cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US”: An Analysis of the Black Church, Political Engagement, and Black College Students

African-American millennials seem to distance the movement for Black Lives Matter away from the Christian Black church. The movement of Black Lives Matter does not have one leader or leadership group, which has many critics wondering why they will not use the Black church as a political tool like the youth of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. This essay takes a look at the role of political black churches throughout modern history; specifically from pre-civil war into the civil rights movement. In the first phase of this research, I surveyed college-aged African-American students about their relationship with the church, feelings towards the Black church’s involvement with the Black Lives Matter movement from three Middle Tennessee University. The second phase of this research involves interviews with pastors and bishops about how and if they are using the church to contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. Continually, this study seeks to examine how the black church is responding to the African-American youth in their pews and community. The research provides insight on how African-American millennials believe their new ideologies and forms of socialization and social identity has pushed the Black church out of the politicization of their movement, and how Black church leaders are pushing to affect change in their communities, their ministries, and the movement.
Total Corpus Callosotomy for Control of Medically Intractable Epilepsy

The Dartmouth forebrain commissurotomy series was initiated in 1971 by Donald Wilson after having reviewed the results of Van Wagenen and Herren (1940), Bogen and Vogel (1975), and Luessenhop et al (1970) and the experimental work of Erickson (1940).
The Spectacle of Visual Culture

In this article we characterize the ideology of visual culture as "spectacle pedagogy" in that images teach us what and how to see and think and, in doing so, they mediate the ways in which we interact with one another as social beings. Given that we are always immersed in visual culture, an understanding of its impact on social relations enables art teachers and their students to distinguish between its corporate, institutionalized expressions of subjectivity, and their personal expressions of subjectivity through artmaking. While the critique of the former promotes a narcissistic fixation with the dominant order of visual culture the latter makes it possible for students to challenge its commodity fetishism through the plurality of their personal perspectives. To enable such plurality in the art classroom, we recommend the conceptual strategies of collage, montage, assemblage, installation, and performance art as the means to expose, examine, and critique the spectacle of visual culture. It is through the indeterminate modes of address of these mediums that students' creative and political agency is immanently possible as they learn to engage the spectacle politics of visual culture as critical citizens.
Single-Lead Atrial Synchronous Pacing

The restoration of atrial synchrony in the presence of complete heart block has been attempted since the earliest days of cardiac pacing [1], In the earliest instances the atrial lead was applied by thoracotomy to the surface of the right or left atrium [2]. Later the J-shaped endocardial lead was widely used [3] and presently the passive or active fixation J-shaped lead is usually used either for atrial or dual-chamber pacing [4]. Placement of the atrial lead has been considered as a more difficult effort and one subjected to a higher early and late displacement rate compared to a ventricular lead. Despite the occasional difficulties associated with atrial lead placement, atrial synchrony, with the atrial contribution to cardiac output, avoidance of pacemaker syndrome [5], and the rate modulation which results from sensing the atrial rate has remained an attractive prospect for both single-rate ventricular pacing and ratemodulated ventricular pacing [6]. If the difficulty of placing an independent atrial lead were to be eliminated or reduced, atrial synchrony would likely be a useful and popular pacing mode.
Corporate and Personal Responsibility

When we look at programs like the U.S. Global Change Program (Committee on Earth Sciences, 1991), it is very easy for us to lose sight of the fact that the climate change problem is to a great extent a behavioral problem. Although most of our research dollars are spent on addressing the physical science dimensions of climate change, the problem that we face is largely a consequence of the behavior of Europeans and Americans over the last two centuries. As the developing countries industrialize, the causes of this problem will increasingly become democratized.
Software and Hardware Techniques for Reducing the Impact of Quantization Errors in Memristor Crossbar Arrays

Matrix-vector multiplication is the dominating computational workload in the evaluation of neural networks. It has recently been demonstrated that memristor crossbar arrays (MCAs) can perform matrix-vector multiplication with small power consumption and low latency. However, the computational accuracy may be degraded by quantization errors. The quantization errors of mapping a matrix to an MCA are proportional to the the number of distinguishable states of each memristor and the difference between the largest and smallest element in the matrix. In this paper, we propose a framework for mapping an arbitrary matrix A to a grid of MCAs (or a single MCA) while minimizing the negative impact of quantization errors. The framework is guided by a total quantization error bound (TQEB) metric, which is an upper bound on the total quantization errors (TQE). Using the proposed TQEB metric, three techniques of reducing TQE are proposed. The first method is based on scaling and shifting the rows in A with different factors to improve the memristor conductance band utilization. The second technique is based on representing a single column in a matrix A using multiple columns in an MCA, to reduce the magnitude of the smallest and largest elements in A. The third technique is based on permuting the order of the columns in A when the matrix A is required to be mapped to a grid of MCAs. The quantization errors are reduced by assigning matrix values of similar magnitude to the same MCAs in the grid. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed metric and techniques are capable of greatly reducing the negative impact of quantization errors.
The use of micro and nano-sized particles in increasing concrete durability

