cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ostomy Multiple: Toward a Theory of Rhetorical Enactments

Recent research in rhetoric of health and medicine (RHM) has called on scholars to find ways to more adequately attend to patients’ lived and embodied experiences. At the same time, scholarship within and allied to RHM has long worked to address the problems of perspectivalism and relatedly, Cartesian binaries such as mind/body or self/nonself. This article aims to build theory that simultaneously addresses these concerns by examining patients’ experiences with ostomies. This article develops rhetorical enactments as a theoretical frame that enables RHM scholars to explore lived experiences and account for diverse entities that participate in those experiences. The analysis presented focuses on how entities like “self” and “ostomy” are rhetorically enacted within lived experiences and become meaningfully different. Ultimately, this article advocates rhetorical enactments as a productive way to both understand and intervene in patients’ lived experiences.
The cost of opioid use disorder and the value of aversion

Abstract Background The objective of this study was twofold. First, to update and estimate the economic burden of opioid use disorder (OUD) to the U.S. from the perspectives of the healthcare sector, taxpayer, and society, overall and by age. Second, to estimate the mean present value of averting an OUD, overall and by age, for use in economic evaluations of prevention-focused interventions. Methods This was a retrospective secondary analysis using 2018 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and the CDC WONDER Database on all U.S. persons, at least 12 years old, with an OUD, or who died of opioid overdose. Total OUD-related costs were estimated according to age and stakeholder perspective. Mean costs weighted by insurance type and the probability of mortality were estimated for each age, then used to estimate the mean present value of OUD aversion according to age and stakeholder perspective. Results The total annual OUD-related costs to the U.S. in 2018 were $786.8 billion to society, $93 billion to taxpayers, and $89.1 billion to the healthcare sector. The mean present value of averting an OUD, across all ages, was $2.2 million, $325,125, and $244,030 from the societal, taxpayer, and healthcare sector perspectives, respectively. Conclusions and relevance The age-specific values of averting an OUD allow for more robust and targeted economic evaluations of competing interventions to reduce the burden of opioids on multiple stakeholders. The rise in the annual OUD-related cost largely reflects the increase in overdose deaths attributable to synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl).
Deploying Clinical Decision Support for Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Objective Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a prevalent genomic disorder that increases risk of coronary heart disease, remains significantly underdiagnosed. Clinical decision support (CDS) tools have the potential to increase FH detection. We describe our experience in the development and implementation of a genomic CDS for FH at a large academic medical center. Methods CDS development and implementation were conducted in four phases: (1) development and validation of an algorithm to identify “possible FH”; (2) obtaining approvals from institutional committees to develop the CDS; (3) development of the initial prototype; and (4) use of an implementation science framework to evaluate the CDS. Results The timeline for this work was approximately 4 years; algorithm development and validation occurred from August 2018 to February 2020. During this 4-year period, we engaged with 15 stakeholder groups to build and integrate the CDS, including health care providers who gave feedback at each stage of development. During CDS implementation six main challenges were identified: (1) need for multiple institutional committee approvals; (2) need to align the CDS with institutional knowledge resources; (3) need to adapt the CDS to differing workflows; (4) lack of institutional guidelines for CDS implementation; (5) transition to a new institutional electronic health record (EHR) system; and (6) limitations of the EHR related to genomic medicine. Conclusion We identified multiple challenges in different domains while developing CDS for FH and integrating it with the EHR. The lessons learned herein may be helpful in streamlining the development and deployment of CDS to facilitate genomic medicine implementation.
Clinical Decision Support Trees Can Help Optimize Utilization of Anaplasma phagocytophilum Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing.

Anaplasmosis, a tick-borne illness caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum (AP), presents with nonspecific clinical symptoms, including fever and headache, and is often accompanied by laboratory abnormalities of leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and mildly elevated liver function tests (LFTs). Laboratory confirmation of acute infection occurs with nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT). This retrospective cohort study aimed to develop a clinical decision support algorithm to aid in decision-making about test ordering. A data set was constructed with AP NAAT results and time-adjacent complete blood count and LFT results for adult patients tested for AP in a 12.5-year period. A second, smaller data set matched each patient with a positive AP NAAT to two patients with negative tests. Chart review for clinical symptoms was performed on this smaller data set. A decision tree algorithm was deployed to identify patient clusters with negative AP NAAT results. A total of 137/1,204 (11%) patients tested positive by NAAT for AP. In the larger, laboratory-only data set (n = 1,204), patients with a platelet count of >177 × 103/μl and age of 188 × 103/μl and no fever or chills also did not have positive AP NAAT (58/402, 14%, P < 0.05). We generated two decision trees that can help determine the utility of AP NAAT using readily available clinical and laboratory data. These have the potential to significantly reduce unnecessary AP testing.
SU-E-I-61: An Efficient and Practical MR Flow Quantification Quality Assurance Method.

