cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Am Experimental Investigation of the Rib Surface-Averaged Heat Transfer Coefficient in a Rib-Roughened Square Passage

Turbine blade cooling, a common practice in modern aircraft engines, is accomplished, among other methods, by passing the cooling air through an often serpentine passage in the core of the blade. Furthermore, to enhance the heat transfer coefficient, these passages are roughened with rib-shaped turbulence promoters (turbulators). Considerable data are available on the heat transfer coefficient on the passage surface between the ribs. However, the heat transfer coefficients on the surface of the ribs themselves have not been investigated to the same extent. In small aircraft engines with small cooling passages and relatively large ribs, the rib surfaces comprise a large portion of the passage heat transfer area. Therefore, an accurate account of the heat transfer coefficient on the rib surfaces is critical in the overall design of the blade cooling system.The objective of this experimental investigation was to conduct a series of thirteen tests to measure the rib surface-averaged heat transfer coefficient, in a square duct roughened with staggered 90° ribs. To investigate the effects that blockage ratio, e/Dh, and pitch-to-height ratio, S/e, have on hrib and passage friction factor, three rib geometries corresponding to blockage ratios of 0.133. 0.167 and 0.25 were tested for pitch-to-height ratios of 5, 7, 8.5 and 10. Comparisons were made between the rib average heat transfer coefficient and that on the wall surface between two ribs, hflor, reported previously. Heat transfer coefficients of the upstream-most rib and that of a typical rib located in the middle of the rib-roughened region of the passage wall were also compared.It is concluded that:1) the rib average heat transfer coefficient is much higher than that for the area between the ribs,2) similar to the heat transfer coefficient on the surface between the ribs, the average rib heat transfer coefficient increases with the blockage ratio,3) a pitch-to-height ratios of 8.5 consistently produced the highest rib average heat transfer coefficients amongst all tested,4) under otherwise identical conditions, ribs in upstream-most position produced lower heat transfer coefficients than the mid-channel positions,5) the upstream-most rib average heat transfer coefficients decreased with the blockage ratio, and6) thermal performance decreased with increased blockage ratio. While a pitch-to-height ratio of 8.5 and 10 had the highest thermal performance for the smallest rib geometry, thermal performance of high blockage ribs did not change significantly with the pitch-to-height ratio.Copyright © 1994 by ASME
Saving Languages: Issues in language revitalization

Introduction Language revitalization involves counter-balancing the forces which have caused or are causing language shift. At a general level a similar set of forces can be said to operate in most language loss situations, but every case is, in fact, distinct. There are unique historical, economic, societal, and political factors that have affected the manner in which language shift occurs. Therefore, a successful language revitalization program requires addressing a complex set of factors that leads individuals in a particular community to make the choices about language use that they do. It requires, to as great a degree as possible, an understanding of diverse issues such as how uniform attitudes about a local language are within a community, the contexts in which speakers of one language interact with speakers of other languages, the spiritual or cultural values that may be associated with a language, national and regional policies concerning language teaching, and so on. There is an understandable temptation when confronted with the monumental task of revitalization to look for that one single program which holds the key to success for different language groups around the globe, a tested framework that can be replicated for each situation. This simply does not exist, nor can it exist, because for every individual community a specific combination of issues enters into the picture. Each situation is unique, although there is a commonality of factors shared by most communities.
Narratives of risk and poor rural women’s (dis)-engagements with microcredit-based development in Eastern India

Microcredit has come under severe academic criticism in recent years, but the diversity of local practices and discourses that respond to and critique microcredit is still under-examined. By explor...
Low Molecular Weight Heparins

The introduction of low molecular weight heparins has added a new dimension to the management of thrombotic disorders. Ten LMWHs are currently available for clinical use. Although these agents have been primarily developed and used in European countries, other countries, including the US, have started to evaluate their usefulness. Well designed clinical trials have been carried out for different clinical indications with several of these products. In contrast to other prophylactic antithrombotic drugs (heparin, warfarin, aspirin), LMWHs have provided consistently impressive clinical results. Moreover, the other products have less desirable tolerability profiles than that of LMWHs. As shown in both experimental and clinical settings, the prophylactic antithrombotic efficacy of each LMWH is distinct in itself being characteristic to only that particular drug. Besides the currently available LMWH preparations, some 14 other agents are under development at this time. Although both the original and newer products have similar basic characteristics, the physicochemical properties and the pharmacological actions of each of these agents may differ significantly. All manufacturers should follow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and conduct their own clinical trials on each of their products. Many significant developments of LMWHs will take place in the coming years; in addition to development for prophylactic use, LMWHs will be developed for therapeutic intervention.
Bottom-Up Processing in Complex Scenes: A Unifying Perspective on Segmentation, Fixation Saliency, Candidate Regions, Base-Detail Decomposition, and Image Enhancement

