cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism After Lung Transplantation

Background The risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) following lung transplantation are not well established. We aimed to estimate the incidence of VTE and to identify the risk factors for VTE after lung transplantation. Methods We performed a nested case-control study within the cohort of 121 patients who underwent lung transplantation at our center between August 2001 and July 2005. Control subjects were matched to case patients on the number of days from the time of transplant. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify risk factors for VTE. Results Twenty-four patients had deep vein thromboses, and 6 patients had pulmonary emboli (3 patients had both) [22% of the cohort]. In multivariate models, older age (p Conclusions VTE is a frequent complication of lung transplantation. Older age, diabetes, and pneumonia increase the rate of VTE. Future studies of intensive VTE prophylaxis may be warranted.
High Weight Fraction Surfactant Solubilization of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes in Water

We report a simple process to solubilize high weight fraction single-wall carbon nanotubes in water by the nonspecific physical adsorption of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate. The diameter distribution of nanotubes in the dispersion, measured by atomic force microscopy, showed that even at 20 mg/mL ∼63 ± 5% of single-wall carbon nanotube bundles exfoliated into single tubes. A measure of the length distribution of the nanotubes showed that our dispersion technique reduced nanotube fragmentation.
Spatial polarimetric time-frequency distributions for direction-of-arrival estimations

Time-frequency distributions (TFDs) are traditionally applied to a single antenna receiver with a single polarization. Recently, spatial time-frequency distributions (STFDs) have been developed for receivers with multiple single-polarized antennas and successfully applied for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of nonstationary signals. In this paper, we consider dual-polarized antenna arrays and extend the STFD to utilize the source polarization properties. The spatial polarimetric time-frequency distributions (SPTFDs) are introduced as a platform for processing polarized nonstationary signals, which are received by an array of dual-polarized double-feed antennas. This paper deals with narrow-band far-field point sources that lie in the plane of the receiver array. The source signals are decomposed into two orthogonal polarization components, such as vertical and horizontal. The ability to incorporate signal polarization empowers the STFDs with an additional degree of freedom, leading to improved signal and noise subspace estimates for direction finding. The polarimetric time-frequency MUSIC (PTF-MUSIC) method for DOA estimation based on the SPTFD platform is developed and shown to outperform the time-frequency, polarimetric, and conventional MUSIC techniques, when applied separately.
Photoacoustic study of plasmon-resonance absorption in a bigrating

Plasmon-resonance absorption of 633-nm photons in a silver-coated bigrating (crossed grating) was measured by a photoacoustic method. The bigrating studied had two sets of corrugations perpendicular to each other, which were made by the holographic method. The corrugation amplitude h = 48 nm and the groove spacing d = 2186 nm were the same for both corrugations. The results obtained as a function of the groove orientation relative to the plane of photon incidence were found to be consistent with predictions of a perturbation theory. For the case in which two plasmon waves were generated simultaneously in directions symmetric with respect to the plane of incidence, a significant redistribution of the absorption intensity was found to occur between the incident p- and s-polarized light.
An approach to construct pre-conditioning matrices for block iteration of linear equations

An approximate block elimination (ABE) method for constructing preconditioning matrices in the block iteration of systems of linear equations is presented. Four families of preconditioning matrices based on this approach are identified for solving the 2*2 block equations with the Jacobian resulted from the 3-D one-carrier semiconductor device analysis problem. The fully coupled Newton's method is used as a test case on a parallel computer, the Intel iPSC/2 hypercube. There are ten different preconditioning transformations including the alternate block factorization (ABF) and the modified singular perturbation (MSP) schemes. The results from computational experiments indicate that eight of these preconditioning matrices significantly extend the convergence region of the block Gauss-Seidel iteration process of Newton steps and five of them speed up the convergence with a factor of up to more than an order of magnitude. >
The Association Between Social Support and Stages of Change in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

For survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), it is often difficult to take steps to establish safety and obtain a violence free life. Researchers have applied stage of change theory to aid in understanding the experience of survivors, as well as, the factors that can help women who desire to make changes in or break free from a violent relationship. Social support is one factor that can be helpful to IPV survivors who are attempting to make changes in their relationship. The purpose of the current study was to examine the differences in social support experienced by women who are at varying points in the process of change. Shelter residents (N = 191) participated in this cross-sectional non-experimental study. Analyses demonstrated five distinct clusters or profiles of change among study participants and were labeled by the authors as follows: preparticipation, decision making, engagement, ambivalent, and action. All forms of social support (i.e., structural, functional, and satisfaction) were genera...
A Right Above All Others

