cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blood flow tracking using optical correlation techniques

It has been previously shown that tracking small particle motion can be accomplished by tracking the speckle pattern it produces. The joint transform correlator and the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) acoustooptic correlator that were used to track speckle motion are described. Results demonstrate that optical correlation is capable of tracking speckle with an accuracy comparable to digital methods. Optical correlation offers potential advantages in speed, size, and power consumption. >
Students' Perceptions of Faculty's Office Arrangements:

A study was conducted to assess the effects of sex of student, sex of professor, and office arrangement on college students' evaluations of possible interactions in faculty offices. It was expected that offices arranged to put the professor in total control would evoke more negative evaluations from students than offices arranged to allow students some sense of control and that this especially would be true for perceptions of male professors. Subjects looked at four different office types ranging from faculty-controlled to less-faculty-controlled and were asked to evaluate how much control they thought the professor and they as students would have in each setting, how likely they would be to remain in the environment after their business was completed, and how comfortable they would feel. Results showed that students rated the less-faculty-controlled offices more favorably than the faculty-controlled offices, although an interaction showed that men more than women differentially evaluated the offices. The...
Store-ordered streaming of shared memory

Coherence misses in shared-memory multiprocessors account for a substantial fraction of execution time in many important scientific and commercial workloads. Memory streaming provides a promising solution to the coherence miss bottleneck because it improves memory level parallelism and lookahead while using on-chip resources efficiently. We observe that the order in which shared data are consumed by one processor is correlated to the order in which they were produced by another. We investigate this phenomenon and demonstrate that it can be exploited to send store-ordered streams (SORDS) of shared data from producers to consumers, thereby eliminating coherent read misses. Using a trace-driven analysis of all user and OS memory references in a cache-coherent distributed shared-memory multiprocessor, we show that SORDS-based memory streaming can eliminate between 36% and 100% of all coherent read misses in scientific workloads and between 23% and 48% in online transaction processing workloads.
An algorithm to solve integer linear systems exactly using numerical methods

In this paper, we present a new algorithm for the exact solutions of linear systems with integer coefficients using numerical methods. It terminates with the correct answer in well-conditioned cases or quickly aborts in ill-conditioned cases. Success of this algorithm on a linear equation requires that the linear system must be sufficiently well-conditioned for the numeric linear algebra method being used to compute a solution with sufficient accuracy. Our method is to find an initial approximate solution by using a numerical method, then amplify the approximate solution by a scalar, and adjust the amplified solution and corresponding residual to integers so that they can be computed without large integer arithmetic involved and can be stored exactly. Then we repeat these steps to refine the solution until sufficient accuracy is achieved, and finally reconstruct the rational solution. Our approximating, amplifying, and adjusting idea enables us to compute the solutions without involving high precision software floating point operations in the whole procedure or large integer arithmetic except at the final rational reconstruction step. We will expose the theoretical cost and show some experimental results.
Characterization of early and terminal complement proteins associated with polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vitro and in vivo after spinal cord injury

Background: The complement system has been suggested to affect injury or disease of the central nervous system (CNS) by regulating numerous physiological events and pathways. The activation of complement following traumatic CNS injury can also result in the formation and deposition of C5b-9 membrane attack complex (C5b-9/MAC), causing cell lysis or sublytic effects on vital CNS cells. Although complement proteins derived from serum/blood-brain barrier breakdown can contribute to injury or disease, infiltrating immune cells may represent an important local source of complement after injury. As the first immune cells to infiltrate the CNS within hours post-injury, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) may affect injury through mechanisms associated with complement-mediated events. However, the expression/association of both early and terminal complement proteins by PMNs has not been fully characterized in vitro, and has not observed previously in vivo after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: We investigated the expression of complement mRNAs using rt-PCR and the presence of complement proteins associated with PMNs using immunofluroescence and quantitative flow cytometry. Results: Stimulated or unstimulated PMNs expressed mRNAs encoding for C1q, C3, and C4, but not C5, C6, C7 or C9 in culture. Complement protein C1q or C3 was also detected in less than 30% of cultured PMNs. In contrast, over 70% of PMNs that infiltrated the injured spinal cord were associated with C1q, C3, C7 and C5b-9/MAC 3 days post-SCI. The localization/association of C7 or C5b-9/MAC with infiltrating PMNs in the injured spinal cord suggests the incorporation or internalization of C7 or C5b-9/MAC bound cellular debris by infiltrating PMNs because C7 and C5b-9/MAC were mostly localized to granular vesicles within PMNs at the spinal cord epicenter region. Furthermore, PMN presence in the injured spinal cord was observed for many weeks post-SCI, suggesting that this infiltrating cell population could chronically affect complement-mediated events and SCI pathogenesis after trauma. Conclusion: Data presented here provide the first characterization of early and terminal complement proteins associated with PMNs in vitro and in vivo after SCI. Data also suggest a role for PMNs in the local internalization or deliverance of complement and complement activation in the post-SCI environment.
Testimonios of Life and Learning in the Borderlands: Subaltern Juárez Girls Speak

