cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metamagnetic phase transition in a diruthenium compound with interpenetrating sublattices

Abstract The diruthenium compound [Ru 2 (O 2 CMe) 4 ] 3 [Cr(CN) 6 ] may be the only known material that contains two weakly-coupled, magnetically-ordered sublattices occupying the same three-dimensional volume. Due to the strong easy-plane anisotropy on each Ru 2 complex, the moment of each sublattice is constrained to one of the eight cubic diagonals. At low fields, the two sublattices are antiferromagnetically aligned by weak dipolar and deformation energies. But above a metamagnetic critical field of about 1000 Oe, the sublattice moments become ferromagnetically aligned and the net magnetization increases dramatically. We have successfully modeled this metamagnetic transition by assuming that the individual sublattice spin configurations are only weakly distorted by the magnetic field. This model suggests that the ground state of each sublattice undergoes a phase transition at a pressure of about 7 kbar. The drop in the sublattice moment and the rise in the sublattice susceptibility above 7 kbar can be explained by a high- to low-spin transition ( S = 3/2 to 1/2) on the mixed-valent diruthenium complexes.
Risk factors for surgical site infection following orthopaedic spinal operations.

Background: Surgical site infections are not uncommon following spinal operations, and they can be associated with serious morbidity, mortality, and increased resource utilization. The accurate identification of risk factors is essential to develop strategies to prevent these potentially devastating infections. We conducted a case-control study to determine independent risk factors for surgical site infection following orthopaedic spinal operations. Methods: We performed a retrospective case-control study of patients who had had an orthopaedic spinal operation performed at a university-affiliated tertiary-care hospital from 1998 to 2002. Forty-six patients with a superficial, deep, or organ-space surgical site infection were identified and compared with 227 uninfected control patients. Risk factors for surgical site infection were determined with univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The overall rate of spinal surgical site infection during the five years of the study was 2.0% (forty-six of 2316). Univariate analyses showed serum glucose levels, preoperatively and within five days after the operation, to be significantly higher in patients in whom surgical site infection developed than in uninfected control patients. Independent risk factors for surgical site infection that were identified by multivariate analysis were diabetes (odds ratio = 3.5, 95% confidence interval = 1.2, 10.0), suboptimal timing of prophylactic antibiotic therapy (odds ratio = 3.4, 95% confidence interval = 1.5, 7.9), a preoperative serum glucose level of >125 mg/dL (>6.9 mmol/L) or a postoperative serum glucose level of >200 mg/dL (>11.1 mmol/L) (odds ratio = 3.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.4, 7.5), obesity (odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 4.7), and two or more surgical residents participating in the operative procedure (odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval = 1.0, 4.7). A decreased risk of surgical site infection was associated with operations involving the cervical spine (odds ratio = 0.3, 95% confidence interval = 0.1, 0.6). Conclusions: Diabetes was associated with the highest independent risk of spinal surgical site infection, and an elevated preoperative or postoperative serum glucose level was also independently associated with an increased risk of surgical site infection. The role of hyperglycemia as a risk factor for surgical site infection in patients not previously diagnosed with diabetes should be investigated further. Administration of prophylactic antibiotics within one hour before the operation and increasing the antibiotic dosage to adjust for obesity are also important strategies to decrease the risk of surgical site infection after spinal operations. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Hemoptysis Secondary to Pulmonary Artery Pseudoaneurysm After Necrotizing Pneumonia

This case documents the occurrence of hemoptysis secondary to pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm in a 19-year-old man who was admitted for hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis. The pseudoaneurysm derived from a necrotizing pneumonia within the same pulmonary segment. After an extensive workup, the pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed by pulmonary angiography and treated with coil embolization.
Teaching Planning Methods Through Modules

Most academic planning programs offer planning methods through traditional threecredit courses in their core planning curricula, a format that our students, faculty, and alumni have questioned. The...
Venlafaxine offers no benefit over sertraline and is less well tolerated in depressed nursing home residents.