The main objective of this research is to increase the concrete durability by reducing deleterious alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) which results in a substantial damage to concrete members due to in...
Structural surface overlap and derivational complexity in crosslinguistic transfer: Acquisition of English genitive alternation by Egyptian Arabic-speaking learners:

This article adopts the surface overlap and derivational complexity hypotheses to study crosslinguistic transfer in the adult second language (L2) acquisition of English genitive alternation (betwe...
A Facile Enantioselective Alkynylation of Chromones

The first catalytic enantioselective alkynylation of chromones is reported. In this process, chromones are silylated to form silyloxybenzopyrylium ions that lead to silyl enol ethers after Cu-catalyzed alkyne addition using StackPhos as a ligand. The outcome of the reaction is impacted by distal ligand substituents with differing electronic character and it was found that successful reactions could be achieved with different ligand congeners by using different solvents. This sequence enables access to different products by protonation or further functionalization, thus increasing complexity in a divergent manner. The transformation is high yielding over a broad scope to provide a variety of useful chromanones in high enantioselectivity.
Analysis of Defect Size and Ratio to Condylar Size With Respect to Outcomes After Isolated Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation.

Background:Osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) is a successful knee joint preservation technique; however, the effects of defect size and defect size:condyle ratio (DSCR) are poorly under...
Rethinking the battle of Otumba: entangled narrations and the digitization of colonial violence

ABSTRACTSustained academic engagement with the colonial and imperial implications of videogames is a relatively recent phenomenon. This article employs the case study of Medieval II: Total War’s 20...
Diagnostic tests for food allergy.

Currently, the diagnosis of food allergy is based predominantly on clinical grounds. The medical history often provides valuable clues and occasionally definitive information on the offending food. Additional screening tests applicable to clinical practice include trials of elimination diets, a food/symptom diary, skin testing, and serum IgE antibody determination. Certain other tests may be impractical, highly unreliable, or available only in specialized laboratories and used mostly for research. Ahighly reliable diagnostic laboratory test for food allergy is yet to be developed.
Mechanisms of exosome-mediated immune cell crosstalk in inflammation and disease

Abstract Exosomes (30–150 nm extracellular vesicles) are known to mediate cell-cell communication, where they have been identified as significant regulators of immune cell crosstalk. This review focuses on the convergence of several significant studies that define biological activities and mechanisms for the release of exosomes that are translationally relevant in cancer, injury, and inflammation with particular attention to specific acute and chronic diseases of peripheral organ systems and the brain. This review also highlights emerging technologies that define the complexity of exosomes present in biological fluids and consider species-specific differences in pathways of exosome biogenesis. We have limited the scope of this review to studies published within the last 5 years that address specific functional aspects of immune-immune cell and immune-stromal cell crosstalk in vertebrates that have the potential to address translational questions on the role of exosomes in inflammation, tissue repair and regeneration, and in human health and disease.
Moving the Margins: Updates on the Renaissance in Machine Perfusion for Organ Transplantation

Escalating end-organ disease coupled with stagnant donor pools has begotten global organ shortages. Ex vivo organ perfusion, used briefly in the early days of clinical transplant and then sidelined for decades by static cold storage, has resurged to address this organ paucity. Given the recent prolific application of machine perfusion as a platform for assessment, preservation, and treatment of marginal grafts, this review summarizes salient results from the past 2–3 years in kidney, liver, lung, heart, pancreas, vascularized composite allograft, and xenograft transplantation. Clinical trials have established the ability of ex vivo perfusion to make previously declined thoracic and abdominal organs transplantable without sacrificing short- or long-term function and survival. In addition to extended assessment and superior preservation, machine perfusion enables targeted delivery of cutting-edge gene and immunomodulatory therapies. At the leading edge, ex vivo perfusion has recently led to breakthroughs in xenotransplantation, enabled ischemia-free liver transplants, and been incorporated into out-of-hospital organ resuscitation centers. Ex vivo machine perfusion is transitioning from being dormant to indispensable in clinical organ transplantation. Providing a platform for extended assessment, superior preservation, and targeted therapy, ex vivo organ perfusion can make marginal, previously declined organs a part of the donor pool. Pioneering pre-clinical studies continue to provide guidance on how to optimize and leverage this invaluable system for further expansion of lifesaving organ transplantation.
Optimal pumping schedule with high-viscosity gel for uniform distribution of proppant in unconventional reservoirs

