cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stress and Phase Transformation Phenomena in Oxide Films: Real-Time Spectroscopic Measurements

In situ optical methods are reviewed for characterization of phase transformation processes and evaluation of residual stress in solution-deposited metastable oxide films. Such low density films most often are deposited as disordered phases making them prone to crystallization and attendant densification when subjected to increased temperature and/or applied pressure. Inherent stress imparted during film deposition and its evolution during the transformation are evaluated from phonon frequency shifts seen in Raman spectra (TiO2) or from changes in the laser-induced fluorescence emission spectra for films containing rare earth (Sm+3:Y3Al5O12) or transition metal (Cr+3:Al2O3) dopants. The data in combination with measured increases in line intensities intrinsic to the evolving phase are used to follow crystallization processes in thin films. In general, film deposition parameters are found to influence the crystallite ingrowth kinetics and the magnitude of stress and stress relaxation in the film during the transformation. The utility of these methods to probe crystallization phenomena in oxide films will be addressed.
BUSINESS TOOK THE WRONG LIFE CYCLE FROM BIOLOGY

Business has struggled for many years in an effort to utilize the product life cycle concept in marketing and business planning. Controversy has swirled around the concept, particularly in recent years, and business has pretty much decided that the concept is as dangerous in many situations as it is helpful in others. Several authors have encouraged its abandonment.
Young children associate novel words with complex objects rather than salient parts.

How do children learn associations between novel words and complex perceptual displays? Using a visual preference procedure, the authors tested 12- and 19-month-olds to see whether the infants would associate a novel word with a complex 2-part object or with either of that object’s parts, both of which were potentially objects in their own right and 1 of which was highly salient to infants. At both ages, children’s visual fixation times during test were greater to the entire complex object than to the salient part (Experiment 1) or to the less salient part (Experiment 2)—when the original label was requested. Looking times to the objects were equal if a new label was requested or if neutral audio was used during training (Experiment 3). Thus, from 12 months of age, infants associate words with whole objects, even those that could potentially be construed as 2 separate objects and even if 1 of the parts is salient.
Development of Physical Evaluation Techniques for the North Dakota Cloud Modification Project

This paper is a summary progress report on the development of physical evaluation techniques aimed at assessing the effects of ice phase cloud seeding on summertime convective storms in North Dakota. The use of digitized 5-cm radar data, rawinsonde data, and one-dimensional cloud model results are discussed in this techniques development effort. These preliminary results suggest favorable tendencies toward successful rainfall enhancement. Various biases are presented and suggestions for further research are made.
High T/sub 0/ long-wavelength InGaAsN quantum-well lasers grown by GSMBE using a solid arsenic source

We demonstrate high performance, /spl lambda/=1.3- and 1.4-/spl mu/m wavelength InGaAsN-GaAs-InGaP quantum-well (QW) lasers grown lattice-matched to GaAs substrates by gas source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) using a solid As source. Threshold current densities of 1.15 and 1.85 kA/cm/sup 2/ at /spl lambda/=1.3 and 1.4 /spl mu/m, respectively, were obtained for the lasers with a 7-/spl mu/m ridge width and a 3-mm-long cavity. Internal quantum efficiencies of 82% and 52% were obtained for /spl lambda/=1.3 and 1.4 /spl mu/m emission, respectively, indicating that nonradiative processes are significantly reduced in the quantum well at /spl lambda/=1.3 /spl mu/m due to reduced N-H complex formation. These Fabry-Perot lasers also show high characteristic temperatures of T/sub 0/=122 K and 100 K at /spl lambda/=1.3 and 1.4 /spl mu/m, respectively, as well as a low emission wavelength temperature dependence of (0.39/spl plusmn/0.01) nm//spl deg/C over a temperature range of from 10/spl deg/C to 60/spl deg/C.
Screening of load patterns and transmission planning alternatives using decision trees

The idea of using power system models in problem solving and decision analysis is really not new, and is certainly not tied to the use of computers. At some point, all of us have used a modeling approach to make a decision. A typical decision tree is used to identify a strategy most likely to reach a goal. This paper describes two methodologies for finding optimal solutions to budgeting and planning processes with the use of decision trees. The first methodology describes Load Patterns for building better load profiles for generators that may help a Plant Manager to optimally budget the operating costs of a generating unit. A second methodology shows a process of screening Transmission alternatives for identifying optimal solutions based on cost and network security. Decision Trees help make good decisions, but cannot guarantee that good outcomes will always occur as a result of those decisions. However, using a structured modeling approach to decision making should produce good outcomes more frequently than making decisions in a more haphazard manner.
An Approximate Solution to the Behrens‐Fisher Problem

An approximate and practical solution is proposed for the Behrens-Fisher problem. This solution is compared to the solutions considered by Mehta and Srinivasan (1970) and Welch's (1937) approximate t-test in terms of the stability of the size and magnitude of the power. It is shown that the stability of the size of the new test is better than that of Welch's t when at least one of the sample sizes is small. When the sample sizes are moderately large or large the sizes and powers of all the recommended tests are almost the same.
The 10 Pillars of Lung Cancer Screening: Rationale and Logistics of a Lung Cancer Screening Program