Oslin DW, Ten Have TR, Streim JE, et al . Probing the safety of medications in the frail elderly: evidence from a randomized clinical trial of sertraline and venlafaxine in depressed nursing home residents. J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64:875–82. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Q What are the relative benefits and risks of sertraline and venlafaxine in depressed nursing home residents? ### ![Graphic][5] Design: Randomised controlled trial. ### ![Graphic][6] Allocation: Unclear. ### ![Graphic][7] Blinding: Double blind. ### ![Graphic][8] Follow up period: 10 weeks. ### ![Graphic][9] Setting: 13 nursing homes, USA; time period not stated. ### ![Graphic][10] Patients: 52 nursing home residents (mean age 82.5 years) with depression (DSM-IV). Main inclusion criteria: significant dysphoria (Geriatric Depression Scale score ⩾10 and/or Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) item 1 rating >2); diagnosis of major depressive episode, minor depression, dementia with depression, or dysthymic disorder, or 17 item HAM-D score >12; symptom duration >1 month. Exclusions: psychosis; substance abuse; previous mania/schizophrenia; psychotropic drugs in previous 2 weeks; prior adverse reaction or non-response to sertraline or venlafaxine; communication disorders impeding assessment; dangerous weight loss; suicidality; unstable medical comorbidity; life expectancy <6 months. Participants received placebo for 1 … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DThe%2BJournal%2Bof%2Bclinical%2Bpsychiatry%26rft.stitle%253DJ%2BClin%2BPsychiatry%26rft.aulast%253DOslin%26rft.auinit1%253DD.%2BW.%26rft.volume%253D64%26rft.issue%253D8%26rft.spage%253D875%26rft.epage%253D882%26rft.atitle%253DProbing%2Bthe%2Bsafety%2Bof%2Bmedications%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bfrail%2Belderly%253A%2Bevidence%2Bfrom%2Ba%2Brandomized%2Bclinical%2Btrial%2Bof%2Bsertraline%2Band%2Bvenlafaxine%2Bin%2Bdepressed%2Bnursing%2Bhome%2Bresidents.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.4088%252FJCP.v64n0804%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F12927001%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.4088/JCP.v64n0804&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=12927001&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmental%2F7%2F2%2F47.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000184920400004&link_type=ISI [5]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [6]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif [7]: /embed/inline-graphic-3.gif [8]: /embed/inline-graphic-4.gif [9]: /embed/inline-graphic-5.gif [10]: /embed/inline-graphic-6.gif
Super-hydrophilic zwitterionic poly(carboxybetaine) and amphiphilic non-ionic poly(ethylene glycol) for stealth nanoparticles

Summary This review compares two types of non-fouling polymers, the widely used non-ionic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and the recently established zwitterionic poly(carboxybetaine) (PCB), for their use in creating stealth nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery and protein protection. While both types of polymers exhibit reasonable non-fouling properties, such as good protein and colloidal stability and extended blood circulation time in vivo , amphiphilic PEG has negative effects on proteins and NPs due to its hydrophobic nature, including reduced protein bioactivity, instability of assembled NPs, and lipid bilayer destabilization. These problems can be overcome by super-hydrophilic PCB.
Defect detection in refractories using the radiation method

Radiation methods of control are useful for detecting hidden volume defects in refractories (large pores and cavities) with minimum dimensions of 2.5–3% of the size of the article in the direction of radiation. Overpressing and thermal cracks are detected with openings of 0.15 mm or more, and a depth of spread of not less than 10–15 mm. Such sensitivity is close to actual demands ordinarily placed on refractories testing.
Finite-Volume and Shock-Capturing Shallow Water Equation Model to Simulate Boussinesq-Type Lock-Exchange Flows

AbstractAmong the various applications of the shallow water equations (SWEs) is the simulation of gravity currents (GCs). The SWEs are used as an alternative to track GC motion without explicitly dealing with turbulent processes, and constitute an intermediate solution between simpler integral models and more comprehensive models based on the Navier-Stokes equations. While the SWE equations have been successfully applied to a number of problems involving the release of dense fluids into deep ambient conditions, a more complex application is the simulation of the lock-exchange problem. In this particular problem, the ambient velocity influences the velocity as well as the shape of the GC, especially in the initial slumping stage. Features resembling discontinuities between the two layers are generated, and one numerical solution strategy has been to explicitly track such discontinuities. This work presents a shock-capturing, two-layer SWE model to simulate lock-exchange flows and its discontinuities. The m...
Respiratory sensations during heavy exercise in subjects without respiratory chemosensitivity

Breathlessness arises from increased medullary respiratory center activity projecting to the forebrain (respiratory corollary discharge hypothesis). Subjects with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) lack the normal hyperpnea and breathlessness during hypercapnia. The corollary discharge hypothesis predicts that if CCHS subjects have normal hyperpnea during exercise, they will experience normal breathlessness during exercise. To test this, we studied four CCHS subjects and six matched controls during an exhausting constant-load cycling test requiring substantial anaerobiosis. CCHS subjects rated significantly less breathlessness at the end of the test than controls, but ventilation (index of respiratory corollary discharge) was also somewhat lower in CCHS (not significant). In both groups, breathlessness increased disproportionately more than ventilation towards the end of exercise. These data failed to disprove the corollary discharge hypothesis of breathlessness, but do suggest that the relationship between ventilation and breathlessness is non-linear and/or that projections of chemoreceptor afferents to the forebrain (presumed lacking in CCHS) is one source of breathlessness in normals.
Post-seismic and interseismic fault creep I: model description

