cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new electrical grade thermoplastic for high frequency insulation

The purpose of this paper i9 to describe the electronic and engineering properties of high frequency grade PPO® polyphenylene oxide. All grades of PPO and Noryl® thermoplastic resin have low and stable electrical properties and there is a special grade designated 681-111 which has low dielectric loss properties into the gigacycle range. It also has excellent structural strength which classes it as an engineering plastic. This is the unique aspect of this material: no other engineering thermoplastic (nylon, polycarbonate or acetal) has the low, stable dielectric properties of PPO. And no good dielectric (fluorocarbons or cross-linked ethylenes or styrenes) has the structural strength of PPO. An additional advantage is its high heat distortion temperature of 375°F. This allows it to withstand dip soldering and other peak temperature requirements.
Management of ureteroscopic ureteral injuries.

SUMMARY Ureteroscopy will continue to have a place in the management of renal stone disease and is invaluable to evaluate other types of ureteral lesions. Although ureteroscopy can be performed safely in most cases, it is invasive and there is a potential for ureteral injury. The well-trained urologic surgeon should be familiar with techniques to minimize the incidence of complications of ureteroscopy. However, faced with a ureteral complication, no matter the severity, the surgeon should have the ingenuity and expertise to restore anatomic integrity to the renal unit.
Conservation implications of the provenance of modern sediment on a shell-rich platform of Lake Tanganyika (Kigoma, TZ)

Shell-rich substrate (shell beds) in the littoral reaches of Lake Tanganyika, Africa, form a unique substrate that host a number of endemic organisms, including sponges and shell-dwelling cichlid fish. The predominant gastropod, Neothauma tanganyensis, whose shells comprise the majority of the shell beds, are themselves endemic to the lake. Sedimentologic and observational data suggest that one of these shell beds, located between the towns of Kigoma and Ujiji, Tanzania, on the western side of central Lake Tanganyika, is impacted by modern sedimentation. In the northern portion of the study discrete patches of the shell beds between ~6–30 m water depth are blanketed by 20 to >50 wt% mud; in these areas there are few to no sponges nor shell-dwelling cichlid fish (as evidenced by lack of occurrences of fish nests with shells). However, in the southern part of the study area, within the same depth range, the shell beds contain less mud, and sponges and fish nests with shells are more common. Mineralogic and geochemical data suggest the patterns and composition of the sediment are consistent with two sources. The sediment accumulating on the shell beds in the northern portion of the study area matches the chemistry of the weathered Precambrian metasedimentary rocks in hillslopes adjacent to the lake, within a region undergoing severe land-use changes. The sediment accumulating along the southern portion of the study site, particularly in deeper water, matches the chemistry of sediment from the Luiche River, which forms a delta at the southern end of the study site. This delta has prograded up to 1 km within the last 40 years; however, in this setting the bulk of deltaic sediment is shunted into deeper water and so appears to represent a less severe threat to the shallow-water shell-bed habitat than the local hillslopes. This is one of a few detailed studies of the sedimentology of a shell-bed habitat in Lake Tanganyika and the first to tie the sediment to its source. This has important implications for conservation of these habitats as methods and practices of conservations vary based on the types of disturbance. The study also has implications for biologists interested in community structure as certain species of cichlids appear to be efficient engineers of the substrate, forming shelly nests, but in areas of high mud content, are absent.
God in the brain: Experiencing psychosis in the postsecular United States

There is a growing literature on what contemporary cultural theorists have broadly termed the "postsecular": the abandonment of clear-cut boundaries between the secular and nonsecular in the industrialized West and an embrace of a complex understanding of what is real that neither accepts nor rejects the supernatural. These new cultural currents may affect not only philosophers and theologians, but also the ways in which individuals with psychosis make sense of their experiences. This paper reports on the key findings of an in-depth qualitative analysis of 19 interviews of individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders. The majority of participants described ongoing and self-conscious struggles to demarcate their experiences as the products of the real world or a "crazy" mind. With equal frequency, participants weighed and debated competing secular and supernatural explanations, often juxtaposing and blending different explanatory frameworks. We found that this syncretic process affected not only the content of psychotic experiences-what delusions or hallucinations are about-but also the type of arguments or logics used to justify particular interpretations. We discuss the implications of these observations with respect to clinical practice and the broader phenomenology of psychosis, challenging often oversimplified discourse on "insight" and suggesting that polarization(s) between "biomedical" and "psychosocial" explanations may be of less relevance to patients' real-world experiences than is often assumed.
A History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Affects Peripheral Pulse Oximetry during Normobaric Hypoxia.

