cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of low-shear pumps and hydrocyclones for improved performance in the cleanup of low-pressure water

Although the advantages of using hydrocyclones for oily water cleanup are well proven, their use has been limited to applications where adequate system feed pressure for satisfactory operation was present. To use hydrocyclones in low-pressure operations, research testing was undertaken to determine the most suitable pumping system. Successful field trials with a low-shear progressive cavity pump and a single-liner hydrocyclone were conducted in the U.S. These trials provided the basis for full-scale tests on the Hutton platform in the U.K. sector of the North Sea. These tests demonstrated the feasibility of using large, low-shear, progressive cavity pumps in conjunction with multitude hydrocyclone units
Catalytic Photodefluorination of Perfluoroalkanes to Perfluoroalkenes with a Ferrocene Photosensitizer

Perfluoroalkenes are obtained from perfluoroalkanes by photoinduced electron transfer from an organometallic photosensitizer, decamethylferrocene, in the polar solvent thf. In the presence of Zn, t...
Generalization as a Function of the Range of Test Stimuli: The Roles of Discriminability and Response Bias.

Abstract In a stimulus generalization experiment with preschool children, the amount of generalization from the training stimulus to a given test stimulus was found to depend upon the range of stimuli used during the generalization test. Analyses in terms of Zinnes and Kurtz's (1968) model of generalization indicated that varying the range of test stimuli changes the discriminability of the stimuli within that range, even though the physical differences among these stimuli remain constant. This change in discriminability in turn produces changes in the amount of generalization among the stimuli.
Changing distribution patterns of an endangered butterfly: Linking local extinction patterns and variable habitat relationships

Multiple processes are increasingly recognized as being responsible for species’ extinctions. We evaluated population extinctions between 1930 and 1998 for the endangered Quino checkerspot (Euphydryas editha quino) butterfly relative to agricultural history, human population growth, climate variability, topographical diversity, and wildflower abundance. Overall agricultural land use was calculated for extinct and extant populations based upon cultivation and grazing intensities averaged across five time periods reflecting distinct agricultural practices from 1769 to present. Extinct populations were associated with a history of more intensive agriculture and greater human population growth at time of extinction. A long history of intensive livestock grazing was the strongest agricultural predictor of extinction. Based upon historic vegetation maps, extinct butterfly populations were typically isolated from other known populations by 1930, and in landscapes fragmented by cultivation and development. Precipitation and topographical variability were not important predictors of extinction. Wildflower host plants and nectar sources have declined across the butterfly’s range because of invasive plants and habitat loss. The proportion of years considered average or abundant in wildflowers declined significantly during extinction periods. The Quino checkerspot has shifted in distribution from the coast into foothills and mountains. Newly discovered higher elevation populations experience more precipitation and are buffered from drought. Efforts to conserve Quino checkerspot are enhanced by understanding that the butterfly’s decline and shifting distribution is a complex multi-scale process related to agricultural history, human population growth, climate variability, and wildflower decline.
IUE observations of the hot components in two symbiotic stars

Recent IUE observations reveal striking differences in the UV spectra of two symbiotic stars, R Aqr and RW Hya. RW Hya is found to be an unexpectedly intense source of UV radiation. The measurements reported demonstrate the presence of a hot component in each star, supporting the view that each is a binary system with a luminous red primary and a hot, subluminous companion. In one case, the hot companion manifests itself by exciting a compact nebulosity; in the other case the continuous spectrum of the hot star is directly detected, while the continuum of nebulosity excited by the hot star is detected at longer wavelengths.
Quasi-periodic oscillations in bright galactic-bulge X-ray sources

Quasiperiodic oscillations with frequencies in the range 5-50 Hz have recently been discovered in X-rays from two bright galactic-bulge sources and Sco X-1. These sources are weakly magnetic neutron stars accreting from disks which the plasma is clumped. The interaction of the magnetosphere with clumps in the inner disk causes oscillations in the X-ray flux with many of the properties observed.
Improving back propagation with a new error function

Abstract In a recent study, a modified form of the error-of-performance function for back-propagation (BP) learning in feedforward neural networks (NN) was shown to improve the learning speed. In ( ∂ E ∂ω ) the derivative term f j 1 = (1 − f j )·f rmj of the output layer activation function f j was removed and therefore the updating of the coupling strengths via the BP formula was less suppressed. Nevertheless, the linear dependence on Δ j = t j − z j remained where t j , z j are the target and actual values of the output unit j. In this letter, we show how this unwanted Δ j dependence can also be removed by defining a new error function. A linear combination of the recently studied “cross-entropy cost function,” reminicent of the sum over the quadratic errors, and our new error function, reminicent of the sum over the absolute value of the errors, significantly improves BP learning.
Context-dependent probabilistic hierarchical sublexical modelling using finite state transducers.