Early visual processing should offer efficient bottom-up mechanisms aiming to simplify visual information, enhance it, and direct attention to make high-level processing more efficient. Based on these considerations, we propose a unified approach which addresses a set of fundamental early visual processes: segmentation, candidate regions, base-detail decomposition, image enhancement, and saliency for fixations prediction. We argue that for complex scenes all these processes require hierarchical segmentwise processing. Furthermore, we argue that some of these visual tasks require the ability to decompose the appearance of the segments into “base” appearance and “detail” appearance. An important, and surprising, result of this decomposition is a novel method for successfully predicting human eye fixations. Our hypothesis is that we fixate on segments that are not easy to model, e.g., are small but have a lot of detail, in order to obtain a higher resolution representation for further analysis. We show performances on psychophysics data on the Pascal VOC dataset, whose images are non-iconic and particularly difficult for the state-of-the-art saliency algorithms.
Development and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against the Nucleoprotein of Heartland Virus.

Abstract Heartland virus (HRTV), a phlebovirus first isolated from two Missouri farmers in 2009, has been proposed to be transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Amblyomma americanum ticks. It is closely related to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) from China, another previously unrecognized phlebovirus that has subsequently been associated with hundreds of cases of severe disease in humans. To expand diagnostic capacity to detect HRTV infections, 20 hybridoma clones secreting anti-HRTV murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were developed using splenocytes from HRTV-inoculated AG129 alpha/beta and gamma interferon receptor-deficient mice. Nine of these MAbs were characterized herein for inclusion in future HRTV diagnostic assay development. All of the MAbs developed were found to be non-neutralizing and reactive to linear epitopes on HRTV nucleocapsid protein. MAb 2AF11 was found to be cross-reactive with SFTSV.
Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Variable.

This study examines the research on middle school students’ understanding of variables and explores preservice elementary and middle school teachers’ knowledge of variables. According to research s...
Functional vitamin B12 deficiency in advanced malignancy: implications for the management of neuropathy and neuropathic pain

Treatment of neuropathic pain and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in patients with malignancy is often unsuccessful. Functional vitamin B12 deficiency, defined by elevated levels of the B12-dependent metabolites, methylmalonic acid (MMA), and/or homocysteine, despite normal B12 values, may cause neuropathy and is associated with disorders linked to increased oxidative stress. Since both cancer and neurotoxic antineoplastic agents increase oxidative stress, a role for functional B12 deficiency in CIPN was considered. A retrospective record review of 241 cancer subjects evaluated by the adult palliative care service for B12 deficiency in a university-based cancer center between October 2008 and September 2012 with measurement of B12, MMA, and/or homocysteine levels was performed. B12 values were elevated (>900 pg/ml) in 30 % and low (≤300 pg/ml) in 17 % of subjects tested. Elevated MMA (>250 nmol/l) and homocysteine (>12.1 μmol/l) levels occurred in 38 and 23 % of subjects respectively and at least one metabolite was increased in 54 % of evaluable subjects. Even when B12 values were ≥1500 pg/ml (n = 36), increased MMA and homocysteine values occurred in 31 and 23 % of subjects, respectively. B12 therapy decreased MMA values in all four subjects studied and improved neurologic findings in the three subjects tested. Functional vitamin B12 deficiency is common in subjects with advanced malignancy. Further studies are needed to determine if this disorder is a risk factor for CIPN and if B12 therapy has a role in the management and/or prevention of neuropathy and neuropathic pain in this population.
A Random-Effects Pattern-Mixture Model with Application to Comorbidity

This study aims to better understand the contribution of potential non-ignorable nonresponse associated with attrition and wave-nonresponse in race/ethnicity disparities in health trajectories. The...
Asthma as a Comorbidity in Hospitalized Patients: A Potential Missed Opportunity to Intervene

Asthma is a frequent comorbidity in hospitalized children and adults. Patients with a history of asthma may have no breathing complaints or abnormal chest exam findings to trigger care for this comorbidity during hospitalization. Consequently, this may lead to a potential missed opportunity to discuss asthma as a comorbidity and ongoing issue to ensure its optimal management at home. Our goal is to raise awareness that such patient encounters may represent opportunities for health care professionals to optimize asthma management. Despite focusing on the present illness and limited time availability, asthma care may be improved in a time-efficient manner in these patients.
Diverse clinicopathologic features in human herpesvirus 8-associated lymphomas lead to diagnostic problems.

