cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Focus, Span and Links in Research on Operations Management Strategy

A review of Operations Management Strategy (OMS) research shows that a spectrum of issues has already been empirically and theoretically investigated. Collectively, while OMS research efforts have considered many issues, individual research efforts have been more narrowly defined. With the absence of an established framework to place important OMS research, this body of literature takes the appearance of a collection of loosely related efforts. This proposed framework lends additional structure to the field and allows the identification and evaluation of “hot” and “cold” areas of research interest in both management and operations management.
Predicting fetal weight. Are Leopold's maneuvers still worth teaching to medical students and house staff?

OBJECTIVE To assess the value of teaching Leopold's maneuvers to medical students and house staff physicians for the purpose of estimating term fetal weight. STUDY DESIGN Forty-four patients between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation were asked to estimate their fetus's weight upon presentation for delivery. A medical student or house staff physician then performed Leopold's maneuvers to assess fetal weight manually. For comparison, a previously published birth weight prediction equation was used to calculate fetal weight based upon maternal and pregnancy-specific characteristics alone, and obstetric ultrasonography was performed to measure fetal biometric parameters for use with standard ultrasonic fetal weight prediction equations. RESULTS House staff physicians performed significantly better than medical students in making fetal weight predictions to within +/- 10% of actual birth weight using Leopold's maneuvers (71% vs. 38%, P < .05). House staff who made tactile assessments of fetal weight were able to predict birth weight to within 15% of actual weight more often than mothers making estimations (P < .05), but medical students could not (P = .53). The correlation between predicted and actual birth weights was .60 for Leopold's maneuvers, .45 for maternal estimates of fetal weight, .55 for the birth weight prediction equation and .63 for the best of eight ultrasonic prediction equations tested. CONCLUSION House staff physicians make more accurate predictions of term fetal weight using Leopold's maneuvers than do medical students. This is presumably due to the increased experience of house staff in using such tactile techniques. Leopold's maneuvers are a useful method of estimating fetal weight and should continue to be taught to both medical students and house staff.
Physical diagnosis versus modern technology. A review.

Abstract The role of physical diagnosis in an age of modern diagnostic technology has been evaluated by investigators assessing specific techniques in a number of areas, though there has been no systematic comprehensive study of the sensitivity, specificity, cost-benefit ratio, and reliability of physical diagnosis relative to technologic diagnostic tools. In a review of published studies comparing physical with nonphysical diagnostic techniques, the startling accuracy of physical diagnosticians in some areas contrasts sharply with the extremely poor correlation of physical findings with autopsy or imaging studies in others. In a time of constricting financial resources, physicians-and those who teach or judge physicians' skills-must begin to compare physical and nonphysical diagnostic techniques rigorously so that the best, safest, and least expensive diagnostic test is chosen in each clinical situation.
Interactional Perspectives on Denial and Defense

In this chapter, my aim is to provide an overview and discussion of the literature on the interactional aspects of denial and defense. Psychiatrists and psychoanalysts often speak or write about defense mechanisms as independent mental operations dissociated from the ebb and flow of interpersonal events. This review will show defense as an important aspect of communication between individuals and how they relate to each other. Until recently, classical psychoanalytic literature contained few studies of the influence of interpersonal relations on the formation or maintenance of defensive operations. The investigations summarized later reveal how both the form and the content of a person’s denials and defensive functioning throughout life are influenced and even partly shaped by interactions with other individuals operating out of their awareness.
Meetings as Tools/Meetings as Topics

Historically, face-to-face meetings have played an important role in the social, and especially the political, life of Western and non-Western societies. Jane Mansbridge (1983) argues that the concept of unitary democracy is the oldest and longest-lived form of human organization and face-to-face meetings and unitary democracy go hand in hand because it is this context that makes it possible to formalize and extend to the level of a polity the relations of friendship (p. 8): The Greeks were aware of this connection. With the phrase, “Friendship [philia] appears to hold city-states together” Aristotle illuminates the bond between citizens in a unitary polity.... Drawing from the experience of friendship, a democrat could easily believe that relations between citizens ought to be like relations between friends. Friends are equals. They choose to spend time together. They share common values. They expand in each other’s company. So, too, in a democracy based on friendship, participants are equal in status; the costs of participation, of which some make so much, do not feel heavy. Citizens “fly to the assemblies” as if to meet their friends. They value the time they spend on their common affairs. They share a common good, and are able, as a consequence, to make their decisions unanimously. The characteristics of unitary democracy—equal respect, face-to-face contact, common interest, and consensus—are from this perspective nothing but the natural conditions that prevail among friends. (pp. 8–9)
The Affordability of Child Care for the Working Poor

Using data from a random sample of 750 families with young children, the authors examine the need for affordable child care for the working poor and for moderate-income families. Options for addres...
Optimization of the Spherical Harmonics Transform based Tree Traversals in the Helmholtz FMM Algorithm