Introduction: Physiological and emotional stressors increase symptoms of concussion in recently injured individuals and both forms of stress induce symptoms in people recovering from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) but who are asymptomatic when not stressed or are at rest. Methods: Healthy asymptomatic adults (25.0 ± 5.1 years) with a history of mTBI (n = 36) and matched healthy controls (n = 36) with no mTBI history were exposed to three levels of normobaric hypoxic stress generated with the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD) (Environics, Inc., Tollande, CT), which reduced the percent oxygen by mixing sea level air with nitrogen. The ROBD reduced the percent oxygen in the breathable air from the normal 21% to 15.5% O2, 14% O2, and 13% O2. Under these conditions: (a) a standard pulse oximeter recorded peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate (beats per minute), and (b) the FIT (PMI, Inc., Rockville, MD) recorded saccadic velocity and pupillary response dynamics to a brief light flash. Results: For all three hypoxic stress conditions the mTBI group had significantly higher SpO2 during the final minute of exposure than did the controls [F(2.17,151.8) = 5.29, p < .001, η2 = .852] and the rate of SpO2 change over time was significantly shallower for the mTBI than for the controls [F(2.3,161.3) = 2.863, p < .001, η2 = .569], Greenhouse-Geisser corrected. Overall, mTBI had lower pulse rate but the difference was only significant for the 14% O2 condition. FIT oculomotor measures were not sensitive to group differences. When exposed to mild or moderate normobaric hypoxic stress (15% O2): (1) SpO2 differences emerged between the mTBI and matched healthy controls, (2) heart rate trended lower in the mTBI group, and (3) FIT measures were not sensitive to group differences. Conclusion: A relatively minor hypoxic challenge can reveal measurable differences in SpO2 and heart rate in otherwise asymptomatic individuals with a history of mTBI.
Injectable uncrosslinked biomimetic hydrogels as candidate scaffolds for neural stem cell delivery.

Mammalian central nervous system has a limited ability for self-repair under diseased or injury conditions. Repair strategies focused on exogenously delivering autologous neural stem cells (NSCs) to replace lost neuronal populations and axonal pathways in situ, and promote endogenous repair mechanisms are gaining traction. Successful outcomes are contingent on selecting an appropriate delivery vehicle for injecting cells that promotes cell retention and survival, elicits differentiation to desired lineages, and enhances axonal outgrowth upon integration into the host tissue. Hydrogels made of varying compositions of collagen, laminin, hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) were developed, with no external crosslinking agents, to mimic the native extracellular matrix composition. The physical (porosity, pore-size, gel integrity, swelling ratio, enzymatic degradation), mechanical (viscosity, storage and loss moduli, Young's modulus, creep, stress-relaxation) and biological (cell survival, differentiation, neurite outgrowth, integrin expression) characteristics of these hydrogels were assessed. These hydrogels exhibited excellent injectability, retained gel integrity, and matched the mechanical moduli of native brain tissue, possibly due to natural collagen fibril polymerization and physical-crosslinking between HA molecules and collagen fibrils. Depending on the composition, these hydrogels promoted cell survival, neural differentiation and neurite outgrowth, as evident from immunostaining and western blots. These cellular outcomes were facilitated by cellular binding via α6, β1, and CD44 surface integrins to these hydrogels. Results attest to the utility of uncrosslinked, ECM-mimicking hydrogels to deliver NSCs for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Pseudo-marriages and Moral Hazards: Financial Incentives for a Military Marriage

“ It's an open secret at military bases across the country: Soldiers looking for contract marriages. On Craigslist you'll find dozens of ads, many so blatant that soldiers put the term right on the subject line, not even trying to hide it .” (Rossen et al., 2014).
Use of sub-bandgap optical pumping to identify defects in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (Conference Presentation)

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) showed its promising performance in high power and high frequency, which can be used for applications such as satellite-based communication networks, inverter units in hybrid electric vehicles and advanced radar systems. However, intrinsic defects and defects generated during the device fabrication degraded HEMT performance, such as drain current collapse, high gate leakage, and lower rf power density and power add efficiency. Furthermore, subsequent electrical stressing of the HEMTs during operation leads to creation of more traps and further device degradation through various mechanisms, including gate contact sinking, shallow trap formations, and the inverse piezoelectric effect. It is highly desirable to have non-destructive methods available to identify the activation energies of the defects and spatial location of trap states in HEMT. A sub-bandgap optical pumping technique was developed to identify trap locations in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. By varying photon fluxes, the traps with different activation energies appeared at different photon flux levels. This implies that the defects originate at different physical locations in the HEMT. The locations of the traps identified with the sub-bandgap optical pumping methods confirmed by gate pulse measurements under optical pumping.
Considerations in Vectorizing the CI Procedure

The ability to square a lower triangular matrix, to fold a square matrix into triangular form, and an efficient matrix multiply are the three important utilities for vectorization of CI. Molecular symmetry treatments must be fully integrated into the program organization.
Funding local government in australia: the evolution of untied commonwealth financial assistance