This paper describes a unified architecture for integrating sub-lexical models with speech recognition, and a layered framework for context-dependent probabilistic hierarchical sublexical modelling. Previous work [1, 2, 3] has demonstrated the effectiveness of sub-lexical modelling using a core context-free grammar (CFG) augmented with context-dependent probabilistic models. Our major motivation for designing a unified architecture is to provide a framework such that probabilistic sublexical components can be integrated with other speech recognition components without sacrificing the fle xibilities of their independent developments and configurations. At the same time, we are able to obtain a tightly coupled interface between recognizers and sub-lexical linguistic components. We also present a view of using layered probabilistic models to augment CFGs. It captures context-dependent probabilistic information beyond the standard CFG formalism, and provides the fle xibility of developing suitable probabilistic models independently for each sub-lexical layer. Experimental results show that the context-dependent probabilistic hierarchical sub-lexical modelling approach can achieve comparable performance to pronunciation network approaches on utterances that contain only in-vocabulary words, while being able to substantially reduce errors on utterances with previously unseen words.
Recent Silica Gel from Saline Lake in Galapagos Islands: ABSTRACT

A 4-m drill core of undisturbed sedimentary rock from the crater lake on Isla Genovesa (Tower) has well-defined banding, revealing a complex depositional End_Page 333------------------------------ history spanning at least 5,000 years. Amidst the bands are intervals of translucent green gel, with white granular inclusions in places. One section of gel occupies an interval of nearly 10 cm, and the uppermost is within 20 cm of the rock/water interface. Three hypotheses describing the structure of the gel seemed plausible: that it was a proteinaceous gel, a polysaccharide gel, or a silica gel. Infrared spectroscopy of a sample which had separated during storage revealed no absorption at 6 µ, precluding the presence of peptide bonds. There was little in the spectra to suggest that saccharides were present, but strong absorption between 9 and 10 µ suggested abundant silicon. X-ray diffraction of samples soaked in distilled water gave strong indications of halite, which wou d mask the presence of silicon. D.C. arc emission spectroscopy showed the sample to be rich in silicon, sodium, calcium, and magnesium, and to contain trace amounts of other elements normally present in seawater. We conclude that the sample is a silica gel, hydrated with seawater and containing microcrystals of sodium and magnesium salts. The gels formed on the bottom of a lake which is now 30 m deep and with a salinity of 52 ^pmil, or half again as salty as seawater. The lake is highly productive so that reducing conditions with free sulfides prevail at the bottom. This fertile condition is apparently maintained by a large input of guano from the immense colonies of seabirds which inhabit the island. Study of diatoms and other fossils incorporated in the gels, and of the pigments preserved in them, is enabling us to reconstruct the environment in which a silica gel forms under the waters of this crater lake. These conclusions may prove useful when seeking to explain the origin of cherts. End_of_Article - Last_Page 334------------
Land-cover change model validation by an ROC method for the Ipswich watershed, Massachusetts, USA

Scientists need a better and larger set of tools to validate land-use change models, because it is essential to know a model’s prediction accuracy. This paper describes how to use the relative operating characteristic (ROC) as a quantitative measurement to validate a land-cover change model. Typically, a crucial component of a spatially explicit simulation model of land-cover change is a map of suitability for land-cover change, for example a map of probability of deforestation. The model usually selects locations for new land-cover change at locations that have relatively high suitability. The ROC can compare a map of actual change to maps of modeled suitability for land-cover change. ROC is a summary statistic derived from several two-by-two contingency tables, where each contingency table corresponds to a different simulated scenario of future land-cover change. The categories in each contingency table are actual change and actual non-change versus simulated change and simulated non-change. This paper applies the theoretical concepts to a model of deforestation in the Ipswich watershed, USA. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Adult Spinal Cord Stem Cells Generate Neurons after Transplantation in the Adult Dentate Gyrus

The adult rat spinal cord contains cells that can proliferate and differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendroglia in situ. Using clonal and subclonal analyses we demonstrate that, in contrast to progenitors isolated from the adult mouse spinal cord with a combination of growth factors, progenitors isolated from the adult rat spinal cord using basic fibroblast growth factor alone display stem cell properties as defined by their multipotentiality and self-renewal. Clonal cultures derived from single founder cells generate neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, confirming the multipotent nature of the parent cell. Subcloning analysis showed that after serial passaging, recloning, and expansion, these cells retained multipotentiality, indicating that they are self-renewing. Transplantation of an in vitro-expanded clonal population of cells into the adult rat spinal cord resulted in their differentiation into glial cells only. However, after heterotopic transplantation into the hippocampus, transplanted cells that integrated in the granular cell layer differentiated into cells characteristic of this region, whereas engraftment into other hippocampal regions resulted in the differentiation of cells with astroglial and oligodendroglial phenotypes. The data indicate that clonally expanded, multipotent adult progenitor cells from a non-neurogenic region are not lineage-restricted to their developmental origin but can generate region-specific neurons in vivo when exposed to the appropriate environmental cues.
Community-Based Family Health History Education: The Role of State Health Agencies in Engaging Medically Underserved Populations in Understanding Genomics and Risk of Chronic Disease