This paper argues that the provision of basic security is more urgent than that of other rights in chaotic failing states, in dealing with rogue nations, when genocide is committed, and in other violent situations that are common in the international arena.
Phenological Comparison of Two Braconid Parasitoids of the Caribbean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Two species of Braconidae, Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) and Doryctobracon areolatus (Szepligeti), commonly attack the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), in central Florida. There are temporal changes in the relative abundance of the 2 parasitoids, with a tendency for D. longicaudata to become more common as the fruiting periods of various host trees progress. An exception occurs when D. longicaudata declines relative to D. areolatus during the late-autumn and winter fruiting of the citrus fruit calamundin, χ Citrofortuella mitis J. Ingram & H. E. Moore. During the year there is a spring rise and then an autumn decline in the relative abundance of D. longicaudata . This pattern is not explained by any within-tree changes in fruit size or host larval densities. Many changes in relative abundance are consistent with D. areolatus being superior to D. longicaudata in finding host patches, but inferior at exploiting hosts (counter-balanced competition). Seasonal changes in maximum temperatures are also correlated to changes in the relative abundance of D. longicaudata to D. areolatus . It appears that the outcome of the competition between the 2 species is influenced by climatic conditions.
Culture and Rhetorical Patterns: Mining the Rich Relations Between Aristotle's Enthymeme and Example and India's Nyāya Method

Rhetorical patterns used by Westerners may differ from those of other cultures. Still, little is known about Nyāya, India9s rhetorical methodology. This essay relates rhetorical patterns in Aristotle9s enthymeme and paradeigma to Nyāya9s pratijnāa (claim/promise), hetu (reason), and dṛṣṭānta (example). Though superficially similar, the Greek/Western rhetorical patterns invoke interlocking statements based in a general statement, while the Indian approach uses a dominant analogical image to connect claim and reason. Focusing on a historical interaction where a Westerner missed key elements of Indian persuasion because of his Aristotelian presuppositions about argument, the essay illustrates the crucial need to understand differing rhetorical patterns for successful cultural dialogue.
Obstructing polyps of the posterior urethra in boys: embryology and management.

Abstract Solitary fibrous polyps are an uncommon but important cause of obstructive uropathy, infection and hematuria in boys. The clinical presentation and management in 5 boys are discussed and the literature is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the pitfalls in diagnosis and recent endoscopic techniques of treatment.
Role of complement and complement receptor C1qR in the antibody-independent killing of group B streptococcus.

Normal human serum (NHS) containing low levels of antibodies to the type-specific capsular polysaccharide still mediates killing of type III or Ia group B Streptococcus (GBS) in opsonophagocytic assays.1, 3, 4 The killing activity of the antibody-deficient serum can be abolished or strongly diminished by various conditions or treatments: deficiency in C2 complement protein, heat inactivation, preadsorption with living bacteria, and chelation with MgEGTA. Incubation of type Ia GBS with the antibody-deficient serum led to consumption of C3 and C4 complement proteins and the bacteria directly bound purified C1q, the first component of the classical complement pathway (CCP) in the absence of antibody.2 Preincubation of the antibody-deficient serum with soluble type Ia or III polysaccharides inhibited the killing activity of the serum and binding of C1 to GBS, and also decreased the levels of C4.6 These observations suggest that type III GBS can directly activate CCP without the need for antigen-antibody complexes. We investigated the involvement of C1q and CCP in the molecular interactions responsible for antibody-independent opsonophagocytic killing of GBS.
Intraindividual variability of sleep/wake patterns in relation to child and adolescent functioning: A systematic review.

Summary Substantial research attention has been devoted to understanding the importance and impact of sleep in children and adolescents. Traditionally, this has focused on mean sleep variables (e.g., a child's "typical" or average sleep duration), yet research increasingly suggests that intraindividual variability (IIV) of sleep/wake patterns (sometimes referred to as sleep variability or night-to-night variability) regularly occurs and may have implications for adjustment. A systematic search of five electronic databases identified 52 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2015 that examined correlates of sleep IIV in children and adolescents, with a recent increase in the publication rate of such studies. Identified studies were often atheoretical and included post hoc analyses, though IIV in select aspects of sleep does appear to be associated with increasing age/pubertal status, non-White race, physical and neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; autism), psychopathology symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, inattention), body weight, stress, aspects of cognitive functioning, and poorer sleep functioning/habits. The limited intervention work examining sleep IIV in adolescents is promising, though studies are needed using more rigorous intervention designs. Clinical sleep recommendations may not only need to address overall sleep duration and sleep habits but also the stability of sleep duration and timing. It will be important for future research examining sleep IIV in children and adolescents to use a developmental framework in advancing theory pertaining to the causes, mechanisms, moderators, and outcomes of sleep IIV in youth, and a conceptual model is proposed to help guide such efforts.
Preclinical PET Neuroimaging of [11C]Bexarotene.