Australian fiscal federalism possesses a greater degree of vertical imbalance than comparable federations elsewhere due to a concentration of revenue-raising powers at the level of the Commonwealth government and a concentration of expenditure functions at the state and local government levels. Efforts to deal with this problem have focused on intergovernmental grants. While substantial literature exists on the financial nexus between the Commonwealth and state governments, little research effort has been expended on the local government grants process. The present paper seeks to remedy this by documenting the evolution and role of the local government grants process.
A human cellular model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Stem cell–derived human motor neurons were used to investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying C9ORF72-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Crystal Structure and Computational Analysis of a Two-Dimensional Coordination Polymer, BiI 3 (DppeO 2 ) 3/2

Catena-poly[fac-triiodobismuth(III)-tris-(µ-ethane-1,2-diylbis(diphenylphosphane oxide-κ2O,O′))], a 2-D sheet network of BiI3 was synthesized from BiI3 and ethane-1,2-diylbis(diphenylphosphane oxide) (DppeO2) in tetrahydrofuran. The crystal structure revealed a trigonal structure with three-fold symmetry at Bi. Bismuth centers show fac-BiI3O3 coordination, with Bi–I = 2.9416(2) A and Bi–O = 2.4583(17) A. The I–Bi–I and O–Bi–O angles (95.520(7)° and 79.04(6)°, respectively) indicate trigonal distortion in the Bi octahedron. Bridging DppeO2 ligands centered on inversion centers give rise to a 2-D sheet polymer. The 8.3 A thick sheets consist of three layers in a sandwich structure. The outer layers are composed of phenyl rings and BiI3 groups with the iodide atoms pointing outward. The central layer consists of the O=PCH2CH2P=O bridging groups. Computational results suggest that semi-conducting behavior arises from Bi(III) centers. A halide to DppeO2 π* transition is suggested by theoretical results.
Versatile nanoparticle manipulation with designer thermoplasmonic metasurface

The intrinsic loss in plasmonic systems has generally been considered to be detrimental for several device applications. Using this loss to advantage, we report thermoplasmonic metasurfaces for unprecedented control over nanoparticle manipulation and assembly. We report parallel assembly of quantum emitters on plasmonic nanoantennas, stand-off manipulation of particles, and size dependent arrangement of nanoparticles. Our platform opens up vistas of applications in structural material production, quantum photonics, and color printing.
The Design of Clinical Trials and Clinical Toxicology of the Nitroimidazole Misonidazole in Phase I Testing in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) is the only organized cooperative group within the United States dedicated to the investigation of therapeutic radiology in the treatment of malignant disease. More than 25 institutions have joined together with support from the National Cancer Institute for a series of cooperative clinical trials in a number of disease sites and a wide range of new modalities. The goal of the RTOG is to improve the results of radiotherapy in the cure of cancer and in the palliation of metastatic disease.
On a Fault Tolerant Algorithm for a Parallel CFD Application

Publisher Summary The chapter presents one new component of a grid solver (G-solver), which is a general framework to efficiently solve a broad variety of PDE problems in grid environments. A grid can be seen as a large and complex system of heterogeneous computers, where individual nodes and network links can fail. A G-solver must be efficient and robust to solve the large problems that justify grid environments. This implies that a grid solver should maintain a high level of numerical efficiency in a heterogeneous environment while being tolerant to high latency and low bandwidth communication, as well as system and numerical failures. The chapter also focuses on fault tolerance. The state of the art in fault tolerance for long running applications on a grid of computers is to checkpoint the state of the full application and then rollback when a node fails. However, this approach does not scale. As the number of nodes and the problem size increases, the cost of check pointing and recovery increases, while the mean time between failures decreases.
The Catholic Church as a public diplomacy actor: an analysis of the pope’s strategic narrative and international engagement

While religion is often considered a cultural element of soft power, religious institutions are rarely studied as diplomatic actors. The purpose of this study was to better understand the manner in...
Brand New Old-Time Southern Americana: Harry Smith’s Anthology Brings French Louisiana Music into the Folk Canon

In the post-World War II years, American folk art and its aesthetic of the modest symmetry of homespun craftwork occupied a prominent place in the hearts of American modernists. John D. Rockefeller’s wife Abby’s collection of Americana—weathervanes, decoys, doorstops, cigar store figures, lawn ornaments, and watercolor paintings—had been one of the founding collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York when it opened the week after the stock market crashed in 1929, introducing lovers of avant-garde painting to the handiwork of the anonymous American everyman at the very moment that he was being thrown into a state of financial despair.
Interplay of deformability and adhesion on localization of elastic micro-particles in blood flow

