENDOR study of an S = 1/2 intermediate state trapped during reduction of the binuclear Mo/Cu enzyme CO dehydrogenase by CO. ENDOR spectra of this state confirm that the 63,65Cu nuclei exhibits strong and almost entirely isotropic coupling to the unpaired electron, show that this coupling atypically has a positive sign, aiso = +148 MHz, and indicate an apparently undetectably small quadrupolar coupling. When the intermediate is generated using 13CO, coupling to the 13C is observed, with aiso = +17.3 MHz. A comparison with the couplings seen in related, structurally assigned Mo(V) species from xanthine oxidase, in conjunction with complementary computational studies, leads us to conclude that the intermediate contains a partially reduced Mo(V)/Cu(I) center with CO bound at the copper. Our results provide strong experimental support for a reaction mechanism that proceeds from a comparable complex of CO with fully oxidized Mo(VI)/Cu(I) enzyme.
Heterogeneous Nucleation of Calcium Oxalate by Seeds of Monosodium Urate

SummarySeeds of monosodium urate caused heterogeneous nucleation of calcium oxalate at pH 5.7 and 6.7, and of calcium phosphate at pH 5.3, 5.7, and 6.7 from metastably supersaturated solutions in vitro. Seeds of uric acid had a small or no effect. The results could account for the formation of calcium stones among patients with hyperuricosuria and normocalciuria.This work was supported by a Grant from the USPHS (R01-AM16061) and by a Grant from Burroughs-Wellcome Co.
TIME-ACCURATE COMPUTATIONS FOR RAPID GENERATION OF MISSILE AERODYNAMICS

*‡ This paper describes a computational research study undertaken to develop new alternate computational fluid dynamics methodology for determination of aerodynamic coefficients accurately and efficiently. A new time-accurate sweep procedure has been used to compute the aerodynamics of complex projectile configurations. Given a steady-state solution, this technique can be used to generate multiple time-accurate numerical solutions over a select range of angles of attack or side-slip angles for a given set of flight parameters. The sweep procedure has been used to compute solutions for an elliptic missile at a supersonic speed and also a low transonic speed, for angle of attack and side-slip sweeps. Separate steady-state solutions for various angles of attack and side-slip angles were also computed for comparison. Finite-volume unstructured Navier-Stokes computational techniques are used, including a two-equation Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence model. Visualization of the numerical solutions provides the qualitative features of the flow field with the projectile at various angles of incidence. Aerodynamic coefficients were extracted from the computed solutions, with good agreement between the steady-state and sweep solutions. The results of this study show that the time-accurate sweep procedure can provide aerodynamic coefficients efficiently and accurately.
Endovascular approaches to the ascending aorta are right around the corner.

Endovascular technology has revolutionized the surgical management for patients with descending thoracic aortic pathology.Overthelastdecade,therehasbeengrowinginterest in applying these technologies to treat various pathologies of the aortic arch and ascending aorta, primarily acute type A aortic dissection and ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm (AAP) (Figure 1). Several technical challenges remain, however. These include the complex anatomy of the aortic root; the close spatial relationships among the aortic root,
Recompiling Utility Functions in a Changing World.

Our previous work considers a method for building a numeric utility function out of qualitative ceteris paribus preferences, or preferences other things held equal. Dynamic domains embody changes in preferences. This can come in many forms. The preferences themselves may change, the variables over which preferences are expressed may change, or the forms of utility independence that hold in the domain may change. We consider the consequences for each type of change to our system, and conclude that inherent ambiguities in our representation allow for simpler handling of change than might otherwise be the case. Decision Support and Preference While classical decision theory can appear too limited or too rigorous to support decision-making in dynamic domains and under changing conditions, many decision-theoretic formalisms have great conceptual benefit. Researchers in artificial intelligence have made several formulations of qualitative decision theory (Wellman & Doyle 1991; Tan & Pearl 1994; Boutilier et al. 1999), applicable in domains where accurate probabilities and time consuming preference elicitation techniques are either unavailable or undesirable. Such qualitative preference formulations allow decision makers to make natural statements, representing user’s intuitions about the decision space and easing the preference elicitation task. Including qualitative preferences in decision support systems allows personalization. Decision support systems that aim to help more than one decision maker need a way to represent the differences between different users. The most direct method is to represent their preferences. By preferences we mean the desires, tastes, and priorities that a person has, and that furthermore differ from person to person, causing two different people faced with the same decision to make different choices. Ceteris Paribus Preferences in Dynamic
Perinatal mortality in Oklahoma.