On the basis of the National Lung Screening Trial data released in 2011, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (CT) a public health recommendation in 2013. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) currently reimburse LCS for asymptomatic individuals aged 55-77 years who have a tobacco smoking history of at least 30 pack-years and who are either currently smoking or had quit less than 15 years earlier. Commercial insurers reimburse the cost of LCS for individuals aged 55-80 years with the same smoking history. Effective care for the millions of Americans who qualify for LCS requires an organized step-wise approach. The 10-pillar model reflects the elements required to support a successful LCS program: eligibility, education, examination ordering, image acquisition, image review, communication, referral network, quality improvement, reimbursement, and research frontiers. Examination ordering can be coupled with decision support to ensure that only eligible individuals undergo LCS. Communication of results revolves around the Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) from the American College of Radiology. Lung-RADS is a structured decision-oriented reporting system designed to minimize the rate of false-positive screening examination results. With nodule size and morphology as discriminators, Lung-RADS links nodule management pathways to the variety of nodules present on LCS CT studies. Tracking of patient outcomes is facilitated by a CMS-approved national registry maintained by the American College of Radiology. Online supplemental material is available for this article.
Cyclin D1 Kinase Activity Is Required for the Self-Renewal of Mammary Stem and Progenitor Cells that Are Targets of MMTV-ErbB2 Tumorigenesis

Transplantation studies have demonstrated the existence of mammary progenitor cells with the ability to self-renew and regenerate a functional mammary gland. Although these progenitors are the likely targets for oncogenic transformation, correlating progenitor populations with certain oncogenic stimuli has been difficult. Cyclin D1 is required for lobuloalveolar development during pregnancy and lactation as well as MMTV-ErbB2- but not MMTV-Wnt1-mediated tumorigenesis. Using a kinase-deficient cyclin D1 mouse, we identified two functional mammary progenitor cell populations, one of which is the target of MMTV-ErbB2. Moreover, cyclin D1 activity is required for the self-renewal and differentiation of mammary progenitors because its abrogation leads to a failure to maintain the mammary epithelial regenerative potential and also results in defects in luminal lineage differentiation.
pSTAT3: a target biomarker to study the pharmacology of the anti-IL-21R antibody ATR-107 in human whole blood

Background IL-21 has been shown to play an important role in autoimmune diseases. ATR-107 is an antibody which directly targets the IL-21 receptor (IL-21R). To aid the clinical development of ATR-107, there is a need for understanding the mechanism of action (MOA) of this antibody when assessing target engagement in human subjects.
History and Status of Performance Tests for Evaluation of Soundness of Cements

The history of the commonly used performance tests for soundness of cement and the evolution of the autoclave test are reviewed. Hydration-expansion characteristics of cement compounds and the relationship between expansion and unsoundness are discussed. A critical evaluation of the status of the autoclave test shows that sufficient new information has been developed since the adoption of the test to warrant reconsideration of its usefulness for ascertaining the soundness of cements in service.
History of Neurologic Examination Books

The objective of this study was to create an annotated list of textbooks dedicated to teaching the neurologic examination. Monographs focused primarily on the complete neurologic examination published prior to 1960 were reviewed. This analysis was limited to books with the word "examination" in the title, with exceptions for the texts of Robert Wartenberg and Gordon Holmes. Ten manuals met the criteria. Works dedicated primarily to the neurologic examination without a major emphasis on disease description or treatment first appeared in the early 1900s. Georg Monrad-Krohn's "Blue Book of Neurology" ("Blue Bible") was the earliest success. These treatises served the important purpose of educating trainees on proper neurologic examination technique. They could make a reputation and be profitable for the author (Monrad-Krohn), highlight how neurology was practiced at individual institutions (McKendree, Denny-Brown, Holmes, DeJong, Mayo Clinic authors), and honor retiring mentors (Mayo Clinic authors).
Beyond Classical Retinotopy: Striate Cortical Mechanisms Associated with Voluntary Saccades and Attention

Most traditional models of visual attention and eye movements consider the visual primary cortex (V1) simply as a way-station between the retina and the brain whose purpose is to provide information about the location and elementary feature of visual stimuli. Current evidence suggests, however, that visual information is modified in V1 by visual context, spatial attention and by eye movement contingent spatial rescaling.
The NCAA Basketball Tournament Selects Fan Favorites Over Parity