The fast multipole method (FMM) provides a fast and accurate method of solving large N-body problems with application in a broad range of physics problems. While there exists a large body of work for efficient implementation of the Laplace variant of the FMM algorithm, an optimized implementation of the Helmholtz variant of FMM which is used to study wave physics related phenomena is more complicated. In this study, we focus on the computationally expensive tree traversal operations of the Helmholtz FMM algorithm and describe a series of techniques to improve their performance. We demonstrate that the described techniques yield significant speedups (up to a factor of 4.71x) on a realistic surface geometry commonly encountered in Helmholtz problems.
Analysis of Electrochemically Elusive Trace Metals with Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes

There is great interest in rapidly monitoring metals of biological and environmental interest. Electrochemistry is traditionally a powerful tool for metal analysis but can be limited by its scope and low temporal resolution. The scope is limited by the potential window of the working electrode and rapid analysis is limited, in part, by the need for nucleation/growth for preconcentration. In prior work, we showed that a rapid equilibrium mediated preconcentration process facilitated fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) responses to Cu(II) and Pb(II) at carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMs). In this manuscript, we apply this same principle to Ca(II), Al(III), Mg(II), and Zn(II), metal ions that are traditionally difficult to electroanalyze. We demonstrate FSCV reduction peaks for these four metals whose positions and amplitudes are dependent on scan rate. The adsorption profiles of these ions onto CFMs follow Langmuir’s theory for monolayer coverage. We calculate the thermodynamic equilibrium constant of metal...
Simultaneous lateral interbody fusion and pedicle screws (SLIPS) with CT-guided navigation.

Abstract Objectives The advent of minimally invasive, percutaneous techniques for the placement of pedicle screws has led to the evolution of a popular treatment paradigm: anterior or lateral interbody fusions followed by posterior percutaneous pedicle screw placement. We present the operative technique for anterior-to-psoas lateral interbody fusion (ATP-LIF) with simultaneous posterior lumbar percutaneous pedicle screw fixation using intraoperative CT-guided navigation. Patients and Methods This technique capitalizes both on the more oblique approach used in the ATP-LIF procedure, as well as the anatomic clarity gleaned from intraoperative CT-guided navigation, to allow for simultaneous placement of pedicle screws in the lateral position without the need for guiding fluoroscopy. Results The parallel execution of both procedures, in the lateral position, reduces operative time, consolidates a two-stage procedure into one stage, and eliminates the need for prone re-positioning. The use of intraoperative CT-guided navigation reduces the need for fluoroscopy and overall radiation exposure while allowing for pedicle screw placement and the-LIF procedure in truly simultaneous fashion. In this pilot study, a total of 14 pedicle screws were placed with two lateral breaches (14%). Conclusion Simultaneous Lateral Interbody and Pedicle Screws (SLIPS) represents a meaningful evolution of the newly reported single-position lateral interbody fusion with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.
Smooth Muscle Cells in Pelvic Washings at Time of Benign Hysterectomy

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate if smooth muscle cells can be detected in pelvic washings at the time of intact hysterectomy. Design A multicentered pilot cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Two academically affiliated tertiary referral centers. Patients Patients undergoing total hysterectomy for benign indications without morcellation by minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons were enrolled from January 2018 to July 2018. Interventions Pelvic washings were collected at 2 times during surgery: after abdominal entry and after vaginal cuff closure. Cell blocks were generated, and slides were stained using hematoxylin and eosin, smooth muscle actin, and desmin and interpreted by 1 expert pathologist at each institution. Measurements and Main Results Thirty-eight subjects were recruited; 3 subjects were excluded because of unplanned morcellation. Smooth muscle uterine cells were detected in 1 prewash specimen and 2 postwash specimens. The group with positive washings was noted to have longer procedure times (136 vs 114 minutes), lower blood loss (25 vs 86 mL), and higher uterine weight (242 vs 234 g) compared with negative washings group. Conclusion Tissue dissemination of uterine cells may be possible at the time of hysterectomy. Larger prospective studies are needed to better describe the incidence of and risk factors for tissue dissemination.
Response to Zolfaghari et al.: Letter to the Editor | Open Access DMMS: A Decentralized Blockchain Ledger for the Management of Medication Histories

Please see the related Research Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.30953/bhty.v2.38) and the related Letter to the Editor (DOI: https://doi.org/10.30953/bhty.v2.98)
Return of baseline kidney function after bilateral renal artery stent occlusion and treatment delay following fenestrated endografting.