OBJECTIVE To identify areas of need in Oklahoma's perinatal care system by analysis of trends in perinatal mortality from 1939 through 1991. DATA Derived from birth certificates and annual tabulation published by the Maternal Child Health Division, Oklahoma State Department of Health. RESULTS Every measure of perinatal mortality has declined in the period studied. CONCLUSIONS (1) Oklahoma's perinatal mortality rate is declining. (2) Preventable deaths still occur. (3) Programs are in place to appropriately deal with the problems that lead to preventable deaths. (4) These programs must be allowed to continue or expand their efforts to further reduce preventable perinatal death.
Modifications in operating-table design for urologic microsurgery.

SUMMARY Microsurgery, especially on an outpatient basis, is a growing part of urologic practice. A commercial table that matches the exacting requirements of urologic microsurgeons does not exist. We have developed a simple and inexpensive design that can be fabricated easily by a hospital workshop. Notable features include removable arm rests, table indentations, and an x-ray carriage assembly. The table is easy to maintain, transport, and store. Comfort and easy access to the operative field improve the surgeon's performance and ultimately translate into better operative results.
Use of a Clinical Outcomes Database: A Resource for Health Services Research

Comparative effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes are two popular areas of study within health services research. This article will discuss the use of a clinical outcomes database us...
Methods of Recognizing Cultural Activity from Pollen in Archaeological Sites

ABSTRACTRecognizing cultural activity in the archaeological pollen record starts with identifying normal animal and wind mechanisms of transport. The anthropogenic factor can be separated from them by considering morphological, experimental, ethnographic, environmental, and archaeological evidence. Since no single source of evidence reliably indicates that pollen deposition results from human activity, all must be evaluated to derive a conclusion.
Dyspnoe due to exercise-induced dysfunctional breathing – Frequent entity in adolescents but poorly understood?

Background: Exercise-induced dyspnoe is a frequent clinical problem in adolescents. Underlying conditions include exercise induced asthma (EIA), cardiovascular or pulmonary disease, poor fitness, hyperventilation (HV) and vocal cord dysfunction (VCD). However a significant proportion of symptomatic adolescents do not fit in these categories but show symptoms of dysfunctional breathing (DB) limiting physical activity. The aim of this study is to characterize exercise induced DB other than VCD and HV. Methods: Patients with exercise induced dyspnoe with organic disease having been ruled out were tested by exercise testing with simultaneous measurement of oxygen saturation, blood gas analyses, physician9s observation of breathing pattern and noises, and subsequent repetitive bodyplethysmography to exclude EIA. Results: In a set of 59 adolescents with exercise induced DB entities 45 patients showed DB not fulfilling criteria of VCD and HV. All but 2 patients were 12 years or older. Frequently there is a competitive sport history. Typically dyspnoe is accompanied by significant lactate acidosis and reduced oxygen saturation as in exercise induced arterial hypoxaemia (EIAH). Patients show a typical breathing pattern, and usually show good response to physiotherapy aiming at modification of breathing pattern. Conclusion: The awareness of exercise-induced DB is crucial to deliver appropriate treatment to patients, and to enable symptomatic adolescents to continue their sports. Further investigations are needed to understand its pathophysiology.
Making the Class

I taught my first writing class in 1986, between my third and last year of college. I came to teach the class by accident. I’d been hired as a peer counselor for an Educational Opportunity Program Summer Program at the college I attended. Newly enrolled students attended for four weeks before starting school in September.
Single Knock-In PML-RARα Expressing Murine APL Tumors Provide a Unique Model for Studying In Vivo Sensitivity and Resistance to ATRA and Arsenic Trioxide.