Purpose: To develop and validate a novel flow quantification quality assurance (QA) method based on a multi-directional flow phantom driven by a power injector and a fast measurement protocol. Methods: An improved MR flow phantom driven power injector was designed and constructed by immersing a 3D loop of acrylic tubes in a bath stationary saline. A power injector equipped with clinical MR scanner can be used to deliver 60 ml of saline at a nominal flow rate of 2ml/sec. A fast 2D phase contrast flow quantification protocols was optimized to measure the through-plane flow rate in three orthogonal orientations in less than 24 sec. At the same time, the actual amount of saline injected was measured to calibrate the output of power injector and to determine the true flow rate more accurately. Such method was tested and evaluated on a 3.0T clinical MR scanner (Siemens TIM Trio). Results: Eight repeat flow quantification QA measurements and power injector output calibration were performed. The measured flow rates were +2.31±0.05 ml/s and −2.21±0.10 ml/s in the H/F direction, +2.37±0.11 ml/s and −2.68±0.15 ml/s in the A/P direction and +2.35±0.11 ml/s and −2.63±0.06 ml/s in the R/L direction. The calibrated true flow rate was 1.937±0.004 ml/s. The flow quantifications in all direction are highly reproducible, but significantly different from the reference value. Conclusion: A novel method of MR flow quantification quality assurance using a advanced flow phantom driven by a power injector combined with an optimized fast measurement protocol was validated. Since most clinical MR scanners are already equipped with a power injector and the entire procedure is very quick and simple, there should be little barrier for its wide-spread implementation. Research Support from Siemens
Receptors for the TGF-beta ligand family.

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the current status of research in the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) receptor field. The TGF-β is a group of multi-functional peptide hormones that regulate many aspects of cellular function. TGF-β is identified as a protein that induced normal rat kidney fibroblasts to proliferate in soft agar in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF). TGF-β can inhibit the differentiation of certain mesodermal cells, induce the differentiation of others, and inhibit proliferation of cells derived from epithelial, endothlial, neuronal, hematopoietic, lymphoid, and fibroblastic origins. The effects of TGF-β on individual cells, is also important in many biological processes. TGF-β is an important regulator of immune responses, wound healing, cell adhesion, cell-cell recognition, and extracellular matrix deposition. Deregulation of TGF-β function is implicated in the pathological processes of several diseases including arthritis, atheosclerosis, and glomerulonephritis. The cells that lose the ability to respond to TGF-β may exhibit uncontrolled proliferation and become tumorigenic. The TGF-β receptors transduce signals that result in TGF-β-induced gene responses and growth inhibition. The type I, II, and III receptors, are focused in the chapter as they are widely expressed and the most biologically relevant mediators of TGF-β signal transduction.
A study of MeSH and UMLS for subject searching in an online catalog.

The study assessed the effectiveness of Medical Subject Headings (MESH) terms for retrieving medical monographs in an online catalog and the potential of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) for improving the retrieval rate
Steroid-protein interactions: XXI. Metal ion inhibition of association between progesterone and α1-acid glycoprotein

Abstract The binding affinity of α 1 -acid glycoprotein (AAG, orosomucoid) for progesterone was determined by equilibrium dialysis at 4 and 37 °. Evaluation of number of binding sites and association constants according to Scatchard's procedure gave one primary site, n 1 , and a number of secondary sites of considerably lower affinity. The association constants, k 1 , were found to be 9.0 × 10 5 m −1 and 3.5 × 10 5 m −1 at 4 and 37 °, respectively. The apparent changes of free energy, ΔF °, and of enthalpy, gDH °, were negative, whereas a positive entropy change, ΔS °, was found for the progesterone-AAG complex. The progesterone-AAG interaction was inhibited by Hg 2+ > Ag + > Cu + > Fe 2+ . The inhibition of the complex formation by the four metal ions was analyzed by Scatchard plots and was interpreted as most likely noncompetitive. The glycoprotein could be protected by EDTA from the action of the metal ions. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of the metal ions once established, was found to be reversible when EDTA was added to a maximally inhibited system.
Time Dependent Static Strength and Reliability for Composites

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the fracture properties of laminated composites under uni-axial tension. It was found that the distribution of breaking strength of a composite ...
Electric-field guiding of magnetic skyrmions

We theoretically study equilibrium and dynamic properties of nanosized magnetic skyrmions in thin magnetic films with broken inversion symmetry, where an electric field couples to magnetization via spin-orbit coupling. Based on a symmetry-based phenomenology and micromagnetic simulations we show that this electric-field coupling, via renormalizing the micromagnetic energy, modifies the equilibrium properties of the skyrmion. This change, in turn, results in a significant alteration of the current-induced skyrmion motion. Particularly, the speed and direction of the skyrmion can be manipulated by designing a desired energy landscape electrically, which we describe within Thiele's analytical model and demonstrate in micromagnetic simulations including electric-field-controlled magnetic anisotropy. We additionally use this electric-field control to construct gates for controlling skyrmion motion exhibiting a transistorlike and multiplexerlike function. The proposed electric-field effect can thus provide a low-energy electrical knob to extend the reach of information processing with skyrmions.
Referenceless stratification of parenchymal lung abnormalities