Abstract Although renal artery restenosis and thrombotic stent occlusion are not rare occurrences, the literature suggests that prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to preserve renal function, particularly in the setting of occlusion. We describe the case of a 75-year-old woman who underwent fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair and experienced acute anuric renal failure requiring dialysis secondary to bilateral renal artery stent occlusion for >48 hours. She was successfully treated with revisional endovascular therapy and made a full renal recovery.
5 Demography of Aging

Demographic changes in fertility, mortality, and migration, have had profound effects on the age-structure of many societies worldwide. These population trends in global aging require improved data and analyses to assist societies with social and economic shifts in social welfare and health care services, labor markets and retirement, technology, housing, transportation, and intergenerational relationships. With an increasingly larger share in the population of aging adults in virtually every country throughout the world, it is imperative that governments design innovative policies specifically aimed at public services to benefit aging individuals and societies. In this chapter, we provide a thorough overview of important issues related to global trends in population aging and conclude with future research directions in the demography of aging.
“The Base on Which Thy Greatness Stands”: Self-Fashioning and the Grounds of the Past in The Prelude

In this article, I argue that one of the “spots of time” in The Prelude, the gibbet mast on the moor episode, offers critics a new way to conceptualize how Romantic autobiography responds to the pe...
Characterization of Anatomical Landmarks for Exposing the Internal Carotid Artery in the Infratemporal Fossa Through an Endoscopic Transmasticator Approach: A Morphometric Cadaveric Study.

Background The Eustachian tube and sphenoid spine have been previously described as landmarks for endonasal surgical identification of the most distal segment of the parapharyngeal internal carotid artery (PhICA). However, the intervening space between the sphenoid spine and PhICA allows for error during exposure of the artery. In the present study, we have characterized endoscopic endonasal transmasticator exposure of the PhICA using the sphenoid spine, vaginal process of the tympanic bone, and the “tympanic crest” as useful anatomical landmarks. Methods Endonasal dissection was performed in 13 embalmed latex-injected cadaveric specimens. Two open lateral dissections and osteologic analysis of 10 dry skulls were also performed. Results A novel and palpable bony landmark, the inferomedial edge of the tympanic bone, referred to as the tympanic crest, was identified, leading from the sphenoid spine to the lateral carotid canal. Additionally, the vaginal process of the tympanic bone, viewed endoscopically, was a guide to the PhICA. The sphenoid spine was bifurcate in 20% of the skulls, with an average length of 5.98 mm (range, 3.9–8.2 mm), width of 5.81 mm (range, 3.0–10.6 mm), and distance to the carotid canal of 4.48 mm (range, 2.5–6.1 mm). Conclusion The sphenoid spine and pericarotid space has variable anatomy. Using an endoscopic transmasticator approach to the infratemporal fossa, we found that the closest landmarks leading to the PhICA were the tympanic crest, sphenoid spine, and vaginal process of the tympanic bone.
Headwater Stream Microbial Diversity and Function across Agricultural and Urban Land Use Gradients.

ABSTRACT Anthropogenic activity impacts stream ecosystems, resulting in a loss of diversity and ecosystem function; however, little is known about the response of aquatic microbial communities to changes in land use. Here, microbial communities were characterized in 82 headwater streams across a gradient of urban and agricultural land uses using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and compared to a rich data set of physicochemical variables and traditional benthic invertebrate indicators. Microbial diversity and community structures differed among watersheds with high agricultural, urban, and forested land uses, and community structure differed in streams classified as being in good, fair, poor, and very poor condition using benthic invertebrate indicators. Microbial community similarity decayed with geodesic distance across the study region but not with environmental distance. Stream community respiration rates ranged from 21.7 to 1,570 mg O2 m−2 day−1 and 31.9 to 3,670 mg O2 m−2 day−1 for water column and sediments, respectively, and correlated with nutrients associated with anthropogenic influence and microbial community structure. Nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations ranged from 0.22 to 4.41 μg N2O liter−1; N2O concentration was negatively correlated with forested land use and was positively correlated with dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations. Our findings suggest that stream microbial communities are impacted by watershed land use and can potentially be used to assess ecosystem health. IMPORTANCE Stream ecosystems are frequently impacted by changes in watershed land use, resulting in altered hydrology, increased pollutant and nutrient loads, and habitat degradation. Macroinvertebrates and fish are strongly affected by changes in stream conditions and are commonly used in biotic indices to assess ecosystem health. Similarly, microbes respond to environmental stressors, and changes in community composition alter key ecosystem processes. The response of microbes to habitat degradation and their role in global biogeochemical cycles provide an opportunity to use microbes as a monitoring tool. Here, we identify stream microbes that respond to watershed urbanization and agricultural development and demonstrate that microbial diversity and community structure can be used to assess stream conditions and ecosystem functioning.
Identification of nonlinear aerodynamic damping from stochastic crosswind response of tall buildings using unscented Kalman filter technique

Abstract This study presents a new approach for identification of aerodynamic damping of tall buildings from stochastic crosswind response time history using unscented Kalman filter (UKF) technique. The system damping ratio is expressed as a polynomial function of building displacement or velocity, which is equivalent to a polynomial function of amplitude of harmonic motion. The structural system with nonlinear system damping under stochastic excitation is modeled as a single degree of freedom system with a white noise input. The augmented state variables of the system, which also include unknown system frequency, damping and stochastic excitation parameters, are estimated simultaneously with the UKF technique from the response measurement data. The aerodynamic damping is then extracted from the system damping by subtracting the structural damping. Firstly, the stochastic response time histories of a tall building model at various wind speeds with a known nonlinear aerodynamic model are simulated and the performance of the UKF technique and the influence of selections of various parameters involved are investigated. Secondly, the aerodynamic damping of a square-shaped tall building is identified based on aeroelastic building model wind tunnel test data. The response statistics are then computed using the identified damping and compared with the measurement data to verify the accuracy of identification.
Energy-efficient Real-time Myocardial Infarction Detection on Wearable Devices

