cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CRYPTOGLENA PIGRA: A EUGLENOID WITH ONE CHLOROPLAST12

The taxonomic status of Cryptoglena pigra Ehrb., interpreted from observations based on bright-field microscopy, has been uncertain. Examination with the electron microscope of a clone of C pigra isolated by E. G. Pringsheim reveals certain features which, collectively, are distinctly euglenoid: periplast associated with muciferous bodies and subpellicular microtubules; canal and reservoir with microtubules; one flagellum with a swelling and emergent through a canal, and a second flagellum without a swelling and nonremergent; stigma (eyetpot) closely apprrssed to but not part of the chloroplast; nucleus with permanently condensed chromosomes attached to the inner nuclrar membrane; mitochondria with disc-shaped cristae constricted at the base; chloroplast with thylakoids often in triplets; and paramylon grains in the cytoplasm. Unlike most euglenoids, C. pigra possesses a single chloroplast that in transverse thin sections is U-shaped.
Comment on “the origin of anomalous bond dissociation energies of V+(H2)n clusters”

Abstract In a recent study, we reported experimental determinations of bond dissociation energies and entropies for V + (H 2 ) n ( n = 1 to 6) and suggested that a spin change from quintet to triplet occurs upon addition of the sixth H 2 ligand. A very recent theoretical paper by Niu et al. disputes this and concludes that the experimental results are consistent with purely quintet clusters (J. Niu, B.K. Rao, S.N. Khanna and P. Jena, Chem. Phys. Letters 230 (1994) 299). In this Comment, we restate our reasons for the proposed spin charge and argue that important aspects of the results of Niu et al. are incorrect.
Xenognosin sensing in virulence: is there a phenol receptor in Agrobacterium tumefaciens?

Abstract Background: The mechanisms of signal perception and transmission in the ‘two-component' autokinase transmitters/response regulators are poorly understood, especially considering the vast number of such systems now known. Virulence induction from the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens represents one of the best understood systems with regard to the chemistry of the activating signal, and yet the existing data does not support a receptor-mediated perception event for the xenognostic phenols. Results : Here we provide the first conclusive evidence that a specific receptor must be involved in xenognostic phenol perception, detail structural requirements of the xenognosins necessary for perception by this receptor, and develop a genetic strategy that demonstrates critical components of the phenol recognition system are not encoded on the Ti plasmid. Conclusions: Although the basic elements of the two-component system required for phenol-mediated induction of virulence gene expression are encoded on the Ti plasmid, they are dependent on the chromosomal background for even the very first stage of signal perception. This discovery suggests a curious evolutionary history, and also provides functional insight into the mechanisms of two-component signal detection and transmission in general.
Evolution of basal joint arthroplasty and technology in hand surgery

There are many surgical procedures that provide pain relief and improve function for trapeziometacarpal (TM) arthritis. The aim of this article is to review the history of surgical treatment of thumb basal joint arthritis and to discuss some of the recent advances based on evolving technology. Our preferred treatment is described, and explanation provided for why we have avoided the temptation to change to the “latest and greatest” treatment for this condition.
The transnational state and the BRICS: a global capitalism perspective

It is commonplace for observers to see the increasingly prominent role of the BRICS in international economic and political affairs as a Southern challenge to global capitalism and the power of the core Trilateral nation-states. Extant accounts remain mired in a tenacious realist debate over the extent to which the BRICS are challenging the prevailing international order. I suggest that we shift the paradigmatic focus in discussion of the BRICS phenomenon towards a global capitalism perspective that breaks with such a nation-state/inter-state framework. Global integration and transnational capitalist class formation has advanced significantly in the BRICS. BRICS protagonism is aimed less at challenging the prevailing international order than at opening up space in the global system for more extensive integration and a less asymmetric global capitalism. The article examines agricultural subsidies, US–China relations and international trade agreements as empirical reference points in arguing that the concep...
Reducing Fear of Crime: Citizen, Police, or Government Responsibility?

This study addresses whether residents' perceptions of informal neighborhood social control or police and government activities in their neighborhood provides a stronger explanation of their emotional fear of crime. Survey data from 505 residents from 10 diverse neighborhoods are used to test the relationship between informal and formal social control and individual fear of crime. The results indicate both informal control, especially social cohesion, and formal social control—a fear of police encounters and police effectiveness—explain emotional fear of crime. Discussion of citizen, police, and government responsibilities for reducing fear of crime is undertaken.
Near Fields of Truncated-Gaussian Apertures*

Near-field irradiance patterns have been calculated for plane-wave gaussian beams truncated by circular apertures. The Kirchhoff diffraction integral was integrated numerically, using the small-angle Fresnel approximation. The effect of truncation was important when the aperture radius was less than twice the spot size of the gaussian beam.
19.4: Low Temperature PECVD a‐Si:H TFT for Plastic Substrates

Using a suitable dilution process at PECVD improves quality of gate nitride and a-Si:H channel at low temperature. By using suitable Ar dilution in gate nitride and H2 dilution in a-Si:H channel, the low temperature a-Si:H TFTs have not only similar channel mobility and threshold voltage, but also similar stress induced threshold voltage shift as usual a-Si:H TFTs.
Professionalism in the face of adversity.