This paper introduces computational tools that could enable personalized, predictive, preemptive, and participatory (P4) Pulmonary medicine. We demonstrate approaches to (a) stratify lungs from different subjects based on the spatial distribution of parenchymal abnormality and (b) visualize the stratification through glyphs that convey both the grouping efficacy and an iconic overview of an individual's lung wellness. Affinity propagation based on regional parenchymal abnormalities is used in the referenceless stratification. Abnormalities are computed using supervised classification based on Earth Mover's distance. Twenty natural clusters were detected from 372 CT lung scans. The computed clusters correlated with clinical consensus of 9 disease types. The quality of interand intra-cluster stratification as assessed by ANOSIM R was 0.887 ± 0.18 (pval < 0.0005). The proposed tools could serve as biomarkers to objectively diagnose pathology, track progression and assess pharmacologic response within and across patients.
Use of Clinitest urine test for indirect estimation of blood glucose levels in the critically ill

The use of the Clinitest urine glucose test as an indirect way to monitor and control blood glucose levels in critically ill patients was studied. Part 1 of the study was a review of 16 patients records to determine the correlation between 348 paired Clinitest readings and blood glucose levels. Part 2 was a study of six patients from whom a total of 83 arterial blood samples were obtained, each followed 15 minutes later by a urine sample that was tested quantitatively by autoanalyzer and qualitatively by Clinitest. In Part 1, only 43% of the paired readings were within clinically acceptable levels. In Part 2, there was an 11% error rate between quantitative urine glucose values and the corresponding Clinitest results, and the relationship between arterial and urine glucose concentrations was unpredictably variable. The study indicates that both Clinitest error and a variable relationship between arterial and urine glucose concentrations make the use of Clinitest as the sole monitor and basis for controlling blood glucose levels in critically ill patients as unsatisfactory and potentially dangerous procedure.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope gp120 is cleaved after incubation with recombinant soluble CD4.

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infects human CD4+ cells by a high-affinity interaction between its envelope glycoprotein gp120 and the CD4 molecule on the cell surface. Subsequent virus entry into the cells involves other steps, one of which could be cleavage of the gp120 followed by virus-cell fusion. The envelope gp120 is highly variable among different HIV-1 isolates, but conserved amino acid sequence motifs that contain potential proteolytic cleavage sites can be found. Following incubation with a soluble form of CD4, we demonstrate that gp120 of highly purified HIV-1 preparations is, without addition of exogenous proteinase, cleaved most likely in the V3 loop, yielding two proteins of 50 and 70 kDa. The extent of gp120 proteolysis is HIV-1 strain dependent and correlates with the recombinant soluble CD4 sensitivity to neutralization of the particular strain. The origin of the proteolytic activity in the virus preparations remains unclear. The results support the hypothesis that cleavage of gp120 is required for HIV infection of cells.
Mining, risk and climate resilience in the ‘other’ Pacific: Latin American lessons for the South Pacific†

We suggest the value of considering Pacific Latin America and the South Pacific in relationship to each other in contexts of climate change and investment in extractive industry. The paper explores the interactions between extractive industry, climate change and environmental governance through the lenses of double exposure, double movements, resilience and risk. The first part of the paper addresses the nature and scope of investments in extractive industries in this ‘other Pacific’. The geography of these investments is changing the actual and perceived distribution of exposure and risk in the region. The nature of this risk is also being affected by climate change and its implications for the geographies of water and land-use. Much of the contention surrounding extractive industries can be understood as conflicts over the unequal distribution of this risk, how to interpret its significance and the ways in which resilience might be enhanced to respond to it. The final section of the paper discusses the ways in which mining governance and governance for resilience converge and, on the basis of recent experiences in El Salvador, analyses the difficulties in governing extractive industry in a way that manages risk and builds resilience.
New Developments in the Treatment Algorithm for Peripheral Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain often imposes a substantial and unrelenting burden on those individuals who have it; single-agent analgesics typically only reduce pain at best. Worldwide, five sets of treatment recommendations offer insight into managing neuropathic pain, including two European guidelines, one Canadian, one Latin American, and another constructed under the auspices of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). The analgesics common to these guidelines are topical lidocaine, secondary amine tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin and norepinephrine dual reuptake inhibitors, calcium channel α2-δ ligands, tramadol, and opioid antagonists. Still, significant knowledge gaps in the treatment of neuropathic pain conditions have hampered the development of algorithms and multimodal approaches. As the evidence base expands, the addition of new comparative trial data will further refine the development of new guidance for clinical management of neuropathic pain. New alternatives for managing neuropathic pain, such as the high-concentration capsaicin patch, will enlarge the treatment armamentarium and potentially impact therapeutic guidelines.
Screening for Small-Molecule Modulators of Long Noncoding RNA-Protein Interactions Using AlphaScreen

