cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hysterectomy when the uterus is grossly normal.

Abstract In about 15 per cent of all hysterectomies the uterus is basically normal in the gross anatomic sense. This surgical paradox arises from conditions peculiar to this organ. These conditions are: 1. The uterus is dispensable without apparent physical damage to the female organism and can be removed to advantage when there is disturbed function without change in structure. 2. The uterus is frequently found as the content of what amounts to a pelvic hernia and removed in the course of repairing that hernia. 3. The menstrual flow for reasons still unknown may become prolonged and excessive for which hysterectomy may ultimately be the treatment of choice. 4. The vascular congestion of the uterus and broad ligaments which occurs with the tidal surges of ovarian steroids produces pain in certain susceptible, usually emotionally unstable women, comparable to the mastalgia that many of these women experience. Hysterectomy gives these women relief because the operation eliminates much of the involved vasculature. 5. The cesarean section operation for practical reasons limits reproductive performance. These limitations arise from interests of both patient and obstetrician. Contraception, resection of Fallopian tubes, and sometimes hysterectomy are all practices which carry increasing assurance, in this order, in achieving this reproductive limitation. Certain patients to whom tubal sterilization is unacceptable are sterilized by hysterectomy. 6. The normal uterus is often removed prophylactically when laparotomy for adnexal lesions is carried out. In women who are past 35 and have completed their families, the gynecologist tends to weight the functional uselessness of the uterus against the potential of both disturbed function and organic disease in their subsequent years. In many of these cases hysterectomy is favored when this calculation is made.
Reassembling thin artifacts of unknown geometry

We introduce a novel reassembly method for fragmented, thin objects that uses minimal user interaction. Unlike past methods, we do not make any restrictive assumptions about the geometry or texture of the object. To do so, we exploit the geometric and photometric similarity along and across the boundaries of matching fragments, and leverage user feedback to tackle the otherwise ill-posed problem. We begin by encoding the scale variability of each fragment's boundary contour in a multi-channel, 2D representation. Using this multi-channel boundary contour representation, we identify matching sub-contours via 2D partial image alignment. We then align the fragments by minimizing the distance between their adjoining regions while simultaneously ensuring geometric continuity across them. The configuration of the fragments as they are incrementally matched and aligned form a graph structure. By detecting cycles in this graph, we identify subsets of fragments with dependent alignments. We then minimize the error within the subsets to achieve a globally optimal alignment. Using ceramic pottery as the driving example, we demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of our method on six real-world datasets.
Multiple Scattering Corrections in π ± Deuteron Scattering

Multiple-scattering corrections to the impulse approximation are calculated for the scattering of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ mesons by deuterons. These corrections are model-dependent since the scattered wave propagates off the energy shell between the first and last scatterings whereas experimental scattering phase shifts are available only for elastic scattering. Various assumptions are made concerning the off-the-energy-shell behavior of the scattering amplitudes and the double-scattering approximation is analyzed for meson energies of 45 Mev and 169 Mev. The results are tabulated and are found to be sensitive to the different scattering models. The cross sections at 169 Mev were calculated with both the Fermi and Bethe solutions for the meson-nucleon scattering phase shifts and are in close agreement. It thus does not seem to be feasible to use ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$-D scattering as a means of distinguishing between these two solutions.
Increasing Leadership Effectiveness

The article presents a review of the book “Increasing Leadership Effectiveness,” by Chris Argyris.
The treatment of hyperthyroidism.

Whenever there are alternative methods of treatment, one surgical and the other nonsurgical, and when each method is equally effective, the nonsurgical method invariably prevails. Patients dislike surgery and so do the internists whom they first consult. There seems to be no question that thyroidectomy for Graves' disease and its complications of vocal cord paralysis, tetany, hypothyroidism, recurrent hyperthyroidism, unsightly scar, and accidental death will soon be things of the past.131I involves no risk, and the only side effect or complication is preventable hypothyroidism. If the facts of the case were explained to the patients, none of them would choose thyroidectomy over treatment with131I. It is the responsibility of the physician to tell the patient the facts.
Prospects for Integrated Control of the Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Using Perillus Bioculatus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and Various Pesticides