Although approximately 70% of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) are cured after treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracycline based chemotherapy, those who relapse cannot be cured even with chemotherapy or arsenic trioxide salvage therapy. In order to study the molecular mechanisms of resistance to ATRA, liposomal ATRA, and arsenic trioxide, we have utilized a murine model of APL generated by “knocking in” the PML/RARα gene into the murine cathepsin G locus (Westervelt et al. Blood . 102(5):1857). Of the 76 single knock-in (SKI) mice followed for a median time of 368 days, 30 (39%) suffered from rapid-onset leukocytosis, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hepato-splenomegaly. Spleens from these leukemic animals were removed and the tumors cells (> 90% CD34+/Gr-1+ APL cells) were frozen in aliquots and banked for future passive transfer into genetically compatible recipients. The SKI mice exhibited the expected median time to death of 222 days. Attempts to expand these tumors in vitro failed, thus precluding the use of in vitro methods to generate ATRA and arsenic resistant SKI APL tumor cells. An alternate in vitro model of identifying de novo resistant SKI APL tumors to the drugs was established by incubating individual SKI APL tumors with ATRA, liposomal ATRA, and arsenic in vitro for only 3 days and using ELISA to measure upregulation of MMP-9 (gelatinase B), a surrogate marker for neutrophil differentiation. ATRA, liposomal ATRA, and arsenic induced 6.2 ± 4.4, 5.7 ± 3.5, 1.7 ± 1.0 fold increase in accumulated levels of MMP-9, respectively. These data suggest that ATRA and liposomal ATRA are more potent inducers of terminal differentiation than arsenic in these APL tumors. More importantly, the SKI APL tumors were also assessed for in vivo resistance to these agents by injecting 1 x 106 banked APL tumor cells into the peritoneal cavity of wild-type genetically compatible mice. The mice were then treated i.p. with either arsenic trioxide (0.4 mg q.d.), liposomal ATRA (0.4 mg q.d.), or diluent control. Doses were administered daily starting on day +5 until death. Tumors in the recipient mice were tracked by PCR for the transgene and FACS. The tumors proliferated in the peritoneal cavity (days 1–14) followed by migration to the bone marrow and spleen (days 14–28). By the eighth week post-injection, all mice suffered from leukocytosis and eventually died. Of the 22 banked tumors studied, only two tumors showed de novo resistance to ATRA both in vitro and in vivo . We will present data on preliminary RNA profiling and DNA sequencing of the PML-RARα transgenes in these APL tumors and attempt to correlate these results and the results of in vitro induction of MMP-9. The SKI APL tumors will provide us with unique reagents to study the biology of resistance to ATRA and arsenic trioxide.
Targeting HMGcoA reductase for prevention of MYC expressing lymphoma.