Abstract Hydrocarbon recovery from a hydraulic-fractured unconventional reservoir can be enhanced by replacing slickwater with non-Newtonian high-viscosity gel as a fracturing fluid. However, in the literature, the role of gel rheology on hydrocarbon production from a fractured reservoir is not very well understood. This lack of understanding makes it difficult for the industry to choose appropriate viscosity parameters of fracturing gels. Motivated by these limitations, first, we have developed a high-fidelity model of non-Newtonian fluid flow to simulate fracture propagation, fluid leak-off, and gel flowback processes to predict the oil production from a hydraulic fractured reservoir. Simulation results of the high-fidelity model show how fracture geometry, formation damage, and gel cleanup process varies with the fracturing fluid rheology. Hence, the developed model is used to understand the effect of gel rheology on hydrocarbon production via a sensitivity analysis, which provides a set of rheological parameters that maximize the cumulative amount of oil production. Finally, utilizing this optimal high-viscosity gel, a model predictive controller is designed to obtain an optimal pumping schedule necessary for producing a target fracture geometry and proppant concentration. The closed-loop simulation results demonstrate that the obtained pumping schedule successfully achieved the desired fracture geometry and proppant concentration at the end of pumping, leading to the maximum oil production from an unconventional reservoir.
Optical properties of Ta2O5-based mixed oxide thin films grown by reactive sputtering

We present a study of the optical properties and crystallization temperature of amorphous Ta2O5 doped with Al, Si, Zn, Y, Nb and Hf. These materials are key components of interference coatings for laser applications.
Citation bias in otolaryngology systematic reviews

Objective: Reproducibility of systemic reviews (SRs) can be hindered by the presence of citation bias. Citation bias may occur when authors of SRs conduct hand-searches of included study reference lists to identify additional studies. Such a practice may lead to exaggerated SR summary effects. The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of hand-searching reference lists in otolaryngology SRs. Methods: The authors searched for systematic reviews published in eight clinical otolaryngology journals using the Cochrane Library and PubMed, with the date parameter of January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2017. Two independent authors worked separately to extract data from each SR for the following elements: whether reference lists were hand-searched, other kinds of supplemental searching, PRISMA adherence, and funding source. Following extraction, the investigators met to review discrepancies and achieve consensus. Results: A total of 539 systemic reviews, 502 from clinical journals and 37 from the Cochrane library, were identified. Of those SRs, 72.4% (390/539) hand-searched reference lists, including 97.3% (36/37) of Cochrane reviews. For 228 (58.5%) of the SRs that hand-searched reference lists, no other supplemental search (e.g., search of trial registries) was conducted. Conclusions: These findings indicate that hand-searching reference lists is a common practice in otolaryngology SRs. Moreover, a majority of studies at risk of citation bias did not attempt to mitigate the bias by conducting additional supplemental searches. The implication is that summary effects in otolaryngology systematic reviews may be biased toward statistically significant findings.
Review of Part III and Sample Problem

In this lecture, first, we will present a comprehensive review of the material discussed in Part I. Following that, we will solve Sample Problem 20.1 to demonstrate that the expression for the efficiency of a Carnot engine that we derived in Lecture 8 using an ideal gas as the engine working fluid is in fact generally valid for any working fluid.
The Sensory Gating Inventory-Brief

The Sensory Gating Inventory (SGI) is a 36-item measure used to assess an individual's subjective ability to modulate, filter, over-include, discriminate, attend to, and tolerate sensory stimuli. Due to its theoretical and empirical link with sensory processing deficits, this measure has been used extensively in studies of psychosis and other psychopathology. The current work fills a need within the field for a briefer measure of sensory gating aberrations that maintains the original measure's utility. For this purpose, large samples (total n = 1552) were recruited from 2 independent sites for item reduction/selection and brief measure validation, respectively. These samples reflected subgroups of individuals with a psychosis-spectrum disorder, at high risk for a psychosis-spectrum disorder, nonpsychiatric controls, and nonpsychosis psychiatric controls. Factor analyses and item-response models were used to create the SGI-Brief (SGI-B; 10 Likert-rated items), a unidimensional self-report measure that retains the original SGI's transdiagnostic (ie, present across disorders) utility and content breadth. Findings show that the SGI-B has excellent psychometric properties (alpha = 0.92) and demonstrates external validity through strong associations with measures of psychotic symptomatology, theoretically linked measures of personality (eg, perceptual dysregulation), and modest associations with laboratory-based sensory processing tasks in the auditory and visual domains on par with the original version. Accordingly, the SGI-B will be a valuable tool for dimensional and transdiagnostic examination of sensory gating abnormalities within clinical science research, while reducing administrator and participant burden.
Personal Exposure to Black Carbon at School and Levels of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide in New York City.