Endosulfan, oxamyl, and esfenvalarate all were highly toxic to Perillus bioculatus (F.), a predator of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa deeemlineata (Say). Toxicity assays consisted of topical application to eggs, nymphs, and adults; exposure of nymphs to treated foliage; and ingestion by P. bioeulatus nymphs of Colorado potato beetle larvae previously exposed to treated foliage. P. bioculatus egg hatch was unaffected by topical application of the pesticides. Topical application of neem seed extract to third-instar nymphs delayed molting and caused deformities after the molt in some insects, whereas the synergist piperonyl butoxide and the botanical insecticide rotenone caused significant mortality. Cryolite (sodium fluoaluminate), Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego , horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, and three fungicides (chlorothalonil, rnaneb, and meta laxly) caused very little predator mortality at any life stage tested. Acontrol program using these materials would likely be compatible with the natural buildup of P. bioeulatus populations or with augmentative release of this predator. In a small-plot field study, release of P. bioeulatus in conjunction with bacterial insecticides provided significant control of Colorado potato beetles for at least 2 wk, suppressing larval populations by 76% compared with plots treated only with bacterial insecticides.
PCB contamination in marine sediments from Golfo Dulce, Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Twenty-nine marine sediment samples collected from 1996 through 2002 from the Golfo Dulce embayment of Costa Rica were analyzed for PCB concentrations. The Esquinas River and Rincon Bay in the northern and western part of the gulf had relatively low overall concentrations of PCBs, with no samples having greater than 2.1 µg/g dw sediment. The Port of Golfito had the highest overall concentrations, ranging up to 15.7 µg/g dw sediment. These samples were also dominated by higher chlorinated congeners. Samples from the deeper (>100m) waters in the northern part of the gulf, as well as within the sediment plume from the Rio Coto Colorado had intermediate values. Within the Rio Coto Colorado sediment plume the concentrations did decrease with increasing depth and the congeners showed a shift towards less chlorinated congeners with depth. However, the deep northern basin had some of the highest PCB concentrations and the shift towards less chlorinated congeners was not apparent or significant. Whether the anoxic conditions that exist in the deep waters are capable of initiating dechlorination is still unknown. Overall, the data from Golfo Dulce show moderate PCB contamination, despite the pristine nature of the gulf and surrounding lands.
Reducing Internalizing Symptoms Among High-Risk, Hispanic Adolescents: Mediators of a Preventive Family Intervention.

Familias Unidas is a family-focused preventive intervention that has been found to reduce drug use and sexual risk behaviors among Hispanic adolescents. In some trials, Familias Unidas has also been found to be efficacious in reducing adolescent internalizing symptoms (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms), even though the intervention did not specifically target internalizing symptoms. This study examines potential mediators or mechanisms by which Familias Unidas influences internalizing symptoms, specifically the role of intervention-targeted improvements in parent-adolescent communication and reductions in youth externalizing behaviors. A total of 213 Hispanic eighth grade students with a history of externalizing behavior problems and their primary caregivers were recruited from the public school system. Participants, with a mean age of 13.8 years, were randomized into the Familias Unidas intervention or community practice control condition and assessed at baseline, 6, 18, and 30 months post-baseline. A cascading mediation model was tested in which the Familias Unidas intervention was hypothesized to decrease adolescent internalizing symptoms through two mediators: improvements in parent-adolescent communication leading to decreases in externalizing behaviors. Findings show that the intervention had significant direct effects on youth internalizing symptoms at 30 months post-baseline. In addition, the cascading mediation model was supported in which the Familias Unidas intervention predicted significant improvements in parent-adolescent communication at 6 months, subsequently decreasing externalizing behaviors at 18 months, and ultimately reducing youth internalizing symptoms at 30 months post-baseline. Implications for prevention interventions are discussed.
Colonization and bronchopulmonary infection.

SUMMARY Nosocomial pneumonia, usually due to gram-negative bacilli, is a frequent and serious complication of acute respiratory failure. These pneumonias reduce the chances of survival and prolong hospitalization. These pneumonias are preceded by bacillary colonization of the upper respiratory tract. Bacterial adherence to upper respiratory epithelial cells is an important step in colonization by gram-negative bacilli and thus is an initiating event in the pathogenesis of these infections. Factors which mediate adherence of gram-negative bacilli to epithelial cells are poorly understood. To prevent nosocomial pneumonias, every reasonable effort must be made to limit the exposure of seriously ill patients to exogenous gram-negative bacilli. Those factors known to be detrimental to lung antibacterial defenses such as pulmonary edema or hypoxia should be identified and corrected as soon as possible. Current clinical methods for diagnosis of bacterial infection in the setting of acute respiratory failure are imprecise because of sampling problems and the occurrence of bacterial colonization of proximal airways in most patients receiving continuous ventilatory support. However, pathogenic bacteria may be confined to specific regions of the lung corresponding to areas of consolidation seen on the chest radiograph and not be widespread throughout the airways. The selective protected brush techniques may be useful in establishing the etiology of bacterial pneumonia in the setting of acute respiratory failure and may be helpful in differentiating between colonization of the upper respiratory tract and distal lung infection.
Emerging Memory Technologies: Recent Trends and Prospects