C181 The best therapeutic targets for cancer may not be the immediate molecular underpinnings of tumorigenesis, but key nodal proteins of multiple signaling pathways required in metabolic pathways for tumor maintainance. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase is a critical enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, required for the synthesis of several important bioactive compounds in cells. Here we define a phosphoproteomic profile in which the specific inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase is sufficient to not only reverse, but also prevent MYC induced tumor development in a defined model of oncogenesis. As one example, atorvastatin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in tumor cells by inactivating the MYC oncogene through multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of Ras, ERK1/2 and the resulting prevention of MYC phosphorylation. The phospho-profile initiated by these events could be largely reversed by a downstream product of HMG-CoA, suggesting this profile initiates sensing of a metabolic catastrophe, leading to cell death. In addition, RNAi directed at HMG-CoA reductase was alone sufficient to abrogate the neoplastic properties of MYC induced tumors. Thus, HMG-CoA reductase appears to be a key protein required for both tumor initiation and maintenance of tumors induced through enactment of a phospho-protein signaling profile leading to MYC overexpression. Statins as inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, constitute a new class of agents that, by disrupting signaling networks prevent and reverse tumorigenesis, induced by MYC activation.
Chemotaxis-driven disease-site targeting of therapeutic adult stem cells in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), a rare genodermatosis, is characterized by the formation of intra-epidermal blistering and the development of chronic nonhealing skin wounds. Recently, attempts have been made to develop cell-based therapies for this currently intractable disorder. The molecular mechanisms that govern directional migration of the adult stem cells, allowing their efficient and controlled homing to the skin affected with DEB, are poorly understood. The key mechanism that regulates recruitment of leukocytes and progenitor stem cells to distal anatomical tissues affected with disease is chemotaxis, which depends on the signaling molecules, chemokines, and acts primarily as part of the host defense and repair mechanism. Comprehensive proteomic screening of chemokines in the blister fluids of DEB-affected mice was conducted to define the inflammatory and immune activities, thus providing potential to examine local biological mechanisms and define the protein signature within lesional skin as a potential marker of disease activity. Also, the therapeutic relevance of identified chemotactic pathways was investigated in vivo, providing a basis for future clinical investigations. Assessment of blister fluid-derived chemokines showed a persistent presence of several chemotactic molecules, including CXCL1 + 2 and CXCL5. The majority of blister-originated chemotactic signals were associated with preferential recruitment of CD45+CXCR2+ and CD11b+CXCR2+ leukocytes. Systemic transplantation of an enriched CXCR2 population of mouse adipose-derived stem cells (mADSC) into DEB-affected mice demonstrated effective recruitment of cells to the blistering skin under the influence of blister-derived ligands and deposition of therapeutic type VII collagen. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that recruitment of mADSC into DEB skin is tightly controlled by disease-site chemotactic activities and suggest a potential mechanism for effective application of therapeutic stem cells for DEB.
Inequality and Majorization : Robin Hood in Unexpected Places:

The Lorenz order and its mathematical cousin majorization, best understood as natural consequences of accepting as axiomatic the belief that Robin Hood's activities in robbing the rich to give to t...
A Four-Quadrant Modulation Technique to Extend Modulation Index Range for Multilevel Selective Harmonic Elimination/Compensation Using Staircase Waveforms

One critical drawback of staircase multilevel selective harmonic elimination and compensation is that the modulation index range is very narrow. As a result, its application is limited. This paper presents a technique to transform the transcendental equations to geometry-based voltage phasor diagrams to explore the reason for the limited solution range and proposes a four-quadrant modulation technique to extend the modulation index range. Moreover, this paper investigates the inductor design considering both compensation capacity and undesired harmonic injection. Finally, the simulation and experimental results verify that the proposed modulation technique can greatly extend the modulation index range so it can be implemented in a wide range of applications.
Pressure-dependent terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We implemented pressure-dependent terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. Compared with traditional far-IR spectroscopy with a diamond anvil cell, we can measure at much lower frequencies, down to 0.1 THz, giving us access to many interesting dynamics. The pressure tuning range is from room pressure to 5 kpsi, while the temperature tuning range is from 77 to 473 K. With this large range of tuning parameters, we are able to map out phase diagrams of materials based on their THz spectrum. Pressure-dependent THz-TDS results for R-camphor are shown as an example.
Low Switching Frequency-Based Predictive Control of a Grid-Connected Voltage-Sourced Converter

This paper proposes a model predictive direct power control (MPDPC) approach with reduced switching frequency for grid-connected voltage-sourced converters (VSC). This approach is proposed for both a real/reactive power controller (with a fixed input voltage) and a power port controller (with a variable input voltage). It uses two different cost functions: one for the steady state and one for transients. Utilizing these two cost functions leads to having a low switching frequency in the steady state and a fast response during transients. The proposed MPDPC also provides overcurrent protection of the VSC. In applying the proposed MPDPC to a power port, drawbacks of conventional voltage controllers are addressed by employing power estimation and set point modulation in the controller. Simulation and experimental results validate the proposed MPDPC and the voltage controller.
High-Dose Cytoxan, Etoposide, and Cisplatin Followed by Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Hodgkin Lymphoma: A 20-Year Single-Institutional Experience.