Background: Schools are often located near traffic sources, leading to high levels of exposure to traffic-related air pollutants, including black carbon (BC). Thus, the school environment could pla...
Mechanisms and Methods to Understand Depressive Symptoms

Depressive symptoms, feelings of sadness, anger, and loss that interfere with a person's daily life, are prevalent health concerns across populations that significantly result in adverse health outcomes with direct and indirect economic burdens at a national and global level. This article aims to synthesize known mechanisms of depressive symptoms and the established and emerging methodologies used to understand depressive symptoms; implications and directions for future nursing research are discussed. A comprehensive search was performed by Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, and PUBMED databases between 2000-2021 to examine contributing factors of depressive symptoms. Many environmental, psychological, and physiological factors are associated with the development or increased severity of depressive symptoms (anhedonia, fatigue, sleep and appetite disturbances to depressed mood). This paper discusses biological and psychological theories that guide our understanding of depressive symptoms, as well as known biomarkers (gut microbiome, specific genes, multi-cytokine, and hormones) and established and emerging methods. Disruptions within the nervous system, hormonal and neurotransmitters levels, brain structure, gut-brain axis, leaky-gut syndrome, immune and inflammatory process, and genetic variations are significant mediating mechanisms in depressive symptomology. Nursing research and practice are at the forefront of furthering depressive symptoms' mechanisms and methods. Utilizing advanced technology and measurement tools (big data, machine learning/artificial intelligence, and multi-omic approaches) can provide insight into the psychological and biological mechanisms leading to effective intervention development. Thus, understanding depressive symptomology provides a pathway to improve patients' health outcomes, leading to reduced morbidity and mortality and the overall nation-wide economic burden.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2021.1998261 .
Effects of Cathodic Protection on Corrosion Fatigue

The effects of cathodic protection on corrosion fatigue of alloys can vary widely, ranging from strongly beneficial to strongly detrimental. This paper provides a concise synopsis of the subject, based upon a review of selected literature. Attempts are made to discern important generalizations concerning the effects of various cathodic protection levels on crack initiation and crack propagation in ferrous and nonferrous alloy systems.
Multiple perspectives of technology transfer: Technology transfer from government labs

Ultimately, the goal of conducting research and development is to move the technology into application. This process is commonly referred to as technology transfer and potentially involves many stakeholders and business strategies. It can also depend on the type and maturity of the technology. While the emphasis of this research focuses on energy innovation, the methodology can be applied to any sub-category of technology transfer. This paper represents the first step in identifying and understanding the elements of a successful technology transfer. A variety of articles, interviews, and secondary sources are organized using Reisman's taxonomy framework and analyzed using H.A. Linstone's multiple perspectives approach. Specifically, technology transfer literature is considered from the technological, organizational, and personal (TOP) perspectives. The primary purpose of this research is to take the first steps at identifying the barriers of a successful technology transfer from National Labs to the public.
Originations, radiations and extinctions of Cretaceous rudistid bivalve species in the Caribbean Province

Rudistid bivalves first immigrated into the Caribbean Province in the Valanginian. They initially constructed reefoid frameworks in the central Caribbean Tethys by the Aptian, and dominated reefs of the Caribbean Tethys from the Albian through the Maastrichtian. During the Cretaceous, Caribbean rudistids underwent two major radiations, the first beginning in the Middle Albian and peaking in the Late Albian, and the second extending from the Early Santonian to a Middle Maastrichtian peak. These radiations were punctuated and separated by prominent extinction episodes, including the earliest phases of three global mass extinctions. Of the two hundred and fourteen described Caribbean rudistid species, each stratigraphically located to substage or finer levels of resolution, only eleven species (5.1%) are known from elsewhere in the world, suggesting extensive genetic isolation of the Caribbean reef biotas throughout the Cretaceous. This high level of species endemism (95%) allows definition of true regional origination and extinction patterns; these may represent global patterns for the rudistids. Radiation and extinction patterns in the Caribbean Province can be variously related to eustatic sealevel fluctuations, Caribbean plate motions affecting reef platforms, Antillean arc volcanism and drowning of carbonate platforms in volcaniclastic debris, paleoclimate (mainly temperature) oscillations and their effect on the paleobiogeographic distribution of reef biotas, and on the early effects of forcing mechanisms for global mass extinction. The origination and extinction patterns for all Caribbean rudistid species reflect this dynamic regional history. Analyses of species per substage, species per Ma, and species per Ma per diversity yield similar results and represent the most detailed analysis of origination and extinction history among dominant Tropical macrobiotas. Small origination peaks in the Early Barremian and Early Aptian emerge on only per taxon plots, but persistent major origination peaks occur in the Early Turonian, Early Coniacian, Early Santonian, and Early Maastrichtian. Significant extinction peaks among rudistids occur in the Late Aptian, Early Cenomanian, Late Cenomanian, Late Turonian, Middle Coniacian, Late Santonian, and early Late Maastrichtian. The Late Aptian, Late Cenomanian, Late Turonian, Middle Coniacian and Late Maastrichtian extinctions are true extinctions in that they occur during low or zero origination rates among rudistids. The Aptian, Cenomanian, and Maastrichtian rudistid extinctions occur in association with global mass extinctions, but consistently earlier than the main extinction peaks in each case by 0.25 to 1 Ma.
Effect of material properties on low-energy electron transmission in thin CVD diamond films