Although family health history (FHH) collection has been recognized as an influential method for assessing a person’s risk of chronic disease, studies have shown that people who are low-income, from racial and ethnic minorities, and poorly educated are less likely to collect their FHH or share it with a medical professional. Programs to raise public awareness about the importance of FHH have conventionally targeted patients in primary care clinics or in the general community, but few efforts have been made to coordinate educational efforts across settings. This paper describes a project by the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Genomics Office to disseminate training materials about FHH as broadly as possible, by engaging partners in multiple settings: a local health department, a community health center, and two advocacy organizations that serve minority and immigrant populations. We used a mixed methods program evaluation to examine the efficacy of the FHH program and to assess barriers in integrating it into the groups’ regular programming. Our findings highlight how a state health department can promote FHH education among underserved communities.
THE STABILITY OF THE ACID-BASE EQUILIBRIUM OF THE BLOOD IN NATURALLY NEPHROPATHIC ANIMALS AND THE EFFECT ON RENAL FUNCTION OF CHANGES IN THIS EQUILIBRIUM II. A STUDY OF THE EFFICIENCY OF AN ALKALI TO PROTECT THE NATURALLY NEPHROPATHIC KIDNEY AGAINST THE TOXIC EFFECT OF AN ANESTHETIC.

1. A 0.9 per cent solution of sodium chloride when given intravenously to anesthetized naturally nephropathic animals is not effective in preventing the development of an acid intoxication and the associated kidney injury. 2. A solution of sodium carbonate equimolecular with a 0.9 per cent solution of sodium chloride when given intravenously to anesthetized naturally nephropathic animals confers a variable degree of protection to the kidney. 3. The degree of protection conferred by the alkaline solution is associated with the ability of the solution to maintain a normal acid-base equilibrium of the blood of the anesthetized animal.
High throughput grid computing with an IBM Blue Gene/L

While much high-performance computing is performed using massively parallel MPI applications, many workflows execute jobs with a mix of processor counts. At the extreme end of the scale, some workloads consist of large quantities of single-processor jobs. These types of workflows lead to inefficient usage of massively parallel architectures such as the IBM Blue Gene/L (BG/L) because of allocation constraints forced by its unique system design. Recently, IBM introduced the ability to schedule individual processors on BG/L - a feature named high throughput computing (HTC) - creating an opportunity to exploit the systempsilas power efficiency for other classes of computing. In this paper, we present a Grid-enabled interface supporting HTC on BG/L. This interface accepts single-processor tasks using Globus GRAM, aggregates HTC tasks into BG/L partitions, and requests partition execution using the underlying system scheduler. By separating HTC task aggregation from scheduling, we provide the ability for workflows constructed using standard Grid middleware to run both parallel and serial jobs on the BG/L. We examine the startup latency and performance of running large quantities of HTC jobs. Finally, we deploy Daymet, a component of a coupled climate model, on a BG/L system using our HTC interface.
Blocked Randomization with Randomly Selected Block Sizes

When planning a randomized clinical trial, careful consideration must be given to how participants are selected for various arms of a study. Selection and accidental bias may occur when participants are not assigned to study groups with equal probability. A simple random allocation scheme is a process by which each participant has equal likelihood of being assigned to treatment versus referent groups. However, by chance an unequal number of individuals may be assigned to each arm of the study and thus decrease the power to detect statistically significant differences between groups. Block randomization is a commonly used technique in clinical trial design to reduce bias and achieve balance in the allocation of participants to treatment arms, especially when the sample size is small. This method increases the probability that each arm will contain an equal number of individuals by sequencing participant assignments by block. Yet still, the allocation process may be predictable, for example, when the investigator is not blind and the block size is fixed. This paper provides an overview of blocked randomization and illustrates how to avoid selection bias by using random block sizes.
SONNS memory: improvement over SONOS flash memory

High-quality silicon-nitride (Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/) formed by rapid thermal nitridation is investigated as the tunnel dielectric in a SONOS-type memory device for the first time. Compared to a conventional SiO/sub 2/ tunnel dielectric, thermal Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ provides 100X better retention after 1e5 P/E cycles and better endurance characteristics with lower programming voltages. Hence, the SONNS is promising for non-volatile memory applications.
Redo fundoplication in infants and children with recurrent gastroesophageal reflux