Abstract Since 1988 we have treated 66 patients with relapsed, refractory, or high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma (HD) with high-dose CEP consisting of cyclophosphamide 1,500 mg/m2/day × 4 (total dose, 6,000 mg/m2), etoposide 400 mg/m2 twice daily × 6 doses (total dose, 2,400 mg/m2), and cisplatin 50 mg/m2/day × 3 by continuous i.v. infusion (total dose 150 mg/m2) followed by infusion of autologous peripheral blood stem cells (n=49), bone marrow (n=16), or both (n=1). The patient population included 41 males and 25 females. The median age at transplant was 33 years (range, 17–64 years). Twenty-three patients (35%) had never achieved complete remission prior to transplant, 36 (55%) had previously achieved a complete remission but subsequently relapsed, and 3 (5%) were in first complete remission. Information regarding the disease status at transplant was unavailable for 4 patients (6%). Twenty-seven patients (41%) remain alive and free of any post-transplant relapse or progression as of the most recent follow-up, and an additional 10 patients (15%) manifested active disease post-transplant but are currently in remission following additional post-transplant therapy, yielding a total of 37 patients (56%) currently in CR. In addition, 5 patients (8%) remain alive with active disease, 23 patients (35%) died of progressive disease, and only 2 patients (3%) died of treatment-related causes including diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (1 patient) and hepatic veno-occlussive disease (1 patient). With a median follow-up of 4.4 years among surviving patients, the Kaplan-Meier 5-year estimates for event-free survival and overall survival are 34% and 60%, respectively, and five-year survival was superior among patients who had achieved at least one CR prior to transplant versus patients who had never been in CR prior to transplant (71% versus 43%, p = 0.03). Detailed adverse events data is available regarding all patients transplanted since September 1996: Of these, only 3 (7%) suffered grade 3 or greater pulmonary toxicity, 12 (29%) exhibited grade 3 or higher mucositis, and 10 (24%) had grade 3 or higher nausea or vomiting. The median number of days from transplant to neutrophil recovery (500 cells/uL) was 10 days, whereas the median number of days to platelet recovery (20,000 cells/uL) was 12 days. We conclude that high- dose CEP followed by autologous transplant is an active and well-tolerated treatment program in patients with relapsed or refractory HD. The low incidence of pulmonary toxicity is noteworthy given that a high percentage of patients had been exposed to bleomycin and/or thoracic XRT prior to transplant, and appears to be superior to that reported with conventional CBV-conditioned transplants in patients with HD.
Cetacean Morbillivirus in Odontocetes Stranded along the Central California Coast, USA, 2000–15

Abstract Effects of cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) on dolphins vary from causing epidemics to subclinical infections. The former have been documented in the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea but not in the North Pacific Ocean, and the reasons for this are unknown. To explore the distribution of this virus in areas that have not experienced epidemics, we reviewed evidence for morbilliviral infection in odontocetes stranded along the California coast, US from 2000–15. Nine of 212 animals examined histologically had lesions compatible with morbilliviral infection, and 11 were tested for CeMV via reverse transcriptase-PCR. One striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) was PCR positive, and the sequenced product was most closely related to sequences in two strains found in cetaceans in Hawaii. This study suggests that CeMV may be a cause of morbidity and a rare contributor to mortality in cetaceans stranding along the California coast. Additional work is needed to understand CeMV distribution and host sp...
Re-measurement of the 33 S(α ,p ) 36 Cl cross section for early solar system nuclide enrichment