The rights to the annual NCAA men’s basketball tournament are the most valuable asset that the organization possesses. Revenues earned from the event account for about 80% of the organization’s operating budget. Despite the event’s unique nature, demand for its product has flagged. To address this problem, the NCAA has implemented tournament organization strategies that favor teams most familiar to fans, to the detriment of parity. First, in 2002, the NCAA basketball tournament implemented the "pod system" method of assigning teams their first round games. Compared to the previous system, the pod system allows the NCAA more geographic flexibility in determining where teams play first and second round games. Since the system’s inception, the top-seeded teams have enjoyed almost exclusively the benefits of geographically favorable opening round assignments. Evidence also suggests that the NCAA provides marginal seeding advantages to teams with recent tournament success, as these teams are likely to be more familiar to potential consumers. These strategies provide well-known, commercially appealing teams slight advantages in the early rounds of the tournament and, thus, make it easier for them to advance to the later rounds of the contest.
Preclinical Efficacy of Clumping Factor A in Prevention of Staphylococcus aureus Infection

ABSTRACT Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections has become increasingly difficult because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant isolates. Development of a vaccine to prevent staphylococcal infections remains a priority. To determine whether clumping factor A (ClfA) is a good target protein for inclusion in a multivalent vaccine, we evaluated its efficacy in a variety of relevant staphylococcal infection models, challenging with different S. aureus strains. ClfA adsorbed to Alhydrogel and mixed with Sigma Adjuvant System was more immunogenic and stimulated a more robust Th17 response than ClfA administered with alum alone. ClfA immunization induced the production of functional antibodies in rabbits and mice that blocked S. aureus binding to fibrinogen and were opsonic for S. aureus strains that produced little or no capsular polysaccharide. Mice immunized with ClfA showed a modest reduction in the bacterial burden recovered from subcutaneous abscesses provoked by S. aureus USA300 strain LAC. In addition, the ClfA vaccine reduced lethality in a sepsis model following challenge with strain Newman, but not ST80. Vaccination with ClfA did not protect against surgical wound infection, renal abscess formation, or bacteremia. Passive immunization with antibodies to ClfA did not protect against staphylococcal bacteremia in mice or catheter-induced endocarditis in rats. Some enhancement of bacteremia was observed by ClfA immunization or passive administration of ClfA antibodies when mice were challenged by the intraperitoneal route. Although rodent models of staphylococcal infection have their limitations, our data do not support the inclusion of ClfA in an S. aureus multivalent vaccine. IMPORTANCE Antibiotics are often ineffective in eradicating Staphylococcus aureus infections, and thus, a preventative vaccine is sorely needed. Two single-component vaccines and two immunoglobulin preparations failed to meet their designated endpoints in phase III clinical trials. Importantly, recipients of an S. aureus surface protein (iron surface determinant B) vaccine who developed a staphylococcal infection experienced a higher rate of multiorgan failure and mortality than placebo controls, raising safety concerns. Multicomponent S. aureus vaccines have now been generated, and several include surface protein clumping factor A (ClfA). We immunized mice with ClfA and generated a robust T cell response and serum antibodies that were functional in vitro . Nonetheless, ClfA was not protective in a number of relevant animal models of S. aureus infection, and high levels of ClfA antibodies enhanced bacteremia when mice were challenged with community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains. Evidence supporting ClfA as a vaccine component is lacking.
Subcontract Report: Modular Combined Heat & Power System for Utica College: Design Specification

Utica College, located in Utica New York, intends to install an on-site power/cogeneration facility. The energy facility is to be factory pre-assembled, or pre- assembled in modules, to the fullest extent possible, and ready to install and interconnect at the College with minimal time and engineering needs. External connections will be limited to fuel supply, electrical output, potable makeup water as required and cooling and heat recovery systems. The proposed facility will consist of 4 self-contained, modular Cummins 330kW engine generators with heat recovery systems and the only external connections will be fuel supply, electrical outputs and cooling and heat recovery systems. This project was eventually cancelled due to changing DOE budget priorities, but the project engineers produced this system design specification in hopes that it may be useful in future endeavors.
Related Party Transactions

The author says there are many reasonable, valid business structures that involve third parties and suggests how companies can best use related-party transactions in procurement. The form of the transaction and the business purpose of the transaction are equally important, the author says.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia postrestorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis : a role for perioperative prophylaxis in the cyclosporine era? : report of a case and review of the literature

PURPOSE: Medical management of severe ulcerative colitis has used cyclosporine with increasing frequency as an adjuvant to systemic steroids and mercaptopurine. However, the effects of combined management with cyclosporine and prednisone may lead to significant immune compromise and adversely affect operative morbidity in the event urgent surgery is required. METHODS: A case is reported of a 43-year-old white male who presented with severe ulcerative colitis. The patient had been initially treated with prednisone and cyclosporine for six weeks before surgical intervention. The intractability of his ulcerative colitis caused the patient to present to surgery, where he underwent restorative proctocolectomy. RESULTS: On initial presentation, the patient manifested systemic signs of severe ulcerative colitis with hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and weight loss, despite continuous prednisone and cyclosporine management. Before surgical intervention, a chest x-ray and the patient's respiratory status were normal. A total abdominal colectomy with ileal pouch reconstruction and temporary loop ileostomy were performed without incident. On the fifth postoperative day, the patient developed respiratory failure, which was subsequently diagnosed asPneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Although ventilator support and both aggressive medical and surgical management eventually resulted in successful outcome, significant perioperative morbidity occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In the era of aggressive medical management for ulcerative colitis with both steroids and cyclosporine, the complications of immunosuppression may be significant, including opportunistic pneumonia. Prophylaxis againstP. carinii pneumonia with sulfa antibiotics should be considered, especially in patients for whom proctocolectomy is a potential end point.
Comparison of the Suture Anchor and Transosseous Techniques for Patellar Tendon Repair A Biomechanical Study