Objectives Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8)-associated lymphomas are uncommon, mainly affect men infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and usually have a poor prognosis. We sought to characterize the HHV8+ lymphomas seen at our institution since the mid-1990s. Methods We identified 15 patients with HHV8-associated lymphomas and evaluated their clinical and pathologic features. Results Diagnoses included primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) (n = 2), extracavitary PEL (n = 8), intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (n = 1), HHV8+ plasmablastic microlymphoma (n = 3), and germinotropic lymphoproliferative disorder (GLD) (n = 1). The case of GLD progressed to a high-grade HHV8+ Epstein-Barr virus-positive lymphoma, an evolution that has not been previously reported. Four patients were HIV-(three from an HHV8-endemic area). Potentially misleading pathologic features in our series of extracavitary PEL included classic Hodgkin lymphoma-like features, lymph node sinus involvement, and T-cell antigen expression. Conclusions HHV8-associated lymphomas can be clinically and pathologically heterogeneous, with features that may lead to misdiagnosis as other types of lymphoma.
Book Review: Density Functional Theory: A Practical Introduction, by David S. Sholl and Janice A. Steckel, John Wiley & Sons, 2009; xii +238 pages; $90.00; ISBN 978-0-470-37317-0.

Quoting from its back cover, the book states “Density functional theory (DFT) is one of the most frequently used computational tools for studying and predicting the properties of isolated molecules...
Three Economic Arguments for Cyberinsurance

We present three economic arguments for cyberinsurance. First, cyberinsurance results in higher security investment, increasing the level of safety for information technology (IT) infrastructure. Second, cyberinsurance facilitates standards for best practices as cyberinsurers seek benchmark security levels for risk management decision-making. Third, the creation of an IT security insurance market redresses IT security market failure resulting in higher overall societal welfare. We conclude that this is a significant theoretical foundation, in addition to market-based evidence, to support the assertion that cyberinsurance is the preferred market solution to managing IT security risks.
Erythromycin in acute pharyngitis: a comparison of efficacy and patient tolerance of two twice-daily preparations.

Abstract Two hundred sixty-five adult and adolescent patients with possible streptococcal pharyngitis were treated with either erythromycin ethylsuccinate or an enteric-coated erythromycin in a twice-daily dosage schedule. In patients with group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection, both preparations achieved a cure rate of 93%. Patients receiving the enteric-coated erythromycin reported significantly more gastrointestinal adverse effects than did the patients receiving erythromycin ethylsuccinate.
The impact of L1 writing system on ESL knowledge of vowel and consonant spellings

Orthographic knowledge, the general ability to learn, store, and use information about the orthographic form of words (Stanovich & West, 1989), is a crucial skill for supporting literacy. Although the development of first language (L1) orthographic awareness is impacted by the characteristics of a learner’s L1 writing system, relatively little is known about what impact the L1 may have on second language (L2) orthographic awareness. In this study, English language learners from three L1s (French, Hebrew, Mandarin Chinese), plus L1 English speakers, were tested on their English spelling knowledge using a word-pseudohomophone discrimination task. In addition to allowing for the cross-linguistic comparisons, items were designed to examine whether learners had differing performance on pseudohomophones (misspellings) that targeted vowels versus consonants. Consistent with previous research (e.g., McBride-Chang, Bialystok, Cong, & Li, 2004), the L1 Chinese speakers had the highest (L2) accuracy, followed by the L1 Hebrew and the L1 French speakers. The participants from non-alphabetic languages (Hebrew and Chinese) had significantly lower accuracy on items with misspellings involving vowels compared to consonants, and the size of the vowel-consonant accuracy difference varied substantially across L1 groups. The results demonstrate that the characteristics of a learner’s L1 writing system, particularly the existence of vowel and consonant graphemes, impact the development of L2 orthographic knowledge and sensitivity to different types of word misspellings.
Smoking-Cessation Interventions for Urban Hospital Patients: A Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial.

Introduction Hospitalization is a unique opportunity for smoking cessation, but prior interventions have measured efficacy with narrowly defined populations. The objective of this study was to enroll smokers admitted to two "safety net" hospitals and compare the effectiveness of two post-discharge cessation interventions. Design A randomized comparative effectiveness trial was conducted. Setting/participants At two New York City public hospitals, every hospitalized patient identified as a smoker (based on admission records) was approached. Inclusion criteria were: smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days; spoke English, Spanish, or Mandarin; had a U.S. phone number; not discharged to an institution where follow-up or smoking was limited; and not pregnant/breastfeeding. Of 18,797 patients identified as current smokers between July 2011 and April 2014, a total of 3,047 (16%) were discharged before being approached, 3,273 (17%) were not current smokers, 4,026 (21%) had no U.S. phone number, 2,831 (15%) were ineligible for other reasons, and 3,983 (21%) refused participation. In total, 1,618 (9%) participants enrolled in the study. During follow-up, 69% of participants were reached at 2 months and 68% at 6 months. Intervention At discharge, participants were randomized to multisession telephone counseling from study staff ( n =804) or referral to the state quitline for proactive outreach and counseling ( n =814). Main outcome measures Self-reported abstinence at 6 months was measured. Analyses were conducted in late 2015. Results One quarter of participants were homeless or in unstable housing, 60% had a history of substance abuse, 43% reported current hazardous drinking, and half had a psychiatric diagnosis other than substance abuse. At follow-up, the rate of abstinence (30-day point prevalence) was higher in the intensive counseling arm than the quitline arm at 2 months (29.0% vs 20.7%; relative risk=1.40; 95% CI=1.13, 1.73) and 6 months (37.4% vs 31.5%; relative risk=1.19; 95% CI=1.01, 1.40). Conclusions Intensive counseling was more effective than referral to the state quitline. Long-term abstinence was excellent in both groups. Many patients were not eligible for enrollment despite minimal exclusion criteria. Trial Registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01363245.
Influence of Modified Atmosphere on Growth of Vegetable Spoilage Bacteria in Media.