Short-lived radionuclides (SLRs) with half-lives less than 100 Myr are known to have existed around the time of the formation of the solar system around 4.5 billion years ago. Understanding the production sources for SLRs is important for improving our understanding of processes taking place just after solar system formation as well as their timescales. Early solar system models rely heavily on calculations from nuclear theory due to a lack of experimental data for the nuclear reactions taking place. In 2013, Bowers et al. measured $^{36}\mathrm{Cl}$ production cross sections via the $^{33}\mathrm{S}$($\ensuremath{\alpha},p$) reaction and reported cross sections that were systematically higher than predicted by Hauser-Feshbach codes. Soon after, a paper by Peter Mohr highlighted the challenges the new data would pose to current nuclear theory if verified. The $^{33}\mathrm{S}(\ensuremath{\alpha},p)^{36}\mathrm{Cl}$ reaction was re-measured at five energies between 0.78 MeV/nucleon and 1.52 MeV/nucleon, in the same range as measured by Bowers et al., and found systematically lower cross sections than originally reported, with the new results in good agreement with the Hauser-Feshbach code talys. Loss of Cl carrier in chemical extraction and errors in determination of reaction energy ranges are both possible explanations for artificially inflated cross sections measured in the previous work.
Improving Seeding Success on Cheatgrass-Infested Rangelands in Northern Nevada

On the Ground Cheatgrass has transformed secondary succession in arid sagebrush plant communities in the Great Basin by providing a fine-textured, early maturing fuel that increases the chance, rate, spread, and season of wildfires. The best known method to suppress cheatgrass densities and associated fuels is through the establishment of perennial grasses. Crested wheatgrass plots seeded the first fall following the wildfire (2006) averaged an establishment of 9.6 plants/m2 compared with plots seeded the second fall at 3.9 plants/m2. Native perennial species bluegrass and squirreltail experienced high failure rates. Over the 2-year study, un-disced cheatgrass plots averaged more than 1,350 cheatgrass seeds/m2, while plots receiving our April/May discing application averaged fewer than 250 cheatgrass seeds/m2, an 82% reduction in cheatgrass seed bank densities, which significantly improved seeded species establishment. The use of soil-active herbicides, Imazapic (Plateau) and Sulfometuron methyl (Landmark...
Bladder Management in Women

Traditionally, there have been few method options for urinary bladder management in women after spinal cord injury. The lack of a satisfactory urinary collection device has imposed long-term indwelling catheterization for many. The emergence of new techniques to manipulate bladder function surgically and pharmacologically has changed these practices. Today’s spinal cord-injured woman has a choice in determining what method of bladder management to pursue, based on living environment, lifestyle, level of injury, and time since injury.
A Healing Black Power Narrative: Who Is Erna Brodber?

Perhaps because Erna Brodber was born in 1940 in Woodside, St. Mary on the island of Jamaica with a long and lustrous history of maroonage and tallawah spirit; Perhaps because she was reared in a family of activists who knew that a cohesive community with energetic members led to development and community spirit;
Solving the Problem of Nearly Convergent Knowledge

ABSTRACTThe Problem of Nearly Convergent Knowledge is an updated and stronger version of the Problem of Convergent Knowledge, which presents a problem for the traditional, binary view of knowledge in which knowledge is a two-place relation between a subject and the known proposition. The problem supports Knowledge Contrastivism, the view that knowledge is a three-place relation between a subject, the known proposition, and a proposition that disjoins the alternatives relevant to what the subject knows. For example, if knowledge is contrastive, I do not simply know that the bird in front of me is a goldfinch; instead, I know that the bird in front of me is a goldfinch rather than a raven or eagle or falcon. There is, however, a binary view of knowledge that overcomes even the Problem of Nearly Convergent Knowledge. I will give this binary view, show that it is motivated by the same considerations that motivate Knowledge Contrastivism, and argue that it avoids problematic consequences for our epistemic live...
When George Clooney Is Not George Clooney: Using GenAttack to Deceive Amazon’s and Naver’s Celebrity Recognition APIs