This article presents the testimonios of two high school girls coming of age in one of the most marginalized areas of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico who attend a school with a critical pedagogy orientation (Freire, 1970). Ciudad Juarez is a city on the U.S-Mexico border and considered one of the most violent in the world today. These testimonios shed light on the life experiences and identity formation of young women coming of age in the south side of the border and reveal the knowledge and wisdom they have gained in their struggle for freedom, dignity, and life. They also expose the epistemological and pedagogical nature of young women's discourse and wisdom characterized by testimonios as counter-narratives, confessions, and consejos; and the role of a critical school in promoting such discourse. This article offers insight into the potential of schools to become sites of organic healing, critical consciousness, and agency in dystopic times by cultivating the use of testimonios as a way to center and legitimize ...
The effect of material properties and gripping force on micrograsping

This paper presents our work in developing a force controlled microgripper and micrograsping strategies using optical beam deflection techniques. The optical beam deflection sensor is based on modified atomic force microscopy techniques and is able to resolve forces below a nano-Newton. A variety of gripper fingers made from materials with different conductivity and surface roughness is analyzed theoretically and experimentally using the force sensor. These results provide insight into the mechanics of micromanipulation, and the results are used to develop micrograsping strategies. A design of a microfabricated force controlled microgripper is presented along with initial experimental results in applying various gripping forces to microparts. The results demonstrate the important role gripping force plays in the grasping and releasing of microparts.
Extended Wear Hydrogel Lenses: Long-Term Effectiveness and Costs

During the period 1976-79, 1,201 of 1,552 aphakic patients were successfully fitted with third generation extended wear hydrogen lenses of thin-membrane design (CSI? lens) and highly hydrated polymer design (Permalens,?Sauflon?) without significant or permanent visula loss. Between 79% and 82% of the patients who failed did so in the first 90 days, and thereafter failure rates declined with time. Replacement rates for lenses approximated one lens per eye per year. Rates of required removal for cleaning varied. Ten to 13% of patients required cleaning at less than three-month intervals, and 5-6% at less than one month. For average patients with unilateral devices and no complication, extended wear lenses in Georgia are estimated to cost approximately three times as much as an intraocular lens over a 20-year follow-up period. General advantages ofextended wear third generation lenses include: (1) an acceptably savce and visually effective way to correct aphakia when patients are carefully selected, fitted, educated, and followed; (2) can be easily removeed, refitted or updated as technology advances; and (3) will not replace intraocular lenses, but can be used when implantation is contraindicated and should prevent the need for secondary or bilateral implantation or keratophakia in most cases.
Exploring Complex Spatial Arrangements and Deformations in Virtual Reality

The ability of educators in the field of structural engineering to relate complex 3D spatial arrangements, such as connection detailing and lateral torsional buckling, has been limited to 2D drawings or physical models. Immersing students in a 3D virtual reality environment offers a promising and engaging means for effectively conveying complex ideas about structural connections and member response. With this purpose in mind, a fully immersive virtual reality environment has been developed to allow users to interact with a structure through a head mounted device and hand console. The system can also be deployed and used on any computer screen if a complete immersion environment is unavailable. The models can be conveniently modified, updated, and expanded unlike a physical model which would be limited by cost and safety concerns.
Preliminary explorations of a pattern language for innovation management

The apparel design process involves gathering and analysing information on fashion trends, markets and past line sales and editing ideas for successful combinations of fabric, style and price. These ideas are the result of creativity. Creativity is most often modelled as a problem‐solving process involving complex chaotic systems. In the fields of architecture and software design, pattern languages have been developed to help understand the various fundamental components and dynamics of complex systems by using a series of related generic problem‐solving patterns empirically proven to be successful in a specified context of forces. Patterns record existing knowledge to make it rapidly and easily accessible and communicated between different users. A pattern language for the apparel design process could channel creative efforts and enhance communication between design team members by providing them with a common working language. Furthermore, pattern languages are increasingly used in the design of software and user‐interface programs (Booch 1996; Gamma et al. 1994). Preparing the ground by developing a pattern language for apparel products could save resources and time as well as improve the quality of future customised information.
The Use of Situation Tests as Measures of Communicative Ability