Six gas mixtures (CO2/O2/N2: 0/5/95, 0/10/90, 5/10/85, 5/20/75, 10/5/85, and 10/20/70) and air were used to investigate the effect of modified atmosphere (MA) on growth of four vegetable spoilage bacteria. In addition, we determined the ability of the MA which most inhibited spoilage bacteria to reduce spoilage in bell peppers inoculated with the respective bacteria. In general, MA did not significantly affect growth of the bacteria tested. Growth of Erwinia , Pseudomonas , Xanthomonas , and Pepper #15 (a pectinolytic Pseudomonas ) at 10 and 20°C was not significantly affected regardless of gas mixtures. At 5°C, growth of Erwinia , Xanthomonas , and Pepper #15 was slightly reduced by some gas mixtures (CO2/O2/N2: 0/5/95, 0/10/90, and 10/5/85; 10/5/85; 0/5/95 and 10/5/85, respectively). Modified atmosphere containing 10% CO2, 5% O2, and 85% N2 did not reduce the ability of bacteria tested to grow at elevated concentrations of sodium chloride. In addition, this MA composition did not change the percentage of bell peppers spoiled by test bacteria inoculated. However, overall visual quality was enhanced by MA.
Helping yourself to help others: how cognitive change strategies improve employee reconciliation with service clients and positive work outcomes

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study examined the paradox of difficult, yet meaningful, helping as part of employees’ jobs in a social services organization. Incorporating an emergent design using employee interviews the study identified how employees alter their understanding of workplace challenges, such as emotional distress and unsafe client behaviours, in order to find new meaning in the other-oriented value of their work. The resulting framework of employees’ experiences through challenging, yet meaningful, helping extends the research in customer service by proposing the reconciliation process, achieved through cognitive change strategies (i.e. visualization techniques, cognitive reframing and mindfulness of experience) serves as a conceptual bridge that helps the management of this apparent paradox. We first describe the workplace challenges and then outline the distinct cognitive change strategies that engendered the reconciliation process. Implications for practice and future researchers are then disc...
Abstract 1279: Expression of B7-H5 in human pancreatic caner

The B7-H5/CD28H pathway is the most recently identified costimulatory pathway of the B7 family. Here we investigated how the ligand B7-H5 is expressed in normal human pancreas tissues, as well as its expression changes in pancreas cancer. By immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of frozen specimens from patients undergoing pancreatic resection, we found that B7-H5 protein was constitutively expressed on normal ductal epithelium within the pancreas. Other cell types from normal pancreas, like acinar cells or islet cells, did not express B7-H5. In adenocarcinoma, B7-H5 staining was decreased or absent, though normal ducts adjacent to tumors were highly B7-H5-positive. No B7-H5 protein was found on other cancer types such as neuroendocrine tumors. Our study suggests that loss of the B7-H5 signal might contribute to immune evasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Citation Format: Yuwen Zhu, Joshua Byers, Alessandro Paniccia, Jeffrey Kaplan, Michelle Koenig, Richard Schulick, Barish Edil. Expression of B7-H5 in human pancreatic caner. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1279. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1279
How Do Private Health Plans Manage Specialty Behavioral Health Treatment Entry and Continuing Care

Objective:This study examined private health plans’ arrangements for accessing and continuing specialty behavioral health treatment in 2010 as federal health reforms were being implemented. These management practices have historically been stricter in behavioral health care than in general medical care; however, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2010 required parity in management policies.Methods:The data source was a nationally representative survey of private health plans’ behavioral health treatment management approaches in 2010. Health plan executives were asked about activities for their plan’s three products with highest enrollment (weighted N=8,427, 88% response rate).Results:Prior authorization for outpatient behavioral health care was rarely required (4.7% of products), but 75% of products required authorization for ongoing care and over 90% required prior authorization for other levels of care. The most common medical necessity criteria were self-developed and American Society...
A sequential decision process for the system-level design of structural frames