We present a model of localized, aseismic fault creep during the full interseismic period, including both transient and steady fault creep, in response to a sequence of imposed coseismic slip events and tectonic loading. We consider the behaviour of models with linear viscous, non-linear viscous, rate-dependent friction, and rate- and state-dependent friction fault rheologies. Both the transient post-seismic creep and the pattern of steady interseismic creep rates surrounding asperities depend on recent coseismic slip and fault rheologies. In these models, post-seismic fault creep is manifest as pulses of elevated creep rates that propagate from the coseismic slip, these pulses feature sharper fronts and are longer lived in models with rate-state friction compared to other models. With small characteristic slip distances in rate-state friction models, interseismic creep is similar to that in models with rate-dependent friction faults, except for the earliest periods of post-seismic creep. Our model can be used to constrain fault rheologies from geodetic observations in cases where the coseismic slip history is relatively well known. When only considering surface deformation over a short period of time, there are strong trade-offs between fault rheology and the details of the imposed coseismic slip. Geodetic observations over longer times following an earthquake will reduce these trade-offs, while simultaneous modelling of interseismic and post-seismic observations provide the strongest constraints on fault rheologies.
Research Regulations: The Role of the Institutional Review Board

The successful assisted reproductive therapy (ART) clinic may wish to support the altruistic nature of medicine with the endeavor of advancing emerging technologies and patient care through clinically related research. Clinical research is quite common in academic medicine, but can also be of great benefit to private practitioners. Indeed, the private practice has a unique environment and viewpoint that may not be present in academic medicine. Additionally, human reproductive tissues that are unsuitable for ART use or no longer desired by the patient are often used for training personnel in the IVF laboratory or even for diagnostic testing. Therefore, it is likely that all ART clinics are affected by regulations regarding the oversight of human research and/or tissue storage. This chapter will give insight into establishing a reasonable method of procurement, storage, and tracking of such tissues. Because an ethics committee must oversee all research involving human subjects, a role most often filled by a local institutional review board (IRB), we will discuss how to work with and submit research proposals to the IRB. The maintenance and coding of stored tissues is also discussed, as it is also mandated under the Code of Federal Regulations.
REDFLAG a Run-timE, Distributed, Flexible, Lightweight, And Generic fault detection service for data-driven wireless sensor applications

Increased interest in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) by scientists and engineers is forcing WSN research to focus on application requirements. Data is available as never before in many fields of study; practitioners are now burdened with the challenge of doing data-rich research rather than being data-starved. In-situ sensors can be prone to errors, links between nodes are often unreliable, and nodes may become unresponsive in harsh environments, leaving to researchers the onerous task of deciphering often anomalous data. Presented here is the REDFLAG fault detection service for WSN applications, a Run-timE, Distributed, Flexible, detector of faults, that is also Lightweight And Generic. REDFLAG addresses the two most worrisome issues in data-driven wireless sensor applications: abnormal data and missing data. REDFLAG exposes faults as they occur by using distributed algorithms in order to conserve energy. Simulation results show that REDFLAG is lightweight both in terms of footprint and required power resources while ensuring satisfactory detection and diagnosis accuracy. Because REDFLAG is unrestrictive, it is generically available to a myriad of applications and scenarios.
A case and review of noma.

History and Epidemiology Historically, noma is a disease of extreme poverty and malnourishment, reported throughout history in Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa [1,3,4]. It was described by Hippocrates [5] and found in German and Japanese concentration camps during World War II [1,6]. Infection occurs mostly in children, although it has been described in neonates, adults, and the chronically ill [3,7]. The true prevalence and incidence of noma are not fully known, because it is believed that only ,15% of patients with acute cases of the disease seek medical care [1,8]. Noma is a disease of shame, and the condition often results in forced isolation from the community and family; many children are sent to live in isolation rather than being taken to medical care [1,8–10]. In the late 1990s, the incidence of acute childhood noma was placed at 25,600 in countries bordering the Sahara [11], and worldwide at between 100,000 and 140,000 per year, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia [12]. Peak incidence is among children aged 1–4 [3,4,7]. Worldwide prevalence of those living with the sequelae of noma was placed at 770,000 in 1997 [8].
Exploiting manifold geometry in hyperspectral imagery

A new algorithm for exploiting the nonlinear structure of hyperspectral imagery is developed and compared against the de facto standard of linear mixing. This new approach seeks a manifold coordinate system that preserves geodesic distances in the high-dimensional hyperspectral data space. Algorithms for deriving manifold coordinates, such as isometric mapping (ISOMAP), have been developed for other applications. ISOMAP guarantees a globally optimal solution, but is computationally practical only for small datasets because of computational and memory requirements. Here, we develop a hybrid technique to circumvent ISOMAP's computational cost. We divide the scene into a set of smaller tiles. The manifolds derived from the individual tiles are then aligned and stitched together to recomplete the scene. Several alignment methods are discussed. This hybrid approach exploits the fact that ISOMAP guarantees a globally optimal solution for each tile and the presumed similarity of the manifold structures derived from different tiles. Using land-cover classification of hyperspectral imagery in the Virginia Coast Reserve as a test case, we show that the new manifold representation provides better separation of spectrally similar classes than one of the standard linear mixing models. Additionally, we demonstrate that this technique provides a natural data compression scheme, which dramatically reduces the number of components needed to model hyperspectral data when compared with traditional methods such as the minimum noise fraction transform.
Land Without Opportunity: Public Goods Investment and Land Markets in Rural Mexico