The Nissen fundoplication is well established as the surgical treatment for medically refractory gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in childhood. Recurrent GER following fundoplication is a challenging problem with a reported incidence ranging from 0% to 12%. From January 1974 to January 1989, 286 children have been treated for GER with Nissen fundoplication and gastrostomy tube placement at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital; 242 of these children have been followed for an average of 30 months, the remaining 44 have been lost to follow-up. Twenty-nine children (12%) have developed recurrent reflux following fundoplication. Medical management with thickened upright feelings, gastrostomy feedings, or gastrojejunostomy tube feedings has been successful for 11 children with control of reflux symptoms. Five additional children who were treated nonoperatively died of coexistant medical problems within 2 months following documentation or recurrent reflux. The remaining 13 children have required redo fundoplication for wrap disruption or herniation, and an additional six children, initially treated at other institutions, have also undergone redo fundoplications. One other child treated at this hospital required redo fundoplication for a postoperative partial gastric volvulus causing gastric outlet obstruction. Of the 20 children who have undergone a second Nissen fundoplication, 16 (80%) are doing well without recurrent GER. Four children have developed recurrent GER with wrap disruption; 1 is doing well following a third fundoplication, 2 have been managed successfully with continuous feedings via gastrojejunostomy feeding tubes, and a fourth child died of complications related to a recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula. Conservative management with gastrojejunal tube feedings should be considered in the initial management of children with recurrent GER following fundoplication.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Vibrotactile Feedback Enhances Force Perception in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Distorted force feedback in minimally invasive surgery causes the procedure to become more difficult for the surgeon. A simulated tissue probing task was desgined to test the hypothesis that vibrotactile feedback can enhance one’s ability to differentiate tissue softness, and control the forces being applied to tissue. The two independent factors in the study were vibration feedback, consisting of four levels (continuous, fine-step, crude-step, and no vibration), and audibility, consisting of two levels (on and off). The results demonstrated that with the aide of vibration the absolute probing depth error was reduced (5.7mm – no vibration, 3.65mm – fine step), and the average maximum force applied was reduced (1.32 N – no vibration, 1.04 N – fine step). Additionally, the normalized time to detection (0.93s/s audible, 1.10s/s non-audible) and maximum force (1.16 N – non-audible, 1.08 N – audible) was reduced in the audible condition. These results indicate that vibrotactile stimulation is a viable substitute for force feedback in simulated minimally invasive surgery.
Ischio-femoral arthrodesis.

It will be seen that the proportion of successful fusions in this series of ninety-five patients treated by ischio-femoral arthrodesis of the hip was over 80 per cent. Similar percentages of successful fusion have been reported by Knight (1945), Freiberg (1946), Langston (1947), and Nisbet, who was resident surgical officer at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, and informed me in a personal communication that he had carried out twenty-six operations with an approximate fusion rate of 80 per cent. He stated: "It is the only operation which gives a reasonable chance of a successful arthrodesis in children. Up till now at Oswestry the chances of a fusion by the other methods in children have proved so disappointing that the operation had been abandoned. Dame Agnes Hunt, with her vast experience of the condition, was always very annoyed when she found a surgeon trying to fuse a child's hip. All this has been changed."
The Use of FT-IR to Characterize Photosensitive Thermosets

Photosensitive polymers are used extensively in the electronics industry to pattern line channels on silicon chips, ceramic substrates, and circuit boards. The photolytic process often requires an ultraviolet light exposure and subsequent bake to produce the required properties, prior to solvent development operations. An in situ FT-IR method was developed to assess the cross-linking reaction induced by UV exposure and investigate the effect of temperature on the overall reaction. The method employs a commercially available heated sample cell holder and an in-house fabricated fiber optic exposure tool. The UV-induced cure reaction was monitored as a function of time. The effect of bake temperature after exposure was also monitored.
The effect of certain ionic interactions on the water metabolism of chicks.

Abstract THE IMPORTANCE of sodium and potassium, and the ratio of these ions, in water metabolism has been appreciated for some time. While Richards et al. (1927) have shown the essentiality of sodium and potassium, the ingestion of high levels of either element has been shown to induce loose droppings and to be toxic to chicks when higher levels were fed (Mitchell et al, 1926; Kare and Biely, 1948; Lenkeit and Stahn-Taupitz, 1954). However, in certain other species there seems to be an antagonistic action of one element on the other which reduces the looseness of the droppings and the toxicity to the animal. The toxicity of KCl in mice was decreased by the simultaneous administration of NaCl (Emmens and Marks, 1942). Ray and Talapatra (1945) noted a considerable reduction of diuresis when cattle fed molasses were allowed free access to salt, suggesting a possible interaction between potassium and sodium. Merril …
A systems safety approach to occupational electrical safety

For the past decade, the discussion of occupational electrical safety in the U.S. has largely focused on compliance with NFPA70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace . Without taking away from the importance of the requirements in the standard, this paper describes a more comprehensive solution, based on proven concepts derived from systems safety engineering. This paper provides an overview of systems safety engineering and includes a 20 $+$ year case history of a global Fortune 500 company's effort to change the electrical safety culture in its operations to demonstrate results of applying systems safety techniques to electrical safety.
Antidepressant Use is Associated with Increased Energy Intake and Similar Levels of Physical Activity