Activation of retinoid X receptors (RXRs) has been proposed as a therapeutic mechanism for the treatment of neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. We previously reported...
A neural decision forest scheme with application to EMG gesture classification

Herein presents a novel neural decision forest by bootstrap aggregating randomized neural decision trees with the purpose of untangling signal data representations and performing heirarchical classification. The individual trees in a neural decision forest embed randomized neural networks (rNet) with 1-hidden layer acting as bottlenecks and hard gating functions. The rNets are trained using a multi-class exchange method with l 2 -regularization to sparsify the networks. By applying a projection map prior to each rNet input layer, a novel method to randomly window a vectorized tensor of electromyogram (EMG) signals recorded from hand gestures is attained. These random windows show the promise of greatly simplifying and generalizing the process of feature extraction. Neural decision forests prevent overfitting and the inability of single trees to generalize to new variations by bootstrap sampling the training set, controling the rNet convergence rates, and increasing the forest size. The key findings in three gesture classification experiments are: i) neural decision forests with random windows outperform the random forest algorithm in terms of accuracy measures in personalized gestures by as much as 20% with equal tree sizes, ii) neural decision forests outperform random forests in intra-subject classification discriminating 27 gestures on 4 out of 5 people, and iii) neural decision forests are competitive with random forests in discriminating 7 gestures recorded with a low sampling rate.
Modelling of OPNMR phenomena using photon energy-dependent 〈Sz〉 in GaAs and InP.

Abstract We have modified the model for optically-pumped NMR (OPNMR) to incorporate a revised expression for the expectation value of the z-projection of the electron spin, 〈 S z 〉 and apply this model to both bulk GaAs and a new material, InP. This expression includes the photon energy dependence of the electron polarization when optically pumping direct-gap semiconductors in excess of the bandgap energy, E g . Rather than using a fixed value arising from coefficients (the matrix elements) for the optical transitions at the k = 0 bandedge, we define a new parameter, S opt ( E ph ) . Incorporating this revised element into the expression for 〈 S z 〉 , we have simulated the photon energy dependence of the OPNMR signals from bulk semi-insulating GaAs and semi-insulating InP. In earlier work, we matched calculations of electron spin polarization (alone) to features in a plot of OPNMR signal intensity versus photon energy for optical pumping (Ramaswamy et al., 2010). By incorporating an electron spin polarization which varies with pump wavelength into the penetration depth model of OPNMR signal, we are able to model features in both III-V semiconductors. The agreement between the OPNMR data and the corresponding model demonstrates that fluctuations in the OPNMR intensity have particular sensitivity to light hole-to-conduction band transitions in bulk systems. We provide detailed plots of the theoretical predictions for optical pumping transition probabilities with circularly-polarized light for both helicities of light, broken down into illustrative plots of optical magnetoabsorption and spin polarization, shown separately for heavy-hole and light-hole transitions. These plots serve as an effective roadmap of transitions, which are helpful to other researchers investigating optical pumping effects.
Abstract 1715: IRES-transactivating factors (ITAFs) as therapeutic targets in breast and colorectal cancer

Background: The majority of cellular mRNAs are translated in a cap-dependent manner, via ribosome assembly at 5′ methylguanosine caps followed by initiation at a nearby favorable AUG codon. Alternatively, internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) facilitate translation in a cap-independent manner, particularly during cell stress, and have been identified in mRNAs encoding many canonical cellular oncogenes, including c-MYC, c-SRC, XIAP, Aurora-A kinase, and IGF1R. IRES trans-activating factors (ITAFs) are accessory proteins that augment or inhibit translation of client IRES-containing mRNAs, and were found to be upregulated in many cancer types including breast and colorectal cancers. Methods and Results: Analysis of microarray datasets from cancer and normal tissue specimens (The Cancer Genome Atlas, METABRIC, and University of North Carolina datasets) revealed that expression of several ITAFs is upregulated in malignant tissues compared to normal controls. mRNAs encoding ITAFs were significantly upregulated (p To investigate biological impact of ITAF silencing, gene knockdown was accomplished using pGIPZ and pTRIPZ lentiviral shRNA vectors. Silencing of ITAFs and concomitant reduction in protein levels (measured by western blot) led to significant proliferation impairment in MDA-MB-231, MCF7 and DLD1 cancer cells in 2-D culture (as measured by counting assays, p Conclusions and future directions: Future experiments will include expanded investigation of protein-level ITAF expression in archival human specimens using immunohistochemistry, as well as investigation of the effects of ITAF silencing in cancer cell xenografts in immunocompromised mice. Based on their increased expression in malignant tissues and activity in translation of oncoproteins, cellular ITAF genes may represent novel therapeutic targets for intervention. Citation Format: Toby M. Ward, Jessica Bockhorn, J C. Harrell, Xiaofei Liu, Mark D. Pegram. IRES-transactivating factors (ITAFs) as therapeutic targets in breast and colorectal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1715. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1715
Bone-targeted cabazitaxel nanoparticles for metastatic prostate cancer skeletal lesions and pain.