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in detecting and recognizing contents of images using Deep Neural Networks (DNNs). As a result, many companies offer image recognition APIs for use in diverse applications. However, image classification algorithms trained with DNNs can misclassify adversarial examples, posing a significant threat to critical applications. In this work, we present a novel way to generate adversarial example images using an evolutionary genetic algorithm (GA). Our algorithm builds adversarial images by iteratively adding noise to the original images. Unlike DNN based adversarial example generations by other researchers, our approach does not require GPU resources and access to the target DNNs’ parameters. We design, GenAttack, a simple yet powerful attack algorithm to create adversarial examples using complex celebrity images and evaluate those with real-world celebrity recognition APIs from Amazon and Naver. With our attack, we successfully deceive Amazon’s and Naver’s APIs with a success probability of 86.6% and 100%, respectively. Our work demonstrates the practicability of generating adversarial examples and successfully fooling the state-of-the-art commercial image recognition systems.
Pentacoordinated and hexacoordinated silicon cations in a potassium silicate glass: Effects of pressure and temperature

Abstract Silicon cations with five or six oxygen first neighbors (SiO5 and SiO6, pentacoordinated and hexacoordinated) are known primarily from alkali and alkaline earth silicate glasses melted at pressures up to about 12 GPa, where their formation is thought to be an important part of the densification of the liquid. These species, especially SiO5 groups, have also been proposed as high-energy intermediate structures in the bond-swapping that controls network cation and anion diffusion, and hence viscous transport, in high temperature, silica-rich melts, as well as in low-temperature liquid-state silicate reactions, and have thus been the subject of numerous recent theoretical studies. In spite of this interest, the amount of experimental data on controls of pressure, temperature, and composition on concentrations of penta- and hexacoordinated silicon is very limited. Here we report new results from 29Si MAS NMR on high pressure glasses with the model composition K2Si4O9, which show that because of transient pressure drop during quench, previous studies probably significantly underestimated SiO5 and SiO6 concentrations. In addition, we refine the earlier results on SiO5 even in 1 bar glasses, and demonstrate a strong increase in its concentration at higher fictive temperature. A positive enthalpy for the reaction forming this species is consistent with its role as an energetically important transition complex in melt dynamics.
Specificity of a rodent alpha(α)6 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit antibody.

Alpha(α)6-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been implicated in nicotine reward and reinforcement. To date, a commercially available, validated α6 nAChR subunit antibody has not been reported. To evaluate a commercially available neuronal α6 nAChR subunit antibody we performed quantitative western blots on protein from the ventral tegmental area of wild type Sprague Dawley rats. As a first approach to determine the specificity of the antibody, we used a control antigen to block the α6 antibody from binding. Next, we tested the antibody in brain tissue of wild type and α6 knockout (KO) C57BL/6J mice. The α6 antibody was present at a higher than expected molecular weight (63 versus 57 kDa) and the control antigen blocked the α6 antibody, suggesting specificity. However, when we genetically validated the antibody, bands were present in both α6 KO mice and C57BL/6J samples. Taken together, our study highlights the necessity to genetically validate antibodies when possible and we report that a commercially available α6 nAChR subunit antibody is non-specific.
Contextualization Models for Community College Reading and Study Strategies: An Integrative Literature Review

In recent years, contextualization has emerged as a buzzword in higher education, and, in community college developmental education contexts in particular. However, it is important to note that con...
Advancing Pharm. D. Training in Egypt through a Structured Preceptor Development Program