Antidepressants have been associated with weight gain, but the causes are unclear. The aims of this study were to assess the association of antidepressant use with energy intake, macronutrient diet composition, and physical activity. We used data on medication use, energy intake, diet composition, and physical activity for 3073 eligible adults from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Potential confounding variables, including depression symptoms, were included in the models assessing energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Antidepressant users reported consuming an additional (mean ± S.E.) 215 ± 73 kcal/day compared to non-users (p = 0.01). There were no differences in percent calories from sugar, fat, or alcohol between the two groups. Antidepressant users had similar frequencies of walking or biking, engaging in muscle-strengthening activities, and engaging in moderate or vigorous physical activity. Antidepressant users were more likely to use a computer for ≥2 h/day (OR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.09–2.90), but TV watching was similar between the two groups. These results suggest increased energy intake and sedentary behavior may contribute to weight gain associated with antidepressant use. Focusing on limiting food intake and sedentary behaviors may be important in mitigating the weight gain associated with antidepressant use.
ANFOTERICINA B DEOXICOLATO: EXPERIENCIA TERAPEUTICA EN CRIPTOCOCOSIS MENINGEA EN PACIENTES VIH ADULTOS DEL HOSPITAL CARLOS VAN BUREN

La anfotericina B es un antifungico ampliamente usado en infecciones sistemicas por hongos levaduriformes y filamentosos, entre ellas las meningitis por Cryptococcus neoformans. Sus reacciones adversas pueden ser inmediatas o dosis y tiempo dependiente. En nuestro trabajo en el hospital C.van Buren de Valparaiso, se revisaron 27 fichas de pacientes que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusion (24 hombres y 3 mujeres). El principal sintoma de la meningitis por Crytococcus fue la cefalea (96,3%). En 25 casos hubo confirmacion con tinta china y/o cultivo. Durante el tratamiento con anfotericina B la hipokalemia fue la reaccion adversa que se presento con mayor frecuencia (83 %) y la nefrotoxicidad en un 59,1 %. La dosis acumulada administrada fue en promedio 525 mg, suspendiendo generalmente su administracion cuando se lograba una mejoria clinica junto a esterilidad del LCR (tinta china y/o cultivo negativo). Un 33,3% de los pacientes con diagnostico de meningitis por C. neoformans fallecio por distintas complicaciones.
Strata-Caster

Strata-Caster is an online virtual art installation, created on a private island in Second Life (secondlife.com). Viewers travel by way of a wheelchair, while being made acutely aware of their physical and virtual status, and are invited to re-examine this position in life in relation to all others (both physical and virtual).
Connectivity and rendezvous in distributed DSA networks

In this paper, we use concepts and results from percolation theory to investigate and characterize the effects of multi-channels on the connectivity of Dynamic Spectrum Access networks. In particular, we focus on the scenario where the secondary nodes have plenty of vacant channels to choose from-a phenomenon which we define as channel abundance. To cope with the existence of multi-channels, we use two types of rendezvous protocols: naive ones which do not guarantee a common channel and advanced ones which do. We show that, with more channel abundance, even with the use of either type of rendezvous protocol, it becomes difficult for two nodes to agree on a common channel, thereby potentially remaining invisible to each other. We model this invisibility as a Poisson thinning process and show that invisibility is even more pronounced with channel abundance. Following the disk graph model, we define and characterize connectivity of the secondary network in terms of the available number of channels, deployment densities, number of transceivers per node, and communication range. When primary users are absent, we derive the critical number of channels which maintains super-criticality of the secondary network. When primary users are present, we characterize and analyze the connectivity for all the regions: channel abundance, optimal, and channel deprivation. Our results can be used to decide on the goodness of any channel rendezvous algorithm by computing the expected resultant connectivity.1
Branch Girdling by Oncideres cingulata (Coleoptera; Cerambycidae) and Relative Host Quality of Persimmon, Hickory, and Elm

Female Oncideres cingulata (Say) girdle living branches of deciduous trees with their mandibles and lay eggs in the freshly killed host. Girdled branches of American elm, Ulmus americana ; bitternut hickory, Carya cordiformis ; persimmon, Diospyros virginiana ; and shagbark hickory, Carya ovata, were collected in Missouri and examined. Branches from persimmon and elm were divided into 2 categories : (1) persimmon and virgin persimmon (branches from trees that had not been previously girdled) ; and (2) elm and elm stub (branches that had the terminal section girdled during the previous year). Substantially more O. cingulata eggs were laid in shagbark hickory, persimmon, and virgin persimmon branches than in elm branches. O. cingulata was the most snccessful in persimmon, virgin persimmon, and elm branches with 80.3-82.2% of the eggs developing into adults ; successful development in bitternut hickory was only 48.1%. Females and males from virgin persimmon branches were substantially larger than beetles from other hosts. The smallest females emerged from bitternut hickory and elm. The ratio of females to males emerging from girdled branches did not differ by host. The data suggest that the relative host quality for development of O. cingulata from the best to the poorest host is virgin persimmon > persimmon > elm stub > shagbark hickory > bitternut hickory > elm.
Laser Induced Fluorescence for Temperature Measurement in Reacting Flows