Background:Minimizing gap formation and maximizing the strength of patellar tendon repairs are 2 critical factors for successful healing of these injuries.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study was to compare transosseous and screw-in anchor repair techniques to determine if there is a difference in gap formation and load to failure of the 2 constructs. The research hypotheses were that the anchor construct would have significantly less gap formation and would also have significantly greater load-to-failure strength.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:A total of 24 porcine specimens were randomly assigned into transosseous and 4.75-mm polyetheretherketone (PEEK) screw-in anchor repair groups. The repairs were then completed using 2 No. 2 FiberWire sutures, and each specimen was cyclically loaded on a tensile test machine to 250 N for a total of 1000 cycles. Gap formation was measured at 1, 10, 250, 500, and 1000 cycles. Each specimen was loaded to failure after 1000 cycles. Independent ...
Effects of birth weight and postnatal nutrition on neonatal sheep: III. Regulation of energy metabolism.

This study investigated effects of birth weight and postnatal nutrition on regulation of energy metabolism in the neonatal lamb. Low (mean +/- SD 2.289 +/- 0.341 kg, n = 28) and high (4.840 +/- 0.446 kg, n = 20) birth weight male Suffolk x (Finnsheep x Dorset) lambs were individually reared on a liquid diet to grow rapidly (ad libitum fed, ADG = 337 g, n = 20) or slowly (ADG = 150 g, n = 20) from birth to live weights (LW) up to approximately 20 kg. At birth, small newborns had higher plasma concentrations of urea nitrogen (mean +/- SEM 8.31 +/- 0.25 vs 6.39 +/- 0.32 mM, P = 0.002) and somatotropin (ST, 49.1 +/- 17.0 vs 10.8 +/- 4.3 ng/mL, P = .045) and lower IGF-I (36.1 +/- 6.8 vs 157.7 +/- 21.8 ng/mL, P < 0.001) than large newborns. Plasma glucose (1.42 +/- 0.23 vs 2.63 +/- 0.95 mM, P = 0.147) and insulin (0.09 +/- 0.02 vs 0.13 +/- 0.06 ng/mL, P = 0.264) concentrations did not differ. Urea nitrogen concentration in plasma peaked and then declined rapidly in all lambs during the first week postpartum, and plasma ST declined on a body-weight-related basis from birth. During rearing to 20 kg LW, plasma insulin was higher in low- vs high-birth-weight lambs. Lambs fed ad libitum had greater plasma concentrations of glucose, urea nitrogen, insulin, and IGF-I compared to those fed a restricted diet (ADG = 150 g). The results suggest that during the early postpartum period, newborn lambs exhibit the fetal characteristic of high rates of amino acid oxidation. The results also support the notion that, at birth, low-birth-weight lambs are less mature than high-birth-weight lambs in aspects of metabolic and endocrine development, which may enhance their capacity to utilize amino acids for energy production and to support gluconeogenesis during the immediate postpartum period. Being small at birth also resulted in elevated plasma insulin concentrations when adequate nutriment to support moderate or rapid growth was provided postpartum, although it remains to be elucidated whether this more chronic effect persists in the longer term.
Obesity Paradox in Recurrent Attacks of Gout in Observational Studies: Clarification and Remedy.

Objective Obesity is strongly associated with incident gout risk, but its association with the risk of recurrent gout attacks has been null or weak, constituting an obesity paradox. We sought to demonstrate and overcome the methodologic issues associated with the obesity paradox for risk of recurrent gout attacks. Methods Using the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial database, we decomposed the total effect of obesity into its direct and indirect (i.e., mediated) effects using marginal structural models. We also estimated the total effect of body mass index (BMI) change from baseline among incident gout patients. Results Of 11,816 gout-free subjects at baseline, we documented 408 incident gout cases, with 132 developing recurrent gout attacks over a 7-year followup period. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for incident gout among obese individuals was 2.6, whereas that for recurrent gout attacks among gout patients was 0.98 (i.e., the obesity paradox). These ORs correlated well with the ORs for the indirect and direct effects of obesity on the risk of recurrent gout attacks (2.83 and 0.98, respectively). Compared with no BMI change, the OR of increasing versus decreasing >5% of baseline BMI was 0.61 and 1.60 for recurrent gout attacks, respectively (P for trend < 0.01), suggesting a dose-response association. Conclusion The obesity paradox for the risk of recurrent gout attacks is explained by the absence of the direct effect, which is often measured in conventional analyses and misinterpreted as the intended total effect of interest. In contrast, the BMI change analysis correctly estimated the intended total effect of BMI, and revealed a dose-response relationship.
Regency Women’s Dress: Techniques and Patterns 1800–1830