Myocardial Infarction (MI) is a fatal heart disease that is a leading cause of death. The silent and recurrent nature of MI requires real-time monitoring on a daily basis through wearable devices. Real-time MI detection on wearable devices requires a fast and energy-efficient solution to enable long term monitoring. In this paper, we propose an MI detection methodology using Binary Convolutional Neural Network (BCNN) that is fast, energy-efficient and outperforms the state-of-the- art work on wearable devices. We validate the performance of our methodology on the well known PTB diagnostic ECG database from PhysioNet. Evaluation on real hardware shows that our BCNN is faster and achieves up to 12x energy efficiency compared to the state-of-the-art work.
Can Heated Ventilator Circuits Be Dangerous

Background: The use of heated ventilator circuits (HVC) is common practice in a majority of hospitals. HVCs are designed to maintain inhaled gas at body temperature pressure saturated (BTPS) and reduce rain out for optimal patient comfort. HVC temperature can be variable based on the room temperature and other supplies utilized near the ventilator circuit. Patients can experience burns at 44 degrees Celsius (109.4°F)1. In our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), a 12 kg patient sustained burns from a HVC while undergoing a bedside surgical procedure. We aimed to create a bench model to validate this scenario and ensure all methods for patient safety while using HVCs are considered. Methods: A Gettinge Servo-i ventilator was set up with a Fisher & Paykel 202 infant circuit to simulate a spontaneously breathing patient. A Fisher & Paykel (MR850) heater was integrated with the HVC and ventilator. A standard Hill-Rom patient bed was utilized, and the HVC was draped across to the middle of the bed where a patient would be positioned. Control temperatures were obtained with the HVC exposed to room air (69.6°F). Scenarios were benched with a standard hospital grade blanket, forced air patient heater, and surgical drape placed over the HVC. Temperatures were obtained with a Fluke Infrared 561 Thermometer at four locations along the HVC. The temperature of the circuit was measured from a distance of 5 inches. Bench scenarios were repeated three times. Results: The temperature range of the HVC was 34.61 – 52.14°C with an average of 42.88°C in all models. The simulated blanket model produced the highest temperatures. Measurements at 20 cm and 30 cm from the patient produced the highest temperature readings. See graph for detailed results. Conclusions: In our bench model temperatures within the HVC rose to 52.14°C in specific scenarios. While the heater temperature at the humidifier and temperature probe remained within specifications, the circuit temperature rose well above safe limits. Other bedside supplies may be a necessity but the HVC location should be a vital concern to avoid patient harm. Warning labels to highlight this potential harm should be included with HVCs so that bedside clinicians can be aware of the risks. Reference: 1. Evers L, Vhavsar D, Mailander P. The biology of burn injury. Exp Dermatology 2010;19(9):777-783. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0625.2010.01105.x.
Impact of noncovalent interactions on structural and photophysical properties of zero-dimensional tellurium(IV) perovskites

Reported is the synthesis and characterization of eight new halotellurate(IV) compounds consisting of isolated [TeX6]2− (X = Cl, Br) octahedra charge balanced by halopyridinium (XPy; X = H, Cl, Br, I) cations and assembled via non-covalent interactions (NCIs) in the second coordination sphere. Computational density functional theory (DFT) based natural bonding orbital (NBO) and density of state (DOS) methods were utilized to (i) map the band structure, (ii) quantify and categorize noncovalent interaction strength and type, and (iii) deconstruct metal–halide bonding orbitals. Our findings demonstrate the influence of NCIs on Te–X bonding, particularly atomic orbital hybridization, and the ability to tune band gap energies as a function of noncovalent interaction type and strength. In brief, band gap energies for the [TeCl6]2− materials are shown to decrease with increasing NCI strength, whereas the opposite is true for [TeBr6]2− compounds. This report is a useful platform for probing the relationship between second sphere effects and the structural and photophysical properties within the halotellurate(IV) family of low dimensional perovskites.
Small Airways Involvement in Coal Mine Dust Lung Disease