In recent years, universities and secondary schools have increasingly used the ACTFL/ETS Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) to measure the ability of learners to communicate in a foreign language. This article discusses the OPI in relation to current models of communicative skills and argues that the OPI fails to measure important aspects of communicative ability. Two Situation Tests, one written and one oral, are proposed as alternative measures of communicative ability and are described in detail. The two tests as well as the OPI were administered to American university students who had spent a year abroad studying French. This article reports on the changes in the communicative skills of the students during the year after their return to the United States. Statistical comparisons between the OPI and the Situation Tests are presented showing that the OPI is primarily a measure of grammatical competence. The article concludes with the claim that Situation Tests can provide a more complete assessment of communicative ability than the OPI.
Differentiating neutrophils using the optical coulter counter

We present an optofluidic measurement system that quantifies cell volume, dry mass, and nuclear morphology of neutrophils in high-throughput. While current clinical hematology analyzers can differentiate neutrophils from a blood sample, they do not give other quantitative information beyond their count. In order to better understand the distribution of neutrophil phenotypes in a blood sample, we perform two distinct multivariate measurements. In both measurements, white blood cells are driven through a microfluidic channel and imaged while in flow onto a color camera using a single exposure. In the first measurement, we quantify cell volume, scattering strength, and cell dry mass by combining quantitative phase imaging with dye exclusion cell volumetric imaging. In the second measurement, we quantify cell volume and nuclear morphology using a nucleic acid fluorescent stain. In this way, we can correlate cell volume to other cellular characteristics, which would not be possible using an electrical coulter counter. Unlike phase imaging or cell scattering analysis, the optical coulter counter is capable of quantifying cell volume virtually independent of the cell’s refractive index and unlike optical tomography, measurements are possible on quickly flowing cells, enabling high-throughput.
Ultrasonic BoneScalpel for osteoplastic laminoplasty in the resection of intradural spinal pathology: case series and technical note.

Background Osteoplastic laminoplasty is a well-described technique that may decrease the incidence of progressive kyphosis when used in the setting of intradural spinal cord tumor resection. Objective The BoneScalpel by Aesculap (Central Valley, Pennsylvania) is an ultrasonic osteotome that precisely cuts bone while preserving the underlying soft tissues, potentially reducing the risk of dural laceration during laminoplasty. By producing osteotomies as narrow as 0.5 mm, the device may also facilitate postoperative osteointegration. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted of 40 patients (mean age, 38.0 years; range, 4.0-79.7 years) who underwent osteoplastic laminoplasty using the BoneScalpel for the treatment of intradural spinal pathology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital between January 2009 and December 2011. After lesion resection, titanium plates were used to reconstruct the lamina in all cases. The technical results and procedure-related complications were subsequently noted. Results Successful laminoplasty was carried out in all 40 patients. Intraoperatively, 1 case of incidental durotomy was noted after use of the device, which was repaired primarily without neurological or clinical sequelae. During the follow-up period (mean, 195 days; median, 144 days), there were 2 complications (1 cerebrospinal fluid leak, 1 seroma) and no cases of immediate postoperative instability. Conclusion The BoneScalpel is a safe and technically feasible device for performing osteoplastic laminoplasty.
Estimating the Medical Care Costs of Obesity in the United States: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Empirical Analysis

Abstract Background The prevalence of adult obesity exceeds 30% in the United States, posing a significant public health concern as well as a substantial financial burden. Although the impact of obesity on medical spending is undeniably significant, the estimated magnitude of the cost of obesity has varied considerably, perhaps driven by different study methodologies. Objectives To document variations in study design and methodology in existing literature and to understand the impact of those variations on the estimated costs of obesity. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the twelve recently published articles that reported costs of obesity and performed a meta-analysis to generate a pooled estimate across those studies. Also, we performed an original analysis to understand the impact of different age groups, statistical models, and confounder adjustment on the magnitude of estimated costs using the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys from 2008-2010. Results We found significant variations among cost estimates in the existing literature. The meta-analysis found that the annual medical spending attributable to an obese individual was $1901 ($1239-$2582) in 2014 USD, accounting for $149.4 billion at the national level. The two most significant drivers of variability in the cost estimates were age groups and adjustment for obesity-related comorbid conditions. Conclusions It would be important to acknowledge variations in the magnitude of the medical cost of obesity driven by different study design and methodology. Researchers and policy-makers need to be cautious on determining appropriate cost estimates according to their scientific and political questions.
Sources of Error in Fine Needle Aspiration of Well Differentiated Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

s S63 Results: Using a combination of both smears and CB, 63(83%) of the 76 cases were confidently diagnosed as malignant, majority being adenocarcinomas. Of the remainder, 2 (3%) were atypical, 9 (11%) were benign and 2(3%) were non-diagnostic (Table 1). Of the 15 (20%) FNA smears with poor quality, 10 (67%) of the paired CB were inadequate, 3 (20%) of the paired CB contained only benign elements and the remaining 2 CB (13%) confirmed adenocarcinoma (Table 2). Conclusions: FNA smears alone were adequate for confirmation of malignancy in up to 80% of cases. CB clinched the diagnosis in a further 13% (2/15) of inadequate smears. In addition, CB was useful in 2 cases of neuroendocrine tumour and 1 metastatic case where immunocytochemistry was required. One case of chronic pancreatitis was diagnosed only on CB. Table 1 Review diagnosis based on both smears and cell blocks Malignant Atypical Benign Non-diagnostic
Limited Margin Radiation Therapy for Children and Young Adults With Ewing Sarcoma Achieves High Rates of Local Tumor Control.