R.D. is a thirty-four-year-old man who presented to the emergency department after sustaining several deep lacerations to his hand. He underwent an irrigation, debridement, and wound closure procedure and was discharged with pain medication and antibiotics. The patient returned to the emergency department three days postoperatively. He explained that his prescriptions had been stolen at the shelter where he lives. On examination, the bandage on his wounds was soiled and the skin of his injured hand was macerated. After his dressing was changed, R.D. was again discharged with prescriptions for his medications. He returned the following day, again with complaints of pain and wound breakdown. In the emergency department, he was seen picking at his wounds. This time he was admitted to the hospital for observation and the administration of intravenous antibiotics. The following morning, R.D. was found unresponsive and lying on his hospital bathroom floor. It was determined that he had overdosed on narcotics. After the administration of an appropriate dose of naloxone, he was revived. In response to questions, he confided that he had injected himself with heroin. Hospital protocol was initiated: his room was searched, his drug paraphernalia was confiscated, and one-to-one security observation was initiated. Later that day, he signed out of the hospital against medical advice and has since been lost to follow-up. The doctor-patient relationship has been described as a partnership with obligations ascribed to both the physician and the patient1,2. While we may wish for professional relationships that are true partnerships with both parties agreeing on the goals for their interaction and each attending judiciously to an assigned portion of the work, that often is not the case. Despite the best-laid plans of health-care providers, a patient may not only fail to actively participate in the partnership but may, …
Sparse superpixel unmixing for exploratory analysis of CRISM hyperspectral images

Fast automated analysis of hyperspectral imagery can inform observation planning and tactical decisions during planetary exploration. Products such as mineralogical maps can focus analysts' attention on areas of interest and assist data mining in large hyperspectral catalogs. In this work, sparse spectral unmixing drafts mineral abundance maps with Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM) images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. We demonstrate a novel “superpixel” segmentation strategy enabling efficient unmixing in an interactive session. Tests correlate automatic unmixing results based on redundant spectral libraries against hand-tuned summary products currently in use by CRISM researchers.
Break-up of liquid fuel films from the surfaces of the intake port and valve in port-fuel-injected engines

AbstractThe atomization of liquid fuel films from the intake port and valve surfaces was investigated. The start-up mixture preparation condition for a port-fuel-injected (PFI) engine was considered in which fuel spray from the injector forms liquid films and puddles upon impact of the cold port and valve surfaces. These fuel films are then re-atomized as a result of aerodynamic and other forces as the intake valve opens. Little information is available on this re-atomization process, which can lead to large droplets and ligaments entering the combustion chamber, resulting in poor combustion. A steady flow axisymmetric valve chamber was used in conjunction with an optically accessible research engine to study this fuel film break-up in detail. Two general atomization forces were observed: Gravitationally (or mechanically) controlled and aero-dynamically controlled. Aerodynamic forces contributed to both ligament break-up and film shear break-up. The different modes of break-up were clearly correlated to a...
Effects of Estrogen on Calcium Metabolism in Man

Scientific interest in a relationship between gonadal steroids and bone mineral metabolism began when the rapid changes of bone structure that occur during egg-laying in the pigeon were recorded in 1934 (1). As the egg approaches maturity bone formation in the tibias and femurs becomes so intense that these bones become almost solid. This mass of bone is suddenly and rapidly resorbed as calcification of the shell begins. These changes were shown, by classic endocrine studies, to be secondary to cyclic changes in estrogen secretion (2). Similar observations in diverse species, such as chickens, mice, rats, and pocket gophers, showed that gonadal hormones have a variety of effects on bone, including stimulation and inhibition of both bone growth and resorption, as well as no effect.
Outage Behavior of Quasi-Static Fading Channels with Partial Power Control and Noisy Feedback

We investigate the outage behavior of multiple-antenna slowly fading channels with resolution constrained feedback and partial power control. A fixed-rate communication scheme is considered. It is known from the literature that with error-free feedback, the power control codebook that minimizes the outage probability with an average power constraint at the transmitter has a circular quantizer structure. Moreover, the diversity gain of the system increases polynomially with the cardinality of the power control codebook. Here, we study a similar system, but within a noisy feedback channel framework. We show that the optimal quantizer structure in this scenario is still circular. Furthermore, the optimal quantization codebook resembles a channel optimized scalar quantizer (COSQ). With noisy feedback, using the new power control codebook, the outage performance of the system is superior to that of a no-feedback system. However, we show through asymptotic analysis that the diversity gain is the same as a no-feedback scheme.
Occurrence of Pyruvic Acid in Capsular Polysaccharides from Various Klebsiella Species