The margination and adhesion of micro-particles (MPs) have been extensively investigated separately, due to their important applications in the biomedical field. However, the cascade process from margination to adhesion should play an important role in the transport of MPs in blood flow. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been explored in the past. Here we numerically study the margination behaviour of elastic MPs to blood vessel walls under the interplay of their deformability and adhesion to the vessel wall. We use the lattice Boltzmann method and molecular dynamics to solve the fluid dynamics and particle dynamics (including red blood cells (RBCs) and elastic MPs) in blood flow, respectively. Additionally, a stochastic ligand–receptor binding model is employed to capture the adhesion behaviours of elastic MPs on the vessel wall. Margination probability is used to quantify the localization of elastic MPs at the wall. Two dimensionless numbers are considered to govern the whole process: the capillary number , denoting the ratio of viscous force of fluid flow to elastic interfacial force of MP, and the adhesion number , representing the ratio of adhesion strength to viscous force of fluid flow. We systematically vary them numerically and a margination probability contour is obtained. We find that there exist two optimal regimes favouring high margination probability on the plane . The first regime, namely region I, is that with high adhesion strength and moderate particle stiffness; the other one, region II, has moderate adhesion strength and large particle stiffness. We conclude that the existence of optimal regimes is governed by the interplay of particle deformability and adhesion strength. The corresponding underlying mechanism is also discussed in detail. There are three major factors that contribute to the localization of MPs: (i) near-wall hydrodynamic collision between RBCs and MPs; (ii) deformation-induced migration due to the presence of the wall; and (iii) adhesive interaction between MPs and the wall. Mechanisms (i) and (iii) promote margination, while (ii) hampers margination. These three factors perform different roles and compete against each other when MPs are located in different regions of the flow channel, i.e. near-wall region. In optimal region I, adhesion outperforms deformation-induced migration; and in region II, the deformation-induced migration is small compared to the coupling of near-wall hydrodynamic collision and adhesion. The finding of optimal regimes can help the understanding of localization of elastic MPs at the wall under the adhesion effect in blood flow. More importantly, our results suggest that softer MP or stronger adhesion is not always the best choice for the localization of MPs.
The X-ray crystal structure of human endothelin 1, a polypeptide hormone regulator of blood pressure.

Human endothelin is a 21-amino-acid polypeptide, constrained by two intra-chain disulfide bridges, that is made by endothelial cells. It is the most potent vasoconstrictor in the body and is crucially important in the regulation of blood pressure. It plays a major role in a host of medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Endothelin was crystallized 28 years ago in the putative space group P6122, but the structure was never successfully solved by X-ray diffraction. Using X-ray diffraction data from 1992, the structure has now been solved. Assuming a unit cell belonging to space group P61 and a twin fraction of 0.28, a solution emerged with two, almost identical, closely associated molecules in the asymmetric unit. Although the data extended to beyond 1.8 A resolution, a model containing 25 waters was refined to 1.85 A resolution with an R of 0.216 and an Rfree of 0.284. The disulfide-constrained `core' of the molecule, amino-acid residues 1–15, has a main-chain conformation that is essentially the same as endothelin when bound to its receptor, but many side-chain rotamers are different. The carboxy-terminal `tail' comprising amino-acid residues 16–21 is extended as when receptor-bound, but it exhibits a different conformation with respect to the `core'. The dimer that comprises the asymmetric unit is maintained almost exclusively by hydrophobic interactions and may be stable in an aqueous medium.
Rules Versus Authorities: Buchanan and Simons and Fiscal Policy

This chapter examines the origins of James M. Buchanan’s critique of Keynesian fiscal policy. Considered are Buchanan’s graduate training in public finance and fiscal policy and his early work in fiscal federalism. Two important themes emerge. The first is the influence of Henry C. Simons. The second relates to the necessity of choice between “rules versus authorities” or democratic process versus authoritarianism in policy making. Beginning with his 1948 dissertation, Buchanan consistently emphasized the importance of incorporating democratic processes directly into economic models rather than relying on omniscient and benevolent social planners or other authorities. It is the lurking authoritativeness in fiscal policy that Buchanan particularly objected to, more than the theoretical mechanics.
The Correlation Between Dry Eyes, Anxiety and Depression: The Sicca, Anxiety and Depression Study.

Purpose To determine whether improvement in the severity of dry eye disease (DED) symptoms correlates with improvement in anxiety and depression. Methods This prospective interventional case series recruited 45 adults with evidence of DED. Patients were administered the University of North Carolina Dry Eye Management Scale (DEMS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), and Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-8) to evaluate the severity of DED symptoms, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Standard of care treatment was provided for patients for 3 to 6 months, followed by re-administration of the DEMS, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 surveys. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the relationships between changes in survey scores. Results Participants had a mean age of 65.5 (SD, 13.3) years, and 37 (84.6%) were women. Seven patients were lost to follow-up. DEMS and GAD-7 significantly improved from 5.8 ± 1.8 to 4.6 ± 0.2.2 (P = 0.01) and from 5.6 ± 5.5 to 3.3 ± 4.6 (P = 0.05), respectively. Changes in DEMS correlated with changes in PHQ-8 (ρ = 0.3 P = 0.05), but not with changes in GAD-7 (ρ = 0.2 P = 0.3). Changes in DEMS correlated with changes in both PHQ-8 and GAD-7 in the subgroup of patients without prior depression or anxiety diagnosis (ρ = 0.6, P = 0.002; ρ = 0.4, P = 0.02). A multivariate analysis showed that the relationship between DEMS, PHQ-8, and GAD-7 was independent of a prior diagnosis of depression or anxiety and of the presence of comorbidities. Conclusions There is a significant correlation between the severity of DED and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Effective DED treatment could have a positive impact on the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Leveraging Deep Learning to Improve Performance Predictability in Cloud Microservices with Seer