Purpose To determine the rate of local failure using focal conformal, limited margin radiation therapy (RT) and dose escalation for tumors ≥8 cm (greatest dimension at diagnosis) in children and young adults with Ewing sarcoma (EWS). Methods and Materials Eligible patients with EWS were treated on a phase 2 institutional trial of focal conformal, limited margin RT using conformal or intensity modulated techniques. The treatment volume incorporated a 1-cm constrained margin around the gross tumor. Unresected tumors, Results Forty-five patients were enrolled: 26 with localized and 19 with metastatic disease. Median (range) age, tumor size, and follow-up were 13.0 years (2.9-24.7 years), 9.0 cm (2.4-17.0 cm), and 54.5 months (1.9-122.2 months), respectively. All patients received systemic chemotherapy. The median (range) RT dose for all patients was 56.1 Gy (45-65.5 Gy). Seventeen patients received adjuvant, 16 standard-dose, and 12 escalated-dose RT. Failures included 1 local, 10 distant, and 1 local/distant. The estimated 10-year cumulative incidence of local failure was 4.4% ± 3.1%, with no statistical difference seen between RT treatment groups and no local failures in the escalated-dose RT treatment group. Conclusions Treatment with focal conformal, limited margin RT, including dose escalation for larger tumors, provides favorable local tumor control in EWS.
Detection of synchronous primary tumours and previously undetected metastases in 736 dogs with neoplasia undergoing CT scans for diagnostic, staging and/or radiation treatment planning purposes.

The purpose of our study was to describe synchronous primary tumours and previously undetected metastases in 736 dogs with confirmed neoplasia in which computed tomography (CT) scans were performed for diagnostic, staging and/or radiation treatment planning purposes. All CTs were reviewed by a radiologist. Tumour-associated CT abnormalities were detected in 38/736 (5%), including confirmed or suspected synchronous primary neoplasms (n = 24), metastases of the primary tumour (n = 9) or both (n = 3). In lymph nodes (LN) that were considered abnormal on CT scan and were aspirated, 23% contained metastasis, and 6% of ‘normal’ appearing LN that were aspirated contained metastasis. Thorough evaluation of CTs and routine aspiration of regional LN are critical because results affect recommendations to perform additional staging tests and treatment for the primary and secondary tumour(s).
Classification of Defects in Thick Section Graphite Epoxy Test Blocks

Fiber-reinforced composites are being used increasingly in U.S. Navy structures due to the fact that composites offer the potential for weight, cost, and signature reduction, as well as increased corrosion resistance (Gagorik, et. al., 1991). Current and future applications of composites include: deckhouses, propulsion shafting, machinery foundations, air flasks, masts, heat exchangers, etc.
Pregnancy in Patients with the Artificial Urinary Sphincter

AbstractSince 1974, 71 female patients between 3 and 25 years old have undergone implantation of the artificial urinary sphincter for treatment of urinary incontinence. Of these women 9 have become pregnant and delivered 11 normal children. In 2 women the artificial urinary sphincter was removed because of erosion before conceiving, while the remaining 7 had a functional artificial urinary sphincter in place at conception, and subsequent pregnancy and delivery. All 11 women had normal pregnancies and, aside from the normally increased frequency of urination and a slight increase in urinary leakage due to elevated pressure on the bladder from the adjacent uterus, the urinary continence was unchanged. Of the women 4 underwent cesarean section at the advice of their obstetricians and the remainder had uneventful vaginal deliveries. During the course of the pregnancies the patients or their obstetricians consulted 1 of us for advice regarding management of the delivery because of the presence of the artificia...
Novel Pattern of Iron Deposition in the Fascicula Nigrale in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study

Background and Purpose. To determine whether the pattern of iron deposition in the fascicula nigrale in patients with Parkinson's disease would be different from age-matched controls by utilizing quantitative susceptibility mapping to measure susceptibility change. Methods. MRIs of the brain were obtained from 34 subjects, 18 with Parkinson's disease and 16 age- and gender-matched controls. Regions of interest were drawn around the fascicula nigrale and substantia nigra using SWI mapping software by blinded investigators. Statistical analyses were performed to determine susceptibility patterns of both of these regions. Results. Measurements showed significantly increased susceptibility in the substantia nigra in Parkinson's patients and an increased rostral-caudal deposition of iron in the fascicula nigrale in all subjects. This trend was exaggerated with significant correlation noted with increasing age in the Parkinson group. Conclusion. The pattern of an exaggerated iron deposition gradient of the fascicula nigrale in the Parkinson group could represent underlying tract dysfunction. Significant correlation of increasing iron deposition with increasing age may be a cumulative effect, possibly related to disease duration.
A Systematic Approach to Improve the Reprocessing of Surgical Instruments