AIM The aim of this study was to develop a novel cabazitaxel bone targeted nanoparticle (NP) system for improved drug delivery to the bone microenvironment. MATERIALS & METHODS Nanoparticles were developed using poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) and cabazitaxel as the core with amino-bisphosphonate surface conjugation. Optimization of nanoparticle physiochemical properties, in vitro evaluation in prostate cancer cell lines and in vivo testing in an intraosseous model of metastatic prostate cancer was performed. RESULTS This bone targeted cabazitaxel nanocarrier system showed significant reduction in tumor burden, while at the same time maintaining bone structure integrity and reducing pain in the mouse tumor limb. CONCLUSION This bone microenvironment targeted nanoparticle system and clinically relevant approach of evaluation represents a promising advancement for treating bone metastatic cancer.
Physical geography in the Anthropocene

Even as it remains an informal term defining the emergence of humans as a force transforming Earth as a system, the Anthropocene is stimulating novel research and discussion across the academy and well beyond. While geography has always been deeply connected with the coupled human–environment paradigm, physical geographer’s embrace of the Anthropocene still appears lukewarm at best. While there are good reasons to hesitate, including the fact that the Anthropocene is not yet, and might never be, formalized in the Geologic Time Scale, physical geographers have much to gain by embracing what is rapidly becoming the most influential scholarly discussion on human–environmental relations in a generation. This editorial was commissioned for the author’s debut as Contributing Editor of Progress in Physical Geography.
Give researchers a lifetime word limit

Brian C. Martinson imagines how rationing the number of publications a scientist could put out might improve the scientific literature.
Performance and Reach Comparison of Large-Effective-Area Low-Loss Fiber Links via 256-Gb/s PDM-16QAM WDM Transmissions

Impact of fiber parameters on the performance and reach of 256-Gb/s PDM-16QAM WDM transmissions has been investigated using experimentally validated EGN model. OSNR improvement and reach extension are assessed for systems employing large-effective-area low- loss fibers.
Exploring the hydraulic fracturing parameter space: a novel high-pressure, high-throughput reactor system for investigating subsurface chemical transformations

Hydraulic fracturing coupled with horizontal drilling (HDHF) involves the deep-well injection of a fracturing fluid composed of diverse and numerous chemical additives designed to facilitate the release and collection of natural gas from shale plays. Analyses of flowback wastewaters have revealed organic contamination from both geogenic and anthropogenic sources. The additional detections of undisclosed halogenated chemicals suggest unintended in situ transformation of reactive additives, but the formation pathways for these are unclear in subsurface brines. To develop an efficient experimental framework for investigating the complex shale-well parameter space, we have reviewed and synthesized geospatial well data detailing temperature, pressure, pH, and halide ion values as well as industrial chemical disclosure and concentration data. Our findings showed subsurface conditions can reach pressures up to 4500 psi (310 bars) and temperatures up to 95 °C, while at least 588 unique chemicals have been disclosed by industry, including reactive oxidants and acids. Given the extreme conditions necessary to simulate the subsurface, we briefly highlighted existing geochemical reactor systems rated to the necessary pressures and temperatures, identifying throughput as a key limitation. In response, we designed and developed a custom reactor system capable of achieving 5000 psi (345 bars) and 90 °C at low cost with 15 individual reactors that are readily turned over. To demonstrate the system's throughput, we simultaneously tested 12 disclosed HDHF chemicals against a radical initiator compound in simulated subsurface conditions, ruling out a dozen potential transformation pathways in a single experiment. This review outlines the dynamic and diverse parameter range experienced by HDHF chemical additives and provides an optimized framework and novel reactor system for the methodical study of subsurface transformation pathways. Ultimately, enabling such studies will provide urgently needed clarity for water treatment downstream or releases to the environment.
The feasibility and effectiveness of using prism adaptation to treat motor and spatial dysfunction in stroke survivors with multiple incidents of stroke

ABSTRACTBackground Strokes resulting in cognitive and motor problems can be debilitating and prolong recovery. Risk of a second stroke occurs for 40% of all first-time stroke survivors within five years. Prism adaptation treatment (PAT) may simultaneously improve functions of both spatial and motor systems. This has not been studied with a cohort comprised of multiple strokes nor measured change using specific motor outcomes.Objectives To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of using PAT to improve spatial and motor functions in stroke survivors with multiple strokes.Method A prospective intervention with retrospective comparison. Thirteen participants from an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) comprised the treatment group; 13 others who only received standard care comprised the comparison group. Treatment group tested on: 4 motor and 3 spatial outcome measures before and after the 10 PAT sessions. The comparison group tested on: 1 motor and 3 spatial measures before and after standard care.R...
Adaptation privilege and Voluntary Buyouts: Perspectives on ethnocentrism in sea level rise relocation and retreat policies in the US