Inhalation of coal mine dust results in a spectrum of symptoms, dysfunction, and pathological changes in the respiratory tract that collectively have been labeled coal mine dust lung disease. Recent reports from periodic health surveillance among underground and surface coal miners in the United States have demonstrated an increasing prevalence and severity of dust diseases, and have also documented that some miners experience rapid disease progression. The coal macule is an inflammatory lesion associated with deposited dust, and occurs in the region of the most distal conducting airways and proximal respiratory bronchioles. Inflammatory changes in the small airways have long been recognized as the signature lung pathology among coal miners. Human and laboratory studies have suggested oxidant injury, and increased recruitment and activity of macrophages play important roles in dust-induced lung injury. However, the functional importance of the small airway changes was debated for many years. We reviewed published literature that documents a pervasive occurrence of both physiologic and structural abnormalities in small airways among coal miners and other workers exposed to airborne particulates. There is increasing evidence supporting an important association of abnormalities in the small peripheral airways with the development of respiratory symptoms, deficits in spirometry values, and accelerated declines in ventilatory lung function. Pathologic changes associated with mineral dust deposition in the small airways may be of particular importance in contemporary miners with rapidly progressive respiratory impairment.
Tableaux and Complexity Bounds for a Multiagent Justification Logic with Interacting Justifications

We introduce a family of multi-agent justification logics with interactions between the agents’ justifications, by extending and generalizing the two-agent versions of the Logic of Proofs (LP) introduced by Yavorskaya in 2008. LP, and its successor, Justification Logic, is a refinement of the modal logic approach to epistemology in which for every belief assertion, an explicit justification is supplied. This affects the complexity of the logic’s derivability problem, which is known to be in the second level of the polynomial hierarchy (first result by Kuznets in 2000) for all single-agent justification logics whose complexity is known. We present tableau rules and some complexity results. In several cases the satisfiability problem for these logics remains in the second level of the polynomial hierarchy, while the problem becomes PSPACE-hard for certain two-agent logics and there are EXP-hard logics of three agents.
The Global Right Wing and the Clash of World Politics

1. Clashing networks in world politics 2. Making and unmaking policy 3. Culture wars gone global: gay rights vs the Baptist-burqa network 4. Litigating for the lord: American attorneys and European sexualities 5. Shootout at UN plaza: dueling over global gun control 6. Battlefield Brazil: national disarmament and international activism 7. Conclusion.
An Asymmetric Synthesis of (+)-Cryptone

Abstract A simple and practical method for the conversion of racemic cryptone into the (+)-enantiomer is reported. The procedure is expected to be general for 4-substituted cycloalkenones.
Behavioral Medicine with the Developmentally Disabled

The application of behavioral medicine to the developmentally disabled has a short history, presently characterized by underachievement, and (so like an underachiever!) a brilliant future. We will briefly review here the origins, current status, and the future of this important and growing field.
The Organization of Verbs and Verb Concepts in a Semantic Net

The focus of this paper will be the representation of verbs forms and verb concpets in WordNet, a semantic network of English (Miller, 1990; Fellbaum, in press). A brief comparison between WordNet and decompositional models of the lexicon as well as Pustejovsky’s (1991, 1995) Generative Lexicon is followed by an examination of synonym sets, the units of the network. We consider the semantic and syntactic constraints that operate on non-literal extensions of verb senses. The paper shows how the particular semantic classification of verbs in WordNet reflects the regular syntactic behavior of verbs in terms of transitivity alternations. 1
Ontogenesis of beta-adrenergic receptors in the ovine placenta

Abstract Radioligands with high specific activity and high affinity have recently become available to study the β-adrenergic receptor (BAR). BAR may be important in the placenta for mediating a variety of metabolic and hemodynamic effects of catecholamines including placental hormone synthesis and secretion, placental glycogenolysis, and placental blood flow. Little is known regarding the development of the BAR. We have used the tritiated radioligand dihydroalprenolol to study the ontogenesis of BAR in the fetal and maternal portions of the ovine placenta. The receptor number decreased from 415 fmoles · mg −1 of protein at 120 days' gestation to 226 fmoles · mg −1 at 145 days; this trend was highly significant (r = −0.822, p
Childhood mortality: still a global priority

Mortality of children under-5 continues to be a global priority. In 2012, 6.6 million children under-5 died worldwide; more than half of these deaths are due to diseases that are preventable and treatable through simple, affordable interventions. In response to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) which called, through MDG4,to “reduceby two thirds the under-5 child mortality, between 1990 and 2015”, global organizations and many countries set targets and developed specific strategies to reduce child mortality and monitor progress.As a result, the number of deaths in children under-5 worldwide declined from 12.4 million in 1990 to 6.6 in 2012. Under-5 child mortality dropped in all regions of the world. However, two major challenges face the international community: The wide disparity in the risk of child death among countries, and the emerging role of neonatal death as a major component of child mortality. In order to continue the progress in reducing under-5 child mortality worldwide, current efforts must continue and new strategies need to be implemented to focus on preventing neonatal deaths as they start to represent a larger proportion of under-5 child deaths. In particular, further reduction in neonatal mortality will depend heavily on improving maternal health (MDG5).The world leaders continue to support the MDGs. In 2010, in a major push to accelerate progress on women’s and children’s health, a number of Heads of State and Government from developed and developing countries, along with the private sector, foundations, international organizations, civil society and research organizations, pledged over $40 billion in resources over the next five years.
Pt/laponite clay-modified gold electrode for direct methanol fuel cells