Hospital systems currently face challenges associated with insufficient cleaning and maintenance of surgical instruments. These instrument reprocessing challenges jeopardize patient safety, cause significant damage to reputation, and contribute to additional costs. Our team collaborated with doctors, nurses, instrument reprocessing technicians, and supervisors in the neurosurgical service and the Central Sterile Processing Department at a university hospital. We focused on how instrument “cleanability” and the configuration of instrument sets impact the effectiveness and efficiency of surgical instrument reprocessing. We developed an Excel-based set-configuration tool to aid in reconfiguring instrument sets to reduce the impact of bioburden. To validate the tool, we separated bioburden-prone instruments from the neurosurgical service’s most heavily used instrument set. We also developed a Cleanability Index to rate surgical instruments and sets based on their difficulty of cleaning.
Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy

Video-polygraphic analyses of 302 myoclonic seizures (MS) in 5 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) are reported from the Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Women’s Medical College, Japan.
Brief focused poetry therapy in the medical hospital

ABSTRACTA medical hospitalization may precipitate or exacerbate psychiatric illness or uncover chemical dependency issues. The crisis of hospitalization can destabilize mood and make it difficult for individuals to access effective coping skills. Brief focused poetry therapy administered by a psychiatric nurse practitioner in the medical hospital blends approaches used by brief focused therapy, supportive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and crisis intervention therapy using a poetry therapy framework. Characteristics of this type of therapy include limited time, prompt intervention, limited goals, tight focus and high therapist intervention. Typical goals include to define feelings, develop insight, accept limitations and to generate hope for the future. Journaling and writing assignments are often incorporated into therapy sessions. Case studies and suggested poems for therapeutic use are provided.
Late Holocene Poetics: Genre and Geohistory in Beachy Head

ABSTRACTMight we read the changing work of literary genre as a signature of the Holocene–Anthropocene transition, a symbolic parallel to the lithostratigraphic markers sought by geologists? I argue that the rise and fall of rural descriptive poetry in Britain may index an early but formative phase of this epochal transition. Charlotte Smith’s “Beachy Head” (1807) is my example of a late Holocene poetics closely attuned to the planetary forces energizing capitalism as a world ecology but largely unable to represent, except in the negative, the emergence of fossil capitalism. Internalized in the form of “Beachy Head,” I suggest, is a pre-thermodynamic conception of the intertwinement of planetary and socio-historical forces, a model of energy exchange that takes as its paradigmatic object not the steam engine but the climate system, and which takes as its source of input not the stock of subterranean coal but the flow of solar radiance. By recovering this late Holocene imaginary, we gain a different vantage...
Self-Organizing Control and Applications to Trainable Manipulators and Learning Prostheses

Abstract Self-Organizing Control (S.O.C.) has been defined as the descriptive which treats dynamic systems with uncertainties operating in deterministic or stochastic environments. Self-organization is performed by the controller to on-line reduce the uncertainties pertaining to the behavior of the systems and to drive its output to attain the desired goal. Parameter Adaptive S. O. Controls explicitly identify the uncertainties of the system dynamics, which are characterized by a parameter vector, while Performance Adaptive S. O. Controls improve the uncertainties that pertain only to the improvement of its performance, and therefore, identify the systems implicitly. A collection of successful methods for both Parameter Adaptive and Performance Adaptive Algorithms are discussed and compared in this paper to demonstrate the desirability and applicability of explicit or implicit parameter identification in a SOC system. The implementations of these algorithms requires the use of digital computers of various sizes depending on their specific application at hand. An interesting application of S. O. Control to trainable industrial manipulators and learning prosthetic devises, using minimcomputers is currently investigated by the author. Parameter Adaptive schemes, using explicit parameter identification of the system dynamics for an “attitude control” type of hierarchical arm-joint coordination seems more appropriate for training industrial manipulators to perform mechanical tasks. On the other hand, Performance Adaptive techniques are more suitable for human prosthetic devices with learning capabilities, controlled from the nervous or muscular system of the computer with visual feedback, to perform purely anthropomorphic functions. Current results of this investigation will be discussed.
Period and Cohort Changes in Americans’ Support for Marijuana Legalization: Convergence and Divergence across Social Groups