This tutorial introduces the basics of emerging nonvolatile memory (NVM) technologies including spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM), phase-change random access memory (PCRAM), and resistive random access memory (RRAM). Emerging NVM cell characteristics are summarized, and device-level engineering trends are discussed. Emerging NVM array architectures are introduced, including the onetransistor?one-resistor (1T1R) array and the cross-point array with selectors. Design challenges such as scaling the write current and minimizing the sneak path current in cross-point array are analyzed. Recent progress on megabit-to gigabit-level prototype chip demonstrations is summarized. Finally, the prospective applications of emerging NVM are discussed, ranging from the last-level cache to the storage-class memory in the memory hierarchy. Topics of three-dimensional (3D) integration and radiation-hard NVM are discussed. Novel applications beyond the conventional memory applications are also surveyed, including physical unclonable function for hardware security, reconfigurable routing switch for field-programmable gate array (FPGA), logic-in-memory and nonvolatile cache/register/flip-flop for nonvolatile processor, and synaptic device for neuro-inspired computing.
The Dye SYPRO Orange Binds to Amylin Amyloid Fibrils but Not Pre‐fibrillar Intermediates

Amyloid deposition underlies a broad range of diseases including multiple neurodegenerative diseases, systemic amyloidosis and type-2 diabetes. Amyloid sensitive dyes, particularly thioflavin-T, are widely used to detect ex-vivo amyloid deposits, to monitor amyloid formation in vitro and to follow the kinetics of amyloid self-assembly. We show that the dye SYPRO-orange binds to amyloid fibrils formed by human amylin, the polypeptide responsible for islet amyloid formation in type-2 diabetes. No fluorescence enhancement is observed in the presence of pre-fibrillar species or in the presence of non-amyloidogenic rat amylin. The kinetics of human amylin amyloid formation can be monitored by SYPRO-orange fluorescence and match the time course determined with thioflavin-T assays. Thus, SYPRO-orange offers an alternative to thioflavin-T assays of amylin amyloid formation. The implications for the interpretation of SYPRO-orange-based assays of protein stability and protein-ligand interactions are discussed.
Irony personified: Ibsen and The Master Builder

Henrik Ibsen is masterful in his translation of an ironic world-view into the traits and behaviors of his characters, their interrelations, and the organizing structure of his dramatic action. In Hedda Gabler , when the title character marries George Tesman and not Eilert Loevborg, becomes vulnerable to the manipulations of Judge Brack and shoots herself with her father's pistols, she is enacting, among other behaviors, an inclusive ironic pattern. When Nora Helmer, in A Doll House , performs an elaborate show of domestic dutifulness, all the while sneaking macaroons and engaging in other, more helpful duplicities, she too is embodying the very ironic pattern that brings about the ultimate, and indeed logical, reversal – shutting the door on all that was apparently affirmed on her part in favor of another, more personal duty. And when, in The Master Builder , Halvard Solness refers with ironic self-awareness to his “luck,” he is intensely aware that the fabric of his life has been transformed – and continues to be fashioned – by a power of fortune that is not only double-edged but contradictory, bringing with it both blessing and catastrophe. Such “luck” is for Solness a manifestation not so much of providential good or ill but of an overarching pattern in its visitation upon individual fate. Luck of this signifying variety is also, of course, related by its very nature to the ironic.
New Advances in Nanophotonic Device Physics

Advanced silicon and plasmonic nanophotonics is undergoing rapid progress due to its manifold applications in high data communication links and other applications in imaging and sensing. Our group has been at the forefront of new devices and device physics. In this talk we will first review progress in our group in a wide variety of fundamental technologies and physics needed to extend the advances in nanophotonics. We will then illustrate these ideas with several new devices types that we have recently demonstrated at Columbia based on new simulation modalities. Our approach then to modeling and simulation is to use fully accurate methods and techniques and to achieve new capabilities based on massively parallel and high-performance computation. Much of our advances are based on new hardware strengths and testing with distributed and parallel systems.
The Educational Benefits of Attending Higher Performing Schools: Evidence From Chicago High Schools:

Policymakers are implementing reforms with the assumption that students do better when attending high-achieving schools. In this article, we use longitudinal data from Chicago Public Schools to test that assumption. We find that the effects of attending a higher performing school depend on the school’s performance level. At elite public schools with admission criteria, there are no academic benefits—test scores are not better, grades are lower—but students report better environments. In contrast, forgoing a very low-performing school for a nonselective school with high test scores and graduation rates improves a range of academic and nonacademic outcomes.
The Ascent of Chiefs: Cahokia and Mississippian Politics in Native North America

This ambitious book provides a theoretical explanation of how prehistoric Cahokia became a stratified society, and ultimately the pinnacle of Native American cultural achievement north of Mexico. Considering Cahokia in terms of class struggle, Pauketat claims that the political consolidation in this region of the Mississippi Valley happened quite suddenly, around A.D. 1000, after which the lords of Cahokia innovated strategies to preserve their power and ultimately emerged as divine chiefs. The new ideas and new data in this volume will invigorate the debate surrounding one of the most important developments in North American prehistory.
Decreased Nucleus Accumbens Expression of Psychiatric Disorder Risk Gene Cacna1c Promotes Susceptibility to Social Stress