Capsular polysaccharide materials from several different klebsiella serotypes were demonstrated to contain an α-keto acid characterized as pyruvic acid. Linkage to the capsular polysaccharides was shown to be acid labile and alkali stable, suggesting ketosidic rather than ester linkages. Images
Planchette, My Love

In the mid-19th century Marx recognized the growing occult significance of the commodity in everyday life extending from the dancing table in the kitchen to the enormous edifice of capital surrounded by a cloud of charged, interlocked commodities. But what Marx could not fully grasp is how deeply implicated this new addition to the human ecosystem would become when commodity fetishization matured as a process. The person-hood of things and the thingness of persons have become inexorably tied up. This article traces the formation of the psychic world of a single commodity, a planchette within the history of a relationship and space; culminating in an exorcism and an individual set off like a broken toy.
TEN GOOD REASONS FOR USING SPLINE WAVELETS

The purpose of this note is to highlight some of the unique properties of spline wavelets. These wavelets can be classified in four categories: othogonal (Battle-Lemarie), semi-orthogonal (e.g., B-spline), shift-orthogonal, and biorthogonal (Cohen-Daubechies-Feauveau). Unlike most other wavelet bases, splines have explicit formulae in both the time and frequency domain, which greatly facilitates their manipulation. They allow for a progressive transition between the two extreme cases of a multiresolution: Haar's piecewise constant representation (spline of degree zero) versus Shannon's bandlimited model (which corresponds to a spline of infinite order). Spline wavelets are extremely regular and usually symmetric or anti-symmetric. They can be designed to have compact support and to achieve optimal time-frequency localization (B-spline wavelets). The underlying scaling functions are the B-splines, which are the shortest and most regular scaling functions of order L. Finally, splines have the best approximation properties among all known wavelets of a given order L. In other words, they are the best for approximating smooth functions.
The Effects of State and Local Taxes and Public Services on Economic Development

The author says that the literature does not show that tax incentives help economic development; indeed, increased spending on public services may do more to promote development. The use of tax cuts to promote jobs may not be cost-effective, the author writes.
Decision Analysis and Assessment of the Clinical Impact of Diagnostic Tests

Comprehensive assessment of the clinical value of diagnostic tests requires demonstration of technical capacity, diagnostic accuracy, and therapeutic impacts. A test shows technical capability if it detects a condition with reproducible results. Sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic statistics permit assessment of tests according to standards of accuracy. Therapeutic efficacy assessment addresses whether a test improves therapy or outcomes more successfully than its predecessors. Therapeutic efficacy may be assessed through a randomized clinical trial or may be modeled using decision analysis. The threshold model is a special case of decision analysis with a focus on the change in expected utility (value) of test information as the probability of disease changes. Decision thresholds are specific probabilities of disease where the preferred course of action changes from observation to testing or from testing to initiating treatment. Thresholds depend on the utilities assigned to outcomes and on the accuracy statistics associated with relevant tests, but do not depend on the prior probability of disease. Prior probability estimates are derived from features of the history or physical findings, and comparison of prior probabilities to the threshold probabilities determines the most useful course of action. Assessment of diagnostic tests goes beyond determination of accuracy. For complex tests or rare diseases, decision analytic models offer useful assessments when randomized trials may not be feasible.
Relationships of avian cecal lengths to food habits, taxonomic position, and intestinal lengths

Body mass, intestinal lengths, and the occurrence and relative size of ceca from 154 species of birds representing 21 orders and a diversity of food habits were com- pared. Well-developed ceca occur in the Anseriformes, Galliformes, Gruiformes, Cuculifor- mes, Strigiformes, Caprimulgiformes, and Trogoniformes. The presence of well-developed ceca is less consistent in other orders and appears to be related to diet; herbivorous species whose diets contain large amounts of cellulose have well-developed ceca, whereas species having diets rich in soluble sugars and proteins tend to have poorly-developed or no ceca. We postulate that the relatively well-developed ceca in some non-herbivorous birds are associated with conservation of critical resources such as water and nitrogen.
Laugh at Stress! Creative Methods for Teaching Stress Management

(1995). Laugh at Stress! Creative Methods for Teaching Stress Management. Journal of Health Education: Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 309-310.
The frequency of pigmented nevi in the oral cavity. Report of five cases.