The electron transport process in CVD diamond was investigated using electron transmission spectroscopy. Electrons were injected into thin diamond films using a 0-20 keV electron gun, and then the secondary electrons that were transmitted through the films were detected and analyzed. In particular, the intensity and energy distribution of the transmitted electrons were measured as a function of the incident beam parameters (E/sub 0/, I/sub 0/) and analyzed using Monte Carlo simulations. Electron transmission data is measured from three CVD diamond films having similar thickness (/spl sim/ 2 /spl mu/m) but different bulk properties (i.e. B concentration, amorphic C content). Measurements are also taken from two CVD diamond films of different thickness (/spl sim/ 0.15 and 4 /spl mu/m). In the conduction-band transport regime, the escape depth (D/sub esc/) was determined. In general, D/sub esc/ was sensitive to the amorphic C content and grain boundary density, but not to the B concentration. The B concentration more strongly affected the transmission yield. The transmission yield was also affected by the surface properties of the film. It can be concluded that the film should be as thin as possible to achieve the highest yield.
Short-Term Oxidation Response of Nb–15Re–15Si–20Cr–15Ti Alloy

The Nb–15Re–15Si–20Cr–15Ti alloy was subjected to 24 h of air exposure in a temperature range from 700 to 1,400 °C. The Re addition to the Nb–Si–Cr–Ti alloy has been found to control pesting at lower temperatures, and spalling at higher temperatures. Formation of Cr2Re3 phase is believed to help in the lowering the oxidation kinetics, thus reducing pesting and spalling. Addition of titanium improves the oxidation resistance by forming intermetallics such as (Nb,Ti)5Si3, NbCr2, and Cr2Re3. The weight gain/loss per unit area as a function of temperature is used to determine the oxidation resistance. Oxidation characterization was carried out using XRD and backscattered imaging, EDS, and x-ray mapping modes on the SEM.
Differentiation of spindle, chromosomes and centriole in the spore of Bacillus megatherium.

Methods of fixation and staining which make it possible to differentiate the spindle, the chromosomes and the nucleus ofBacillus megatherium have been defined. The spindle is Feulgen-negative while the chromosomes are Feulgen-positive. The spindle is rigid and contains a centrosome and its centriole.
AIDS-affected children, family collectives and the social dynamics of care in Ethiopia

Abstract Many programmes for AIDS-affected children pursue resource-intensive and external interventions of care, and often place such children at the receiving end of the care continuum. The aim of this article is to explore from a socio-spatial perspective the capacities of families and children experiencing orphanhood and the policy significance of empowering both to address the growing challenge of orphan care in rural and urban Ethiopia. Drawing on participatory research (involving in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, story writing, photo essays, ranking, observation and household visits), the complex social dynamics of care and spatial diversities in the manifestations of the vulnerabilities, capacities, strengths, and potentials of children and their families are discussed. It is argued that rather than the lack of biological parents it is the combination of the absence of a carer and the presence of acute poverty and economic marginality that explain various forms of vulnerability in orphans and non-orphans. The article further argues that effective and sustainable care needs to be informed by identification and empowerment of ‘family collectives’ as sites of interventions. In doing so, it draws analytical attention to the importance of examining the socio-temporal processes of orphanhood and care, children’s changing circumstances, and family collectives’ variances in the capacity to provide support for them. Strategies for sustainable care should recognise the specific needs of AIDS-affected children and the resourceful ways in which they contribute to enhance the care-giving capacities of family collectives in the light of broader socio-cultural and political–economic contexts.
Laboratory Procedures for Cases of Suspected Infant Botulism

The recent development and evaluation of procedures for examination of fecal specimens for botulinal toxin and Clostridium botulinum have provided the means by which infant botulism can be recognized. The toxicity for mice of fecal extracts containing botulinal toxin can be neutralized with specific botulinal antitoxin. The presence of C. botulinum in the feces is detected by demonstrating the presence of botulinal toxin in enrichment culture supernatant by means of toxicity tests in mice. C. botulinum is isolated by streaking enrichment cultures on egg yolk agar and picking typical lipase-positive colonies. The experience of both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Botulism Laboratory and other laboratories has been that botulinal toxin and C. botulinum are rarely, if ever, found in the feces of humans (infants or older people) not afflicted with botulism. Results of the examination in the CDC laboratory of specimens from 24 babies with infant botulism are given.
Widows and Orphans First: The Family Economy and Social Welfare Policy, 1880–1939 – By S. J. Kleinberg

The United States poses particular challenges to historians of social welfare. The division of responsibility between local, state, and federal agencies; the diversity of ethnic, religious, and rac...
The exposure of ammonia to the photodissociated hemoglobin of the marine bloodworm, Glycera dibranchiata