Cassidy PercocoLos Angeles: Costume & Fashion Press/QSM, 2015. Clothing of the early nineteenth century continues to be of interest to a variety of audiences. These include those who interpret the ...
Ethernet and Token Ring: The Advantages and Disadvantages for Business School Computing Labs

Local area networks (LANs) are part of almost every job today, and underlying these LANs are two standards on network configurations. Ethernet provides a low-cost form of networking, but comes with increased risk of communication error. Token ring instills the control needed in the network, but has a higher cost associated with it. Several figures and charts are provided to demonstrate the two standards and present the differences between the two systems. The business school computing lab administrator should carefully consider all the possibilities and fully investigate the needs of their system before deciding on the type of network to use. Premature decision could cause problems that are expensive to correct.
College students’ stigmatization of people with mental illness: familiarity, implicit person theory, and attribution

AbstractBackground: Stigma associated with mental illness (MI) results in underutilization of mental health care. We must understand factors contributing to stigma to shape anti-stigma campaigns.Aims: To investigate the factors influencing stigma in university students.Method: Undergraduate psychology students completed measures on causal attribution, stigma, social distance, implicit person theory (IPT), and familiarity.Results: The hypothesis was partially supported; people who felt personality traits were unchangeable (i.e. entity IPT) were more likely to stigmatize individuals with mental disorders and desired more social distance from them. Familiarity with people with a MI individually predicted less desire for social distance, yet the redundancy of the predictors made the effect of familiarity on stigma fall just short of statistical significance. Judgments of biogenetic causal attribution were related to higher stigma levels, but not so when familiarity and IPT were taken into account.Conclusions:...
Start 'em Young: Digital Music Instruments for Education

Designing and building Digital Music Instruments (DMIs) is a promising context to engage children in technology design with parallels to hands on and project based learning educational approaches. Looking at tools and approaches used in STEM education we find much in common with the tools and approaches used in the creation of DMIs as well as opportunities for future development, in particular the use of scaffolded software and hardware toolkits. Current approaches to teaching and designing DMIs within the community suggest fruitful ideas for engaging novices in authentic design activities. Hardware toolkits and programming approaches are considered to identify productive approaches to teach technology design through building DMIs.
A modular and enantioselective synthesis of the pleuromutilin antibiotics

The tricyclic diterpene fungal metabolite (+)-pleuromutilin has served as a starting point for antibiotic development. Semisynthetic modification of its glycolic acid subunit at C14 provided the first analogs fit for human use, and derivatization at C12 led to 12-epi-pleuromutilins with extended-spectrum antibacterial activity, including activity against Gram-negative pathogens. Given the inherent limitations of semisynthesis, however, accessing derivatives of (+)-pleuromutilin with full control over their structure presents an opportunity to develop derivatives with improved antibacterial activities. Here we disclose a modular synthesis of pleuromutilins by the convergent union of an enimide with a bifunctional iodoether. We illustrate our approach through synthesis of (+)-12-epi-mutilin, (+)-11,12-di-epi-mutilin, (+)-12-epi-pleuromutilin, (+)-11,12-di-epi-pleuromutilin, and (+)-pleuromutilin itself in 17 to 20 steps.
Limits and continuity

The most basic concept in calculus is the limit. It is used in the study of continuity, derivatives, integrals, and all other important topics in calculus. Indeed, one cannot use calculus intelligently without understanding limits.
Analysis of Equalization Basins

It may be desirable to damp extreme fluctuations in concentration in a feed stream to a sanitary engineering process. Methods of analysis and design of completely-mixed basins to accomplish this damping are presented and illustrated for a sample of data having numerous fluctuations. Similar predictions of basin performance are found using two quite different methods of analysis. Possibilities for analysis of cases which do not conform to the basic assumptions usually required are discussed. Even more powerful analytical methods than those presented are suggested if a wider class of problems must be solved.
Abstract TP270: Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibition with Tocilizumab Ameliorates Ischemic Stroke Damage in Mice