Performance unpredictability is a major roadblock towards cloud adoption, and has performance, cost, and revenue ramifications. Predictable performance is even more critical as cloud services transition from monolithic designs to microservices. Detecting UOS violations after they occur in systems with microservices results in long recovery times, as hotspots propagate and amplify across dependent services.
'Schumpeterian' Competition and Antitrust Policy in High-Tech Markets

In this paper, we discuss an important movement in contemporary antitrust thinking, the Schumpeterian School. The School's fundamental argument is that antitrust enforcers can better preserve and promote the technological innovation that drives the modern economy by reducing their reliance on short-term indicia of product-market competition. Such arguments are of particular relevance to firms, and the lawyers who counsel them, in such high-tech regions as California's Silicon Valley, Boston's Route 128, and northern Virginia's Dulles corridor. We discuss the specific challenges to conventional antitrust enforcement that Schumpeterian arguments pose, and we examine whether available economic evidence supports the fundamental retreat from antitrust enforcement for which some members of the Schumpeterian School call in the name of promoting innovation.
Structural Basis for Client Recognition and Activity of Hsp40 Chaperones

Hsp70 and Hsp40 chaperones work synergistically in a wide range of biological processes including protein synthesis, membrane translocation, and folding. We used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine the solution structure and dynamic features of an Hsp40 in complex with an unfolded client protein. Atomic structures of the various binding sites in the client complexed to the binding domains of the Hsp40 reveal the recognition pattern. Hsp40 engages the client in a highly dynamic fashion using a multivalent binding mechanism that alters the folding properties of the client. Different Hsp40 family members have different numbers of client-binding sites with distinct sequence selectivity, providing additional mechanisms for activity regulation and function modification. Hsp70 binding to Hsp40 displaces the unfolded client. The activity of Hsp40 is altered in its complex with Hsp70, further regulating client binding and release.
Mental Health Disabilities, Shame and the Family: The Good, the Bad, the Chosen, and the Imagined

Based on ethnographic research examining the lives of individuals with mental health disabilities in Suffolk County, New York, this paper highlights key aspects of deinstitutionalization, intersectional shame factors impacting disabilities, and community-based mental health care. Findings indicate that individuals’ families of origin can promote and maintain shame and psychological distress. Mental Health Disabilities, Shame and the Family: The Good, the Bad, the Chosen, and the Imagined by Cassandra Evans is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://rdsjournal.org. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://www.rds.hawaii.edu/.
Interface binding and mechanical properties of MXene-epoxy nanocomposites

Abstract Thermosetting epoxy polymers exhibit excellent stiffness and strength and are commonly utilized as matrices to make fiber reinforced composites. However, epoxy thermosets are brittle and typically possess a low fracture toughness that restricts their applications. One promising mechanism for improving mechanical properties of epoxy is the integration of micro- and nano-scale fillers. MXenes, a large family of 2D transition-metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides, can be used to produce multifunctional polymer nanocomposites due to their excellent electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. We employed density functional theory and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate binding energy and microscopic mechanisms of fracture under uniaxial tension for MXene-epoxy composites. The simulation results were verified by manufacturing Ti3C2Tx MXene-epoxy composites and studying their structure and fracture surfaces. MXene-epoxy binding energies are largely unaffected by MXene type (Ti2CTx or Ti3C2Tx). Binding between Ti3C2Tx and epoxy becomes stronger with less hydrogen coverage of Ti3C2Tx surface due to increase in favorable electrostatic interactions. The Young's modulus of MXene-epoxy composites is greater compared to the neat epoxy which originates from stress transfer between the matrix and the nanofiller, the modulus linearly increases with the filler loading up to 1 vol %. At higher filler contents, the increase of the modulus is reduced due to filler aggregation. Void formation was detected near edges of the particles in MXene-epoxy composites under deformation from both experimental and simulation studies of the fracture surfaces. From these observations, we expect the MXene fillers to improve epoxy toughness and enhance its mechanical performance.
Ocular Findings in Pontine Tegmental Cap Dysplasia.