Abstract 1. 1. Ammonia was injected into an anaerobic reaction chamber containing non-liganded hemoglobin (from the bloodworm, Glycera dibranchiata ) obtained by employing a photolytic technique to dissociate carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin molecule. 2. 2. No major alteration of the absorbance spectrum was effected after exposure to ammonia and only after subsequent contact with air did a spectral change become apparent. 3. 3. This lends support to the contention that ammonia does not substantially exert a competitive effect with oxygen for the 6th coordinate position of the hemoglobin molecule.
Electron tunnelling and polarity reversal of tungsten-nickel point-contact diodes

Tunnelling and rectification characteristics of MIM point contact diodes are interpreted in terms of the different electronic band structures of the two metals at the junction. The experimentally observed polarity reversal is shown to be consistent with the tunnelling mechanism describing the operation of the MIM diode.
Small-diameter prosthetic H-graft portacaval shunt: definitive therapy for variceal bleeding

Partial portal decompression has become a popular option in the treatment of complicated portal hypertension. This study was undertaken to report long-term follow-up after partial portal decompression obtained utilizing 8 mm prosthetic H-graft portacaval shunts. A total of 110 consecutive patients underwent H-graft portacaval shunting through a protocol that detailed care and studies from 1988 to 1996. Prospective follow-up recorded efficacy of partial portal decompression, shunt patency, morbidity of shunting, and survival. Seventy males and 40 females, whose average age was 54 ±12.7 years (standard deviation), underwent shunting. Cirrhosis was due to alcohol abuse in 64%. Fourteen percent were in Child’s class A, 55% in Child’s class B, and 31% in Child’s class C. Shunts were undertaken as emergencies in 20%, urgently in 13%, and electively in 67%. Shunting decreased portal pressure in all patients (30 ±5.3 mm Hg to 19.9 ±5.5 mm Hg; P <0.001). Early and late thrombosis was 6.4% and 3.6%, respectively. Late rebleeding occurred in 5.4%. Perioperative (30-day) mortality was 11.8%, and was highest for patients in Child’s class C. Three-year survival was 53 %. Five-year survival was 41%. Partial portal decompression is achieved with H-graft portacaval shunting. Rebleeding, shunt occlusion, and encephalopathy are uncommon. In this series of unselected older patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, 5-year survival after H-graft portacaval shunting was greater than 40% with minimal intervention.
The level of optimal fines to prevent fraud when reputations exist and penalty clauses are unenforceable

This paper provides an efficiency explanation for the currently preceived ‘too low’ level of criminal fines for fraud. It shows that the optimal expected criminal fine for fraud does not equal the damages to the consumer purchasing the good, but equals any externalities not internalized by the market. In the absence of external costs, the optimal criminal penalty for fraud would be zero. An argument that fraud creates negative externalities by increasing the expenditures of third parties to prevent fraud is shown to be incorrect. Instead, any effect that the information of a fraudulent action has on the behavior of others should usually be interpreted as an external benefit.
Risk avoidance versus risk reduction: a framework and segmentation profile for understanding adolescent sexual activity.

Abstract The teen birthrate in the United States is twice that of other industrialized nations. Adolescents in the U.S. are among high-risk groups for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. As a result, the Department of Health and Human Services changed its policy on the promotion of abstinence to teenagers from a focus on a risk reduction strategy to a focus on a risk avoidance strategy. In order to create more effective risk avoidance as well as risk reduction campaigns, this study proposes a framework to illustrate the distinction that teens make between spontaneous sexual activity and planned sexual activity, as well as those teens that make a commitment to abstinence versus abstinence by default. Furthermore, this study classifies teens into three behavior segments (abstemious, promiscuous and monogamous) and then assesses specific differences that exist within these groups relative to their attitudes and perceptions concerning abstinence, sexual activity, contraception, fear and norms. T...
Understanding immunosenescence to improve responses to vaccines

In the older adult, the benefits of vaccination to prevent infectious disease are limited, mainly because of the adaptive immune system's inability to generate protective immunity. The age-dependent decrease in immunological competence, often referred to as 'immunosenescence', results from the progressive deterioration of innate and adaptive immune responses. Most insights into mechanisms of immunological aging have been derived from studies of mouse models. In this Review, we explore how well such models are applicable to understanding the aging process throughout the 80–100 years of human life and discuss recent advances in identifying and characterizing the mechanisms that underlie age-associated defective adaptive immunity in humans.
Novel free-hand T1 pedicle screw method: Review of 44 consecutive cases.