Abstract The coast is a highly populated environment that is under increasing risk because of sea level rise (SLR) and climate change. Social science predicts that social and political systems will habitually privilege certain communities and disadvantage others under conditions of risk and disaster. This paper tests that supposition on a particular disaster policy in the United States. Voluntary buyouts are a policy tool in the US that has the potential to help communities adapt to SLR. While buyouts have been resisted in the past, there is some indication that they are becoming more politically popular. Despite increased popularity, communities in Alaska who need to relocate because of repetitive flooding and sea level rise do not meet the basic requirements of the buyout program in a way that makes this policy applicable to their situation. We find that notions of the market, property, and individualism are ideological assumptions inherent to the buyout policies, which ultimately serve to disadvantage tribal communities as they attempt to relocate as an adaptation strategy to climate change. This analysis suggests that adaptation policies to climate change themselves, can limit the inventory of possibilities that some communities have to choose from, and re-entrench inequity in the face of risk.
The effect of valproate on the metabolism of phenobarbital in the rat

Valproate has been shown to interact with all major antiepileptic drugs. The interaction with phenobarbital is the most clinically significant. The mechanism of the interaction was evaluated in the in vivo rat and in vitro liver perfusion system. Phenobarbital and parahydroxyphenobarbital (PbOH) were administered with and without valproate treatment. In vivo, after administration of PbOH, valproate caused a significant inhibition of both the renal clearance of unchanged PbOH (40%) and the formation clearance (ClF) of its glucuronide conjugate (44%). When coadministered with phenobarbital, valproate caused a significant decrease in the total plasma clearance of phenobarbital (95.4 +/- 29.0 to 65.8 +/- 20.2 ml/hr/kg), with no apparent effect on the phenobarbital renal clearance or the ClF of PbOH. Valproate did cause a significant inhibition (50%) of formation of a minor metabolite, metahydroxyphenobarbital. The largest effect of valproate appears to be on unknown pathways of phenobarbital elimination. In the isolated perfused rat liver, the ClF of PbOH and its glucuronide conjugate were determined. Valproate caused a small (10%) but significant decrease in the ClF of PbOH. As seen in vivo, the most significant effect of valproate was on the ClF of the PbOH glucuronide (66% decrease). In conclusion, inhibition of PbOH formation by valproate cannot account entirely for the increased plasma concentrations of phenobarbital that occur when valproate is added to therapy. A complete understanding of the mechanism will require a complete accounting of the phenobarbital dose in rat or in humans.
Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Techniques for Enteral Access

Prior to providing long-term enteral access, the surgeon must have a clear understanding of whether pre-pyloric or post-pyloric feeding is appropriate. In most instances, a percutaneous endoscopic approach with good technique can provide safe long-term enteral access to meet a patient’s needs with morbidity and discomfort less than that associated with open or even laparoscopic surgery. Nevertheless, alternative surgical techniques are sometimes needed. In certain cases, it may even be appropriate to have multiple different plans available for a single operative encounter to provide a feeding tube for a given patient.
Mechanoelectric Transduction/Feedback: Physiology and Pathophysiology

Cardiac “mechanotransduction” involves various physiological and biophysical phenomena in which mechanical energy is transduced to changes in function of cardiac myocytes and of the whole heart. In this chapter different manifestations of mechanotransduction are reviewed, with special emphasis on the “mechano-electric” feedback aspect. The chapter covers both physiological and pathological roles of mechanical stimulation of heart tissue.
Structural Shape Description for Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Shapes

Shape analysis consists of producing a description of a shape that can be used for identification, grouping, or further processing of the shape. In this paper we discuss structural shape analysis techniques including syntactic techniques and relational techniques. Examples are given of a shape grammar, a two-dimensional relational shape description, and a three-dimensional relational shape description.
Efficient integral equation algorithms and their application to rfid installation

This research reduces the expense of solving multiscale frequency domain surface integral equation problems by application of an efficient hierarchical geometry description and an alternative approach to matrix conditioning. The cost of preparing a structure for simulation is minimized by multilevel retention of facet translation and rotation data. Overlapping sub-domain bases are then simultaneously applied via a new iterative procedure that ascertains the common sub-basis solution to the overdetermined system. This approach is highly convergent and provides accurate solutions without degradation to existing O (N) fast algorithms. New sheet impedance forms are introduced ensuring proper material representation. These methods are then applied in the optimization of low frequency Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor placement on a metallic vehicle rim. Test methods required for accurate measurement of low frequency magnetic fields are discussed and measurements of an automobile wheel under like stimuli match simulated results.
Review of high power frequency comb sources based on InP: from MIR to THz at CQD