This work employs a novel technique in which laponite clay-modified gold electrodes are used as the anode for direct methanol fuel cells. The platinum/laponite clay (Pt/Clay) films on indium tin oxide electrode were characterized by using scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Various contents of laponite clay (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt%) with constant platinum (Pt) catalyst content on modified gold electrodes were studied as an anode catalyst for methanol oxidation. The catalyst poisoning was observed as a function of time. The 1.0 wt% Pt/Clay-modified gold electrode shows the highest activity for methanol oxidation, 27.73 % higher than Pt only modified gold electrode at 2.5 min. The peak current of 1 % Pt/Clay-modified gold electrode is 3.50 % higher than the peak current of Pt only modified gold electrode at 57.5 min. The higher content of Pt/Clay-modified gold electrode shows strong resistance to catalyst poisoning. The Pt/Clay-modified gold electrode is a new and promising electrode for a direct methanol fuel cell and can replace existing commercial catalysts.
Electrophysiologic Effects of Diltiazem in Canine Myocardium, With Special Reference to Conduction Delay During Ischemia

Three sets of experiments investigated hemodynamic and electrophysiologic effects of diltiazem in dogs. The first set compared electrophysiologic and hemodynamic effects of varying dosages. The second set assessed the effect of diltiazem on ventricular myocardial conduction delay during ischemia and reperfusion, and the third compared the effects of diltiazem on myocardial conduction delay with those of verapamil and nifedipine. Hemodynamic and electrophysiologic effects were studied in 10 anesthetized closed chest dogs, by standard techniques under control conditions and after 30 minute infusions of diltiazem at doses of 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08 mg/kg per min. Atrioventricular nodal refractory periods were prolonged significantly at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg per min; however, systemic vascular resistance and blood pressure decreased significantly only at a dose of 0.04 mg/kg per min. In a separate group of 16 dogs (8 control and 8 treated with diltiazem at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg per min), conduction delays of induced premature impulses were recorded in the normal, ischemic and reperfused endocardium after left anterior descending coronary arterial occlusion and reperfusion. Significantly less conduction delay was seen in the treated animals, in both the ischemic endocardium and its border. In another group of 16 dogs, the effect of diltiazem on ischemia-induced conduction delay was then compared with those of verapamil (n = 8) and nifedipine (n = 8) after identical experimental protocols. The effects of diltiazem were comparable with those seen with verapamil, whereas nifedipine failed to alter conduction times consistently. We conclude (1) that the electrophysiologic effects of diltiazem are apparent at small doses (0.02 mg/kg per min), whereas hemodynamic variables are significantly altered only at larger doses; (2) that this hemodynamically tolerated dose of diltiazem offers significant protection from ischemia-induced reentrant ventricular arrhythmias, because we have previously shown in our model that conduction delay is statistically related to the genesis of spontaneous ischemic ventricular fibrillation; and that the effects of diltiazem on ischemia-induced conduction delay are comparable with those of verapamil but not those of nifedipine.
Malware analysis using reverse engineering and data mining tools

One challenge in malware analysis involves collecting useful data without risking experimenters' machines or systems. Static analysis of malware codebases is valuable in providing insights on malware development mechanisms, however, it cannot provide understanding in dynamic profiling of executable codes. In this paper, we present a case study of the well-known Nugache worm using existing reverse engineering tools to collect data from malwares running in a closed-lab environment. Useful dynamic patterns of malwares are generated by using a rough set based machine learning tool. The proposed approach can be used for the study of malware behaviors in a safe and pedagogical environment. The dynamic patterns generated by data mining tools may provide insights for specifying similarity measures used by network level Intrusion Detection Systems.
Nested nonnegative cone analysis

Motivated by the analysis of nonnegative data objects, a novel Nested Nonnegative Cone Analysis (NNCA) approach is proposed to overcome some drawbacks of existing methods. The application of traditional PCA/SVD method to nonnegative data often cause the approximation matrix leave the nonnegative cone, which leads to non-interpretable and sometimes nonsensical results. The nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) approach overcomes this issue, however the NMF approximation matrices suffer several drawbacks: (1) the factorization may not be unique, (2) the resulting approximation matrix at a specific rank may not be unique, and (3) the subspaces spanned by the approximation matrices at different ranks may not be nested. These drawbacks will cause troubles in determining the number of components and in multi-scale (in ranks) interpretability. The NNCA approach proposed in this paper naturally generates a nested structure, and is shown to be unique at each rank. Simulations are used in this paper to illustrate the drawbacks of the traditional methods, and the usefulness of the NNCA method.
MO-A-213AB-09: Hypofractionated Proton Therapy of the Prostate: The Impact of the Uncertainties in Dose Delivery and Alpha/Beta Ratio on Tumor Dose Escalation.