Abstract Pigmented nevi of the oral cavity have been found in 0.1 per cent of the Negro patients examined at this medical center. The pigmented nevus of the oral cavity is a relatively common lesion which is usually overlooked becuase of its small size and innocuous behavior. The most common intraoral location of pigmented nevi is the buccal mucosa, and the most common vervus found is of the intradermal type. The first case of the nevus of the intraoral neural type is reported.
Retrospective Study in Case of Carcinoma Breast

AIMS: Retrospective study in treatment of carcinoma breast. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study has been conducted on one hundred and thirty five patient of carcinoma breast both male and female. These patients were admitted and treated in J.A. group ofHospital and cancer hospital and research institute Gwalior (MP) from April 2001 to march 2003. RESULT: The incidence of carcinoma breast was 7.20% in cancer hospital and research institute and J.A Hospital Gwalior among the cancer hospital. Incidence of female carcinoma breast was 15.15% among population of female cancer patient admitted there from April 2001 to march 2003. Maximum incidence was in age group 41 to 50 years (36.2%). Sex incidence out of 135 patient female was 130 and male was 5. Out of 130 patient 56 premenopausal and 74 was postmenopausal. Right side breast affected in 69 patient and left side 65 patients and bilateral only 1 patient. Right upper quadrant affected in 49 patient, left upper quadrant affected in 45 patient.Maximum no of cases were in stage IV and Minimum belong to stage I. Histological type maximum tumors were infiltrating duct carcinoma 60.9%. MRM was the choice of surgical procedure undertaken in maximum no of cases. Local excision alone had high recurrence rate. Adjuvant radiotherapy does seem to improved survival but there are high recurrence rates, addition of chemotherapy or hormonal therapy or both decrease recurrence rate and improved survival rate. Seroma was most common complication following modified radical mastectomy, there were only one mortality following various treatment modalities. CONCLUSION: At present no single therapy alone seems to provide adequate cure rate in our setting in various stages of the disease. Combination therapy is choice of treatment modality for providing favourable survival rate with low recurrence rate.
The relationship between job strain and blood pressure at work, at home, and during sleep.

Eleven normotensive workers in "high strain" jobs, defined by the combination of high psychological work load and low worker control, were compared with 26 normotensive workers in "low strain" jobs on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) at work, at home in the evening, and during sleep. High strain workers' systolic BP was higher at work and at home in the evening, after adjusting for prework casual BP, body mass index, gender. Type A behavior, and caffeine consumption. Under certain conditions, systolic BP during sleep and diastolic BP at work were higher as well. Men and women, and Type A and Type B workers, were indistinguishable in job strain effects on BP. Type A workers tended to hold "active" (high demand, high control) jobs, and Type B workers "passive" jobs. More research is needed to distinguish more clearly job strain as 'cause' of observed BP effects from job strain as mere 'correlate.'
Management of the patient awaiting cardiac transplantation.

The spectacular clinical success of heart transplantation (HTTX) in the cyclosporine era has engendered challenging new clinical problems that include long-term management of patients with severely compromised systolic function, preparation of potential HTTX recipients for major surgery followed by immunosuppression, and ethical and rational distribution of limited numbers of donated organs. The magnitude of these challenges may seem overwhelming. Fortunately, clinicians have the luxury of dealing with the issues involved one patient, and one step, at a time. The continued efforts of clinical investigators have clarified important management principles
Recent Demographic Change in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas: The Importance of Domestic Migration

ABSTRACTThe present study examines the role of domestic migration in a massive demographic change in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of Texas with a special focus on ethnic composition of migration flows. Specifically, using two datasets derived from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and American Community Survey (ACS), this project: (1) outlines demographic profiles of domestic inbound and outbound migrants; (2) identifies determinants of migration for different types of movers; and (3) predicts the change in the Index of Dissimilarity (IT) at the census-tract level in the RGV. Results indicate that: (1) compared to stayers, Anglos were overrepresented among all migrant categories in the RGV; (2) leavers were likely to be motivated by career/employment opportunities outside the Valley, while affordable housing in the Valley was the primary motivating factor for newcomers; (3) recently arrived Hispanic immigrants became more segregated. The most important finding is that, compared to Hispanics, Anglos were ...
Shapes Problem Complexity Issues

In this chapter we give evidence for the NP-completeness of the shapes problem. The chapter contains three separate proofs, each of which is a reduction from a known NP-complete problem. Two of these proofs are reductions from set cover, and will be known as set cover I, and set cover II. The third proof is a reduction from the 3-colorability problem.4, 10, 11, 13, 14
Solubility of gases and vapors in polylactide polymers