ABSTRACTWe cast fresh light on how and why Americans’ views on marijuana legalization shifted between 1973 and 2014. Results from age-period-cohort models show a strong negative effect of age and relatively high levels of support for legalization among baby boom cohorts. Despite the baby boom effect, the large increase in support for marijuana legalization is predominantly a broad, period-based change in the population. Additional analyses demonstrate that differences in support for legalization by education, region, and religion decline, that differences by political party increase, and that differences between whites and African Americans reverse direction. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings and by identifying promising directions for future research on this topic.
Non-Colorectal Liver Metastases

The liver is one of the most common sites of metastasis from multiple tumor histologies. With the advent of more effective chemotherapy and imaging techniques, local treatment of isolated liver lesions in the appropriate clinical scenario has the potential to extend life and decrease morbidity from disruption of liver function. While this has primarily been studied in colorectal metastases, the same principles are now being shown to apply in multiple tumor types. While the gold standard treatment has been surgical resection, numerous interventional techniques have been developed to provide local treatment in patients who are not surgical candidates. SBRT to liver metastases of multiple histologies has been shown to provide very good local control, with longer than historical median survival, giving the radiation oncologist an important role in managing patients in this oligometastatic setting. In this chapter, we will review the various modalities used to deliver local therapy to isolated non-colorectal liver metastases and cover planning considerations for delivery of SBRT to these lesions.
Epigenetics and developmental origins of diabetes: correlation or causation?

The incidence of metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity continue to increase. Although it is evident that the increasing incidence of diabetes confers a global societal and econ...
Time course of reversal of valproate-mediated inhibition of lamotrigine

Abstract Purpose Conversion to lamotrigine (LTG) monotherapy from sodium valproate (VPA) is complicated by the robust pharmacokinetic interaction between the two AEDs. This study examined changes in LTG serum concentrations immediately following VPA discontinuation. Methods Ten healthy female and male adult subjects were initiated on LTG (Lamictal) 10 mg orally every morning for 30 days and VPA (Depakote ER) 500 mg orally every morning for 14 days. Morning trough (pre-dose) venous blood samples were obtained for determination of LTG and VPA concentrations on study days 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30. Following the collection of the blood sample on day 15, VPA was discontinued. Results Despite stable LTG dosage serum concentrations on study day 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28, all were significantly lower compared to baseline (p Conclusions These observations demonstrate that the pharmacokinetic interaction between LTG and VPA is reversible, and that de-inhibition appears to follow a predictable time course. Complete offset, or reversal of this interaction takes place 10–14 days after VPA discontinuation. Our data also confirms the observation that LTG oral clearance may be inhibited by very low concentrations of VPA. These data support the conversion algorithm suggested by the manufacturer, and provide guidance to the clinician. These data provide clinically useful information in developing a dosing algorithm for converting patients to LTG monotherapy.
Exploring and Explaining Participation in War Crimes

This chapter begins by noting the legal recognition of the concept of war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly prohibiting targeted attacks against civilians. It then examines efforts to explain compliance with war crimes norms at the state and individual levels. However, these broader theories fail to recognize the empirical variation present within most cases: some units commit war crimes while others do not. Instead, the author argues that organizational level explanations may provide more nuanced tools to understand this variation. Examining socialization efforts, including training programs and enforcement, evaluates the development of a military’s efforts to comply with these laws of war. Investigating the evolution of unit subcultures and the role of unit leadership provides insight on how the unit internalizes the broader organization’s efforts. This mid-level approach offers greater opportunity to understand differences between units and their compliance with civilian protection norms.
Academic Jewish Studies in North America

Academic Jewish studies refer to non-doctrinal, non-parochial, and non-denominational scholarship and pedagogy about aspects of the Jewish experience using modern research tools and a range of disciplinary methodologies from the humanities and social studies. Jewish studies programs in secular universities do not offer “Jewish education” in any traditional sense: professors are not necessarily Jews nor do students fit any particular ethnic or religious profile. However, the growth of Jewish studies courses and programs in significant numbers, beginning in the 1970s, has been furthered by endowments from Jewish individuals, communities, and family foundations. In 2010, the Association for Jewish Studies listed over 200 endowed positions in Jewish studies at 80 colleges and universities. Jewish studies courses and programs take a variety of organizational and structural approaches depending on their institutional homes and the diverse student populations they serve. Declines in Jewish student populations in the early twenty-first century suggest that academic Jewish studies will increasingly depend on the field’s continuing appeal to non-Jewish students. While this indicates the “normalization” of Jewish studies within the university, it may also lead to potential conflicts with the concerns of Jewish donors.
Ascoviruses: Superb Manipulators of Apoptosis for Viral Replication and Transmission