Purpose To describe the ocular complications experienced by patients with pontine tegmental cap dysplasia (PTCD) and the management strategies used to care for these children. Methods Subjects with PTCD were recruited through social media advertisement and completed a survey gathering information on potential ocular problems related to the patient's PTCD disease and any current or previous treatments. Results Twenty-two patients or guardians completed the survey. Neurotrophic cornea was the most common ocular diagnosis (82%), followed by facial palsy (59%), dry eye syndrome (59%), and blepharitis (55%). Other diagnoses included cortical visual impairment (27%), strabismus (27%), amblyopia (18%), and nystagmus (18%). Common treatment modalities included lubricating eye drops (59%) or ointment (50%), contact lenses (14%), punctal plugs (27%), glasses (45%), and patching (18%). The most common surgical interventions were temporary or permanent tarsorrhaphy (64%) and amniotic membrane grafts (23%). In total, 68% of families reported self-injury to eyes and 91% reported the child to be primarily a visual learner. Conclusions PTCD is a newly described, very rare disorder with a variety of vision-threatening ocular manifestations. It is essential that the ophthalmologist be aware of the potential for neurotrophic cornea because timely treatment could prevent corneal scarring, perforation, and blindness.
Hope is a creative process.

Abstract Clinicians often limit hope to life extension. Hope, rather, is a much broader, creative process. This reflective piece underscores this through personal experience I had with my wife and her mom and dad, all of who have passed away.
The relationship between gastrointestinal transit, Medsger GI severity, and UCLA GIT 2.0 symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE Scleroderma (SSc)-associated gastrointestinal (GI) complications are attributed to a variety of factors including diet, microbiota dysbiosis, or GI transit abnormalities. We examined the contribution of abnormal GI transit to SSc Medsger GI severity scores and/or UCLA GIT 2.0 symptoms. METHODS Patients with SSc and GI symptoms (n=71) and healthy controls (n=18) underwent whole gut transit (WGT) scintigraphy to assess transit from the esophagus to the colon. The presence of delayed transit and percent emptying in each GI region were measured. We compared the WGT measurements between categories of the Medsger GI severity score (0-4) and across UCLA GIT 2.0 domains and total score (0-3). RESULTS Eighty-percent of patients had >1 abnormal region of the gut on WGT scintigraphy. All patients requiring total parenteral nutrition had delayed small bowel transit, compared to only ~11% of patients in other Medsger GI severity groups (p=<0.01). Severe colonic transit delays were more likely in patients with Medsger GI scores of 3 (pseudo-obstruction and/or malabsorption) compared to other Medsger GI groups (p=0.02). Seventy-percent of these patients had ≤30% colonic emptying at 72 hours. Modest associations were noted between GERD symptoms and delayed esophageal (r=-0.31,p=0.05) and gastric emptying (r=-0.32,p=0.05). CONCLUSION These data are important in providing evidence that SSc bowel disease affects transit of GI content and that delay in transit accounts in part for both bowel symptoms and Medsger GI severity. Prospective studies examining the benefit of early therapeutic intervention targeting GI transit abnormalities in patients at high-risk for severe GI complications are needed.
Intraductal Injection of Lentivirus Vectors for Stably Introducing Genes into Rat Mammary Epithelial Cells in Vivo

Various retroviral and lentiviral vectors have been used for up-the-teat intraductal injection to deliver markers, oncogenes, and other genes into mammary epithelial cells in mice. These methods along with the large number of genetically engineered mouse lines have greatly helped us learn normal breast development and tumorigenesis. Rats are also valuable models for studying human breast development and cancer. However, genetically engineered rats are still uncommon, and previous reports of intraductal injection of retroviral vectors into rats appear to be inefficient in generating mammary tumors. Here, we report, and describe the method for, stably introducing marker genes and oncogenes into mammary glands in rats using intraductal injection of commonly used lentiviral vectors. This method can infect mammary epithelial cells efficiently, and the infected cells can initiate tumorigenesis, including estrogen receptor-positive and hormone-dependent tumors, which are the most common subtype of human breast cancer but are yet still difficult to model in mice. This technique provides another tool for studying formation, prevention, and treatment of breast cancer, especially estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
Impact of Multipath Reflections on the Performance of Indoor Visible Light Positioning Systems

Visible light communication (VLC) using light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) has been a popular research area recently. VLC can provide a practical solution for indoor positioning. In this paper, the impact of multipath reflections on a two-dimensional indoor VLC positioning is investigated, considering a complex indoor environment with walls, floor, and ceiling. For the proposed positioning system, an LED bulb is the transmitter and a photo-diode is the receiver to detect received signal strength information. Combined deterministic and modified Monte Carlo method is applied to compute the impulse response of the optical channel. Since power attenuation is applied to calculate the distance between the transmitter and receiver, the received power from each reflection order is analyzed. The positioning errors are further estimated for all the locations over the room and compared with the previous works where no reflections considered. Finally, calibration approaches are proposed to decrease the effect of multipath reflections.
Potency and metabolic stability: a molecular hybrid case in the design of novel PF74-like small molecules targeting HIV-1 capsid protein

PF74 (1) is a potent and well-characterized prototypical small molecule targeting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) capsid protein (CA), but not a viable antiviral lead due to the lack of metabolic stability. We report herein our molecular hybridization-based medicinal chemistry efforts toward potent and metabolically stable PF74-like small molecules. The design of the new sub-chemotype 4 rationally combines binding features of two recently reported PF74-like compounds 2 and 3. The subsequent confirmation and structure–activity relationship (SAR) of hit 4a entailed the chemical synthesis of 37 novel analogs, most of which showed modest but meaningful thermal shift, and low μM antiviral activity. The most potent analogs (4a, 4d, 4o, and 4r) all exhibited noticeably improved metabolic stability over PF74. Molecular modeling suggests that these new analogs bind to the PF74 binding site. Overall, our work demonstrated that the molecular hybridization approach is suitable for designing compounds with balanced potency and metabolic stability.
The Push for Racial Equity in Child Welfare: Can Blind Removals Reduce Disproportionality?