Purpose: Hypofractionation is expected to improve therapeutic ratio for prostate radiotherapy, due to the relatively low alpha/beta ratio of the prostate tumor (∼1.2 to 2.0 Gy). However, the gain in tumor equivalent dose in 2‐Gy fractions (EQD2) is accompanied by the increased uncertainty in delivereddose due to inter‐fractional variations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how this trade‐off is affected by the uncertainty of the tumor alpha/beta. Methods: We used serial CTimages acquired from two prostate cancer patients. Target and normal organs were contoured on the simulation and daily images. A 3D conformal proton plan was designed based on standard fractionation (78 Gy in 39 fractions) and renormalized for hypofractionation (between 5 and 28 fractions). The fraction size of the hypofractionated protocols was adjusted so as to maintain the maximum rectal dose at 78 Gy‐EQD2 (alpha/beta = 3 Gy). The fractional dose, calculated on each daily CT, was mapped to the simulation geometry via deformable registration. The worst‐case‐scenario PTV dose for a hypofractionated protocol was estimated by summing the fractions (e.g., 28) with the lowest D97%. The target dose (e.g., D100%) was evaluated for alpha/beta of 1.2 to 2.0 Gy. Results: The dosedelivery uncertainty due to inter‐fractional motion increased as the treatment became more hypofractionated. D100% was 1.25, 1.46, 1.68 and 1.84 Gy, respectively. At alpha/beta of 2 Gy (1.2 Gy), D99% ranged from ∼79 (81) to 85 (98) Gy‐EQD2 for treatments in 28 to 5 fractions. Below D97%, the target dose was predominantly determined by alpha/beta, and the motion impact was minimal. Conclusions: In prostate treatments, the impact of inter‐fractional motion on tumordose escalation is small for alpha/beta <2.0 Gy, and is of minimal concern to hypofractionated proton therapy. This study was supported by the Federal Share of program income earned by Massachusetts General Hospital on C06‐CA059267, Proton Therapy Research and Treatment Center.
The Tumor Suppressor p53 Abrogates Smad-dependent Collagen Gene Induction in Mesenchymal Cells *

The pleiotropic cytokine transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a potent inducer of collagen synthesis and is implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. Acting in concert with transcriptional coactivators p300/CBP, the Smads mediate TGF-β stimulation of collagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblasts. Little information exists regarding positive and negative modulation of physiological TGF-β responses. Because the tumor suppressor p53 is implicated in connective tissue homeostasis, here we examined the regulation of collagen gene expression by p53. Forced expression of ectopic p53 in dermal fibroblasts repressed basal and TGF-β-stimulated collagen gene expression, whereas the absence of cellular p53 was associated with significantly enhanced transcriptional activity of the Type I collagen gene (COL1A2) and collagen synthesis. Ectopic expression of p53 also repressed TGF-β stimulation of promoter activity driven by minimal Smad-binding elements, suggesting that p53 modulated Smad-dependent intracellular signaling. Inhibition was not due to altered levels, phosphorylation, or nuclear translocation of cellular Smads. Treatment of fibroblasts with etoposide, a potent inducer of cellular p53, abrogated TGF-β stimulation of COL1A2 promoter activity and collagen synthesis in a p53-dependent manner. Overexpression of the transcriptional coactivator p300 rescued TGF-β stimulation of COL1A2 promoter activity in fibroblasts overexpressing p53. Furthermore, the ligand-induced interaction of cellular Smad3 with p300 or with its cognate Smad-binding DNA element and recruitment of p300 to the DNA-protein complex assembled on the Smad-binding element were markedly reduced in p53-overexpressing fibroblasts. Collectively, these results indicate, for the first time, that p53 is a potent and selective endogenous repressor of TGF-β-regulated collagen gene expression in dermal fibroblasts. The ligand-dependent interaction of Smad3 with p300 may be one of the targets of p53-mediated inhibition of TGF-β responses. These findings suggest that a novel and important physiologic function for the tumor suppressor p53 is the regulation of fibrotic cellular responses.
Preclinical Comparison of Near-Infrared-Labeled Cetuximab and Panitumumab for Optical Imaging of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose Though various targets have been proposed and evaluated, no agent has yet been investigated in a clinical setting for head and neck cancer. The present study aimed to compare two fluorescently labeled anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies for detection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
A false edition of the Comedy, and its truth

Giuseppe Mazzini announced, but never actually wrote, a biography of the Italian patriot and poet, Ugo Foscolo. This article recounts Foscolo’s last years in exile by means of available documents in order to explain why Mazzini renounced the writing of Foscolo’s biography and decided instead to complete and publish, under the latter’s name, an edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy that Foscolo had merely begun to sketch.
Multiple-Access via Turbo Joint Equalization

This paper develops a receiver for a multiple access scenario obtained by simply overlaying transmitted signals from different users, with (essentially) the same carrier, same modulation format, etc., without the benefit of conventional multiple access signaling. A joint a posteriori probability detector is derived for co-received signals. The receiver structure follows the familiar general model for turbo processing, employing a soft-in-soft-out joint detector followed by error correction decoding, which feeds back soft information in the form of extrinsic probabilities. Since the receiver is intended to function with an existing transmission system with no modifications to the transmitter, channelization methods and/or interleavers which would normally be designed into a multi-access system are absent. The general structure is demonstrated using a system employing LDPC decoding and simulated performance results are presented.
REMOVAL OF RADIOACTIVE STRONTIUM AND CESIUM FROM VEGETABLES DURING LABORATORY SCALE PROCESSING