Introduction: In stroke patients higher plasma IL-6 levels are correlated with larger infarct volume, increased stroke severity and poor long term prognosis. IL-6 signaling may be detrimental in th...
Plasma levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol and outcomes in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) has various anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, anti-oxidant and anti-coagulant properties that improve vascular function. The utility of HDL-C as a biomarker of severity and predictor of survival was described in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). No prior study has assessed the utility of HDL-C in patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH). OBJECTIVES We aim to measure HDL-C levels in CTEPH patients and compare it to those in PAH patients and controls and determine HDL-C associations with markers of disease severity, hemodynamics and mortality in CTEPH. METHODS We retrospectively included patients with CTEPH, identified from the Cleveland Clinic Pulmonary Hypertension Registry. All patients had right heart catheterization (RHC) and imaging studies consistent with CTEPH. We collected demographics, co-morbidities, baseline laboratory data including plasma HDL-C, six-minute walk test (6MWT), echocardiography and RHC. HDL-C levels were compared to a cohort of patients with cardiovascular risk factors and a previously published PAH cohort. RESULTS HDL-C levels were available for 90 patients with CTEPH (age: 57.4±13.9 years; female 40%), 69 patients with PAH (age: 46.7±12.8 years; female 90%) and 254 control subjects (age: 56.7±13 years; female 48%). HDL-C levels in CTEPH patients were lower compared to controls and higher compared to PAH patients (median, IQR: CTEPH: 44, 34-57 mg/dl; PAH: 35.3, 29-39 mg/dl; Control: 49, 40-60 mg/dl; p < 0.01 for both pairwise comparisons). In CTEPH, higher HDL-C was associated with decreased prevalence of right ventricular dilation on echocardiography (p = 0.02). 57 patients with CTEPH underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, higher HDL-C was associated with a larger decrement in postoperative pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) (r = 0.37, p = 0.049). HDL-C was not associated with mortality or other markers of disease severity. CONCLUSIONS HDL-C levels in CTEPH patients were lower compared to control subjects, but higher compared to PAH patients. Higher HDL-C in CTEPH was associated with less right ventricular dilation and greater decrement in postoperative PVR. These data suggest that HDL-C may be a useful marker of small vessel disease in CTEPH.
Histochemical Comparison of Ocular “Drusen” in Monkey and Human

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the industrialized world, is characterized, in part, by the presence of drusen and basal laminar deposits (BLD) in the macula. Drusen are extracellular deposits which form between the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) basal lamina and the inner collagenous zone of Bruch’s membrane. Although the relationship between macular drusen and the development of AMD has been established in a number of studies (1–4), relatively little is known about their composition or origin. Thorough characterization of these age-related deposits has been hampered by a paucity of suitable human donor tissues and the lack of an appropriate animal model of the disease.
Dynamic and Improvisational Capabilities in Small Service -- Oriented Firms: An Investigation into the Role of IT -- Enabled Innovation

The role of IT-­‐enabled innovation in fostering competitive advantage has been well established in the literature. Firms are leveraging their IT infrastructure that supports their modern IT enabled business processes in order to reconfigure their existing operational process in response to industry turbulence. Through IT-­‐enabled innovation, or the organizational adoption of a new idea or process, firms can reconfigure their existing operational processes better and faster than their competitors and achieve competitive advantage. This multiple-­‐case study of eight small service-­‐oriented companies will examine differences between outsourcing-­‐dependent firms and self-­‐sufficient firms to highlight differences in IT capabilities and how those capabilities produce business value, and its ultimate effect on firm performance. This study will also answer the call for research to examine the impact of dynamic capabilities and improvisation on performance in different levels of environmental turbulence.
Acute airway obstruction requiring emergent tracheostomy as an initial presentation of relapsing polychondritis in the pediatric population

Abstract Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare systemic disease of unknown etiology characterized by repeated bouts of inflammation cartilaginous structures of the body. With less than 1000 reported cases, the incidence is estimated at 3.5 per million. While commonly diagnosed in the fourth and fifth decade, the disease can present at any age. Repetitive episodes of inflammation result in fibrosis and destruction of the cartilages involved, commonly affecting structures of the head and neck. It is likely that the practicing otolaryngologist may be the first practitioner to evaluate a patient with undiagnosed RP, and therefore imperative for them to possess an understanding of the varying presentations of the disease to assist with diagnosis and timely referral to rheumatology, as well as managing complication associated with RP's cyclical inflammation. This case highlights an unusual presentation of the disease: a pediatric patient with acute life-threatening airway obstruction as their initial presentation.
King of Kings of Africa

During the 2011 uprisings, artists and cultural agents unleashed biting pictorial forms of ridicule in Libya’s public domain. Their chief target was Muʿammar Qaddafi, the ‘Brother Leader’ of the Libyan Arab Republic and the so-called ‘King of Kings of Africa’. After failing to win support from Arab governments, Qaddafi campaigned for African unity, fashioning himself as a traditional sub-Saharan chief during the decade leading up to the ‘Arab Spring’. His bombastic African title, his Afro-like ( shafshufa ) hairstyle and his eye-catching robes made him an easy target for visual satire, which turned visibly more racist when he and his son, Sayf al-Islam, resorted to using mercenaries from the Sudan, Chad, Niger and Mali to violently suppress street demonstrations. Throughout the uprisings, anti-government actors sought to degrade Qaddafi through the use of ethnic stereotypes, revealing that, in the particular case of Libya, satirical contentions during the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ were not just transgressive and factional, but instrumentally racist as well.
Horizontal Direction-Changing Positional Nystagmus and Vertigo: A Case of Vestibular Migraine Masquerading as Horizontal Canal BPPV