The building design community is currently experiencing a shift towards generating more resilient and sustainable designs that are also safe and economic. Integrating these broad, often conflicting, factors into design causes the design process to become more complex, the decisions more difficult, and a need for higher fidelity (and more expensive) modeling efforts to gain insight to resolve these tradeoffs. Set-based design is a promising alternative to traditional point-based design for such complex design problems because many design concepts are generated, refined and carefully eliminated throughout the process thereby maintaining significant freedom in the early stages of design. There is an emerging concept of closely coupling set-based design with model-based simulation to systematically contract the design space through a sequence of modeling efforts in which bounding models are constructed to guarantee the antecedent model only eliminates design alternatives that are dominated when analyzed using a subsequent higher fidelity model. In this paper, the concept of the sequential decision process is explored for the system-level design of seismic-resisting structural frames using nonlinear static analysis. Bounding models are derived for this design problem that are sufficiently general for various types of structural frames. The merit of the novel approach lies in giving designers the ability to search the tradespace exhaustively, arriving at the global minimum with a reduced cost by comparison to a full evaluation using the highest fidelity model while also providing the freedom to retain dominated and non-dominated solutions.
Trace elements and radiocesium in game species near contaminated sites

Mercury (Hg), Selenium (Se), and Arsenic (As) found in coal combustion wastes (CCW) and radionuclides released from anthropogenic activities present potential environmental and human health concerns. Despite the widespread harvest and consumption of wildlife by recreational hunters, game species are not subject to the same safety testing as commercially marketed livestock; thus, there are few data available regarding contaminant concentrations in many commonly harvested wildlife. We sampled feral pigs (Sus scrofa; invasive wild pigs), gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), and waterfowl from relatively uncontaminated habitats and areas of contamination to quantify levels of trace elements and radiocesium (137Cs) in muscle and liver tissues for assessment of potential human health risks from the consumption of game. Species collected at a CCW ash basin consistently had levels of selected trace elements, particularly Se, above concentrations considered toxic to waterfowl, suggesting CCW may be an important pathway for wildlife, and subsequently human exposure to this element. Similarly, we observed elevated concentrations of 137Cs in wildlife collected in or near aquatic ecosystems with histories of operational releases of radionuclides. The majority of tissue samples analyzed were below elemental levels known to adversely affect wildlife health and 137Cs levels were below European Economic Community limits for human consumption established following the 1986 Chernobyl accident. Waterfowl, however, had levels of several elements of interest (Se and Hg) that could be of health concern to the birds, especially individuals collected from areas with known contamination, or human consumers of the birds. Given the high levels of trace element burdens we observed in waterfowl collected from ash basins, and the common occurrence of similar surface impoundments throughout much of the globe, wide-scale sampling for contaminants in waterfowl within or across migratory flyways appear to be greatly needed to better understand routes of contaminant movement and potential areas (or species) with elevated contamination risk to waterfowl and hunters. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Discovery of a novel, CNS penetrant M4 PAM chemotype based on a 6-fluoro-4-(piperidin-1-yl)quinoline-3-carbonitrile core

This Letter details the discovery and subsequent optimization of a novel M4 PAM scaffold based on an 6-fluoro-4-(piperidin-1-yl)quinoline-3-carbonitrile core, which represents a distinct departure from the classical M4 PAM chemotypes. Optimized compounds in this series demonstrated improved M4 PAM potency on both human and rat M4 (4 to 5-fold relative to HTS hit), and displayed attractive physicochemical and DMPK profiles, including good CNS penetration (rat brain:plasma Kp=5.3, Kp,uu=2.4; MDCK-MDR1 (P-gp) ER=1.1).
Marian Revelations in the Russian Context: The Cosmopolitics of Blessed John

Modern Marian apparitions have often responded to various incarnations of rational Enlightenment political thought, from the 1830 French revolution to Soviet socialism and the international Communist movement. Through her apparitions, the Virgin and her devotees have engaged in “cosmopolitics” by offering an alternative to a purely secular political order. Denying a mechanistic universe, Mary testifies to the existence of a compassionate, personal, miracle-working God. Although primarily a Roman Catholic phenomenon, Marian apparitions are also part of the Orthodox tradition, and the Virgin’s appearances in Russia and Ukraine after 1917 served to critique the new Marxist order. In 1984, the Mother of God continued her venture into cosmopolitics when she first spoke to Soviet citizen and spiritual seeker Veniamin Bereslavsky (“Blessed John”). Over the following decades, as the Communist world collapsed, Bereslavsky built an ecclesiastical organization and an international movement on the charismatic authority of these continuing revelations, which gradually have led him away from traditional Christianity to gnostic dualism. With thousands of followers, meeting in congregations from Ulan-Ude in eastern Russia to Glastonbury, England, Bereslavsky, who now lives in Spain, preaches ecumenical esotericism as a cosmopolitical alternative to Western secularism.
A fully integrated 28nm CMOS dual source adaptive thermoelectric and RF energy harvesting circuit with 110mv startup voltage

A fully integrated dual source adaptive thermoelectric and RF energy harvesting circuit is presented. Its boost oscillator, rectifier and boost converter all operate at RF frequency to make inductor and capacitor integration feasible. The oscillator Gm adaptive bias reduces current consumption at higher voltage while assisting startup at lower voltage. The RF input signal further reduces startup voltage through Q-enhanced amplification and super-regenerative mode. Implemented in 28nm CMOS, the self-startup voltage was 110mV without RF input and 85mV at −16dBm input. The boost converter peak output power is 520μW, power conversion efficiency (PCE) is 25% and end-to-end PCE is 10%.
Wiener—Hopf Technique