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the interaction and solubility of gases, vapors, and organic compounds in polylactide (PLA) polymers. PLA polymers are environment-friendly biodegradable materials that have received much attention in the past few years as food packaging materials because the packages made from PLA have the advantage of being produced from renewable resources. Thus, PLA polymers provide significant energy savings and can be recyclable and compostable. Unlike glass, metals, and ceramics, polymeric materials are relatively permeable to small molecules such as gases, water and organic vapors, and liquids. Chemical permeability through polymeric membranes may result in continuing change of the polymer structure. Mass transfer processes among the polymer, a permeant, and the environment include sorption, permeation, and migration processes. Sorption is the uptake of product components such as aroma, flavor, odor, or coloring compounds by the polymer material. The permeation process is a diffusion-controlled process where a permeant is sorbed by, diffused through, and then desorbed from a polymeric membrane. Migration is the transfer of substances originally present in the plastic material into a packaged product. For polymer application, safety, and optimization, it is important to know how a permeant transfers both into and through the polymer.
Evolution of Organic–Inorganic Lead Halide Perovskite from Solid-State Iodoplumbate Complexes

The optoelectronic properties of hybrid perovskites are a strong function of their physical structure, and understanding the fundamental steps involved in the formation of these films can aid in the optimization and rational design of devices with tailored properties. Here we investigate the structural and optical characteristics of CH3NH3PbI3 films prepared from solutions composed of stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric quantities of lead iodide and methylammonium iodide precursors. In the presence of excess organohalide salt, a precursor phase composed of various iodoplumbate complexes is stabilized. The complexes dominate the optical properties of as-deposited films. Upon thermal treatment, the iodoplumbate precursor phase gradually evolves into the final tetragonal perovskite structure. Employing transient absorption spectroscopy, we have succeeded in tracking this transformation and gain insight into the interplay between the solid-state precursor and perovskite phases at various stages of formation....
Genetic or Pharmacological Reductions in DNA Methylation Selectively Inhibit Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomagenesis.

Abstract 2760 The significance of mutations in components of the DNA methylation machinery in blood cancer has become a topic of intense investigation. Unlike genetic modifications, the reversible nature of DNA methylation and other epigenetic changes makes them attractive therapeutic targets. Very recently, mutations in the DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A and the DNA demethylase TET2 were identified in human peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) [1]. These findings provided a novel link between the development and progression of PTCL with deregulation of DNA methylation processes. Importantly, this finding also extended the few known mutations associated with both T-cell lymphoma and myeloid leukemia. Our previous work identified acute sensitivity of MLL-AF9 –induced myeloid leukemia (AML) to DNA demethylation through loss or haploinsufficiency of the DNA methyltransferase Dnmt1 [2]. Here, we investigated the sensitivity of PTCL to DNA demethylation. Lymphoma was induced in mice by inactivation of Snf5, a core subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, driven by CD4Cre (CD4Cre-Snf52lox). Inactivation of Snf5 leads to rapid onset of mature CD8+ PTCL with a median survival of 10 weeks of age. Strikingly, loss of Dnmt1 in this model (CD4Cre-Snf52lox-Dnmt12lox) completely abrogated development of lymphoma. Furthermore, haploinsufficiency of Dnmt1 was sufficient to increase event-free survival to 13 weeks of age (p = 0.0008). Loss or haploinsufficiency of Dnmt1 did not impact normal T cell development in the thymus with the exception of a modest reduction in CD8+ CD44hi memory T cells. Based on the selective response of PTCL to reduced levels of Dnmt1 and DNA methylation, we screened a panel of pharmacological DNA demethylating agents for efficacy in PTCL. We found three putative DNA methylation inhibitors; the nucleoside inhibitor zebularine and non-nucleoside inhibitors RG108 and procainamide, which inhibited proliferation of primary murine PTCL in vitro. These inhibitors were effective at doses that did not restrict the proliferation of normal CD8+ T cells. When these inhibitors were evaluated for efficacy in vivo , both zebularine and procainamide were found to inhibit growth of primary murine PTCL. Together, these results suggest that therapy of PTCL with DNA methylation inhibitors or other DNA demethylating agents may achieve a favorable therapeutic index. Further, these results support the concept of a shared competitive advantage of myeloid leukemia and T-cell lymphoma in carrying mutations in the DNA methylation machinery. [1] Couronne L et al., NEJM, 2012, 366:95-6; [2] Trowbridge et al., Genes Dev, 2012, 26:344-9. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
PNIPAAm-co-Jeffamine® (PNJ) scaffolds as in vitro models for niche enrichment of glioblastoma stem-like cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common adult primary brain tumor, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 5%. GBM malignancy is driven in part by a population of GBM stem-like cells (GSCs) that exhibit indefinite self-renewal capacity, multipotent differentiation, expression of neural stem cell markers, and resistance to conventional treatments. GSCs are enriched in specialized niche microenvironments that regulate stem phenotypes and support GSC radioresistance. Therefore, identifying GSC-niche interactions that regulate stem phenotypes may present a unique target for disrupting the maintenance and persistence of this treatment resistant population. In this work, we engineered 3D scaffolds from temperature responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-Jeffamine M-1000® acrylamide), or PNJ copolymers, as a platform for enriching stem-specific phenotypes in two molecularly distinct human patient-derived GSC cell lines. Notably, we observed that, compared to conventional neurosphere cultures, PNJ cultured GSCs maintained multipotency and exhibited enhanced self-renewal capacity. Concurrent increases in expression of proteins known to regulate self-renewal, invasion, and stem maintenance in GSCs (NESTIN, EGFR, CD44) suggest that PNJ scaffolds effectively enrich the GSC population. We further observed that PNJ cultured GSCs exhibited increased resistance to radiation treatment compared to GSCs cultured in standard neurosphere conditions. GSC radioresistance is supported in vivo by niche microenvironments, and this remains a significant barrier to effectively treating these highly tumorigenic cells. Taken in sum, these data indicate that the microenvironment created by synthetic PNJ scaffolds models niche enrichment of GSCs in patient-derived GBM cell lines, and presents tissue engineering opportunities for studying clinically important behaviors such as radioresistance in vitro.
The “Burst” of Pulmonary Transplantation: Thirty Years of Progress