Background Polymorphisms in the CACNA1C gene are associated with human mood disorders. The rodent social defeat model of stress/mood-disorder susceptibility results in maladaptive consequences mediated by altered function of mesolimbic circuits. Methods mRNA levels of Cacna1c in the nucleus accumbens of mice exposed to social defeat were assessed. Cacna1c was selectively deleted in the nucleus accumbens of floxed Cacna1c mice using viral Cre-recombinase to examine Cacna1c in social defeat susceptibility. Results Reduced expression of Cacan1c in the nucleus accumbens is associated with increased susceptibility to social defeat stress, and a knockdown of Cacna1c in the nucleus accumbens significantly increases susceptibility measured by social interaction and female urine preference. Conclusions Cacna1c reduction causally predisposes to the maladaptive outcomes of social stress. Normal Cacna1c function in the nucleus accumbens is crucial for resiliency to social stressors. Variations in expression of CACNA1C in the nucleus accumbens may mediate human risk for developing mood disorders and be a target for therapeutic intervention.
Geographic and population-level disparities in colorectal cancer testing: A multilevel analysis of Medicaid and commercial claims data

Abstract Morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC) can be attenuated through guideline concordant screening and intervention. This study used Medicaid and commercial claims data to examine individual and geographic factors associated with CRC testing rates in one state (Oregon). A total of 64,711 beneficiaries (4516 Medicaid; 60,195 Commercial) became newly age-eligible for CRC screening and met inclusion criteria (e.g., continuously enrolled, no prior history) during the study period (January 2010–December 2013). We estimated multilevel models to examine predictors for CRC testing, including individual (e.g., gender, insurance, rurality, access to care, distance to endoscopy facility) and geographic factors at the county level (e.g., poverty, uninsurance). Despite insurance coverage, only two out of five (42%) beneficiaries had evidence of CRC testing during the four year study window. CRC testing varied from 22.4% to 46.8% across Oregon's 36 counties; counties with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation had lower levels of testing. After controlling for age, beneficiaries had greater odds of receiving CRC testing if they were female (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.08), commercially insured, or urban residents (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07–1.21). Accessing primary care (OR 2.47, 95% CI 2.37–2.57), but not distance to endoscopy (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.92–1.03) was associated with testing. CRC testing in newly age-eligible Medicaid and commercial members remains markedly low. Disparities exist by gender, geographic residence, insurance coverage, and access to primary care. Work remains to increase CRC testing to acceptable levels, and to select and implement interventions targeting the counties and populations in greatest need.
Chrono-Cultural Sequence of the Bampur Valley (South-Eastern Iran) during the Chalcolithic Period: A Reevaluation of the Stein Collection at the Peabody Museum, Harvard University

AbstractThis paper provides an updated view of the chronology of and cultural complexes present in the Bampur Valley, south-eastern Iran, during the Chalcolithic period (fifth and fourth millennia BC). It is based on a reexamination of ceramic assemblages from six sites located in this valley investigated by Aurel Stein in the 1930s—assemblages that are held by the Peabody Museum at Harvard University—and comparisons with additional available data from the south-eastern Iranian Plateau during this period.
How “Wide Walls” Can Increase Engagement: Evidence From a Natural Experiment in Scratch

A core aim for designing constructionist learning systems and toolkits is enabling "wide walls"-a metaphor used to describe supporting a diverse range of creative outcomes. Ensuring that a broad design space is afforded to learners by a toolkit is a common approach to achieving wide walls. We use econometric methods to provide an empirical test of the wide walls theory through a natural experiment in the Scratch online community. We estimate the causal effect of a policy change that gave a large number of Scratch users access to a more powerful version of Scratch data structures, effectively widening the walls for learners. We show that access to and use of these more powerful new data structures caused learners to use data structures more frequently. Our findings provide support for the theory that wide walls can increase engagement and learning.
African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design. By Ron Eglash

(1999). African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design. By Ron Eglash. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 106, No. 9, pp. 872-875.
SWNT Networks with Polythiophene Carboxylate Links for High-Performance Silicon Monoxide Electrodes

Carboxylated polythiophenes, such as poly[3-(potassium-4-butanoate) thiophene] (PPBT), play a critical role in securely connecting single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) electrical networks onto the surface of carbon-coated silicon monoxide (c-SiOx). These connections are a function of the materials’ surface chemistries and resultant physical/chemical bonding through favorable molecular interactions. Specifically, the PPBT π-conjugated backbone and alkyl side chain carboxylate moieties (COO−), respectively, physically interact with the SWNT and c-SiOx carbon layer π-electron-rich surfaces, and chemically bind to surface hydroxyl (−OH) species of the c-SiOx electroactive materials to form a carboxylate bond. This approach effectively captured pulverized particles that form during battery operation and beneficially suppressed the thickness change that electrodes typically undergo. The resultant electrodes exhibited superior electrochemical performance, which was ascribed to stable SEI layer formation, reduced...
Dendritic cell trafficking in tumor-bearing mice