Long non–protein coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an important class of molecules that help orchestrate key cellular events. Although their functional roles in cells are not well understood, thousands of lncRNAs and a number of possible mechanisms by which they act have been reported. LncRNAs can exert their regulatory function in cells by interacting with epigenetic enzymes. In this study, we developed a tool to study lncRNA-protein interactions for high-throughput screening of small-molecule modulators using AlphaScreen technology. We tested the interaction of two lncRNAs: brain-derived neurotrophic factor antisense (BDNF-AS) and Hox transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), with Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase against a phytochemical library, to look for small-molecule inhibitors that can alter the expression of downstream target genes. We identified ellipticine, a compound that up-regulates BDNF transcription. Our study shows the feasibility of using high-throughput screening to identify modulators of lncRNA-protein interactions and paves the road for targeting lncRNAs that are dysregulated in human disorders using small-molecule therapies.
SIMULATION AND THE CAPITAL ASSET PRICING MODEL: A COMMENT*

This paper challenges Lewellen and Long's contention that a Hertz-type simulation generates irrelevant data for the evaluation of capital expenditure opportunities. The conclusion is reached that an estimate of an asset's “own risk” may be a vital first step in estimating its covariance properties with the market index. A method of incorporating the information generated by simulation into the capital asset pricing model is also provided.
Morality, Equality, or Locality: Analyzing the Determinants of Support for Same-sex Marriage

In this article, the authors develop a model in which they depict individuals’ support for same-sex marriage as a function of several clusters of independent variables, including symbolic politics, moral and religious attitudes and attachments, feelings toward gays and lesbians, women’s rights and gender roles, concern for minority and civil rights, demographic attributes, and the local context. Using data from the 2004 American National Election Studies survey and the U.S. Census, the authors find that attitudes toward same-sex marriage are a function of moral and religious considerations, attitudes toward gays and lesbians, and gender roles. They find little evidence that attitudes toward women’s rights and civil rights for African Americans affect attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Finally, they find that contextual effects are limited only to those respondents who reside in counties with a very high percentage of same-sex partnered couples.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUMMERTIME AMBIENT OZONE LEVELS AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FOR ASTHMA IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY

The 5-year retrospective study of the association between temperature and emergency department (ED) visits for asthma with mean ambient ozone levels between 10:00 and 15:00 was conducted in central...
An improved model for a self-pulsing ring laser

Abstract A more general set of boundary conditions improves the model for a self-pulsing ring laser. The effect of empty space in the cavity is included, and computer results for this case are presented.
Biogenesis of storage granules and vesicles.

Abstract The production of storage granules and vesicles that undergo regulated exocytosis occurs via biosynthetic and endocytotic pathways, respectively. Prominent in the formation of secretory granules in the Golgi apparatus is selective protein aggregation, which may account for the biogenesis of a multiple granules in a single cell. New cDNA transfection and immunolocalization studies have helped to further refine our understanding of the relationship between the formation of regulated secretory vesicles and the earlyh stages of the endocytotic pathway. Recent insights into the targeting of membrane proteins to these organelles have implicated both specific sortingb signals and protein-protein aggregation.
Organization of the ribosomal RNA genes of dictyostelium discoideum: Mapping of the nontrascribed spacer regions

Abstract Most of the Dictyostellum ribosomal nontrascribed spacer DNA has been mapped using Eco R1, Hind III, and Sal I restriction digests and recombinant plasmids containing parts of the rDNA (ribosomal DNA). The repeat units are at least 42 kb (1 kilobase=1000 base pairs=1 kb) long; of this, 8 kb codes for the 36S rRNA precursor. The repeat units give a homogeneous pattern of Sal I, Eco R1, and Hind III restriction fragments. The repeats could be linked by a heterogeneous region in the nontrascribed spacer, not tandemly repeated, or linked in a more complicated structural arrangement. The total rDNA comprises at least 18% of the nuclear DNA.
Homogeneous nucleation of magnesium hydroxide

Abstract The rate of homogeneous nucleation of magnesium hydroxide has been determined as a function of solution concentration, using a quasi-homogeneous precipitation technique and electronic particle counting. The nucleation rate becomes measurable at super-saturations of about 4, and is dependent on the 33rd power of the product a Mg a OH 2 . The experimental results are consistent with nucleation theory. The nucleus-solution interfacial energy is calculated to be 115 erg/cm 2 .
Biochemical determination of parental uncertainty in white-fronted bee-eaters