Compared to other major organs such as the kidney, liver, and heart, transplantation of the lung has not enjoyed widespread application until just recently. Despite the first attempts at both experimental and clinical pulmonary transplantation coinciding with those for other major organs, clinical success with the lung did not keep pace with that for these other organs. In fact, a long string of failures resulted in virtual abandonment of lung transplantation by 1978. This short review will recount the history of lung transplantation, the principal causes of the spectacular early failures, the advances which heralded in the modern era of pulmonary transplantation, and the refinements that permitted the burst of activity that has occurred over the last five years. Finally, the formidable challenges that now threaten to cause the “burst ” to implode will be presented.
Political Context, Organizational Mission, and the Quality of Social Services: Insights from the Health Sector in Lebanon

Summary Non-state actors are important providers of social welfare. In parts of the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and other regions, religious charities and parties and NGOs have taken on this role, with some preceding independent statehood and others building parallel or alternative welfare infrastructure alongside the modern state. How well do these groups provide welfare goods? Do some exhibit a “welfare advantage,” or a demonstrated superiority in the quality and efficiency of providing social services? In this paper, we explore whether distinct organizational types are associated with different levels of the quality of care. Based on a study in Greater Beirut, Lebanon, where diverse types of providers operate health centers, we propose and test some hypotheses about why certain organizations might deliver better services. The data indicate that secular NGOs, rather than religious, political or public sector providers, the other main types of providers in the charitable sector, exhibit superior measures of health care quality, particularly with respect to objective provider competence and subjective measures of patient satisfaction. In Lebanon, where religious and sectarian actors dominate politics and the welfare regime and command the most extensive resources, this appears to be a counterintuitive finding. Our preliminary explanation for this outcome emphasizes the ways in which the socio-political context shapes the choices of more qualified or professional doctors to select into secular providers, in part because of their organizational missions, and why citizens might perceive these providers to be better, irrespective of the actual quality of services delivered.
Data access architectures for high throughput, high capacity flash memory storage systems

We present a design framework and software tools which support the development of high performance, high capacity data storage hardware systems employing flash memory technology. This framework facilitates the design of data storage systems which provide multiple terabits of storage and access and retrieval rates of several gigabits per second. This methodology supports the design of data storage systems with widely varying functional requirements by enabling rapid exploration of the design space, providing automatic validation of functional correctness, and providing accurate quantitative predictions of performance. We present two case studies demonstrating the flexibility and scope of this approach, and describe progress toward the implementation of a prototype data storage system designed using the framework.
Hypercrosslinked Polymers: A Review

ABSTRACTHypercrosslinked polymers (HCPs) represent a class of nanoporous materials with a wide range of practical and potential applications such as gas sorption and separation, heterogeneous catalysis, drug delivery, and chromatographic separation. First introduced by Davankov and Tsyurupa in the early 1970s, HCPs have developed rapidly over the past few decades. Mostly based on Friedel-Crafts chemistry, HCP materials can be prepared from the post-crosslinking of polystyrene-type precursors in their swollen state, or from the condensation of small building blocks. HCP materials manifest numerous important advantages, including moderate synthetic conditions, an enormous stockroom of inexpensive monomers, robust structures, and good thermal and chemical stabilities. This review article aims to provide an overview of recent publications on HCPs, and the emphasis is positioned on the synthetic approaches, theoretical studies, characterizations, structure-property relationships, and applications of these HCP ...
Plasma Fentanyl Concentrations Achieved after Transdermal Fentanyl Patch Application in Prehensile-Tailed Skinks, Corucia zebrata

ABSTRACT Reptile medicine is challenged by the need for effective analgesia options. Transdermal fentanyl (TDF) has been used extra-label in veterinary medicine for mammals as peri-operative analge...
Gaussian-Based Smooth Dielectric Function: A Surface-Free Approach for Modeling Macromolecular Binding in Solvents.