I address the question “when do peasants on collectively owned land demand private titles?” by analyzing a land titling program in Mexico. I argue Mexico’s “punishment regime” in the 20th century influences the capacity of peasants to invest in a private title in the 21st century. Where commercial farmers were more powerful, the state issued fewer land grants to peasants and invested in public goods to capture electoral support from commercial farmers. Fewer peasants received land in these areas, but those who did had access to public goods that reduced socioeconomic marginalization and increased their capacity to invest in a private title. Using a technique called causal mediation analysis, I show that a higher percentage of arable land granted to the peasant sector during the 20th century directly reduces the likelihood of land privatization in the 21st century, and indirectly reduces privatization through farm productivity and human development levels.
Further comments on "An alternate derivation of the maximum likelihood estimate of a covariance matrix"

The alternate derivation of the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) of a covariance matrix, as offered by Nitzberg still contains certain problems, albeit his recent correspondence has assisted considerably in understanding the approach. A major point of difference centers around the last few steps of the alternate proof where a transition is attempted from the MLE of certain eigenvalues to the associated matrix, and thence to the MLE of the covariance matrix. The transition is effected by first "recognizing" that (for Normal statistics) the MLE of the covariance matrix is unique, and then using properties dependent on the uniqueness to derive the MLE. Rigorous development requires that the uniqueness, or at least any necessary structural characterizations, be first ascertained. A rough proof in this regard is presented here. An earlier reference containing the alternate derivation presented by Nitzberg is also provided.
Growth of a-Si:H Films by Remote Plasma Enhanced CVD (RPECVD)

We have used Remote Plasma CVD with plasma excited He to grow films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, a-Si:H, with substrate temperatures, Ts, between 38 and 400°C. These films differ from glow discharge (GD) and sputtered films, most notably in the Ts dependence of the hydrogen bonding environments (SiH, SiH2, etc.) and the photoconductivity. For RPECVD of a-Si:H, we have investigated: 1) the effect of replacing He in the plasma with Ar; 2) the silane mass spectrum and film growth rate as a function of rf power supplied to the plasma; and 3) the helium emission lines and hydrogen concentration in the films as a function of dilution of the He plasma with oxygen and nitrogen. Based on these observations we present a model for the deposition chemistry that includes SiH3 radicals as precursors to film growth.
Universal codeword sets and representations of the integers

Countable prefix codeword sets are constructed with the universal property that assigning messages in order of decreasing probability to codewords in order of increasing length gives an average code-word length, for any message set with positive entropy, less than a constant times the optimal average codeword length for that source. Some of the sets also have the asymptotically optimal property that the ratio of average codeword length to entropy approaches one uniformly as entropy increases. An application is the construction of a uniformly universal sequence of codes for countable memoryless sources, in which the n th code has a ratio of average codeword length to source rate bounded by a function of n for all sources with positive rate; the bound is less than two for n = 0 and approaches one as n increases.
Robust estimation of spatially variable noise fields

Consideration of spatially variable noise fields is becoming increasing necessary in magnetic resonance imaging given recent innovations in artifact identification and statistically-driven image processing. Fast imaging methods enable study of difficult anatomical targets and improve image quality but also increase the spatial variability in the noise field. Traditional analysis techniques have either assumed that the noise is constant across the field of view (or region of interest) or have relied on separate magnetic resonance image acquisitions to measure the noise field. These methods are either inappropriate for many modern scanning protocols or are overly time-consuming for already lengthy scanning sessions. We propose a new, general framework for estimating spatially variable noise fields from related, but independent magnetic resonance scans which we call noise field equivalent scans. These heuristic analyses enable robust noise field estimation in the presence of artifacts. Generalization of noise estimators based on uniform regions, difference images, and maximum likelihood are presented and compared with the estimators derived from the proposed framework. Simulations of diffusion tensor imaging and T2-relaxometry demonstrate a ten-fold reduction in mean squared error in noise field estimation, and these improvements are shown to be robust to artifact contamination. In vivo studies show that spatially variable noise fields can be readily estimated with typical data acquired at 1.5T.
Comprehensive performance model of differentiated service with token bucket marker

Differentiated services (DiffServ) networks use two type of routers: edge routers mark the packet headers according to their service profile, while the core routers implement queue management to provide service differentiation between packets according to information in their packet headers. Most previous studies on the performance of DiffServ have considered either the effect of the edge marking scheme or the effect of core queue management on the throughput of TCP applications. To study the combined effect of marking at the edge router and queue management at the core router on the performance of DiffServ, the authors propose a simple model that takes into consideration the committed information rate and maximum allowed burst size of the marker, in addition to the number of flows in an aggregate, round trip time, and the probability of a packet dropping at the core network. Observations from the model are presented, and simulations were performed to validate the accuracy of the model. The model shows that the performance of DiffServ is largely flow-based rather than desired-aggregate-based, and the DiffServ network suffers from unfairness issues.
Interbehavioral psychology and radical behaviorism: Some similarities and differences.