There have long been concerns regarding racial disproportionality in the U.S. child welfare system: Black children are represented in foster care systems at levels much higher than their numbers in the overall population. Calls for reform have grown louder in recent months, as the nationwide push to re-examine structural racism in institutions has reached the child welfare system. An increasingly popular reform seeks to reduce disproportionality by eliminating perceived implicit biases in the decisions of child welfare workers. This program, known as "blind removals," works off of the following premise: if demographic information is unknown to professionals deciding whether or not to remove a child, then implicit biases will not impact foster care placement decisions. We conduct the first quantitative analysis of blind removals and derive two main findings. First, we show that the over-representation of Black children in most foster care systems is almost entirely driven by the fact that Black children are roughly two times more likely than White children to be investigated for child maltreatment to begin with. Conditional on initial rates of investigation, investigators remove White and Black children at similar rates. Specifically, we calculate that equalizing the removal probabilities of White and Black children would only reduce overall disproportionality by 4.5 percent. Thus, policies that target racial disparities in the removal decision have limited scope for impacting racial disproportionality in most foster care systems. Second, we find no evidence that blind removals had any effect on the already small racial disparities in the removal decision but they substantially increased time to removal. These findings yield an important insight for the multiple states and local child welfare agencies currently considering implementation of blind removals: the policy is not well-suited to reduce racial disproportionality in most foster care systems.
MRT methodologies for real-time simulation of nonproliferation and safeguards problems

Abstract This paper discusses advanced radiation transport methodologies developed by the Virginia Tech Transport Theory Group (VT 3 G) for real-time simulations. These methodologies can be referred to as Multi-stage Response-function particle Transport (MRT) methods in which the problem of interest is partitioned into several stages that each can be represented by a response function or set of coefficients. These stages are combined into a linear system of equations which are solved iteratively using the pre-calculated databases of response functions and/or coefficients. These databases are obtained by performing a set of “forward” and/or “adjoint” transport calculations for different conditions, e.g., material and geometry, by the appropriate Monte Carlo and deterministic code systems. This paper demonstrates the MRT method through two real-life problems including inspection of a spent nuclear fuel pool for safeguard applications and simulation of an active interrogation system for a cargo container for nonproliferation and security applications. It is demonstrated that the method provides the capability of performing real-time simulations while preserving the accuracy of highly time-consuming transport calculations.
Application of Gas Phase Titration in the Calibration of Nitric Oxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Ozone Analyzers

A detailed procedural description of a technique developed and applied within the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency for the dynamic calibration of ambient air monitors for nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone is presented. A gas phase titration technique, utilizing the rapid gas phase reaction between nitric oxide and ozone, is used in such a manner that, with the concentration of one of the three gases known, the concentrations of the other two can be determined. A working cylinder of nitric oxide in nitrogen is standardized using one of three possible primary standards. Cylinder nitric oxide is then used as a secondary standard for routine calibrations. Ozone is added to excess nitric oxide in a dynamic calibration system, and a calibrated chemiluminescence nitric oxide analyzer is used as an indicator of changes in concentration. The decrease observed on the calibrated nitric oxide analyzer upon addition of ozone is equivalent to the concentration of nitric oxide consumed, the concentration of ozone added, and the nitrogen dioxide concentration produced. Once the concentration of the three gases has been determined, rapid and routine calibrations of ozone, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide monitors may be performed at a common manifold. Experimental results showing the interrelationships that exist among the three gases are also presented.
MO-FG-BRA-02: Modulation of Clinical Orthovoltage X-Ray Spectrum Further Enhances Radiosensitization of Cancer Cells Targeted with Gold Nanoparticles