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, with no curative treatments once it spreads. Alternative therapies, including immunotherapy, have shown limited efficacy. Dendritic cells (DC) have been widely used in the treatment of various malignancies. DC capture antigens and move to the lymphoid organs where they prime naive T cells. Interaction between DC and T cells are most active in lymph nodes and suppression of DC trafficking to lymph nodes impairs the immune response. In this work, we aimed to study trafficking of DC in vivo via various routes of delivery, to optimize the effectiveness of DC-based therapy. A DC labeling system was developed using 1,1'-dioctadecyltetramethyl indotricarbocyanine Iodine for in vivo fluorescent imaging. DC harvested from C57B/6 mice were matured, labeled, and injected intravenously, subcutaneously, or intratumorally, with or without antigen loading with whole tumor lysate, into C57B/6 mice inoculated with RM-1 murine prostate tumor cells. Signal intensity was measured in vivo and ex vivo. Signal intensity at the tumor site increased over time, suggesting trafficking of DC to the tumor with all modes of injection. Subcutaneous injection showed preferential trafficking to lymph nodes and tumor. Intravenous injection showed trafficking to lungs, intestines, and spleen. Subcutaneous injection of DC pulsed with whole tumor lysate resulted in the highest increase in signal intensity at the tumor site and lymph nodes, suggesting subcutaneous injection of primed DC leads to highest preferential trafficking of DC to the immunocompetent organs.
Simulating Psychological Phenomena and Disorders

This chapter justifies the use of simulations as a research tool for understanding and explaining how psychology emerges from biology. Neuroscience has already introduced new tools and methods into psychology. Brain scanning instruments such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have received the most attention. While this technology can identify the neural structures that mediate psychological phenomena, it cannot advance our understanding of how psychology emerges from these neural structures. Connectionist simulations are required to do this. The verbal description of the core and corollary principles that constitute the proposed Bio↔Psychology Network Theory requires simulation in order to specify all necessary assumptions and auxiliary hypotheses in the form of mathematical equations in order to produce predictions that can be falsified by human data. Psychometricians routinely use computer simulations to better understand the properties of complex statistical methods. Physicists routinely use mathematical models to better understand properties of complex systems. Psychologists need to use simulations to understand how mind emerges from brain. Examples of effective simulations of psychological phenomena including the Stroop effect, language acquisition, personality, attitude formation and change, stereotypes, and aging are discussed. Simulations of psychological disorders including dyslexia, schizophrenia, and frontal lobe damage are also discussed. Because the forces that drive electrons through transistors are the same as those that drive ions across cell membranes, connectionist models can be simulated in hardware using neuromorphic chips.
Too Much Playing Games – A Response to Kretchmar

Scott Kretchmar recently put forth a new definition of what it is to play a game. Unfortunately, it must be rejected. In this paper, I will show that this new definition is far too broad by discuss...
Social support and stress, depression, and cardiovascular disease

Abstract Social support is one of the most reliable predictors of better health outcomes, including lower cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Although past research has focused on links between social support and health outcomes, much less work has explored whether social support is a mediator of the association between other psychological factors and cardiovascular disease. This chapter thus reviews the literature linking stress and depression to social support. It leverages the larger literature linking social support to health-relevant outcomes to propose a support mediational model linking stress and depression to cardiovascular health. Direct evidence for the model will be a priority for future research, along with the exploration of novel intervention implications.
Social Network Characteristics among Racial/Ethnic Minority Young Adult Males with Prior Criminal Justice System Involvement

Research examining social networks and delinquency risk rarely focuses on the unique period of young adulthood. Young adults who have been involved in the criminal justice system (CJS) may associate with high-risk peers or be less central in their social networks, especially in urban, low-resourced contexts. We used social network analysis to examine prior CJS involvement with network composition and centrality among racial/ethnic minority young adult males (n=119). Participants with CJS involvement were highly connected to each other and had high-risk peers, but were no more or less central in their networks. Understanding delinquency risks for racial/ethnic minority young adult males identifies prevention and intervention targets during the transition to adulthood.
HIV as uncertain life