Maternity and paternity uncertainty represent important costs to breeders among white-fronted bee-eaters (Merops bullockoides) in Kenya. Analysis of enzyme polymorphisms reveals that between 9% and 12% of all offspring are genetically unrelated to one or both of their putative parents. These ‘bastards’ are the result of three different sources of parental uncertainty: Extrapair copulation, intraspecific egg parasitism, and quasi-parasitism (parasitism by a female who was fertilized by the male attending the parasitized nest). The first two represent costs to males, who rear offspring that are not genetically their own; the latter two produce the same costs for females. Genetic relatedness plays an important role in defining the social structure of M. bullockoides populations. In order to predict patterns of parental investment and the choice of recipients for helping behavior, one would like to know the relative frequency of maternity vs paternity uncertainty. The possible use of maximum likelihood techniques to separate the sources of non-kin is discussed. Unfortunately, the sample size of detected non-kin in the present study was not large enough to allow constructive use of the technique for bee-eaters. A comparison of estimates from biochemical and behavioral analyses indicates that both methods can produce misleading results. Behavioral data can be used to test underlying assumptions of biochemical analyses, and vice-versa. Used together, the two approaches reinforce one another and strengthen the reliability of conclusions drawn from either one alone.
Hydrocarbon Emissions from In-Use Commercial Aircraft during Airport Operations

The emissions of selected hydrocarbons from in-use commercial aircraft at a major airport in the United States were characterized using proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and tunable infrared differential absorption spectroscopy (TILDAS) to probe the composition of diluted exhaust plumes downwind. The emission indices for formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, and toluene, as well as other hydrocarbon species, were determined through analysis of 45 intercepted plumes identified as being associated with specific aircraft. As would have been predicted for high bypass turbine engines, the hydrocarbon emission index was greater in idle and taxiway acceleration plumes relative to approach and takeoff plumes. The opposite was seen in total NOy emission index, which increased from idle to takeoff. Within the idle plumes sampled in this study, the median emission index for formaldehyde was 1.1 g of HCHO per kg of fuel. For the subset of hydrocarbons measured in this work, the idle emissions levels ...
Bacterial mediation of carbon fluxes during a diatom bloom in a mesocosm

Bacteria-diatom interactions were studied during a diatom bloom produced in a mesocosm, in the absence of metazoan grazers, in order to examine the significance of bacterial hydrolytic ectoenzymes in mediating carbon fluxes and influencing diatom aggregation. The abundances of bacteria and protozoa, the production rates and hydrolytic ectoenzyme activities (protease, a and B glucosidase and chitobiase) of attached and free bacteria, were followed as well as the dynamics of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool. An intense diatom bloom occurred with chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations reaching 132yg liter-' prior to aggregation. The diatoms were colonized by bacteria early on in the bloom and remained colonized throughout the bloom, yet they grew rapidly (>l day-'). Attached bacteria were numerically a small fraction of the total. but they also grew very rapidly & = 4-16 day-') and were generally responsible for the majority of bacterial carbon demand, BCD, (46-92%) and hydrolytic enzyme activities (41-990/o). BCD accounted for an estimated 4060% of the total carbon fixed during the bloom; thus, roughly one- half of the primary production was channeled. via the DOC pool, into bacteria. The high ectohydrolase activities of bacteria attached to the surface of diatoms suggests that the hydrolysis of diatom surface mucus could be responsible for a major flux into the DOC pool making it a significant. but previously unrecognized, mechanism of DOM production. Enzymatic hydrolysis of surface mucus may also have inhibited diatom aggregation. Addition of purified glucosidase and proteasc to samples from the mesocosm inhibited diatom aggregation in cxpcriments designed to induct aggregation. It is hypothesized that the action of bacterial ectoenzyme on diatom surfaces inhibited diatom aggregation by reducing stickiness, thus prolonging the bloom and allowing the accumulation of extremely high chl a levels prior to aggregation. Future studies should consider bacterial hydrolytic ectoenzymes as a potentially important variable influencing carbon Rux pathways, particle aggregation, and the size and duration of diatom blooms in the ocean.
Quantification of clonal circulating plasma cells in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: implications for redefining high-risk myeloma.

Quantification of clonal circulating plasma cells in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: implications for redefining high-risk myeloma
Generational Relationships and Social Movement Participation

Generational relationships are examined in terms of their lineage and cohort dimensions. Each suggests a very different type of relationship between social movement participants, their parents, and members of adult age cohorts. Following a clarification of these relationships and their consequences for lineage and cohort politics, five research propositions are offered as a guide to future research.
Scripture as Canon for Post-Modern Times

A key component of the post-modern perception of reality since the 1960s is the question of the meaning of the Bible as canon. Spinoza's questions about the sources and original intentions of the biblical texts were progressively carried by Enlightenment critics into modern historical criticism. Subsequently, focus on the biblical canon as a whole revealed a fixed as well as a dynamic set of principles inherent in these scriptures. These two concerns are treated here, together with their implications for the future of biblical studies as new horizons within historical criticism begin to emerge with fresh and challenging questions.
Micron and submicron interconnect modeling (Abstract Only)