Purpose: To assess the potential to amplify radiosensitization of cancer cells targeted with gold nanoparticles by augmenting selective spectral components of X-ray beam. Methods: Human prostate cancer cells were treated for 24h with gold nanorods conjugated to goserelin acetate or pegylated, systematically washed and irradiated with 250 kVp X-rays (25mA, 0.25mm Cu- filter, 8x8cm2 field size, 50cm SSD) with or without an additional 0.25 mm Erbium (Er) filter. As demonstrated in a companion Monte Carlo study, Er-filter acted as an external target to feed Erbium K-shell X-ray fluorescence photons (∼50 keV) into the 250 kVp beam. After irradiation, we performed measurements of clonogenic viability with doses between 0 -6Gy, irreparable DNA damage assay to measure double-strand breaks via γH2AX-foci staining, and production of stable reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results: The clonogenic assay for the group treated with conjugated nanoparticles showed radiosensitization enhancement factor (REF), calculated at the 10% survival fraction aisle, of (1.62±0.07) vs. (1.23±0.04) with/without the Er-filter in the 250 kVp beam, respectively. The group treated with pegylated nanoparticles, albeit retained in modest amounts within the cells, also showed statistically significant REF (1.13±0.09) when the Erbium filter was added to the beam. No significant radiosensitization was observed for other groups. Measurements of ROS levels showed increments of (1.9±0.2) vs. (1.4±0.1) for combined treatment with targeted nanoparticles and Er-filtered beam. γH2AX-foci showed 50% increase for the same treatment combination, confirming the enhanced radiosensitization in a consistent fashion. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the feasibility of enhancing radiosensitization of cancer cells by combining actively targeted gold nanoparticles and modulating the X-ray spectrum in the desired energy range. The established technique will not only help develop strategies to maximize nanoparticle-mediated radiosensitization but also offer a convenient way to acquire unprecedented insights into the role of photon energy for the observed radiosensitization effects. Supported by DOD/PCRP grant W81XWH-12-1-0198
Snails and Tails or Sugar and Spice

The Two Sexes Growing Up Apart, Coming Together. Eleanor E. Maccoby. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1998. 384 pp. $39.95, £25.95. ISBN 0-674-91481-3. Maccoby examines how human development from infancy into adulthood is affected by gender. She finds childhood experiences in same-sex groups particularly important in shaping subsequent relations between males and females.
REVISITING THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY INDEX: A CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS AND INVARIANCE TEST

The Sense of Community Index (SCI) has been the most widely used measure of Psychological Sense of Community (PSC), despite abundant evidence it does not adequately measure its intended dimensions. Alternative model specifications are rarely tested beyond their initial appearance in the literature, and the use of the SCI as a 1-dimensional scale has been promoted without testing for invariance across groups. We use a sample of students from a small Northeastern state college to test the measurement properties of the SCI and to test for invariance across semesters of college and across waves of panel data. Neither the original 1- or 4-factor solutions to the SCI nor an alternative 4-factor solution provide an adequate fit to the data. Evidence of measurement invariance was mixed, with invariance found across waves of data, but not across semesters of school. Future research using PSC should employ measures other than the SCI.
Left at the Altar? Target Uncertainty, Acquirer Strategic Capabaility, and Dyadic Alignment in Mergers and Aquisitions

In this paper, we analyze data on the world's largest merger and acquisition (M&A) announcements in the 1990s to explore the relational factors that determine their completion or withdrawal. Existing research on this little understood phenomenon in the M&A process typically focuses on the characteristics and actions of acquirer firms to understand financial and strategic M&A elements. We offer a new perspective by focusing on the dyadic relationship between acquirer and target firms. Controlling for strategic and financial factors, we find that the completion of an announced M&A is more likely to the extent that the relational capabilities stemming from country-level, industry-level and organizational-level factors generate a cooperative and trustworthy relationship. We conclude by discussing theoretical and managerial implications of our multi-level relational model.
RING Dimerization Links Higher-Order Assembly of TRIM5α to Synthesis of K63-Linked Polyubiquitin.

Summary Members of the tripartite motif (TRIM) protein family of RING E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligases promote innate immune responses by catalyzing synthesis of polyubiquitin chains linked through lysine 63 (K63). Here, we investigate the mechanism by which the TRIM5α retroviral restriction factor activates Ubc13, the K63-linkage-specific E2. Structural, biochemical, and functional characterization of the TRIM5α:Ubc13-Ub interactions reveals that activation of the Ubc13-Ub conjugate requires dimerization of the TRIM5α RING domain. Our data explain how higher-order oligomerization of TRIM5α, which is promoted by the interaction with the retroviral capsid, enhances the E3 Ub ligase activity of TRIM5α and contributes to its antiretroviral function. This E3 mechanism, in which RING dimerization is transient and depends on the interaction of the TRIM protein with the ligand, is likely to be conserved in many members of the TRIM family and may have evolved to facilitate recognition of repetitive epitope patterns associated with infection.
Identification of ligand-binding pathways in truncated hemoglobins using locally enhanced sampling molecular dynamics.

Abstract This chapter reviews the use of a locally enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (LESMD) for the study of ligand binding in truncated hemoglobins. The method, however, can be applied to any protein–ligand system. Truncated hemoglobins appear to have a tunnel(s) potentially used by the ligand to bind. These structural features give some indication of how the ligand moves through the protein to bind but do not give the complete picture. The LESMD method has been used to investigate the pathways of ligand binding to group I truncated hemoglobins from the eubacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the ciliated protozoa Paramecium caudatum, and the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas eugametos.