Abstract Expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly transformed the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As evidence of this shift, the global health community increasingly classifies HIV as a chronic condition, akin to diabetes and heart disease by emphasizing that it can be managed through testing, drug provision, and behavioral change. While expanded access to treatment is a laudable accomplishment, this representation obscures the underlying conditions for those living with HIV, especially within resource-constrained settings in the Global South. Chronic HIV is a stabilization of life, while managed HIV is an uncertain lived experience. This article reports the findings from research that is examining the social and environmental impacts of HIV/AIDS in rural South Africa. I argue that while those living with HIV know their disease status, this does not mean they know the status of their health. Health uncertainties are generated by a variety of factors, ranging from fluid and unstable viral loads, lingering social stigmas, distinct bodily responses to treatment, and local treatment protocols that do not always align with global prescriptions. The consequence is that while HIV is increasingly classified as a chronic condition, managed HIV is uncertain life that is experienced through inequities in exposure, treatment, and management.
microPET/CT imaging of sentinel lymph nodes with tumor metastasis in B16Ova (Luc/GFP) melanoma bearing mice using 64Cu-αCD11b

461 Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop PET tracer targeting myeloid cells and to noninvasively assess response of draining lymph nodes (LNs) to metastatic tumor cells by tracking infiltration of CD11b+ inflammatory cells. Methods: Murine B16Ova (Luc/GFP) melanoma cells were inoculated between the skin and cartilage on the dorsal side of the ear in C57BL/6 mice. Fourteen to sixteen days after inoculation, microPET/CT images with 64Cu-αCD11b were acquired. Normal mice with saline injection were used as a control. Mice were also monitored by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) with IVIS 200 system after microPET/CT imaging. At the end of the study, tumor-draining LNs (superficial cervical LN) were exposed for BLI, then these LNs were collected for flow cytometry analysis. Results: In C57BL/6 mice without tumor inoculation, microPET/CT imaging showed that uptake of 64Cu-αCD11b in LNs was low, indicating a low level of CD11b+ cells in normal LNs. In mice bearing B16Ova (Luc/GFP) melanoma in the ears, the draining superficial cervical LNs on the side of the melanoma in the ear were clearly visualized by microPET/CT with 64Cu-αCD11b. Quantitative analysis of PET imaging also showed significantly higher accumulation of 64Cu-αCD11b in the superficial cervical LNs (17.5 ± 0.89 %ID/g) on the side of the B16Ova (Luc/GFP) tumor inoculation than in the LNs of the contralateral side (13.2 ± 1.16 %ID/g) (p Conclusions: 64Cu-αCD11b µPET/CT clearly delineated infiltration of CD11b+ cells in metastatic lymph nodes in mice bearing B16/Ova melanoma, suggesting potential use of this imaging method in depicting the early metastatic niche.
Investigating the impact of TBM downtimes on utilization factor based on sensitivity analysis

Abstract Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) are considered to be the most efficient tunneling method for long tunnels because of their higher productivity, adaptability to a variety of subsurface conditions, and providing a safer work environment. The number of TBMs utilized over the past decade has escalated, testimony to their continuing success and flexibility for application on projects of different diameter, length, and ground conditions. There are various guidelines available for TBM selection and for developing a suitable specification for a machine for a given project. Proper application of these guidelines is an essential part of machine selection to assure optimal performance of these machines in a given project. However, available guidelines are very general in nature and based on past experiences: they cannot take into account the many intricacies of a specific upcoming project including site set up and geology. This paper discusses use of Discrete Event Simulation (DES) to model tunneling activities, and demonstrates the ability of simulation to capture the interrelationships between the TBM, back-up system, and geologic interactions. The simulations provide insight into expectations for utilization of individual components as well as overall TBM system utilization. The simulation model can be constructed to enable estimation of the machine utilization under various site set up and back-up arrangements, and thus paves the way to quantitative assessment of the value of adding different capabilities on the machine and back-up system. Case studies are used to demonstrate the impact of some common tunneling activities in different ground conditions. In particular, DES was used to study the effect of eight different tunneling activities on the overall performance of the TBM. Significant differences in productivity can be seen by varying the specification of the TBM and system components. The results show the importance of selecting the right components for the back-up and their impact on overall machine utilization, leading to the possibility of allowing more methodic and fact-based selection of system components for optimal TBM performance.
Hip Structural Analysis Reveals Impaired Hip Geometry in Girls With Type 1 Diabetes.

Context Among patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the risk of hip fracture is up to 6-fold greater than that of the general population. However, the cause of this skeletal fragility remains poorly understood. Objective To assess differences in hip geometry and imaging-based estimates of bone strength between youth with and without T1D using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-based hip structural analysis. Design Cross-sectional comparison. Participants Girls ages 10 to 16 years, including n = 62 with T1D and n = 61 controls. Results The groups had similar age, bone age, pubertal stage, height, lean mass, and physical activity. Bone mineral density at the femoral neck and total hip did not differ in univariate comparisons but was lower at the femoral neck in T1D after adjusting for bone age, height, and lean mass. Subjects with T1D had significantly lower cross-sectional area, cross-sectional moment of inertia, section modulus, and cortical thickness at the narrow neck, with deficits of 5.7% to 10.3%. Cross-sectional area was also lower at the intertrochanteric region in girls with T1D. Among those T1D subjects with HbA1c greater than the cohort median of 8.5%, deficits in hip geometry and strength estimates were more pronounced. Conclusions DXA-based hip structural analysis revealed that girls with T1D have unfavorable geometry and lower estimates of bone strength at the hip, which may contribute to skeletal fragility and excess hip fracture risk in adulthood. Higher average glycemia may exacerbate effects of T1D on hip geometry.
Novel Wearable Thermal-Color Dual Modal Imaging System for COVID-19 Temperature Screening