The Children's Cancer Hospital of Egypt (CCHE) and the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) collaborate to offer a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree to international pharmacists holding a bachelor's degree in pharmacy. The experiential training is provided by CCHE's clinical pharmacist preceptors at CCHE. Clinical pharmacists at CCHE had prior experience precepting baccalaureate pharmacy students, but not Pharm.D. students when this program commenced. Therefore, the SSPPS faculty provided a live preceptor development program for select CCHE clinical pharmacists in 2017. Primary deliverables of the program included the preparation of individual preceptor development plans and experiential syllabi for program participants. Preceptor development plans and experiential syllabi were evaluated by the SSPPS faculty. Program participants were also evaluated on their assessment of learner case scenarios using introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) assessment tools created for the CCHE program. Participant performance on submitted preceptor development plans and experiential syllabi, and performance on the learner cases were all utilized for participant selection as Pharm.D. preceptors in the CCHE Pharm.D. program. This paper describes this preceptor development program, the process utilized to determine selection of Pharm.D. preceptors, and plans for providing continuing preceptor development for preceptors at CCHE.
The Mathematics of Associationism in Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy

This chapter examines Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy (1759–1767) in light of probability’s formalization and math’s migration to the world of literature and associationism, the dominant theory of British psychology in the eighteenth century. The confluence of math and literature reinforced the eighteenth-century tendency to view literature as a mediating device for correcting personal associations and moral feelings. Sterne rejects the associationist position that human ideas, subject as they are to chance, ought to reflect perfectly nature’s geometrical regularity. Nevertheless, he reintroduces a level of certainty into human “trains of thought” by asking readers to solve impossible equations. For Sterne, it is the certainty introduced by probability in the act of reading that places a limit on thought, ultimately making room for new feelings.
Long-term Management of Panuveitis and Choroidal Mass Associated with Rosai Dorfman Disease with Pegylated Interferon.

Purpose: To present a patient with Rosai-Dorfman Disease (RDD), a histiocytic proliferative disorder typified by lymphadenopathy with rare ocular manifestations, who developed panuveitis that responded to pegylated interferon.Methods: Descriptive case report of a patient with RDD with multi-organ involvement including ocular manifestations including bilateral panuveitis with choroidal masses.Results: A 54-year-old African American woman with known systemic RDD of the breast, lung, and gastrointestinal tract presented with panuveitis with choroidal masses in both eyes. Her systemic and ocular disease initially responded well to oral and topical steroid therapy. Later, however, her systemic disease progressed with multiple muscular and bony lesions. Systemic therapy was switched to pegylated interferon, a cytokine with antiviral, antitumor and immunomodulatory activity. After 14 months of therapy with pegylated interferon, the patient's systemic and ocular disease stabilized.Conclusion: Rosai-Dorfman disease may be complicated by panuveitis and choroidal masses that may respond to pegylated interferon with stabilization of systemic and ocular manifestations. A multi-disciplinary approach is essential given the unique diagnostic and management challenges of RDD.
Phytophthora species repeatedly introduced in Northern California through restoration projects can spread into adjacent sites

This study investigates whether Phytophthora species may have been repeatedly introduced in natural habitats through restoration projects. Six plant species across five research locations in three counties within the San Francisco Bay Area were tested for pathogen infection of stems, roots and for rhizosphere infestation at failing restoration sites. Where possible, the same hosts were evaluated in one neighboring un-restored site disturbed by the presence of culverts, drainages or trails that also intersected the restoration site, and in a naturally regenerated and undisturbed control site. Although native or endemic pathogens were isolated from all three types of sites, Phytophthora species were never isolated from control undisturbed sites. Statistical analyses confirmed that percentage of positive Phytophthora isolations was significantly higher in restoration sites and adjoining disturbed sites than in control sites. Presence of Phytophthora species was correlated with disease symptoms, plant death and lack of regeneration. Furthermore, six of eight Phytophthora species isolated in the field had previously been reported from plant production facilities providing stock for habitat restoration. To our knowledge, this is the first controlled survey linking the presence of entire Phytophthora species assemblages to failing restoration projects and to the plant production facilities that provide plant stock for restoration, while showing that Phytophthora species are absent in neighboring undisturbed sites. This study further proves that these pathogens are spreading from restoration sites through disturbance pathways.