OH vibrational Thermally Assisted Fluorescence (THAF) temperature measurements have been demonstrated in both premixed and diffusion flames. The accuracy of the measurements is generally better than 100 K over a wide range of flame conditions for which the collisional quenching rate varies considerably. Application of this technique for temperature measurement in Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) flows, for which the quenching rate is relatively constant, should exhibit greater accuracy. THAF measurements in these flows are limited by signal to noise considerations, and should be possible down to pressures of 103-104 Pa or less.
Transcending Tragedy: The Idea of Civility

This article belongs in the area of what Karl Jaspers calls “existential elucidation.” It is concerned less with political ideals than with the relationship of the person to those ideals and to the realities that often contradict them.During recent centuries political activity has been increasingly governed by the confidence that history is under human control. The tragedies and disappointments of the twentieth century, however, cast serious doubt on this confidence. Thus it is incumbent on us to reconsider man's whole stance in relation to history. The core of the article is the definition of an alternative stance, which I call “civility.”The clue to civility was provided by Plato when he suggested, in The Republic, that although the ideal city probably could not be realized in history, its form might be reproduced here and there in the souls of individuals. In pursuance of this clue, civility is defined, on the one hand, as partial detachment from action, and from the ideological preoccupations frequently accompanying action, and, on the other hand, as concentration on governance of the self. Although such governance entails historical independence, it does not set one apart from others; on the contrary, its fundamental principle is openess to the totality of the human.
A New Discourse on the Kitchen: Feminism and Environmental Education

Popularised feminist discourse has devalued daily cooking and implicitly defined it as work that reinforces women's second-class status. In an era of climate change linked to industrialised foods and disease epidemics caused by the modern Western diet, kitchen work has acquired political importance. Daily cooking must be understood as public, as well as private. Neither feminist theorists nor environmental educators have integrated cooking in the kitchen, specifically, into discourse. By examining two local foods activist groups, we measure one site where feminists value cooking, and we develop a feminist theory of gender-inclusivity. Based on our survey, feminists who cook with local foods are only beginning to ideologically integrate feminism and sustainable foods cooking; however, we argue that in practice, the connection is strong and that it is time to conceptualise a new discourse on the kitchen for a feminist-environmental theory of cooking.
77 THE GREEN TEA POLYPHENOL (-)-EPIGALLOCATECHIN-3-GALLATE REDUCES INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE TO LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE AND INDUCES APOPTOSIS IN HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONOCYTES.

Introduction Increasing attention has focused on the therapeutic potential of green tea polyphenols owing to the anti-inflammatory, proapoptotic, and multiple other effects they have produced in a variety of mammalian cell lines and animal models of disease. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a potent anti-inflammtory compound, makes up 40% of the polyphenolic fraction of green tea. ECGC has also proven to be a potent inhibitor of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), a key regulatory factor in the control of intestinal inflammation. We investigated whether the anti-inflammatory effects of EGCG also apply to human peripheral blood monocytes. Aim To evaluate the ability of EGCG to inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines and to induce apoptosis in human PBMCs in vitro in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods PBMCs were preincubated for 1 hour in the presence of increasing concentrations of EGCG (0-125 ng/μL) prior to incubation for 16 hours with 10 ng/mL LPS. The anti-inflammatory effect of EGCG was measured by the reduction of TNF-α production, as well as other inflammation-related cytokines, in LPS-stimulated cells. The effect of ECGC on apoptosis of LPS-activated PBMCs was measured by annexin V-FITC/PI (propidium iodide) staining. UV light exposure was used as a positive control for apoptosis studies. Results In the absence of EGCG, LPS increased TNF-α production from a mean of 186 pg/mL to 503 pg/mL. Pretreatment of cells with increasing concentrations of EGCG (5-125 ng/μL) proportionally reduced TNF-α production by 20%, 33%, 38%, and 45% at 5, 25, 50, and 125 ng/μL EGCG, respectively. Reductions in TNF-α production were not caused by loss of viability of cultured cells, as assessed by mitochondrial reduction of MTT. An additional indicator of viability, interferon-γ production, was unaffected by the administration of EGCG until the highest concentration was reached. EGCG did increase apoptosis in a concentration-dependent fashion from 1.5% in untreated cells to 55% at the highest tested concentration. Discussion This study demonstrates the ability of EGCG to induce anti-inflammatory effects on human PBMCs and the ability of EGCG to induce apoptosis in LPS-stimulated human PBMCs. In light of the fact that tissue macrophages constitute a significant source of proinflammatory cytokines in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we will proceed to investigate the effects of EGCG in vitro and in vivo on peripheral blood monocytes and mucosal tissue macrophages from human subjects with IBD. Work supported by K23 DK073750-02 (G.W.D.) and K23 AA014235 (M.W.L.).
Toxicology and Adverse Effects of Drugs Used for Immunosuppression in Organ Transplantation