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has devastated communities and disrupted life worldwide. Thermal imaging systems are beneficial for temperature screening as the operator of the thermal imaging system is not required to be physically close to the subjects, in contrast to the contact thermography approach. In addition, thermal imaging systems typically measure surface skin temperature faster than the typical forehead or oral thermometers. One of the greatest challenges of COVID-19 is effective screening of schools, universities, and military units, where there are large gatherings of population. For rapid and high-throughput temperature screening, a wearable system is advantageous as wearable systems can enable hands-free operation and allow the operator to move around freely. In this study, we developed a prototype wearable system capable of real-time thermal-color dual-modal imaging with 3D augmented reality capability. We have also demonstrated a new method to register thermal and color imageries independent of working distance and object features. The portable nature and AR display can potentially enable on-the-go screening.
An Experiment in Applied Optics: Determination of the Kinetics of the Oxidation of an Organic Dye

An effective, inexpensive experiment that demonstrates the utility of applied optics as a process monitor and diagnostic in chemistry/chemical engineering. The global kinetics of the oxidation of ordinary food color by household bleach are determined by using optical absorption. A square cross section clear plastic container contains a well-stirred batch mixture of water, blue or green food color, and household bleach through which is passed a helium-neon laser beam. The intensity of the transmitted beam is monitored over time with a photodiode detector connected to a chart recorder or other signal detection device. Transmission curves are generated as functions of the initial volumes of bleach added to a fixed volume of water. Modeling of the data suggests an oxidation rate that is first order in dye and first order in bleach.
A double binary-tree FIR-filter form and the corresponding low-sensitivity IIR bandpass/bandstop structure

An FIR filter comprising back-to-back binary trees, each using multiple-sample delay blocks, offers advantages; (1) for rate-changing filters, (2) when block delays are especially hardware efficient, and (3) when replacing block delays with allpass sections to create an IIR filter. In the latter case, the peak group delays of the allpass sections approximate the several distinct delays of the blocks replaced. With allpass sections fixed, the combining weights are easily optimized.
Craft and Innovation

Abstract This paper looks at a way of studio teaching that emphasizes direct experience with real materials. It argues that innovation takes place when a student “plays” with real materials and adopts a critical attitude toward craft. Recent studios demonstrate a way of working that discovers forms, strategies, and techniques unlike those discovered by a student when working to scale in drawing or model. An essential aspect of this teaching is the emphasis revealing to the student the critical thinking inherent in the activity of making.
Rapid and automated flow cytometry crossmatch for optimizing inter-assay and inter-operator consistency

Background Flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) is a high sensitive tool to identify donor cell specific antibodies in recipient’s serum. However, the procedure is time consuming and fraught with inter-assay and inter-operator variabilities. Aim To optimize instrumentation for automated tagging (AT) in FCXM that will both quicken the procedure and exclude inter-operator variability. Methods Serum, spleen, or peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from human subjects. AT was performed using a combination of Precision-XS and EL406 instruments (BioTek Instruments, Inc.) and compared to manual tagging (MT) (both in 96 well plates). FITC-goat α-human IgG channel shift (CS) of >40 for T cells and >50 for B cells was considered positive. Results AT of two cell specimens took 90 min vs. 100 min by MT. AT did not cause cell loss. Automated Tagging vs. Manual Tagging: AT and MT of specimens (N = 6) provided similar CS results (T cell-(P = 0.8) and B cell-FCXM (P = 0.9); (Fig 1A)) and median channel intensity results for T cell FCXM (%CV: negative control (NC) = 8 vs. 11; positive control (PC) = 10 vs. 14) and B cell FCXM (%CV: NC = 6 vs. 17; PC = 10 vs. 9). Intra-assay variability: When AT was performed in duplicates in a plate (N = 3), no intra-assay variability was noted in CS results (T cell FCXM: P = 0.1; B cell FCXM: P = 0.1 (Fig 1B)) or in median channel intensity results [T cell FCXM (%CV: NC = 1 vs. 5; PC = 4 vs. 2) and B cell FCXM (%CV: NC = 2 vs. 1; PC = 5 vs. 4).] Inter-assay variability: When AT was performed in two different plates (N = 3), no inter-assay variability was noted in CS results (T cell FCXM: P = 0.8; B cell FCXM: P = 0.9 (Fig 1C)) or in median channel intensity results [T cell FCXM (%CV: NC = 8; and PC = 6) and B cell FCXM (%CV: NC = 11; PC = 5)]. Inter-operator variability: Inter-operator variability was not noted when FCXM were performed by AT (Fig 1D). Conclusions Combination of Precision-XS- and EL406-instruments helps making a FCXM faster and automatous, and provides reliable results with inter-assay and inter-operator consistency. Download : Download full-size image
Whatever Happened to Moderate Republicans? Party Asymmetry in the U.S. Congress, 1972-2008