The techniques to study signal delay distortion and crosstalk in high density VLSI/ULSI micron and submicron interconnects are reviewed. These include numerical techniques based on the method of characteristics and the transform based techniques as well as frequency and time domain measurement techniques. The limitations of the classical modeling and measurement techniques in the submicron metallization regime are examined.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Derivation and validation of a novel severity classification for intraoperative adverse events

Background There is currently no systematic approach to evaluating the severity of intraoperative adverse events (iAEs). Study Design A 3-phase project was designed to develop and validate a novel severity classification scheme for iAEs. Phase 1 created the severity classification using a modified Delphi process. Phase 2 measured the classification's internal consistency by calculating inter-rater reliability among 91 surgeons using standardized iAEs scenarios. Phase 3 measured the classification's construct validity by testing whether major iAEs (severity class ≥3) correlated with worse 30-day postoperative outcomes compared with minor iAEs (severity class Results Phase 1 resulted in a 6-point severity classification scheme. Phase 2 revealed an inter-rater reliability of 0.882. Of 9,292 patients, phase 3 included 181 confirmed with iAEs. All preoperative/intraoperative variables, including demographics, comorbidities, type of surgery performed, and operative length, were similar between patients with minor (n = 110) vs major iAEs (n = 71). In multivariable logistic analysis, severe iAEs correlated with higher risks of any postoperative complication (odds ratio [OR] = 3.8; 95% CI, 1.9−7.4; p Conclusions We propose a novel iAE severity classification system with high internal consistency and solid construct validity. Our classification scheme might prove essential for benchmarking quality of intraoperative care across hospitals and/or individual surgeons.
Target Tracking by Multiple Particle Filtering

In this paper we address the problem of tracking of multiple targets in a wireless sensor network using particle filtering. This methodology approximates the probability distributions of the objects of interest by using random measures composed of particles and associated weights. An important challenge of the resulting algorithms is the need for very large number of particles when the dimensions of the states are even moderately large. We propose to combat this problem by alternative particle filtering implementations where we partition the state space of the system into different subspaces and run a separate particle filter for each subspace. The performance of the considered algorithm is illustrated through computer simulations that show considerable advantage of the proposed method over the standard particle filter.
Neutron scattering applied to materials problems

Neutron scattering techniques for studying materials have been applied for more than 50 years, in part led by Clifford G. Shull and Bertram N. Brockhouse, who shared the 1994 Nobel Prize in physics. The award was given for their developments in studying both the structure and dynamics of materials. The application of neutron scattering to materials has received significantly greater attention in the last few years, due to the construction of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at the Oak Ridge National laboratory. The SNS will provide unprecedented access to a wide variety of instruments designed for materials research. The idea for this series of articles originated during the 2005 TMS Annual Meeting. Two symposia were devoted to neutron scattering: Neutron Scattering in Materials Research; and Neutron Diffraction Characterization of Mechanical Behavior. the goal of these articles is to introduce techniques for studying materials using neutrons, particularly to answer what are considered traditional materials problems. The first article discusses structure and phase analysis. Neutrons may be used for diffraction, similar to x-rays. However, in certain circumstances, they bring particular advantages. For example, x-rays have difficulty 'seeing' light elements, particularly when heavier elements are present, whereas neutrons may scatter effectively from elementsmore » such as hydrogen and its isotopes. The scattering strength of neutrons is sensitive to the isotopic composition. This can be used to examine the influence of a particular element. Neutrons also interact magnetically, allowing their use for studying magnetic order in materials. Because neutrons are highly penetrating, in-situ investigations under special sample environments (e.g., temperature, magnetic field, high pressure) have become routine. The second article describes applications for studying residual stress and mechanical deformation. neutrons are better able to penetrate engineering components compared to x-rays so neutron diffraction is used to examine the spatial distribution of stress and texture. In-situ loading studies have allowed for a sensitive, nondestructive study of the deformation mechanisms. More recently, neutrons have been used to analyze the dislocation and subgrain structures due to deformation. neutrons are also well suited for the study of composite materials, as diffraction peaks from each phase are separated. The author describes the fundamentals and applications of inelastic neutron scattering. By measuring not only the change in wave vector, but also the change in energy, neutrons can probe the dynamics in materials. This is used for examining elastic properties, magnetic excitations, and other dynamics that affect both the response of materials to applied driving forces and the thermodynamic properties of materials. The last article discusses facilities. The user facilitates are almost as varied as the applications, with many different instruments at each major facility. The article discusses the various facilities and instruments, as well as how to apply for access to these facilities.« less
The flux of meteoroids and orbital space debris striking satellites in low Earth orbit

Results are presented from an analysis of 331 craters in the 0.09-250 micron size range found in the solid aluminum thermal control louvers of the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft, distinguishing between natural meteoroid impacts and those of orbital spacecraft debris. The time-averaged flux and size distribution of both particle types over the 10 to the -13th to 10 to the -7th g mass range are directly determined.
An Optocatalytic Model for Semiconductor-Catalyst Water-Splitting Photoelectrodes Based on In Situ Optical Measurements on Operational Catalysts.