We present the recent development of high performance compact frequency comb sources based on mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Significant performance improvements of our frequency combs with respect to the continuous wave power output, spectral bandwidth, and beatnote linewidth are achieved by systematic optimization of the device's active region, group velocity dispersion, and waveguide design. To date, we have demonstrated the most efficient, high power frequency comb operation from a free-running room temperature continuous wave (RT CW) dispersion engineered QCL atλ ~5-9μm. In terms of bandwidth, the comb covered a broad spectral range of 120 cm-1 with a radio-frequency intermode beatnote spectral linewidth of 40 Hz and a total power output of 880 mW at 8 μm and 1 W at λ~5.0μm. The developing characteristics show the potential for fast detection of various gas molecules. Furthermore, THz comb sources based on difference frequency generation in a mid-IR QCL combs could be potentially developed.
Evaluating Lab-, Pilot-, and Bench-scale Pressure Filtration Systems for Dewatering of Coal Refuse Slurry

Pressure filtration testing was carried out to dewater coal refuse slurry obtained from the thickener underflow stream of an operating coal preparation facility in Pennsylvania. Pressure filtration...
Medical Course and Complications After Visceral Transplantation

Surgical innovations and standardization of surgical techniques combined with advances in immunosuppression and induction protocols, improved understanding of gut physiology and mucosal immunology, and improved transplant medical management, including monitoring for possible complications, have now led to the possibility of successful intestinal transplantation. The main types now performed include isolated intestinal transplantation which may or may not include the colon, combined liver-intestine transplantation, and multivisceral transplantation which along with the small intestine may include any combination of the stomach, large intestine, liver, spleen, and, especially in patients with cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, or type 1 diabetes mellitus, the pancreas. Multivisceral transplantation is a very complex procedure that presents multiple challenges for proper post-transplantation management, with a substantial risk of complications including rejection, infection, de novo malignancy, renal dysfunction, and graft-versus-host disease. Such medical complications combined with the demands on patients for adherence – not only to taking medications as directed but also to hygiene rules, specific dietary regimens, and other health behaviors – and long-term management of all other aspects of chronic illness can result in significant anxiety, depression, and emotional distress requiring psychosocial and mental health care. A team approach including transplant surgeons, gastroenterologists, infectious disease specialists, child development specialists, and occupational, speech, and physical therapists as well as mental health clinicians is absolutely required.
Dynamic Risk Stratification: Intraoperative Decision-Making in Treatment of Thyroid Cancer

Abstract Introduction: Surgery, the primary treatment for thyroid cancer,1 involves a constant real-time assessment and active process. Intraoperative decision whether the patient has high-risk fea...
A Review of Primary Care-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Interventions

Effective obesity prevention and treatment interventions targeting children and their families are needed to help curb the obesity epidemic. Pediatric primary care is a promising setting for these interventions, and a growing number of studies are set in this context. This review aims to identify randomized controlled trials of pediatric primary care-based obesity interventions. A literature search of 3 databases retrieved 2947 publications, of which 2899 publications were excluded after abstract (n = 2722) and full-text review (n = 177). Forty-eight publications, representing 31 studies, were included in the review. Eight studies demonstrated a significant intervention effect on child weight outcomes (e.g., BMI z-score, weight-for-length percentile). Effective interventions were mainly treatment interventions, and tended to focus on multiple behaviors, contain weight management components, and include monitoring of weight-related behaviors (e.g., dietary intake, physical activity, or sedentary behaviors). Overall, results demonstrate modest support for the efficacy of obesity treatment interventions set in primary care.
Behind the Voices: The Practice and Challenges of Esports Casters

Casters commentate on a live, streamed video game for a large online audience. Drawing from 20 semi-structured interviews with amateur casters of either Dota 2 or Rocket League video games and over 20 hours of participant observations, we describe the distinctive practices of two types of casters, play-by-play and color commentary. Play-by-play casters are adept at improvising a rich narrative of hype on top of live games, whereas color commentators methodically prepare to fill in the gaps of live play with informative analysis. Casters often start out alone, relying upon reflective practice to hone their craft. Through examining challenges faced by amateur casters, we identified three design opportunities for game designers to support casters and would-be casters as first-class users. Such designs would provide an antidote to the challenges faced by amateur casters: those of the lack of social support for casting, camerawork, and data availability.
Impact of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences on Residency Interview Invitations.