Episodic positional vertigo is typically due to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) but may also be a manifestation of vestibular migraine. Distinguishing vestibular migraine from BPPV is essential since the treatment of each disorder is markedly different. The 31-month clinical course of a 41-year-old woman with vestibular migraine causing recurrent positional vertigo is described. During vestibular migraine attacks, she developed left-beating nystagmus in the upright position with removal of fixation, and geotropic horizontal nystagmus during the supine roll test. Interictally, her exam demonstrated positional apogeotropic horizontal nystagmus with the supine roll test, more intense in the supine head left position. Her vestibular migraine was successfully controlled with topiramate and eletriptan.
Bone marrow neutrophil aging in sickle cell disease mice is associated with impaired osteoblast functions

Bone loss is a common complication in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). The mechanism(s) of bone loss in SCD subjects has not been fully investigated, and there are no targeted therapies to prevent or treat compromised bone health in this population. Recent studies showed that depletion of gut microbiota with antibiotics significantly reduced the number of aged neutrophils, thereby dramatically improved the inflammation-related organ damages in SCD mice. Since neutrophils, abundantly present in bone marrow (BM), regulate bone cells, and BM neutrophils, induced by inflammatory cytokines, are associated with a low number of osteoblasts (OBs), we hypothesize that neutrophil aging in the BM of SCD mice impairs OB function. Flow cytometry analysis showed BM neutrophil aging was significantly increased in SCD mice that was reduced with antibiotic treatment. In vitro co-culture of calvarial OBs from control (Ctrl) mice with BM neutrophils from Ctrl or SCD mice showed that BM neutrophils from SCD mice inhibit OB function but was rescued when neutrophils were from antibiotic-treated SCD mice. In summary, there is an accumulation of aged neutrophils in BM from SCD mice that may contribute to impaired OB function, and antibiotic treatment is able to partially rescue impaired OB function by decreasing neutrophil aging in the BM of SCD mice.
A study of the regularized lid-driven cavity’s progression to chaos

Abstract Computational simulations of a two-dimensional incompressible regularized lid-driven cavity flow were performed and analyzed to identify the dynamic behavior of the flow through multiple bifurcations which ultimately result in Eulerian chaotic flow. Semi-implicit, pseudo-spectral numerical simulations were performed at Reynolds numbers from 1000 to 25,000. Poincare maps were used to identify transitions as the Reynolds number increased from stable-laminar flow to periodic flow, periodic flow to quasi-periodic flow, quasi-periodic flow to chaotic flow, and a sudden, brief return from chaotic flow to periodic flow. The first critical Reynolds number, near 10,250, is found in agreement with existing literature. An additional bifurcation is observed near a Reynolds number of 15,500. A power spectrum analysis, in which the novel concepts of frequency shredding and power capacity are introduced, was performed with the conclusion that no further bifurcations occurred at Reynolds numbers above 15,500 even though Eulerian chaos was not formally observed until Reynolds numbers above 18,000. While qualitative changes in the fluid flow’s attractor were apparent from trajectories in the phase space, mechanisms by which such changes can occur were apparent from power spectra of flow time histories. The novel power spectrum analysis may also serve as a new approach for characterizing multi-scale nonlinear dynamical systems.
Untersuchungen über die Grundeigenschaften des Herzmuskels und ihre Beziehungen zueinander

In Versuchen am Herzstreifenpraparat mit Erwarmung, Chloroformvergiftung und Calciumbehandlung ergibt sich in Fortsetzunger der bisherigen Untersuchungen, das die Anstiegszeit des Aktionsstromes ein Mas der elektromotorischen Kraft der Erregung und damit der Erregbarkeit des Muskels abgibt, und das die Fortpflanzungsgeschwindigkeit der Erregung durch die Erregbarkeit bestimmt wird. Durch mikroskopische Photogramme wird die Anschauung erhartet, das die Hohe des Aktionsstromes weitgehend von der Anzahl der tatigen Muskelelemente abhangt. Bei dem Vergleich der Hohe der Stromkurve mit der Hohe des Mechanogramms wird dieser Umstand zu beachten sein. In Ubereinstimmung mit Untersuchungen alterer Autoren wird ein positiv bathmotroper Einflus des Calciums aufgeschadigte Muskelelemente angenommen. Aufnormal erregbare Muskelfasern aber wirkt Zusatz von CaCl2 zur Ringerlosung nach unseren Beobachtungen nicht mehr erregbarkeitssteigernd, sondern setzt sie mit zunehmender Konzentration herab. Das in der Ringerlosung enthaltene Mengenverhaltnis Calcium; Kalium bildet das Optimum fur die Erregbarkeit. Es erscheint uns nicht zweckmasig, eine Anderung der Dauer der Refraktarphase als Masstab der Erregbarkeit zu verwerten. Diese sollte nur an den Reizschwellen auserhalb der Refraktarphase bestimmt werden.
Otto Neurath: The Philosopher in the Cave