The optical properties of electrocatalysts are important for photoelectrochemical water splitting because colored catalysts on the surface of semiconductor photoelectrodes parasitically absorb photons and lower the system efficiency. We present a model that describes the coupling of colored oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst thin films with semiconductor photoelectrodes. We use this model to define an “optocatalytic” efficiency (Φo-c) based on experimental optical and electrokinetic data collected in basic solution. Because transition-metal oxides, hydroxides, and oxyhydroxides often exhibit electrochromism, in situ spectroelectrochemistry is used to quantify the optical absorption of active NiOx, CoOx, NiCoOx, Ni0.9Fe0.1Ox, and IrOx catalyst films at OER potentials. For the highest-activity Ni0.9Fe0.1Ox catalyst, Φo-c is maximized (0.64) for a thickness of ∼0.4 nm (∼2 monolayers). This work quantitatively shows that ultrathin catalyst films are appropriate to optimize the performance of wate...
Travels in nowhere land: Ethnography and the “impossible”; audience

This article addresses recent trends in ethnographic studies of media audiences. While much of this rethinking of ethnography has been necessary and useful, it also has the potential to paralyze research of this sort and to continue building an ever‐more‐abstract theoretical narcissism. The future of cultural audience studies lies not with more abstraction, but with attempts to improve ethnographic practice. In particular, it is argued that feminist practice, while contributing to the discussions that have rightly problematized the field, is leading the way to a more productive and practical ethnography.
Phylogeography of two squid (Loligo pealei and L. plei) in the Gulf of Mexico and northwestern Atlantic Ocean

The loliginid squids Loligo pealei LeSueur and L. plei Blaineville (both recently proposed for reclassification as Doryteuthis) are commercially important, similar in appearance, and sympatric throughout much of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. To investigate possible cryptic speciation and population structure, we examined samples (collected from 1995 to 1997) of both species for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in PCR products of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase (subunit I). RFLP haplotypes were further characterized by direct sequencing. In North American waters, cryptic speciation was rejected by the far greater nucleotide sequence divergence between species (~14%) versus within species (<1%). Each species displayed about a dozen RFLP haplotypes, but only three of their respective haplotypes were found among 90% of L. pealei specimens (n=356) and 97% of L. plei specimens (n=431). For L. pealei, a genetic break existed between the northern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean; among sample units within each population, gene flow was consistent with panmixia. The phylogeography of L. pealei is likely a consequence of the eastward currents of the Florida Straits, the elevated temperatures of those surface waters, and the restriction of this species to the continental shelf. For L. plei, a genetic break existed between longitudes 88°W and 89°W, with the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and the northeastern Gulf–Atlantic Ocean comprising separate populations; among sample units within each population, gene flow fit an isolation-by-distance model. If the genetic break found for L. plei represents resident populations separated by nearshore physical parameters (e.g. effects of the Mississippi River and the sediment boundary at longitude 88°W), the lack of structure within the Gulf for L. pealei might be due to its distribution farther from shore. However, the two populations of L. plei probably represent annual recolonization from the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and from the eastern Caribbean Sea, whereas the populations of L. pealei probably are permanent residents within their respective regions.
Pitfalls in the somatomedin-C radioimmunoassay.

We have investigated the effects of various modifications on the quantitation of Somatomedin-C (Sm-C) by the Sm-C radioimmunoassay. We have confirmed that the assay quantitatively measures Sm-C in serum and plasma samples when borosilicate tubes and protamine free buffers are used. Polystyrene tubes and%or protamine containing buffers interfere with the quantitative measurement of the hormone, apparently by modifying the binding of Sm-C to its binding protein. The implication of these modifications on the clinical use of the Sm-C RIA are discussed.
Microwave spectroscopy, Dunham analysis, and hyperfine splittings of the isotopomers of zinc monosulfide, ZnS

Abstract Two rotational transitions of the first six vibrational states of three isotopomers of zinc monosulfide, 64 Zn 32 S, 66 Zn 32 S, and 68 Zn 32 S, have been observed in cavity Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy. In addition, the hyperfine splitting of the 67 Zn 32 S due to the nuclear quadrupole coupling constant of the I = 5/2 67 Zn nucleus was observed for two rotational transitions of v = 0. The zinc sulfide was produced by laser ablation of a zinc rod with the resulting zinc plasma reacting with 0.6% OCS in argon in a pulsed jet originating upstream of the ablation plasma. A Dunham expansion of the rotational constant is performed resulting in the determination of B e , α e , γ e , δ e , and e e ( Y 01 , − Y 11 , Y 21 , Y 31 , and Y 41 ) for ZnS. There is no evidence of Born–Oppenheimer breakdown in the mass-scaling of these parameters to within our experimental accuracy. χ aa ( 67 Zn) of 67 Zn 32 S is also determined.
Heat capacities of several Co2YZ Heusler compounds