This chapter examines the procedure and yield of Wiener–Hopf technique. It is applicable to linear partial differential equations on an infinite interval that have different types of boundary data on different parts of the interval. It yields an exact solution. In some linear partial differential equations, one would like to take a Fourier transform, but cannot because the type of boundary data changes along the boundary. The Wiener–Hopf technique is to take a Fourier transform anyway, and allow part of the data to be missing. Solving the problem one determine the missing data, and the solution simultaneously. Sometimes a linear partial differential equation has a form amenable to a Fourier transform, but the boundary conditions would seem to preclude it.
Experimental maintenance of the schistosome vector Biomphalaria glabrata on an improved alginate gel

An improved alginate formulation containing Spirulina algae or freeze-dried lettuce is described for experimental maintenance of Biomphalaria glabrata. Snail growth, food consumption and assimilation were higher on the gel containing Spirulina. The increased growth was not entirely the result of the higher food consumption observed with Spirulina, but appeared to be due to nutritional differences between the two nutrient sources. Snails responded to decreased dietary Spirulina concentration by increasing their relative level of assimilation rather than by increasing food consumption. An antibiotic treatment with chloramphenicol and ampicillin for the reduction of bacterial contaminants associated with B. glabrata is also described.
Nitric oxide metabolites in hypoxia, freezing, and hibernation of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous free radical that in diverse organisms performs many signaling and protective functions, such as vasoregulation, inhibition of apoptosis, antioxidation, and metabolic suppression. Increased availability of NO may be especially important during life-history periods when organisms contend with multiple stresses. We investigated dynamics of the NO metabolites, nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−), in the blood plasma, heart, liver, and skeletal muscle of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica), an amphibian that endures chronic cold, freezing, hypoxia, dehydration, and extended aphagia during hibernation. We found elevated concentrations of NO2− and/or NO3− in the plasma (up to 4.1-fold), heart (3.1-fold), and liver (up to 4.1-fold) of frogs subjected to experimental hypoxia (24 h, 4 °C), and in the liver (up to 3.8-fold) of experimentally frozen frogs (48 h, − 2.5 °C), suggesting that increased NO availability aids in survival of these stresses. During a 38-week period of simulated hibernation, NO2− and/or NO3− increased in the plasma (up to 10.4-fold), heart (up to 3.3-fold), and liver (5.0-fold) during an initial 5-week winter-acclimatization regimen and generally remained elevated thereafter. In hibernation, plasma NO2− was higher in frogs indigenous to Interior Alaska than in conspecifics from a temperate locale (southern Ohio), suggesting that NO availability is matched to the severity of environmental conditions prevailing in winter. The comparatively high NO availability in R. sylvatica, a stress-tolerant species, together with published values for other species, suggest that the NO protection system is of general importance in the stress adaptation of vertebrates.
The Ease of Exercising the Right to Bear Arms Reaches a Hollow Point: Louisiana's Right to Bear Arms Secured for the Future

The age of the United States Supreme Court’s Heller and McDonald rulings has coincided with a new age of mass shootings. As gun rights advocates lobby to stave off gun bans, others scramble to balance the line between responsible firearms regulations and complete gun bans. Although the Court’s have historically attached the Second Amendment right to bear arms to militia functions, recent jurisprudence has secured the right to bear arms as a fundamental right distinct from militia service. Critics say that state and local governments wishing to regulate firearms are left with their hands tied. Some states, including Louisiana, prefer the discretion to pass lax gun regulations and establish state constitutional protections. However, most challenges to state and municipal gun regulations survive the scrutiny of federal courts. The Court’s latest interpretations of the Second Amendment plainly do not nullify state and federal regulations. For example, gun regulations prohibiting the possession and ownership of firearms by felons or habitually violent criminals, persons suffering mental illness, and those not of the age of majority survive judicial scrutiny. As Louisiana continues to rank among the states with the laxest gun regulations, it simultaneously ranks among the states with the highest rate of domestic violence fatalities involving firearms and general gun violence. The Author proposes reasonable regulations and advises the Louisiana Legislature to establish stricter gun regulations within the parameters of the ruling jurisprudence.
Indoor air pollution in office buildings in mega-cities: Effects of filtration efficiency and outdoor air ventilation rates