The question of philosophy’s relevance to extra-academic concerns is much with us today. Plato tells us that, once the philosopher has seen the truth in the full light of the sun, she must return to the cave, there to put knowledge to work in making a better world, even though, being temporarily unaccustomed to the dark, she risks ridicule from those still in thrall to illusion. This paper reflects upon the life and career of Otto Neurath as a modern exemplification of this ideal of philosophical engagement. In spite of, or, perhaps, because of his never having held an academic appointment, Neurath made a difference for the good in human affairs. The key components of what I term Neurath’s “philosophy of science in action” are explicated in order to understand how that could be. Foregrounded are Neurath’s socialism, his own version of the thesis of the empirical underdetermination of theory by evidence, his anti-metaphysical stance, and his commitment to physicalism and the unity of science. The paper concludes with a discussion of the contemporary relevance of Neurath’s model of engaged philosophy of science.
HER2-positive breast cancer: new therapeutic frontiers and overcoming resistance:

The introduction of anti-HER2 therapies to the treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer has led to dramatic improvements in survival in both early and advanced settings. Despite this ...
eNVM MRAM Retention Reliability Modeling in 22FFL FinFET Technology

Assessing product-level retention performance of a perpendicular spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM, or MRAM for short) for non-volatile applications requires extrapolation of retention data measured on a relatively small number of units at high temperatures and short times, to defects-per-million units (DPM) level failure probabilities at low temperatures and long times. This paper discusses the observed time and temperature scaling relationships for both the parallel and anti-parallel magnetic states, and proposes empirically-based models and methods for extrapolation, with some measure of built-in conservatism.
Theory of coherent active convolved illumination for superresolution enhancement

Recently an optical amplification process called the plasmon injection scheme was introduced as an effective solution to overcoming losses in metamaterials. Implementations with near-field imaging applications have indicated substantial performance enhancements even in the presence of noise. This powerful and versatile compensation technique, which has since been renamed to a more generalized active convolved illumination, offers new possibilities of improving the performance of many previously conceived metamaterial-based devices and conventional imaging systems. In this work, we present, to the best of our knowledge, the first comprehensive mathematical breakdown of active convolved illumination for coherent imaging. Our analysis highlights the distinctive features of active convolved illumination, such as selective spectral amplification and correlations, and provides a rigorous understanding of the loss compensation process. These features are achieved by an auxiliary source coherently superimposed with the object field. The auxiliary source is designed to have three important properties. First, it is correlated with the object field. Second, it is defined over a finite spectral bandwidth. Third, it is amplified over that selected bandwidth. We derive the variance for the image spectrum and show that utilizing the auxiliary source with the above properties can significantly improve the spectral signal-to-noise ratio and resolution limit. Besides enhanced superresolution imaging, the theory can be potentially generalized to the compensation of information or photon loss in a wide variety of coherent and incoherent linear systems including those, for example, in atmospheric imaging, time-domain spectroscopy, PT symmetric non-Hermitian photonics, and even quantum computing.
Use of Letermovir for Salvage Therapy for Resistant Cytomegalovirus in a Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipient

We present here the first published use of letermovir for the treatment of resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV) in a pediatric patient. A 14-year-old girl underwent a double unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation to treat her sickle cell disease (hemoglobin SS) and developed ganciclovir-resistant CMV DNAemia with end-organ involvement that was treated successfully with a combination of foscarnet and letermovir. After she was transitioned to letermovir monotherapy for secondary prophylaxis, she developed recurrent DNAemia with laboratory-confirmed ganciclovir, foscarnet, and letermovir resistance.
Effectiveness of Oral Vancomycin for Prevention of Healthcare Facility-Onset Clostridioides difficile Infection in Targeted Patients During Systemic Antibiotic Exposure.

Background Limited retrospective data suggest prophylactic oral vancomycin may prevent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of oral vancomycin for the prevention of healthcare facility-onset CDI (HCFO-CDI) in targeted patients. Methods We conducted a randomized, prospective, open-label study at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, between October 2018 and April 2019. Included patients were randomized 1:1 to either oral vancomycin (dosed at 125 mg once daily while receiving systemic antibiotics and continued for 5 days postcompletion of systemic antibiotics [OVP]) or no prophylaxis. The primary endpoint was incidence of HCFO-CDI. Secondary endpoints included incidence of community-onset healthcare facility-associated CDI (CO-HCFA-CDI), incidence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) colonization after receiving OVP, adverse effects, and cost of OVP. Results A total of 100 patients were evaluated, 50 patients in each arm. Baseline and hospitalization characteristics were similar, except antibiotic exposure. No events of HCFO-CDI were noted in the OVP group compared with 6 (12%) in the no-prophylaxis group (P = .03). CO-HCFA-CDI was identified in 2 patients who were previously diagnosed with HCFO-CDI. No patients developed new VRE colonization, with only 1 patient reporting mild gastrointestinal side effects to OVP. A total of 600 doses of OVP were given during the study, with each patient receiving an average of 12 doses. Total acquisition cost of OVP was $1302, $26.04 per patient. Conclusion OVP appears to protect against HCFO-CDI during in-patient stay in targeted patients during systemic antibiotic exposure. Further prospective investigation is warranted.