Abstract Heat contents of several Co2-based Heusler compounds Co2YZ (Y = Fe, Mn, Ti; Z = Al, Ga, Si, Ge, Sn) were measured from 500 K to 1500 K using a Setaram MTHC 96 drop calorimeter. Second order polynomials were adopted to fit the data and heat capacities were obtained by taking the derivatives with respect to temperature. Melting points were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and measured heats of fusion were compared with those obtained from extrapolation of heat contents.
Ethical issues surrounding adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation

Key Points 1. The ethical principle of utility is enhanced by living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). LDLT carries the potential to optimize efficient use of organs, minimize pretransplant morbidity and mortality, and increase availability of cadaveric organs. 2. The most serious ethical concerns in LDLT focus on the risks to the donor and relate to the principle of nonmaleficence—“do no harm”. Although exact risk remains uncertain, there is potential for significant donor morbidity and even mortality. 3. Careful consideration must be given to development of the best approach to obtaining truly informed consent. 4. Specific criteria for LDLT should be developed for transplant centers, donors, and recipients. Informed consent should be standardized. 5. A national registry for donors and recipients of LDLT is needed.
Production of ulcerated atherosclerotic lesions in cockerels.

1. Ulcerated abdominal aorta and coronary lesions have been produced in cockerels. 2. The prerequisite for ulceration is a lesion previously induced by a high-cholesterol, high-fat, low-protein diet, followed by the administration of large doses of estrogens. 3. The possible mechanisms leading to ulceration have been discussed.
Disease models for elucidation of mechanisms and prediction of drug-induced proarrhythmia

Proarrhythmic responses to therapeutic drugs, particularly life-threatening Torsade de Pointes, is of intense interest both for clinicians and those developing and regulating drugs. Understanding the mechanisms of proarrhythmia is becoming crucially important to drug development. We discuss the major models used to elucidate mechanisms of proarrhythmia, with a focus on models that have been modified to screen drugs for proarrhythmic potential. Current controversies and future directions in modeling and preclinical screening for proarrhythmia are examined.
Electric-field-induced wetting and dewetting in single hydrophobic nanopores.

Single hydrophobic nanopores can undergo reversible wetting and dewetting by applying an electric potential across the nanopore membrane.
Phonon engineering in nanostructures for solid-state energy conversion

Solid-state energy conversion technologies such as thermoelectric and thermionic refrigeration and power generation require materials with low thermal conductivity but good electrical conductivity, which are difficult to realize in bulk semiconductors. Nanostructures such as quantum wires and quantum wells provide alternative approaches to improve the solid-state energy conversion efficiency through size effects on the electron and phonon transport. In this paper, we discuss the possibility of engineering the phonon transport in nanostructures, with emphases on the thermal conductivity of superlattices. Following a general discussion on the directions for reducing the lattice thermal conductivity in nanostructures, specific modeling results on the phonon transport in superlattices will be presented and compared with recent experimental studies to illustrate the potential approaches and remaining questions.
LONG-TERM PATENCY OF CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS VEIN GRAFTS HARVESTED ENDOSCOPICALLY: A META-ANALYSIS

Failure of saphenous vein grafts (SVG) used in CABG is associated with increased rates of late major adverse cardiac events: these include death, myocardial infarction and need for revascularization. In the last 10 years endoscopic vein harvest (EVH) has become the preferred method of venous conduit
Cytoplasmic Loops of Subunits C and A in E. Coli F1Fo ATP Synthase Interact to Gate H+ Transport to the Cytoplasm

Rotary catalysis in F1Fo ATP synthase is powered by proton transport through the membrane-embedded Fo sector, which functions like a proton-driven turbine. Proton binding and release occur in the middle of the membrane at Asp61 on the second transmembrane helix (TMH) of subunit c, which folds in a hairpin-like structure with two transmembrane helices (TMHs). Previously, the aqueous accessibility of Cys substitutions in the TM regions of subunits c and a were probed by testing the inhibitory effects of Ag+ or Cd+2 on function, and defined two half-channels leading to the proton binding site at cAsp61. The half channel from the periplasm lies in the center of a four-helix bundle in subunit a. We show here that the gating of protons from the periplasmic half channel to the Asp61 binding site requires repositioning of helices at the aAsn214/aGln252 site of interaction between TMH4 and TMH5. In addition we show that Ag+ and Cd2+ sensitive Cys substitutions on the proton transporting pathway to the cytoplasm extend into the polar loop of subunit c. Further, Ag+ and Cd2+ sensitive Cys substitutions that are directly involved in proton transport through Fo are also found in two cytoplasmic loops of subunit a. We show here that Cys substitutions in the hairpin loop of subunit c and the two loops of subunit a, each of which are directly implicated in proton transport, can be cross-linked to each other. We suggest that the three loops pack as a single domain that serves to gate proton release to the cytoplasm.