Both J. R. Kantor’s interbehavioral psychology and B. F. Skinner’s radical behaviorism represent well-articulated approaches to a natural science of behavior. As such, they share a number of similar features, yet they also differ on a number of dimensions. Some of these similarities and differences are examined by describing their emergence in the professional literature and by comparing the respective units of analysis of the two approaches—the interbehavioral field and the three-term contingency. An evaluation of the similarities and differences shows the similarities to be largely fundamental, and the differences largely ones of emphasis. Nonetheless, the two approaches do make unique contributions to a natural science of behavior, the integration of which can facilitate the development of that science and its acceptance among other sciences and within society at large.
Developmental occlusion, orthodontic interventions, and orthognathic surgery for adolescents.

Orthodontic treatment of the adolescent patient presents many unique opportunities that may not be possible for adults. Orthodontics in the mixed dentition may have two putative advantages over treatment of an adult who has permanent dentition: (1) with primary teeth present, leeway space and E-space (primary second molar space), could be used; and (2) growth could ostensibly be modified or redirected. Several recent developments in orthodontics are not age dependent: removable invisible aligners, self-ligating brackets, maxillary molar intra-arch distalization, and implant-assisted orthodontics. Currents trends in orthognathic jaw surgery include rigid internal fixation (RIF) and distraction osteogenesis (DO).
Somatostatin analog therapy for severe polycystic liver disease: results after 2 years

Background. We showed in a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial that octreotide long-acting repeatable depot.® (OctLAR ® ) for 12 months reduces kidney and liver growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney patients with severe polycystic liver disease (PLD) and liver growth in patients with severe isolated PLD. We have now completed an open-label extension for one additional year to assess safety and clinical benefits of continued use of OctLAR for 2 years (O→O) and examined drug effect in the placebo group who crossed over to OctLAR in Year 2 (P→O). Methods. The primary end point was change in total liver volume (TLV) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); secondary end points were changes in total kidney volume (TKV) measured by MRI, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), quality of life (QOL), safety, vital signs and laboratory parameters. Results. Forty-one of 42 patients received OctLAR (n = 28) or placebo (n = 14) in Year 1 and received OctLAR in Year 2 (maximum dose 40 mg). Patients originally randomized to placebo (P→O) showed substantial reduction in TLV after treatment with OctLAR in Year 2 (Δ% −7.66 ± 9.69%, P = 0.011). The initial reduction of TLV in the OctLAR group (O→O) was maintained for 2 years (Δ% −5.96 ± 8.90%), although did not change significantly during Year 2 (Δ% −0.77 ± 6.82%). OctLAR inhibited renal enlargement during Year 1 (Δ% +0.42 ± 7.61%) in the (O→O) group and during Year 2 (Δ% −0.41 ± 9.45%) in the (P→O) group, but not throughout Year 2 (Δ% +6.49 ± 7.08%) in the (O→O) group. Using pooled analyses of all individuals who received OctLAR for 12 months, i.e. in Year 1 for O→O patients and Year 2 for P→O patients, average reduction in TLV was −6.08 ± 7.58% (P = 0.001) compared to net growth of 0.9 ± 8.35% in the original placebo group. OctLAR-treated individuals continued to experience improvements in QOL in Year 2, although overall physical and mental improvements were not significant during Year 2 compared to Year 1. Changes in GFR were similar in both groups. Conclusion. Over 2 years, OctLAR significantly reduced the rate of increase in TLV and possibly the rate of increase in TKV.
Hysteresis, avalanches, and noise

In our studies of hysteresis and avalanches in the zero-temperature random-field Ising model, a simple model of magnetism, we often have had to do very large simulations. Previous simulations were usually limited to relatively small systems (up to 900/sup 2/ and 128/sup 3/), although there have been exceptions. In our simulations, we have found that larger systems (up to a billion spins) are crucial to extracting accurate values of the critical exponents and understanding important qualitative features of the physics. We show three algorithms for simulating these large systems. The first uses the brute-force method, which is the standard method for avalanche-propagation problems. This algorithm is simple but inefficient. We have developed two efficient and relatively straightforward algorithms that provide better results. The sorted-list algorithm decreases execution time, but requires considerable storage. The bits algorithm has an execution time that is similar to that of the sorted-list algorithm, but it requires far less storage.
Do Statin Medications Improve Periodontal Health and/or Outcomes? A Systematic Review