Moderate Republicans have nearly disappeared from Congress while a sizable bloc of moderate Democrats remains in office. I trace this asymmetry to two main factors. Democrats are disadvantaged by the apportionment of House and Senate seats and so must compete in Republican-leaning constituencies in order to gain a national majority. In addition, the pro-Democratic shift in the northeastern US over the past 20 years has occurred at the expense of moderate Republicans in the House and Senate.
Modeling of Propellants Containing Ultrafine Aluminum

In the study of heterogeneous propellants that contain large amounts of fine aluminum and ammonium perchlorate, it is appropriate to distinguish between the matrix (a homogenized blend of fine particles and binder) and larger particles that are embedded in this matrix. Then the burning properties of a pure matrix are required. We construct a one-dimensional model for this purpose. Key ingredients include the determination of the thermal conductivity and pyrolyis law of the matrix, and an accounting of the radiation field generated by the fine aluminum in the gas phase. Experimental results of Dokhan et al. ("The Ignition of Ultra-Fine Aluminum in Ammonium Perchlorate Solid Propellant Flames," AIAA Paper 2003-4810, July 2003) are used for calibration and in comparisons.
Impact of time allocation practices on academic outcomes for students from a 2-campus pharmacy school.

Objective: To assess how students from 2 campuses spent their time during P1-P3 (first through third) years, and whether that time allocation impacted their APPE grades and NAPLEX performance. Methods: Data from 2 graduating classes were gathered, including baseline student demographics, academic performance, licensing examination scores and pass rates, and an annual internal student survey. For the survey, students were asked how much time they spent each week on class attendance, watching recorded lectures, studying and course-related activities, school-sponsored extracurricular activities, and work. Data was analyzed by campus for the 3 years (P1-P3) and then evaluated separately as individual academic years. Results: There were statistical differences between campuses in attending class, watching recorded lectures, and participating in school activities. However, there was no statistical difference between the 2 campuses in APPE grades, NAPLEX scores, or pass rates. Conclusion: How students from these 2 campuses spent their time during pharmacy school was not predictive of academic success.
Effective elastic moduli of a particulate composite in terms of the dipole moments and property contribution tensors

Abstract The paper focuses on the comparison of two approaches used for calculation of the effective elastic properties of particulate composites: the dipole moments representation and the technique based on property contribution tensors. Its specific goal is to bridge the gap between the two methods and to identify the key microstructural parameters affecting overall elastic stiffness of heterogeneous materials. The basic concepts of the homogenization theory including a consistent way of introducing the macroscopic field parameters are discussed and clarified. We provide a detailed comparison of the analytical expressions for the dipole moment tensors obtained by the multipole expansion method and for the stiffness contribution tensors and show that they coincide.
Interaction of DNA with anti-cancer drugs: copper-thiosemicarbazide system

The interaction of copper-thiosemicarbazide complexes with DNA was investigated using ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy. Evidence for the interaction of the complexes with nucleic acid bases and with the phosphate group is presented.
Thermal Shock Effects on Dynamic Deformation Mechanisms in Ti2AlC

The present study is aimed at understanding the effects of thermal shock and associated microstructural features on the dynamic deformation mechanisms in Ti2AlC, a Mn+1AXn phase ternary ceramic. These materials crystallize in a Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP) structure with a c/a ratio greater than 1.67 which results in kink band formations when subjected to loading. In this work, we report the microstructural changes associated with thermal shocking of Mn+1AXn phases and its effects on deformation mechanisms, under dynamic compressive loading. The specimens are heated to temperatures of 220, 550 and 900°C, held at each temperature for 5–10 minutes, and subsequently quenched in water at 20°C to induce thermal shock. The thermal shock resistance and its effect on mechanical properties is investigated by subjecting heat treated specimens to compressive loading at high strain rates (∼1000–4500 s−1) using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB). The microstructures of thermally shocked specimens are characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis to reveal the surface morphologies and characteristics. The displacements during the deformation events are captured using in situ high speed imaging, with full-field 2D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. The key microscale mechanisms of deformation are studied using SEM analysis of deformed/fractured specimens.Copyright © 2012 by ASME