Conventional modeling techniques to model macromolecular solvation and its effect on binding in the framework of Poisson-Boltzmann based implicit solvent models make use of a geometrically defined surface to depict the separation of macromolecular interior (low dielectric constant) from the solvent phase (high dielectric constant). Though this simplification saves time and computational resources without significantly compromising the accuracy of free energy calculations, it bypasses some of the key physio-chemical properties of the solute-solvent interface, e.g. the altered flexibility of water molecules and that of side chains at the interface, which results in dielectric properties different from both bulk water and macromolecular interior, respectively. Here we present a Gaussian-based smooth dielectric model, an inhomogeneous dielectric distribution model that mimics the effect of macromolecular flexibility and captures the altered properties of surface bound water molecules. Thus, the model delivers a smooth transition of dielectric properties from the macromolecular interior to the solvent phase, eliminating any unphysical surface separating the two phases. Using various examples of macromolecular binding, we demonstrate its utility and illustrate the comparison with the conventional 2-dielectric model. We also showcase some additional abilities of this model, viz. to account for the effect of electrolytes in the solution and to render the distribution profile of water across a lipid membrane.
Simple Procedure for Recovery of Crystallizable Human Recombinant Renin from Mammalian Cell-Conditioned Medium

The structural analysis of human renin’s active site is a critical component to understanding the enzyme’s exquisite specificity. Broad interest in the molecular basis of substrate recognition by renin is due in large part to its pivotal role in blood pressure regulation. It is assumed that a precise elucidation of renin-inhibitor complexes will guide the design of novel agents representing a new generation of antihypertensive drugs.
Visceral Artery Aneurysms and Pseudoaneurysms: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Endovascular Management

Visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs) are rare entities arising from several locations in the mesenteric vasculature. The etiology, clinical presentation, and subsequent management of these aneurysms vary widely. Although true aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms can present similarly on imaging, by definition they are distinct in their structural composition and hence may require tailored interventional planning. Treatment conventionally involves open surgery, endovascular intervention or careful observation. Recently, endovascular approaches have shown increasing popularity given the higher success rates and shorter lengths of stay with these procedures versus surgery. Optimal endovascular treatment planning is determined by the interventionalist based on unique features of each aneurysm and underlying vascular anatomy. This article reviews the etiology, diagnosis, and endovascular management for VAAs and pseudoaneurysms.
Abstract WP103: Functional Outcome of Telestroke Patients Treated Under Drip-And-Stay Paradigm versus Drip-And-Ship Paradigm

Introduction: While more spokes are now capable of taking care of post-tPA patients, little is known, however, about long term functional outcome of those patients. In this study, we aim to compare...
Effect of screw profile and processing conditions on physical transformation and chemical degradation of gabapentin during twin-screw melt granulation

Abstract Twin-screw melt granulation (TSMG) was applied to process a powder blend consisting of 80% gabapentin (GABA) and 20% hydroxypropyl cellulose. The effect of screw profile and processing conditions on the process-induced transformation and chemical degradation of gabapentin was studied. When a neutral kneading block was used, gabapentin underwent polymorphic transformation. A forward kneading block in combination with processing under torque conditions was required to minimize chemical degradation and to inhibit polymorphic transformation of gabapentin. Both the size of the extruded granules and gabapentin degradant level correlated positively with the specific rate, the ratio between feed rate and screw speed. At higher specific rate, the barrel was filled to a greater extent. The material packing and compressive forces were enhanced, as proven by the increased rupturing of CAMES® sensor beads and GABA crystal size reduction. This resulted in more interaction between the powder particles and facilitated granule growth. Simultaneously, this also resulted in higher degradant level. To attain adequate tabletability, the specific rate must reach a threshold value. The development of an optimum TSMG process requires balancing processing parameters based on the physical and chemical stability of GABA as well as its tabletability.
Disaster Planning for the Urban Homeless Population in the United States

Introduction:Homeless individuals may be dependent on social services for nutrition, shelter, and protection. These services are susceptible to disruption in disasters. Individuals are often frequent utilizers of emergency health care services, and an increase in emergency medical services utilization may be predictable. Disaster planners should anticipate and plan for the needs of these special populations.1Methods:A review of disaster planning in US cities with high rates of homelessness was conducted. Utilizing homelessness census data, the five cities with the largest homeless population were chosen for analysis. Publicly available disaster plans specifically targeting at homeless were identified. Planning for nutritional support, shelter, protection, and emergency healthcare utilization was identified.Results:Planning specifically addressing the needs of the homeless was variable. Planning items surrounding nutrition and shelter were identified, but those around protection and use of emergency services were more limited.Discussion:Recent disasters in the United States have demonstrated the increased vulnerability of populations with high utilization of emergency services during a disaster.2 Homelessness is common throughout the United States, and appear to be underrepresented at the city disaster planning level.3 Resources to assist planners are available, but increased adoption is indicated.
A Jacobian-free approximate Newton–Krylov startup strategy for RANS simulations