Focused Clinical Question:For adult patients (aged ≥30 years) with chronic periodontitis, does the use of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) improve periodontal health?Clinical Scenario:A 59-year-old female with a history of hyperlipidemia presents for periodontal maintenance care. She has been taking a statin medication for 4 years, during which time she received comprehensive periodontal therapy, including regenerative surgery in two quadrants. Post-surgical evaluation revealed substantial gains in clinical attachment and probing depth reduction. Radiographically, significant fill of the intrabony defect was observed. Before treatment, she was very anxious about losing more teeth and is now curious about the stability of her periodontal treatment. For clinical and radiographic presentation of the patient, see Figures 1 and 2.
Protein Analysis of Sapienic Acid-Treated Porphyromonas gingivalis Suggests Differential Regulation of Multiple Metabolic Pathways

ABSTRACT Lipids endogenous to skin and mucosal surfaces exhibit potent antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis, an important colonizer of the oral cavity implicated in periodontitis. Our previous work demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of the fatty acid sapienic acid (C 16:1Δ6 ) against P. gingivalis and found that sapienic acid treatment alters both protein and lipid composition from those in controls. In this study, we further examined whole-cell protein differences between sapienic acid-treated bacteria and untreated controls, and we utilized open-source functional association and annotation programs to explore potential mechanisms for the antimicrobial activity of sapienic acid. Our analyses indicated that sapienic acid treatment induces a unique stress response in P. gingivalis resulting in differential expression of proteins involved in a variety of metabolic pathways. This network of differentially regulated proteins was enriched in protein-protein interactions ( P = 2.98 × 10 −8 ), including six KEGG pathways ( P value ranges, 2.30 × 10 −5 to 0.05) and four Gene Ontology (GO) molecular functions ( P value ranges, 0.02 to 0.04), with multiple suggestive enriched relationships in KEGG pathways and GO molecular functions. Upregulated metabolic pathways suggest increases in energy production, lipid metabolism, iron acquisition and processing, and respiration. Combined with a suggested preferential metabolism of serine, which is necessary for fatty acid biosynthesis, these data support our previous findings that the site of sapienic acid antimicrobial activity is likely at the bacterial membrane. IMPORTANCE P. gingivalis is an important opportunistic pathogen implicated in periodontitis. Affecting nearly 50% of the population, periodontitis is treatable, but the resulting damage is irreversible and eventually progresses to tooth loss. There is a great need for natural products that can be used to treat and/or prevent the overgrowth of periodontal pathogens and increase oral health. Sapienic acid is endogenous to the oral cavity and is a potent antimicrobial agent, suggesting a potential therapeutic or prophylactic use for this fatty acid. This study examines the effects of sapienic acid treatment on P. gingivalis and highlights the membrane as the likely site of antimicrobial activity.
Bilateral shoulder-hand syndrome associated with phenobarbital administration. A case report.

Shoulder-Hand syndrome (SHS), or reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the upper extremity, is a neurovascular condition affecting the shoulder and hand.1 Pain, swelling, vasomotor disturbances, restricted range of motion, impaired function, and dystrophic changes of the skin and bones of the involved extremity are important manifestations.2 Pain inhibits the range of motion and function of the extremity early in the disease.3 If the condition is uninterrupted, contractures of the hand and shoulder develop because of mechanical restriction.3 Shoulder-Hand syndrome is associated with a wide variety of disorders, such as cervical disk disease, myocardial infarction, trauma, and cerebrovascular lesions.1 The precipitating factor is unknown in one-fifth of the cases of SHS and remains to be investigated.1 Various treatment modalities are reported in the literature, but agreement on the choice and potential benefit of treatment is lacking.4…
CHAPTER 8 – Biotechnology

Publisher Summary This chapter explores debates about biotechnology. Science is objective and value-free, as it should be. It is not the scientist's task to create or change social, economic, or political policy. Objective science is driven by curiosity about the natural world, mission of the employing institution, and demands of the funding that enable the research. Scientists attempt to understand and explain the natural world, and technology applies scientific findings to the world. Public and scientific debates about biotechnology often appear to be dominated by polar opposite views. Will biotechnology create a monster and will its creators then be unable to accept responsibility for the bad behavior of their creation or is biotechnology the next great scientific step that will benefit all? Surely, the new technology shows vast promise of crops that are more pest-resistant and nutritious. Proponents of biotechnology and genetic engineering of crop plants or animals see the techniques as a continuation of rather than a radical departure from what scientists have been doing for decades—manipulating the genome of plants and animals by selective breeding. Proponents of biotechnology say they are just continuing to do the same things with techniques that allow changes to be achieved faster and more efficiently with better, more predictable results.
Extrafloral Nectaries on Plants in Communities without Ants: Hawaii

Since the Hawaiian Islands lack native ants, it was hypothesized that extrafloral nectaries, an ant-related mutualistic trait, should be lacking on native species. Presence of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) on plants was determined by direct observation and related to vegetation structure and floral composition. Frequency of plants with EFNs was low by all possible comparisons. However, several endemic species had functional EFNs. The hypotheses to explain these anomalies are (1) phylogenetic inertia or (2) mutualism with some other organism than ants.
Ivan L. Preston, The Great American Blowup: Puffery in Advertising and Selling, Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1996