Several processing methods were examined for their effectiveness in removing 90Sr and 137Cs from vegetables exposed to the radionuclides through the nutrient solution. The greatest decontamination resulted from a combination of pickling and canning which reduced 137Cs by 94% and 90Sr by 65%. Canning was highly effective in reducing radionuclide concentrations in beans and kale. Freezing significantly reduced radionuclide content of only 137Cs in kale. Blanching of sweet potatoes appeared to result in a transfer of radioactivity from the peel to core, indicating that skins of contaminated potatoes should be removed prior to thermal treatment. Preparatory procedures prior to processing did not significantly reduce radionuclide levels except for 137Cs in beans.
Renal Autotransplantation for Iatrogenic High-Grade Ureteric Stricture

A 47-year-old Hispanic woman developed a chronically obstructed left kidney, due to a long-segment ureteric stricture deemed not amenable to reimplantation, following left ovarian cyst excision in 2004. Therefore, a ureteral stent requiring exchange every 3 months was necessary, due to hydronephrosis, recurrent urosepsis, chronic pain, and a poor quality of life. Her medical history was complicated by hypertension, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, and microalbuminuria, suggesting early diabetic nephropathy. A left nephrectomy was recommended. This was deferred, due to concern for progressive kidney failure associated with her comorbidities. A radionuclide Tc-99m MAG3 renal scan revealed differential perfusion as follows: 44% left kidney and 56% right kidney, with symmetrical uptake on the renogram phase and delayed excretion on the left, which were correctted following furosemide administration. A left ureteronephrectomy with autotransplantation of the left kidney and ureteroneocystostomy was performed in 2009. Since then, the patient has experienced no further complications or need for invasive procedures, with excellent diabetic control and stable renal function (eGFR > 60 mL/min/1.73 m2). This technique is seldom employed in the surgical management of complex ureteral injuries, but may be an alternative for appropriate cases.
Ash-flow fissure vent in west-central Nevada

An east-trending fissure vent filled with welded tuff is well exposed for nearly 1 km on the west flank of Gabbs Valley in northeastern Mineral County, Nevada. In its deepest exposed part, the vent is about 60 m wide. At the top of an exposure, however, where the tuff in the vent merges with an ash-flow tuff cooling unit, the vent is about 460 m wide. The abrupt widening of the vent upward through a vertical distance of only about 400 m from the base of the exposure to the top was probably accomplished by a combination of explosive action and forcible shoving aside of the country rocks. The ash-flow cooling unit continuous with the tuff in the fissure is the youngest of three genetically related units that are sporadically exposed in the vicinity of Gabbs Valley. Stratigraphic and structural relationships in the vicinity of the fissure suggest that the fissure is located on the west flank of a cauldron that is nearly completely buried in Gabbs Valley. The “vent tuff” and the underlying genetically related units in the Gabbs Valley area are highly differentiated rhyolites characterized by high silica and low Ca and Mg contents. The tuffs were erupted 25 m.y. ago at virtually the same time that other chemically and minera-logically similar tuffs were erupted farther to the east in central and east-central Nevada.
Atomic Force Microscope Spectroscopy Reveals a Hemifusion Intermediate during Soluble N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Factor-Attachment Protein Receptors-Mediated Membrane Fusion☆

This study investigated the effect of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor-attachment protein (SNAP) receptors (SNAREs) on the fusion of egg L-α-phosphatidylcholine bilayers using atomic force microscope (AFM) spectroscopy. AFM measurements of the fusion force under compression were acquired to reveal the energy landscape of the fusion process. A single main energy barrier governing the fusion process was identified in the absence and presence of SNAREs in the bilayers. Under compression, a significant downward shift in the fusion dynamic force spectrum was observed when cognate v- and t-SNAREs were present in the opposite bilayers. The presence of vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) and binary syntaxin and SNAP 25 in the apposed bilayers resulted in a reduction in the height of the activation potential by ∼1.3 kBT and a >2-fold increase in the width of the energy barrier. The widening of the energy barrier in the presence SNAREs is interpreted as an increase in the compressibility of the membranes, which translates to a greater ease in the bilayer deformation and subsequently the fusion of the membranes under compression. Facilitation of membrane fusion was observed only when SNAREs were present in both bilayers. Moreover, addition of the soluble cytoplasmic domain of VAMP, which interferes with the interaction between opposing v- and t-SNAREs, prevented such facilitation. These observations implicated the interaction between the cytoplasmic domains of opposing SNAREs in the observed fusion facilitation, possibly by destabilizing the bilayers through pulling on their transmembrane segments. Our AFM compression measurements revealed that SNARE-mediated membrane fusion proceeded through a sequence of two ∼5 nm collapses of the membrane, an observation that is consistent with the existence of a hemifused state during the fusion process.