In the first half of the 20th century, attempts at organ transplantation were tried but proved unsuccessful without the conceptual understanding of rejection. As our understanding of the process of immune response expanded, attempts were made to control or modify the reaction to ensure graft survival. It seemed initially that there was an uncircumventable limitation to effective immunosuppression, in that it could not be achieved without inducing total immunodeficiency. Cyclosporine was the first drug used to produce immunosuppression without global immunodeficiency. Cyclosporine, however, was limited by excessive toxicity. Newer drugs, some undergoing clinical trials and others in the pipeline, hold the promise of exciting developments in the field of organ transplantation.
To work or not to work... Before law school: apprehension, confidence, and cynicism among law students

Most socio-legal scholarship does not examine pre-law school preparation, more specifically, work experience. The recent American economic recession brought many working adults back into the fold of school. With regard to legal education in particular, how might work experience before law school affect students’ perceptions of the profession, themselves, and their career trajectories? And, how do these experiences vary between law schools, and among law students? Drawing on an ethnographic study at two divergently-ranked American law schools between 2009-2011 (the beginnings of the economic crisis), I argue that student work experiences (or lack thereof) before law school matter for their own perceptions of their school and overall career outlook. I typologize those students who transitioned immediately from undergraduate to law school as "conventionals," and those with work experience prior to commencing legal education as "returnees." I find that overall, returnees are more confident about completing law school, yet cynical about legal education, while their conventional counterparts respect the pedagogy but remain apprehensive regarding their career outlook. In this respect, work experience provides a form of "capital." Notably, most immigrant students in this study are conventionals, and I provide some suggestions to better incorporate these students who already feel as if they are posturing in an unfamiliar cultural and professional environment.
The European Commission and the Process of Enlargement

The European Union (EU), which began with the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community, has now successfully completed five cycles of enlargement, one in each decade starting in 1973, which has increased the organization’s diversity at all levels, including, of course, the staff of the European Commission. In this chapter, the focus is on the opening to the east and raises two questions: To what extent are the countries of Central and Eastern Europe seen as “fully” European? And how has the history of the region and the process of accession shaped the entry of new officials and managers from these countries? To answer those questions one needs at least a basic grasp of the history of the region prior to World War II, of the Communist period, and of how the countries emerged from Communism. One needs also to understand the long and complex accession process, which led to important changes within the candidate countries and which also served to educate the negotiators on both sides of the table about the reality “on the ground” within the countries and about how the European Commission actually functioned. This chapter provides a brief overview of that history and the negotiation process and concludes with a discussion of the formal processes for bringing the new staff into the European Commission.
Neuronal Antigens Involved in Cell Adhesion and Cell Recognition

With the introduction of immunological methods, particularly the hybridoma technology of Kohler and Milstein (1975), major advances have been made in our understanding of neuronal function. An important application of monoclonal antibodies in neurobiology has been the use of these probes to identify antigens that are restricted to specific neural cell types. Monoclonal antibodies have also been used to identify, purify, and then characterize antigens that are required for neuronal cell adhesion and cell recognition processes.
"Alliance Network Centrality, Board Composition, and Corporate Social Performance"

What critical characteristics do firms have that determine the scale and scope of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities they undertake? This paper examines two disparate predictors of CS...
Abstract A38: Checkpoint blockade elicits unique T cell expansion to promote tumor regression