Objective. To determine how postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency program directors perceive factors related to advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) when selecting candidates for residency interviews. Methods. An online cross-sectional nationwide survey of 1,280 PGY1 residency program directors was conducted. Participants were asked to rank the overall influence of five APPE categories, including location, structure, elective type, timing, and preceptor references, as well as the desirability and necessity of APPE-related variables representing the five categories, in their assessment of residency candidates. Results. Program demographics and survey data were collected from 375 participants (29% response rate). The category most influential to program directors’ decisions was APPE preceptor reference letters, while the category that was the least influential was APPE timing factors. An APPE’s location, structure, and elective type ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively, as the most influential categories. Respondents perceived factors similar to their own residency environment as desirable, supporting the study’s conceptual framework of person-environment fit. The variables that the majority of residency directors specifically desired were two reference letters from APPE preceptors and letter grades for each APPE completed. Completion of inpatient elective APPEs was considered more desirable than completion of a balanced mix of elective APPEs. Participants rarely indicated that a specific APPE variable was a necessity for a candidate to be considered. Conclusion. Applicants to pharmacy residency programs should consider the importance of person-environment fit when selecting APPEs and preparing applications as program directors desire candidates who possess attributes compatible with their organization and complete APPEs in settings similar to that of their organization. Conversely, the absence of desired APPE-related variables does not necessarily exclude an applicant from consideration.
Exercise in the first week following concussion among collegiate athletes: Preliminary findings.

Abstract Objectives Our purpose was to examine the association between exercise after concussion with symptom severity, postural control, and time to symptom-resolution. Design Longitudinal cohort. Methods Collegiate athletes (n = 72; age = 20.2 ± 1.3 years; 46% female) with concussion completed a symptom questionnaire at initial (0.6 ± 0.8 days post-injury) and follow-up (2.9 ± 1.4 days post-injury) evaluations, and a postural control assessment at follow-up. Participants were grouped into those who exercised in between the time of injury and the follow-up evaluation and those who did not. Decisions regarding post-concussion exercise were made by a sports medicine team consisting of a single team physician and athletic trainers. Results Thirteen athletes were not included in the current study, resulting in an 85% response rate. Thirteen of the athletes who completed the study exercised between evaluations (18%). There was no symptom resolution time difference between groups (median = 13 [IQR = 7–18] days vs. 13 [7–23] days; p = 0.83). Symptom ratings were similar between groups at the acute post-injury assessment (median PCSS = 18.5 [7.5–26] vs. 17 [14–40]; p = 0.21), but a main effect of group after adjusting for time from injury to assessment indicated the exercise group reported lower symptom severity than the no exercise group across both assessments (p = 0.044). The dual-task gait speed of the exercise group was higher than the no exercise group (0.90 ± 0.15 vs. 0.78 ± 0.16 m/s; p = 0.02). Conclusions Athletes who were recommended aerobic exercise after concussion did not have worse outcomes than those who were not. Exercise within the first week after concussion does not appear to be associated with detrimental clinical outcomes.
Monsters of Anti-Semitism in Ishiguro’s Rural English Landscape: Re-reading The Remains of the Day as Ethical Fantasy Novel

Re-reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s Booker-Prize winning novel The Remains of the Day (1989) through the lens of the fantasy genre enables us to recognize the true monstrosity of his narrator, the English ...
Homage to the Place(lessness) of Poetry and the Poetic Life of Carl Leggo

This address was written for Carl Leggo and presented June 1, 2019, at the CACS preconference “The Many Faces of Love: Celebrating the Life Work of Carl Leggo”, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. It draws upon Hannah Arendt’s analysis of the three human activities—labour, work and action—that form part of her thesis in The Human Condition. Specifically, I aim to provide a brief description of the role that such activities play in constituting the vita activa (or life of action). This overview then circles around to the ways in which works of art, particularly poetry, help establish a sense of permanence in the world that the activities of labour and action do not. I then identify an intersection between Arendt’s writings on poetry with Carl Leggo’s as relayed in his own writings on the subject. This intersection highlights poetry’s infinite value.
Long-Term Recovery of the Adaptive Immune System in Rhesus Macaques After Total Body Irradiation.

Abstract Purpose Ionizing radiation causes acute damage to hematopoietic and immune cells, but the long-term immunologic consequences of irradiation are poorly understood. We therefore performed a prospective study of the delayed immune effects of radiation using a rhesus macaque model. Methods and Materials Ten macaques received 4 Gy high-energy x-ray total body irradiation (TBI) and 6 control animals received sham irradiation. TBI caused transient lymphopenia that resolved over several weeks. Once white blood cell counts recovered, flow cytometry was used to immunophenotype the circulating adaptive immune cell populations 4, 9, and 21 months after TBI. Data were fit using a mixed-effects model to determine age-dependent, radiation-dependent, and interacting effects. T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing and quantification of TCR Excision Circles were used to determine relative contributions of thymopoiesis and peripheral expansion to T cell repopulation. Two years after TBI, the cohort was vaccinated with a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and a tetravalent influenza hemagglutinin vaccine. Results Aging, but not TBI, led to significant changes in the frequencies of dendritic cells, CD4 and CD8 T cells, and B cells. However, irradiated animals exhibited increased frequencies of central memory T cells and decreased frequencies of naive T cells. These consequences of irradiation were time-dependent and more prolonged in the CD8 T cell population. Irradiation led to transient increases in CD8+ T cell TCR Excision Circles and had no significant effect on TCR sequence entropy, indicating T cell recovery was partially mediated by thymopoiesis. Animals that were irradiated and then vaccinated showed normal immunoglobulin G binding and influenza neutralization titers in response to the 4 protein antigens but weaker immunoglobulin G binding titers to 10 of the 23 polysaccharide antigens. Conclusions These findings indicate that TBI causes subtle but long-lasting immune defects that are evident years after recovery from lymphopenia.
Financial Outcomes by Race During COVID-19

Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a higher toll on communities of color, and previous JPMorgan Chase Institute research has demonstrated racial gaps in financial outcomes (Farrell et al. 2020), COVID-19 could result in further exacerbation of racial disparities in financial outcomes. We use administrative banking data paired with self-reported race information to study racial gaps in families’ income, consumption, and liquid assets, and the response of each to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consistent with prior research on liquid balances during the COVID pandemic (see Greig et al. 2021; and JPMorgan Chase Institute 2021 for most recent data), we observe increases in account balances for all race groups. Black families have lower starting balances than Latinx or White families and see the smallest balance increases in dollar terms during the pandemic – trends that hold even after accounting for income differences. Within each race group, women have lower account balances and depleted their balance gains more quickly than men. Balance changes throughout the pandemic are due to combined changes in account inflows and outflows, and we observe that Black and Latinx families experience larger increases in both total income and rate of receiving unemployment insurance (UI), relative to White families; Latinx families drop their everyday spending the most at the onset of the pandemic, and also consistently transfer money out of their accounts more frequently than Black or White families. This research underscores that pandemic-based financial need was not evenly distributed by race. Public data on unemployment show an immediate and much larger spike in unemployment among Black workers than White workers in April 2020 and a slower subsequent recovery in employment, a result echoed in our observations of unemployment insurance by race. We also show that pandemic-related government supports were progressive in that they delivered cash to low-liquidity families, disproportionately boosting the cash balances of Black and Latinx families. These financial supports enabled families to continue their everyday spending, particularly for Black families. Finally, Black and Latinx families’ balances depleted faster than White families’. This signals the critical, but also temporary, nature of those government supports. This may also indicate that families of color faced circumstances that made it more difficult to maintain cash buffers, underscoring the relative precarity of their financial positions should they experience more prolonged unemployment.
Development and assessment of a nationwide, cross-discipline women faculty mentoring program

Abstract Introduction Professional health care associations present a unique opportunity for formal mentorship programs, with membership often spanning a variety of experiences, professional ranks, and institutions. However, scarce literature describes the role of professional associations in the development and assessment of mentoring programs. This paper describes development of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Women Faculty Special Interest Group (SIG) mentoring program and characterizes the impact of the program. Methods The task force collaboratively developed the mission, vision, and structure of the mentoring program, posted the program description on the SIG's electronic forum, and called for mentors and mentees via an online survey asking for matching preferences. The task force reviewed responses and designated matches. Participants were emailed match information and a guidance document. The program was assessed at three, six, and 12 months via electronic survey. Results The program matched 43 mentors with 77 mentees, with each mentor assigned one to three mentees. At the three- and six-month assessments, 89% and 87% of respondents, respectively, indicated they had met with their mentor/mentee. At the 12-month assessment, 86% of mentor respondents and 80% of mentee respondents stated the mentoring program met their needs/expectations. Career goal development, work/life integration, and difficult work situations were the most frequently discussed topics. Most participants stated they would continue to serve as a mentor/mentee in a future cycle and recommend other faculty members participate. Conclusions Results from three-, six-, and 12-month assessments indicated a positive impact of developing a nationwide, organizational, cross-discipline mentoring program.
Analyzing Literary Texts through Functional Grammar

Functional Grammar (FG) was developed by Michael Halliday in the 1960s as a model of grammar to show how language functions in a text. In this paper, I analyze and compare two texts through the lens of FG. I attempt to show that FG is a useful tool for analyzing literary texts. The texts I use are excerpts from two essays: “Love” by D. H. Lawrence, and “A Short History of Love” by Lawrence Stone. Canonical writers of English like D. H. Lawrence or James Joyce — to give but two examples — often depart from traditional grammatical rules in order to make their language express something that correct grammar is incapable of communicating. FG uncovers fascinating details about how writers construct their texts in keeping with their purpose and audience. While both the texts I analyze talk about the same phenomenon (romantic love) and reach the same conclusions, the means by which they reach these conclusions are very different — Lawrence uses a highly subjective and rhetorical style, whereas Stone, a historian, presents a more objective and scientific argument. My aim is to show that language users have linguistic choices and that these choices are seldom neutral.