Ascoviruses are members of a recently described new family (Ascoviridae) of large double-stranded DNA viruses that attack immature stages of insects belonging to the order Lepidoptera, in which they cause a chronic, fatal disease. Ascoviruses have several unusual characteristics not found among other viruses, the most novel of which are their transmission by endoparasitic wasps and a unique cytopathology that resembles apoptosis. Cell infection induces apoptosis and in some species is associated with synthesis of a virus-encoded executioner caspase and several lipid-metabolizing enzymes. Rather than leading directly to cell death, synthesis of viral proteins results in the rescue of developing apoptotic bodies that are converted into large vesicles in which virions accumulate and continue to assemble. In infected larvae, millions of these virion-containing vesicles begin to disperse from infected tissues 48-72 h after infection into the blood, making it milky white, a major characteristic of the disease. Circulation of virions and vesicles in the blood facilitates mechanical transmission by parasitic wasps. Although ascoviruses appear to be very common, only five species are currently recognized, with the type species being the Spodoptera frugiperda ascovirus 1a. Ascovirus virions are large, enveloped, typically bacilliform or reniform in shape, and, depending on the species, have genomes that range from 119 to 186 kbp. Molecular phylogenetic evidence indicates that ascoviruses evolved from iridoviruses (family Iridoviridae) that attack lepidopteran larvae and are likely the evolutionary source of ichnoviruses (family Polydnaviridae), which assist endoparasitic hymenopterans in overcoming the defense responses of their insect hosts. Thus, as other molecular evidence suggests that iridoviruses evolved from phycodnaviruses (family Phycodnaviridae), an evolutionary pathway is apparent from phycodnaviruses via iridoviruses and ascoviruses to ichnoviruses.
Reducing opioid utilization after urologic oncology surgery.

269Background: Multiple sources have reported on widespread abuse of opioid pain medications among Americans. For many patients, the first encounter with these addictive substances happens when the...
Cholesterol Protects Against Acute Stress-Induced T-Tubule Remodeling in Mouse Ventricular Myocytes.

Efficient excitation-contraction coupling in ventricular myocytes depends critically on the presence of the t-tubular network. It has been recently demonstrated that cholesterol, a major component of the lipid bilayer, plays an important role in long-term maintenance of the integrity of t-tubular system although mechanistic understanding of underlying processes is essentially lacking. Accordingly, in this study we investigated the contribution of membrane cholesterol to t tubule remodeling in response to acute hyposmotic stress. Experiments were performed using isolated left ventricular cardiomyocytes from adult mice. Depletion and restoration of membrane cholesterol was achieved by applying methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) and water soluble cholesterol (WSC), respectively, and t-tubule remodeling in response to acute hyposmotic stress was assessed using fluorescent dextran trapping assay and by measuring t-tubule dependent IK1 tail current (IK1, tail). The amount of dextran trapped in t-tubules sealed in response to stress was significantly increased when compared to control cells, and reintroduction of cholesterol to cells treated with MβCD restored the amount of trapped dextran to control values. Alternatively, application of WSC to normal cells significantly reduced the amount of trapped dextran further suggesting the protective effect of cholesterol. Importantly, modulation of membrane cholesterol (without osmotic stress) led to significant changes in various parameters of IK1, tail strongly suggesting significant but essentially hidden remodeling of t-tubules prior to osmotic stress. Results of this study demonstrate that modulation of the level of membrane cholesterol has significant effects on the susceptibility of cardiac t-tubules to acute hyposmotic stress.
Developing an Indigenous Mentoring Program for faculty mentoring American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students in STEM: a qualitative study

In order to increase graduation rates of American Indian and Alaska Native doctoral candidates in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, a culturally attuned mentorship progr...
Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Games and Software Engineering

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all to the very first Games and Software Engineering workshop (GAS 2011). We had a total of twenty submissions, of which fourteen were accepted. Having such a wonderful number of submissions indicates just what a vibrant and varied community there is, and we are very glad that you have all chosen to participate. The program that has been put together by the program committee and ourselves touches on four main topics: observations on games and software engineering, games and software engineering education, techniques for software engineering of games and games and the physical world. This diversity is surely one of the strengths of this field. There is still much for us to discover and contribute, and intriguing research avenues for all who are interested. The GAS workshop not only provides a forum for researchers interested in the intersection of games and software engineering, but also a platform for our work to be recognized by the wider software engineering community as an exciting research area in its own right. We hope that GAS will encourage other researchers to participate in this discussion. Perhaps there were those that were unsure how their work could be published, or those that were unclear about the challenges available in this area. With the creation of the GAS workshop, we can begin to find and grow this community. Your attendance here today shapes the future conversations we will have, and we look forward to seeing you all, alongside any and all newcomers, in the workshops to come.
Atypical presentation of a forgotten disease: refractory hypotension in beriberi