Abstract Building systems play a critical role in determining indoor concentrations of pollutants of outdoor origin in polluted cities. The objective of this study is to investigate impacts of outdoor ventilation flow rates and filter efficiencies on indoor concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone for office buildings in two mega-cities: Los Angeles and Beijing. Using the U.S. Department of Energy medium office building model, parametric analysis was performed to examine indoor pollutant concentrations under varied filter configurations, ventilation modes and outdoor concentrations. The results show that for office buildings located in polluted cities, two-filter (air handling unit filter and outdoor air filter) systems are more resilient to outdoor PM2.5 pollution than single filter (air handling unit filter only) systems, especially when outdoor ventilation air flow rate is high due to economizer ventilation or dedicated outdoor air systems. However, for ozone removal, adding an outdoor filter makes a marginal difference. The study results also suggest that during extreme outdoor pollution events in mega-cities such as Los Angeles and Beijing, high efficiency filters (>MERV 11) and reduced flow rates (
Solid-State Nanopores: Methods of Fabrication and Integration, and Feasibility Issues in DNA Sequencing

In this chapter, we review several strategies for the fabrication of solid-state nanopores in the context of the ultimate goal of a DNA sequencing and biomolecular analysis technology using these devices. The feasibility of a proposed DNA sequencing platform using solid-state nanopores and hybridization probes is discussed.
Bacterial Manipulation of Autophagic Responses in Infection and Inflammation

Eukaryotes have cell-autonomous defenses against environmental stress and pathogens. Autophagy is one of the main cellular defenses against intracellular bacteria. In turn, bacteria employ diverse mechanisms to interfere with autophagy initiation and progression to avoid elimination and even to subvert autophagy for their benefit. This review aims to discuss recent findings regarding the autophagic responses regulated by bacterial effectors. Effectors manipulate autophagy at different stages by using versatile strategies, such as interfering with autophagy-initiating signaling, preventing the recognition of autophagy-involved proteins, subverting autophagy component homeostasis, manipulating the autophagy process, and impacting other biological processes. We describe the barriers for intracellular bacteria in host cells and highlight the role of autophagy in the host-microbial interactions. Understanding the mechanisms through which bacterial effectors manipulate host responses will provide new insights into therapeutic approaches for prevention and treatment of chronic inflammation and infectious diseases.
TEMPORAL TRENDS IN SEVERITY IN CLINICAL RISK PROFILES AMONG PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED FOR HEART FAILURE

Despite advancements in heart failure (HF) management, HF outcomes post-discharge have started to worsen since 2010. We explored whether these observed patterns were related to longitudinal increases in HF severity among those hospitalized over time. Among patients hospitalized for HF in the GWTG-
Agrarian Big Push Strategy of Economic Development: An Ethiopian Example

This article argues that the big push strategy for economic development has generally focused on manufacturing. However, there are few empirical examples of a successful application of this strateg...
56 Year Old Black Male with Multiple Draining Pustules and Nodules on Posterior Neck and Scalp

A 56 year black male presented with a rash on the back of his neck. The lesion began shortly after visiting his barber who had given him a customized, short haircut.
Evaluating IVIG Dosing Strategies in Neurologic Indications & Outcomes (P3.4-031)

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the change in IVIG dosing strategy. Background: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is commonly used for high priority, high acuity neurologic indications requiring hospitalization, such as MG, GBS and CIDP. Randomized controlled trials of effectiveness of IVIG in these neurologic indications called for varying dosing strategies based on actual body weight. However, in the past decade, due to the increasing cost of intravenous immunoglobulin, many hospitals and institutions have begun to use ideal body weight or adjusted body weight for intravenous immunoglobulin dosing. This change in dosing strategy has led to a reduction of IVIG use by an estimated 20%. The reasoning behind this change in dosing includes the pharmacokinetics of IVIG. IVIG distributes in the intravascular and extravascular fluid with minimal distribution in lipophilic material. Additionally, change in serum IgG levels collected prior to and after IVIG had the strongest correlation to ideal body weight. Design/Methods: This is an IRB approved, retrospective chart review of all patients hospitalized at Memorial Hermann Hospital Texas Medical Center who received IVIG for the indications of myasthenia gravis, GBS or CIDP from 2010–2017. Results: A total of 65 patients were analyzed according to total IVIG dose given and dosing strategy (actual vs. adjusted vs. ideal body weight), dose reduction, pre- and post-IVIG treatment medical research council (MRC) score evaluating muscle strength, adverse effects, second rescue treatment (if needed), and discharge disposition Conclusions: There was a higher rate of readmission for additional treatment in patients in which ideal body weight was used. IVIG dosing differences did not impact length of hospital stay, and there were no mortality events in this patient sample. MRC score evaluating pre- and post-treatment muscle strength was an important factor associated with length of stay and discharge disposition. Weaker patients on inpatient admission required longer hospital stays and rehabilitation at discharge. Disclosure: Dr. Nguyen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ayish has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bokhari has nothing to disclose.
Polar Bear Reproductive and Denning Behavior