Summary of Background Data: Multilevel posterior cervical instrumented fusions are becoming more prevalent in current practice. Biomechanical characteristics of the cervicothoracic junction may necessitate extending the construct to upper thoracic segments. However, fixation in upper thoracic spine can be technically demanding owing to transitional anatomy while suboptimal placement facilitates vascular and neurologic complications. Thoracic instrumentation methods include free-hand, fluoroscopic guidance, and CT-based image guidance. However, fluoroscopy of upper thoracic spine is challenging secondary to vertebral geometry and patient positioning, while image-guided systems present substantial financial commitment and are not readily available at most centers. Additionally, imaging modalities increase radiation exposure to the patient and surgeon while potentially lengthening surgical time. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of 44 consecutive patients undergoing a cervicothoracic fusion by a single surgeon using the novel free-hand T1 pedicle screw technique between June 2009 and November 2012. A starting point medial and cephalad to classic entry as well as new trajectory were utilized. No imaging modalities were employed during screw insertion. Postoperative CT scans were obtained on day 1. Screw accuracy was independently evaluated according to the Heary classification. Results: In total, 87 pedicle screws placed were at T1. Grade 1 placement occurred in 72 (82.8%) screws, Grade 2 in 4 (4.6%) screws and Grade 3 in 9 (10.3%) screws. All Grade 2 and 3 breaches were Conclusions: This modification of the traditional starting point and trajectory at T1 is safe and effective. It attenuates additional bone removal or imaging modalities while maintaining a high rate of successful screw placement compared to historical controls.
Iron-57 Mössbauer effect study of the distribution of divalent and trivalent ions in potassium transition metal fluorides having the tetragonal bronze structure

Abstract Mossbauer studies are reported for compounds of the type KMIIMIIIF6 (M = first-row transition metal ion, Zn, or Mg) which have the tetragonal bronze structure. The results of this investigation provide evidence that the trivalent ions are located on the 8(j) sites of the bronze structure and that the divalent ions are distributed over both the 8(j) and 2(c) sites.
An investigation of differences in verbal behavior between black and white informal peer group discussions

This descriptive study investigated the differences among statements made by blacks and whites in informal peer group discussions. The study examined the verbal behavior of eight groups, blocked on race and sex, in informal discussions of inter‐racial dating. Verbal behavior was rated on the amount of orientation, unopinionatedness, agreement, profanity, humor, abstraction, and multi‐valued orientation reflected in randomly selected statements. Significant differences were found on six of the seven variables.
Exuberant granulation tissue in the stomach of a horse

A 4-year-old stallion was examined because of a 2-month history of inappetance and weight loss. Diarrhoea had also developed a month before presentation. Abnormal clinical findings were emaciation, diarrhoea, ventral oedema, palpable mesenteric lymph node enlargement and a large mass in the left cranial portion of the abdomen. Significant laboratory findings were anaemia (packed cell volume 0.21 litres/litre), hypoalbuminaemia (16 g/litre) and xylose malabsorption. The horse was euthanased and at necropsy a 10.5 kg pendunculated mass composed of granulation tissue was found within and attached to the stomach. There was villous atrophy diffusely throughout the small intestine. The inciting cause of the gastric mass was not determined.
Poly-A+ mRNA and Defeminization of sexual behavior and gonadotropin secretion in rats

Abstract To test the hypothesis that testosterone (T) sexually differentiates gonadotropin secretion and sexual behavior by inducing synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA), newborn female rats received intrahypothalamic infusions of saline or cordycepin, an adenosine analogue that preferentially inhibits synthesis of polyadenylated mRNA, an hour before they received T propionate (TP) systemically. As adults, controls were anovulatory and did not become sexually receptive when given estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P). Cordycepin-treated females obtained lordosis quotients (LQs) three times those of controls and most of them ovulated. Cordycepin also curtailed the defeminizing effects of some doses of moxestrol, an artificial estrogen; thus it does not simply block aromatization. Some groups were retested for lordosis using EB and methysergide to bypass P receptors. Methysergide increased LQs in one group that received moxestrol + cordycepin as neonates and that was moderately responsive to P, but it did not increase sexual receptivity among the saline-treated controls. These data suggest that defeminization of sexual behavior involves more than defeminization of P receptor synthesis.
Industry promotion of unlabeled uses

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a proposal to change its guidelines such that pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers would be allowed to give physicians journal articles about unapproved uses of their products.[1][1] Pharmacists should oppose the proposal, which, if
Animal models of osteonecrosis

Summary:Nonhuman animal research is advantageous only if the ethical dilemma surrounding the use of live animals for this purpose is resolved in one's laboratory and institution. Investigators have struggled in creating an animal model of the disease that realistically mimics the natural course of t
Unified model for Q BD prediction for thin gate oxide MOS devices with constant voltage and current stress