Thiamine deficiency is a treatable disease with an excellent prognosis. However, it is often unrecognized because of the diversity of its clinical presentations. Herein, we report two atypical cases of nonalcoholic thiamine deficiency that presented with refractory hypotension in the absence of lactic acidosis. Case 1 developed recurrent hypotension, right-sided heart failure, and a classic triad of Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) after gastrointestinal surgery. Case 2 had decreased dietary intake and diuretic abuse, and had multiple episodes of syncope prior to present admission with refractory hypotension and mental status changes. The diagnosis of both cases was confirmed by undetectable pretreatment serum thiamine and dramatic improvement with thiamine replacement. In this report, we highlight refractory hypotension as a complication of, not only cardiovascular, but also neurologic beriberi. Moreover, thiamine replacement should be considered without delay in hypotensive patients with signs of WE and/or risk factors for beriberi.
Environmental and biological influences on the distribution and population dynamics of polar cod ( Boreogadus saida ) in the US Chukchi Sea

Polar cod (Boreogadus saida) is the most abundant fish in the US Arctic (US Chukchi and Beaufort seas), where commercial fishing is currently prohibited because data to assess the sustainability of potential fisheries are lacking. Using data from fisheries oceanographic surveys in the US Chukchi Sea during 2012 and 2013 (August–September), we examined drivers of distribution and abundance, and assessed the current status and dynamics of polar cod. We estimated age structure, abundance, biomass, natural mortality, and reproductive potential using data from these surveys, combined with available estimates of biological parameters from the literature. High densities of age-0 polar cod were observed in the northeastern Chukchi Sea, while older polar cod (age-1+) were more widely distributed throughout the survey area. Results indicate that temperature is an important driver for the distribution of both age-0 and age-1+ polar cod with age-0 polar cod less likely to be present in warmer waters (≥ 8 °C), which supports past research on drivers of fish and other ectotherm species distribution. Estimates of egg production and early survival suggest that the numbers of mature polar cod present in the survey area during summer are unlikely to produce the observed high abundances of age-0 polar cod in the US Chukchi Sea. This could imply that either mature polar cod migrate to the Chukchi Sea to spawn in the winter, that age-0 fish are advected from outside the study area, or that adult polar cod abundance is underestimated. Additional systematic surveys and further research are needed to resolve the origins of age-0 polar cod, identify nursery areas, and estimate early life survival.
Dexamethasone Addition to Popliteal Nerve Blocks: Effects on Duration of Analgesia and Incidence of Postoperative Nerve Complication.

Background. The purpose of this prospective, double-blinded randomized control pilot study was to evaluate the effect of adjunctive dexamethasone on analgesia duration and the incidence of postoper...
Gender and childhood sexuality in primary school: by Deevia Bhana, Singapore: Springer, 2016. 229 pp. ISBN 9811022380

Deevia Bhana’s (2016) Gender and childhood sexuality in primary school provides an important ethnographic analysis of childhood gender and sexuality in the context of South African schooling. The a...
Analytical Approach to Calculate Inductor Current Ripple Cancellation in Two-Phase Interleaved Single-phase Inverter

Single-phase inverters have very wide range of applications such grid-tied inverter to inject any absorbed solar energy into power grid in residential areas. This paper presents closed-form equations to analytically calculate the required inductance of an LC filter in a single-phase full-bridge inverter controlled with unipolar switching pattern. According to the derived equations, required inductance value of LC filter varies with the modulation index value. Furthermore, the derived equations show that the maximum peak-to-peak ripple of the inductor current happens at angle which depends on the modulation index value. In addition, this paper provides an analytical approach to calculate current ripple cancellation in two-phase interleaved single-phase inverter. Real-time experimental results obtained from OPAL-RT for two cases of modulation index M=0.4 and M =0.8 are provided to confirm derived closed-form equations.
Theoretical Study for Dynamic Strain Aging in Niobium: Effect of Temperature and Strain Rate on the Flow Stress

A constitutive model for niobium with the effect of dynamic strain aging is proposed. The crystal structure of metals hugely influences the dynamic strain aging phenomenon and causes considerable alterations in the material’s macroscopic mechanical responses. Dynamic strain aging needs to be accounted for in a constitutive model to obtain accurate predictions of material’s thermo-mechanical behaviors during deformation. The proposed constitutive model attempts to describe the material’s flow stress responses during deformation by separating the flow stress contributions into the athermal component, thermal component, and dynamic strain aging component. Two different mathematical equations are proposed to model the dynamic strain aging component. The proposed model attempts to describe the mechanical response of niobium for a wide range of strain rates: from quasi-static loading ( $$\dot{\varepsilon } = 0.001\,{\text{s}}^{ - 1}$$ ) to dynamic loading ( $$\dot{\varepsilon } = 3300\, {\text{s}}^{ - 1}$$ ) across the temperature ranges 77 K–800 K.