Polar bears are the largest bear species and a top marine predator in the Arctic. They share many reproductive characteristics with other bears but have significant adaptations that enable them to reproduce and thrive in the Arctic. Sexual dimorphism and the ever-changing sea ice habitat influence polar bear reproductive behavior. Without static home ranges, male polar bears search widely for estrous females, often using olfactory cues. The mating system is polygynous, with males competing for mating opportunities in the spring. Delayed implantation allows females to acquire adequate fat reserves for fetal development and lactation prior to denning. Denning is facultative except in pregnant females, which may remain in dens for up to seven months. During the winter, they give birth and nurse altricial cubs, then emerge from the den in the spring. Cubs are weaned at 2.3 years of age. The prolonged pre-weaning period and a cub mortality rate of 20–96% result in a low reproductive rate compared with other terrestrial mammals. If the sea ice continues its current trajectory of decline because of climate change, up to two-thirds of existing polar bear populations may disappear by the middle of the twenty-first century
Race as a predictor of recurrence and complications after urethroplasty in men with urethral stricture disease: Racial Disparities in Urethroplasty.

Abstract Objective To determine the role of race in surgical outcomes of and complications after urethroplasty. Methods A single institution, retrospective review was conducted from 2011-2019 on male patients ≥ 18 years of age who underwent urethroplasty. Exclusion criteria included previous urethral cancer, lack of follow up, or revision urethroplasty. Failure of urethroplasty was defined as requiring revision surgery or recurrence on imaging or cystoscopy. Risk factors for recurrence were determined using descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon comparisons, and multivariate logistic regression. Results 307 patients were identified with 234 patients meeting inclusion criteria. 63.2% identified as White/Caucasian (CA), 32.5% Black/African American (AA), and 4.3% other race. Mean age was 49.4 years. Between CA and AA patients, there was no difference in mean age, BMI, smoking status, prior urethroplasty, or prior dilation/DVIU. CAs were more likely to have a fossa navicularis stricture compared to AAs (p=0.0094), but there were no significant differences in bulbar, penile, or posterior stricture rates (all p>0.05) or length (p=0.32). The overall stricture recurrence rate was 15.8% with a median of 242 days to recurrence and no significant difference by race for either outcome (p=0.83, p=.64). The only predictor of stricture recurrence was prior dilation/DVIU (p=0.0404, OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.0,5.6). Overall complication rate was 17.5%, with no difference between CA and AAs rates (p=0.83) or complication type (p=0.62). Conclusions There was no significant difference in the rate of surgical failure for urethral stricture repair based on race. The only predictor of surgical failure was having a prior urethral dilation/DVIU.
Cell Penetrating Peptide Biopolymers for Drug Delivery to the Central Nervous System

Drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS) is significantly hindered by the blood brain barrier (BBB), but the use of cell penetrating peptides (CPP) allows conjugated molecules transport through the BBB and greatly enhances cellular uptake throughout the CNS. Many CPPs work through unknown mechanisms and vary in cell penetration ability and toxicity. Therefore, determining which CPP is the most effective for CNS delivery is crucial. Elastin like polypeptide (ELP) is a thermally responsive polypeptide used as a carrier and stabilizer, making conjugated biomolecules more resistant to proteolysis and extending their half-lives in vivo. In our lab, we have used systemically administered CPP-fused ELPs conjugated to the therapeutic peptides with promising results in disease models. Currently, we are assessing the utilization of the intranasal (IN) delivery route to bypass the BBB and facilitate delivery of ELP-fused therapeutics to the CNS. We chose three commonly used and well-studied CPPs to conjugat...
Synthesis and X-ray crystallographic structures of [HGa(NMe2)2]2 and [PhGa(NHNMe2)2]2, and room-temperature conversions of [HGa(NMe2)2]2 to (HGaNH)n and (HGaNMe)n

Abstract The reactivity of bis(dimethylamido) complexes of phenyl- and hydridogallium with ammonia, dimethylamine and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine is described. Synthesis of the starting gallium hydride, [HGa(NMe2)2]2, was achieved in nearly quantitative yield from the reaction of HGaCl2(quinuclidine) with LiNMe2. In neat ammonia or methylamine at room temperature both dimethylamido ligands in [HGa(NMe2)2]2 were substituted by a single equivalent of NH3 or MeNH2 to produce amorphous (HGaNH)n or (HGaNMe)n, respectively. In contrast, the reaction of [PhGa(NMe2)2]2 with neat Me2NNH2, at room temperature consumed two equivalents of the substituted hydrazine to form [PhGa(NHNMe2)2]2 in a 73% yield. Single crystal X-ray crystallographic analyses of [HGa(NMe2)2]2 and [PhGa(NHNMe2)2]2 establish that in the solid state both compounds adopt a cyclic Ga–N–Ga–N structure with a crystallographic center of symmetry located at the center of the ring.
An Engine Model for Dynamic Engine Control Development

This paper describes a dynamic model of a carbureted spark-ignition engine. The model responds to throttle, air/fuel, EGR, spark advance, and load torque inputs to provide manifold pressure, exhaust air/fuel, brake torque, and engine speed outputs. The dynamic aspects of the model are due to time delays and integration. Nonlinear relationships are incorporated to predict engine performance over a broad operating range.