Abstract The favorable convergence rates of Newton–Krylov-based solution algorithms have increased their popularity for computational fluid dynamics applications. Unfortunately, these methods perform poorly during the initial stages of convergence, particularly for three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations. Addressing this problem requires the use of a globalization method such as pseudo-transient continuation, along with an approximate Newton–Krylov startup stage. This class of methods marches the solution in pseudo-time with a matrix-based approximate Jacobian that has a lower bandwidth and better conditioning properties compared with the exact Jacobian. However, this matrix-based approach also has shortcomings, including the large cost of computing and storing the approximate Jacobian and its preconditioner, along with the need for an updated Jacobian for every nonlinear iteration. To rectify these shortcomings, we use approximate residual formulations in a Jacobian-free approximate Newton–Krylov algorithm. With the approximate Jacobian, we compute the vector products by using the approximate residual computations in a matrix-free manner while forming a preconditioner based on the matrix-based approximate Jacobian. This approach keeps the approximate Jacobian up to date and mitigates the cost of forming a matrix-based Jacobian and its preconditioner at each iteration by lagging the preconditioner between nonlinear iterations. We use varying levels of approximations with the matrix-free approach and thereby demonstrate the trade-off between rate of convergence and the cost of each nonlinear iteration. The proposed implementation uses only the exact and approximate residual formulations and can therefore be generalized with minimal additional implementation effort to a range of solvers and discretizations. The code is available under an open-source license.
Anion replacement in silver chlorobromide nanocubes: two distinct hollowing mechanisms

Silver chlorobromide nanocubes have shown promise as a class of sacrificial template for the synthesis of silver-based hollow nanostructures through chemical transformation reactions. Strong chemical bonding between silver and sulfur enables the transformation of AgCl0.5Br0.5 nanocubes into hollow nanoshells of silver–sulfur compounds. During these transformations, factors such as the crystalline structure and nature of the shell material influence the reaction kinetics, and thus the structural and morphological evolution of the hollow structures. Herein, we systematically investigate the hollowing mechanism and associated reaction kinetics for the controlled conversion of AgCl0.5Br0.5 nanocubes into hollow nanostructures. The use of sulfide anions (S2−) and benzenethiolate anions (BT−) for the anion exchange reaction with halide ions has been compared to illustrate the hollowing mechanisms. The S2− ions are comparable in size to the halide ions, resulting in a nano-scale Kirkendall effect that is mainly responsible for the formation of hollow Ag2S nanoshells. In contrast, the Kirkendall effect is absent from forming hollow nanoshells of silver benzenethiolate (AgBT) because the much larger size of BT− ions relative to halide ions hinders their diffusion in the solid AgBT lattice. The molecular-type layered structure of AgBT also disfavors both the inward and outward diffusion of ions through the AgBT shells, thus leading to an overall reduction in the kinetics of the transformation reaction. The transformation reaction is driven only by the dissolution of AgCl0.5Br0.5 and reprecipitation of Ag+ and BT− ions. These results allow for understanding of the underlying factors in hollowing mechanisms to enable the controlled synthesis of well-defined hollow nanostructures with desired properties for a broad range of potential applications.
A Python Based Testbed for Real-Time Testing and Visualization using TI's 77 GHz Automotive Radars

In the paper, we introduce a Python based software library and a testbed based for TI's 77 GHz automotive radars using the FPGA based hi-speed ethernet link. The main design objective is to be able to test high level algorithms in real-time, show live results with minimal effort, avoid using low speed serial ports, and build the whole system on FPGA based hi-speed communication. All of these are possible using TI's C/C++ toolchain, but may require much more effort, especially for testing high DSP level algorithms. This is true even if all advanced MATLAB and Python DSP libraries are made available in TI's framework. To be able to test different high level algorithms with less effort, TI is providing a closed source Windows application to record raw ADC data for offline analysis in MATLAB. This setup requires a companion Lattice FPGA board, DCA1000, which sends raw ADC data from all receive antennas as UDP packets. However, this setup is useful only for offline analysis. That's why we have implemented a Python based software library and a testbed for real-time testing and visualization using this raw ADC data. Implemented library does all UDP processing, parsing, and returns numpy arrays representing raw ADC data for each receive antenna. A couple of code samples, including a real-time direction of arrival estimation program, are presented to demonstrate the simplicity and usefulness of the developed system.