Abstract A unified thin oxide breakdown model based on anode hole injection is presented for calculating the charge to breakdown Q BD for constant voltage and current stress. The oxide breakdown strength Q BD for thin oxide MOS devices can be predicted at different constant voltage and current levels based on the proposed breakdown model. The oxide electric field which determines the tunneling current, electron energy, oxide degradation and hence the lifetime of the device is properly calculated in this model. The voltage drop due to the poly depletion effect has been carefully taken into account while calculating the oxide voltage to determine the oxide electric field. Moreover, the impact of poly depletion on quasi static C – V curves of a thin ( t ox =25–70 A) gate oxide MOS device is studied using the 2-D device simulator medici . The model also accounts for the energy-dependent relaxation length for calculating the electron energy and the quantum yield in silicon for calculating the barrier height for hot hole tunneling from the anode side. These quantities are then used to compute the anode hole current which is linked to the time-dependent dielectric breakdown.
Water reaction with chlorine-terminated silicon (111) and (100) surfaces

Hydroxylation of chlorine-terminated silicon (111) and (100) by water vapor exposure has been studied as a function of substrate temperature using in situ infrared absorption spectroscopy. No hydroxyl is observed, as would have been expected from the surface reaction: Si–Cl(ads)+H2O(g)→Si–OH(ads)+HCl(g) (ads referring to adsorbed surface species). Instead, silicon oxide is formed upon removal of the Si–Cl bond at ∼325°C. This indicates that, while hydroxylation of the Cl-terminated silicon surface may occur, the hydroxylated surface formed by this reaction is not stable at the temperature necessary for the reaction.
Determinants of survival after human leucocyte antigen-matched unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation in adults.

Summary. Unrelated donor (URD) bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in adults can be associated with high non-relapse mortality (NRM). Therefore, factors determining survival in 136 human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A, B, DRB1-matched adult BMT recipients were reviewed. Fifty-four per cent of patients had chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and 36% had acute leukaemia or myelodysplasia. Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis was either cyclosporin A (CSA)/methotrexate (64%) or T-cell depletion and CSA/corticosteroids (34%). The probability of donor engraftment by d 45 was 97% (95% CI: 94–100). Incidence of grades III–IV acute GvHD was 18% (95% CI: 12–24) at 100 d, and chronic GvHD was 42% (95% CI: 32–52) at 2 years. At 2 years, 14% (95% CI: 8–20) had relapsed. Multiple regression analysis showed that adverse risk factors for survival were non-CML diagnosis, age > 35 years, diagnosis to transplant time of > 18 months [chronic-phase CML (CML-CP) only]; and grades III–IV acute GvHD. Patients ≤ 35 years with early CML-CP had a 2 year survival of 77% (95% CI: 54–100), which compared with a survival in advanced CML patients ≤35 years of 67% (95% CI: 37–97) and 37% (95% CI: 20–54) in non-CML patients. Two year survival for patients > 35 years with early CML-CP was 55% (95% CI: 33–77), 40% (95% CI: 19–61) in advanced CML and 14% (95% CI:1–27) in non-CML. Future efforts should focus on improving the outcome for older BMT recipients, especially those with diagnoses other than CML.
Long-term prognosis of patients with a normal exercise echocardiogram and clinical suspicion of myocardial ischemia

This study confirms that patients with significant risk factors for coronary artery disease and chest pain syndromes, who have normal, symptom-limited exercise echocardiograms, have a very low long-term risk for major cardiac events.
Continuing wing production

Reviews the evolution of British Aerospace’s wing production facilities at Chester and Filton in the UK and on the design of the wings for the Airbus series of aircraft, from the first set of wings designed for the A300 in 1971 through to the A340‐500 and 600 and the A3XX. Reports on the design of the completely new wing for the A320 which was the first to incorporate fly‐by‐wire and other technologies. Discusses the design of load alleviation for defined manoeuvre and gust cases and the impact of a change in the airworthiness design case requirements on the design of the wing for the A321 and subsequent aircraft. Finally, the article examines the fully automated parts store at the British Aerospace Wing Centre at Filton.
A Fundamental Study of Laser Transformation Hardening

A theoretical and experimental study of heat flow and solid-state phase transformations during the laser surface hardening of 1018 steel was conducted. In the theoretical part of the study, a three-dimensional heat flow model was developed using the finite difference method. The surface heat loss, the temperature dependence of the surface absorptivity, and the temperature dependence of thermal properties were considered. This heat flow model was verified with the analytical solution of Jaeger and was used to provide general heat flow information, based on the assumptions of no surface heat loss, constant surface absorptivity, and constant thermal properties. The validity of each of these three assumptions was evaluated with the help of this heat flow model. In the experimental part of the study, on the other hand, a continuous-wave CO2 laser of 15 kW capacity was used in conjunction with a beam integrator to surface harden 1018 steel plates. The beam power and the travel speed of the workpiece were varied, and the onset of surface melting was determined. The configurations of the heat-affected zone observed were compared with those calculated using the heat flow model. The microstructure of the heat-affected zone was explained with the help of the calculated peak temperature, heating, and cooling rates.