While PD-1 and CTLA-4 immune checkpoint antibodies have led to durable clinical activity in certain cancers, only a fraction of patients exhibit responses. In these responsive tumors, PD-1 and CTLA-4 antibodies are thought to interfere with tumor immunosuppression of T-cells; however, the exact mechanisms of action and potential synergism between these therapies remains unclear. As triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are characterized by elevated expression of inflammatory and immunosuppressive molecules, as well as high levels of immune infiltrating T cells (TILs), we hypothesized that they would be susceptible to treatment with PD-1 and CTLA-4 antibodies. To test this hypothesis and further define the mechanisms of action of checkpoint blockade, we generated a model of murine TNBC (E0771) utilizing ovalbumin (OVA) as a defined antigen that is tumor-specific and recognizable by transgenic T cells (OT-I cells). Consistent with human TNBCs, E0771 tumors exhibit robust T cell infiltration, with >60% of CD4+ T cells being T-regulatory cells (Tregs), and tumor cells express high levels of PDL1. We found that despite the generation of systemic anti-tumor responses and the addition of OT-I cells, TNBC immunosuppression shielded tumors from immune mediated regression. We then tested the efficacy of anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 targeting antibodies to inhibit this tumor immunosuppression and demonstrate that they had an anti-tumor effect by blocking PD-1 signaling in the tumor microenvironment and reducing intratumoral Tregs, respectively. When combined, these distinct mechanisms of action led to regression of ~80% of tumors and were significantly associated with anti-tumor adaptive responses. T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of TILS in treated mice demonstrated a hyperexpansion of several clones, while also a broadening of the total number of unique clones present. Surprisingly, we found that despite using a homogenous tumor model and adoptively transferring OT-1 cells, TCR sequencing revealed clonal populations that were almost entirely unique for each tumor, with the OTI TCR not representing an expanded clone. As such, our study demonstrates that dual CTLA-4 and PD-1 checkpoint blockade inhibits immunosuppression of T cells in the tumor microenvironment through different and complementary mechanisms to expand and broaden unique intrinsic T cell repertoires in the tumor. Citation Format: Erika J. Crosby, Junping Wei, Xiao Yi Yang, Gangjun Lei, Tao Wang, Cong-Xiao Liu, Pankaj Agarwal, H. Kim Lyerly, Zachary C. Hartman. Checkpoint blockade elicits unique T cell expansion to promote tumor regression. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2016 Oct 20-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2017;5(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A38.
Using an iPad for Basic Communication Between Spanish-Speaking Families and Nurses in Pediatric Acute Care: A Feasibility Pilot Study.

The growing number of Spanish speakers in the United States poses communication challenges for healthcare providers. Language barriers in pediatric acute care have been associated with an increased risk for adverse events, longer hospital stays, and decreased quality of care. In addition, clinicians’ usage of interpreter services is inconsistent. In fact, nurses often lack interpreter support during daily bedside care. Nursing staff at a pediatric children’s hospital in the southeastern United States identified bedside communication with Spanish-speaking patients and families as a clinical challenge. To address this challenge, a basic communication interface, UTalk version 1.0 (the author is the owner and proprietor), supported by an Apple iPad, was developed by the researcher with input from nursing staff, a certified medical interpreter, and Spanish-speaking community members. A feasibility pilot study of the interface’s usability and engagement was conducted on the hospital’s pediatric medical-surgical unit through qualitative interviews with nurse-family dyads. Three themes emerged from the data: UTalk-facilitated communication, UTalk needs improvement, and interpreter miscommunication. These findings indicate that a mobile digital device interface is a feasible method for augmenting bedside communication with Spanish-speaking patients and families. These results also may serve as a reference for the development of similar mobile device interfaces. Further research with a larger sample size is needed.
Abstract 76: Effects of Long-term Angiotensin-II Infusion on Cardiac and Renal Fibrosis are Blunted in TNFR1-deficient Mice

Background: Brief systemic infusion of Angiotensin-II (Ang-II) to wild-type (WT) mice initiates the development of cardiac interstitial fibrosis. Genetic deletion of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) obviates this development and concurrently inhibits Ang-II-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. We now investigated long-term effects of Ang-II on the heart, kidney, and cardiorenal function. Methods: WT and TNFR1-KO mice were infused with 1.5 ug/kg/min Ang-II for 1 and 6 weeks (no uninephrectomy or high-salt diet). Heart, kidney, and serum were isolated and evaluated by histology, cytometry, qPCR, and ELISA techniques. Cardiac function was determined by 2D-echocardiography, systolic blood pressure by tail-cuff plethysmography. Results: Brief infusion of Ang-II to WT mice did not evoke a fibrotic response in the kidney. However, after 6 weeks, WT kidneys developed minimal, but significant interstitial collagen deposition which was supported by upregulation of collagen-I, collagen-III, and alpha-smooth muscle actin gene activation. This fibrotic development was associated with the appearance of myeloid fibroblast precursors, pro-inflammatory M1 and pro-fibrotic M2 cells, and myofibroblasts. Transcriptional expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes was also increased. These changes were not seen in Ang-II-infused TNFR1-KO kidneys. In WT hearts, despite the disappearance of myeloid cells, cardiac fibrosis persisted throughout the 6-week infusion. WT hearts developed clear evidence of accelerated cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling associated with impaired systolic function. Again, these changes were not seen in Ang-II-infused TNFR1-KO hearts. By contrast, both WT and TNFR1-KO mice responded identically with similar elevations of systolic blood pressure, and serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. Conclusions: Ang-II-infusion induced an immediate fibrotic response in the heart while fibrosis in the kidney developed slowly. The cardiac fibrosis was accompanied by progressive adverse remodeling and worsening of function over time. TNFR1-KO mice were protected from the Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal fibrosis, despite similar increases in blood pressure and renal dysfunction.
Human factors in the wild: SOLUTIONS for mitigating the negative impact of interruptions in healthcare (Discussion Panel)

This discussion panel will focus on solutions for mitigating the negative impact of interruptions in healthcare. Five human factors practitioners who work within healthcare systems will present sol...