(1997). Ivan L. Preston, The Great American Blowup: Puffery in Advertising and Selling, Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1996. Journal of Advertising: Vol. 26, Special Issue on Services Advertising, pp. 64-65.
Newborn With Diffuse Erythematous Rash, Weeping Vesicles, and Syndactyly

A female newborn presents with a large erythematous lesion on the abdomen with diffuse pitting and erosions of the skin, bleeding lesions on the chin, serous leakage from the right antecubital fossa, and fusion of the fourth and fifth digits of the left hand (Fig 1). Figure 1. ### Prenatal and Birth Histories: The infant was feeding well, active, and afebrile after birth. Immediately after delivery, the newborn was noted to have a diffuse erythematous rash with scattered vesicles weeping serous fluid and fusion of the fourth and fifth digits of the left hand. Given concern for infection in the setting of a broken skin barrier, the newborn was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit overnight on the first postnatal day. ### Vital Signs: ### Physical Examination:
Microcrystallinity in a-Si & a-SiC Films Made by Hg-Sensitized Photo-CVD

A model for the role of H atoms as an etchant specie during deposition of microcrystalline (μc) films of Si:H and SiC:H is explored. Growth rates and etch rates of films made by Hg-sensitized photo-CVD have been measured as a function of reactor pressure (between 5 and 0.5 torr) and H2 dilution (up to 30:1). Gas phase reactions and diffusion to the substrate of depositing and etching species, have been modelled. It is found that high H radical flux (not necessarily high H2 dilution) promotes μc film growth. There are two surface etching reactions by H radicals: (i) selective etching of uncoordinated Si surface atoms (amorphous phase) from the film, leaving behind the more etch-resistant μc phase; (ii) in SiC:H alloy systems, a selective etching of C species, causing a decrease in C incorporation into the growing microcrystalline film. Films with increasing carbon content do not contain a μc-SiC phase because hydrogen is not eliminated from the carbon containing film precursors, thus inhibiting the development of crystalline Si-C network.
Pure Erythroid Leukemia and Erythroblastic Sarcoma Evolving From Chronic Myeloid Neoplasms

Objectives: Pure erythroid leukemia (PEL) is an extremely rare entity that may, even more rarely, evolve from a preexisting chronic myeloid neoplasm (CMN); there is minimal literature regarding this latter phenomenon. Methods: We describe 14 patients with PEL that represented progression from a preexisting myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, n = 8) or myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN, n = 6), three of which manifested as erythroblastic sarcoma (EBS), a rare entity. These patients had a highly complex karyotype with prominent clonal evolution and a very aggressive clinical course. Results: Patients with PEL from MDS showed a more rapid progression time to PEL and had lower platelet counts compared with PEL from MPN. No other significant differences were found between the two groups. Conclusions: These data represent the largest cohort of patients with PEL and an antecedent CMN, as well as the largest series of EBS reported to date, and underscore the unique morphologic, cytogenetic, immunophenotypic, and clinical features of this uncommon entity.
Negative Damping Case Analysis and Detection Method of PSS2A Model

The low frequency oscillation incident occurred between Pingban power plant and Guangxi power grid on December 2,2010. Prior to the oscillation,Guangxi Baise area 220 kV Pingbai line experienced a phase A fault of three jumps following unsuccessful reclosing. Scene investigation and analysis results show that the angular rate signal in the PSS2A model was mistakenly shielded,leading to the power system stabilizer( PSS) providing negative damping in active state. China Southern Power Grid Corporation attached great importance to this oscillation incident,which was reproduced by simulation on power system analysis software BPA and real-time digital simulation( RTDS). By interconnecting the actual excitation regulator device and RTDS for closed-loop simulation test,not only the low frequency oscillation incident is reproduced,but also the phenomenon of the PSS2A model providing positive damping in the high frequency band( above 1 Hz) and negative damping in the low frequency band( below 1 Hz) due to inaccurate calculation is exposed. This paper analyzes the causes of the negative damping phenomenon from the point of view of the mechanism of the PSS2A model,and studies the limitations of the field test method in testing the PSS2A model s effect of damping in the low- frequency band,and expounds the necessity of the PSS2A model for RTDS power grid access.
Colonial Developments in the Reign of James I

england was late in starting colonial ventures in the New World. Friendly relations with Spain during the reigns of the early Tudors, followed by a period of dangerous hostility in the later years of Queen Elizabeth, prevented the occupation of territory claimed by Spain. A group of expansionists led by Sir Francis Walsingham, the earl of Leicester, Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh, it is true, urged the necessity of seizing a portion of the new land before Spain occupied it all, but their tentative efforts ended in failure. Richard Hakluyt, the preacher-compiler of voyages, was their chief propagandist for colonial activity.
Dual signal transduction mechanisms modulate ciliary beat frequency in upper airway epithelium

This study investigated the effects of methacholine and terbutaline on the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of upper airway epithelium. The CBF of cultured human adenoid explants was measured using microphotometry. Methacholine (10(-6) M) and terbutaline (10(-6)M) increased CBF a maximum of 23.0 +/- 1.8% (P 0.15). H-89 (10(-6) M), a cAMP kinase inhibitor, significantly inhibited terbutaline-induced ciliostimulation (P 0.05). Diclofenac (10(-6) M), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, significantly inhibited the effects of methacholine (P 0.05). These findings suggest that the CBF of upper airway epithelium is modulated through at least two distinct pathways. The beta 2-adrenoceptor produces ciliary stimulation by a pathway involving increased intracellular cAMP levels, while the muscarinic receptor increases CBF by a mechanism involving production of prostaglandins, NO, and cGMP.
More on Optimum Design Concepts: Optimality Conditions

An alternate form of the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) first-order optimality conditions is described where the inequality constraints are not converted to the equality form by introduction of the slack variables. The requirement of “regular points” in the KKT conditions is examined and explained. Second-order necessary and sufficient conditions for the constrained optimization problem are presented, explained, and illustrated. The concept of duality in nonlinear programming is introduced and explained. The dual function is defined and the Lagrangian duality is discussed for an equality-constrained problem. It is then extended for inequality constraints as well. The concept of saddle points is introduced, and the saddle point theorem is discussed.
Fabrication of NiTi through additive manufacturing: A review

Abstract Nickel-titanium (NiTi) is an attractive alloy due to its unique functional properties (i.e., shape memory effect and superelasticity behaviors), low stiffness, biocompatibility, damping characteristics, and corrosion behavior. It is however a hard task to fabricate NiTi parts because of the high reactivity and high ductility of the alloy which results in difficulties in the processing and machining. These challenges altogether have limited the starting form of NiTi devices to simple geometries including rod, wire, bar, tube, sheet, and strip. In recent years, additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have been implemented for the direct production of complex NiTi such as lattice-based and hollow structures with the potential use in aerospace and medical applications. It worth noting that due to the relatively higher cost, AM is considered a supplement technique for the existing. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the publications related to the AM techniques of NiTi while highlighting current challenges and methods of solving them. To this end, the properties of conventionally fabricated NiTi are compared with those of AM fabricated alloys. The critical steps toward a successful manufacturing such as powder preparation, optimum laser parameters, and fabrication chamber conditions are explained. The microstructural characteristics and structural defects, the influencing factors on the transformation temperatures, and functional properties of NiTi are highlighted to provide and overview of the influencing factors and possible controlling methods. The mechanical properties such as hardness and wear resistance, compressive behaviors, fatigue characteristics, damping and shock absorption properties are also reported. A case study in the form of using AM as a promising technique to fabricate engineered porous NiTi for the purpose of creating a building block for medical applications is introduced. The paper concludes with a section that summarizes the main findings from the literature and outlines the trend for future research in the AM processing of NiTi.
Frequency Distributions and Scaling of Soil Texture and Hydraulic Properties in a Stratified Deep Vadose Zone Near Maricopa, Arizona

We analyze the distributional and scaling properties of soil texture data measured to a depth of 15 m over an area of \(3600\,\mathrm{{m}}^{2}\) in a vadose zone near Maricopa, Arizona, and of hydraulic properties estimated on the basis of these data with the Rosetta neural network pedotransfer model. We find that vertical and horizontal spatial increments of all variables exhibit Gaussian or symmetric heavy-tailed distributions, nonlinear power-law scaling in a midrange of separation distances (lags), breakdown in power law scaling at small and large lags, extended power-law scaling at all lags, and various degrees of vertical to horizontal anisotropy. Both sets of variables are amenable to interpretation by viewing them as stationary and anisotropic samples from spatially correlated sub-Gaussian random fields subordinated to truncated fractional Brownian motion (tfBm) or truncated fractional Gaussian noise (tfGn).
Radiation-Induced Effects on Microstructure

Atomic displacements associated with energetic particle irradiation can produce a wide variety of microstructural changes in metals and ceramics. Typical radiation-induced microstructures include faulted and perfect dislocation loops, network dislocations, stacking fault tetrahedra, cavities, precipitates, and crystalline-to-amorphous phase transitions. Examples are given for each of these microstructural features produced under irradiation. This chapter provides an overview of the key parameters that influence the microstructural evolution of irradiated materials (metallic and ceramic). Irradiation dose and temperature are the two most important extrinsic variables that influence microstructure evolution in irradiated materials. The primary knock-on atom energy may also strongly affect microstructural changes, including direct creation of defect clusters or amorphous regions. Additional variables of potential importance include crystal structure, atomic weight, atomic bonding, dose rate, proportion of ionizing to displacive radiation, and the concentration and distribution of solute atoms (including alloying additions, impurities, and nuclear transmutation products). Some of the key consequences of microstructural changes are briefly summarized, including amorphization, thermal and electrical conductivity degradation, low temperature radiation embrittlement, irradiation creep, irradiation growth, void swelling, and high temperature helium embrittlement.