cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Late results of the peel operation for replacement of failing extracardiac conduits

Abstract Background Pulmonary ventricle to pulmonary artery conduits have made repairing many complex congenital cardiac anomalies possible. Late patient outcome is adversely affected by the hemodynamic consequences of conduit failure and the need for reoperation for conduit replacement. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 102 patients (65 males, 37 females) who underwent operation with autologous tissue reconstruction ("peel operation") between May 1983 and November 2001, in which a prosthetic roof was placed over the fibrous bed of the explanted conduit. Ages ranged from 5 to 58 years old (median age 19 years old). Explanted conduits were Hancock (n = 54), homograft (n = 21), Tascon (n = 11), and other (n = 16). The conduit roof was constructed with pericardium (n = 91) and other (n = 11). A prosthetic pulmonary valve was utilized in 68 patients: porcine in 65 patients and mechanical in 3 patients. A nonvalved reconstruction was performed in 34 patients. Concomitant cardiac procedures were performed in 66 patients. Results Early mortality overall was 2% (n = 2) and was 0% for patients who underwent isolated conduit replacement (n = 36). Mean follow-up was 7.6 years (maximum, 19 years). Overall survival at 10 and 15 years was 91% (84.7, 97.2) and 76% (62.8, 91.7), respectively. Nine patients required reoperation related to the peel operation: regurgitation in nonvalved conduit (n = 7); moderate pulmonary bioprosthesis stenosis and regurgitation with atrial arrhythmia (n = 1); and pulmonary bioprosthesis endocarditis (n = 1). Overall survivorship free of reoperation for peel reconstruction failure at 10 and 15 years was 90.7% (82.6, 99.6) and 82% (69.4, 97.0), respectively. Survivorship free of reoperation for patients with a prosthetic valve was 93.7%, and for those with no prosthetic valve was 80.0% at 15 years ( p = 0.57). At late follow-up, 89% of patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I or II. Conclusions The peel operation simplifies conduit replacement, can be performed with low risk, and provides a generous-sized flow pathway. In our experience late results demonstrate a lower freedom from reoperation than conventional prosthetic or homograft conduits.
Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of Recombinant Campylobacter jejuni Flagellum-Secreted Proteins in Mice

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of three Campylobacter jejuni flagellum-secreted proteins, FlaC, FspA1, and FspA2, were compared by use of a mouse model. Mice were immunized intranasally with each protein with or without LTR192G as the adjuvant and challenged intranasally with C. jejuni 81-176 or CG8486. All three proteins were immunogenic, although FspA1 induced the highest levels of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and fecal IgA. Although immunogenic, FlaC provided only 18% protection against disease from C. jejuni 81-176. Immunization with FspA1 resulted in 57.8% protection without adjuvant or 63.8% protection with adjuvant against homologous challenge with 81-176. Alternatively, immunization with FspA2 provided 38.4% (without adjuvant) or 47.2% (with adjuvant) protection against disease from homologous challenge with CG8486. In contrast to FspA2, FspA1 provided some heterologous protection against C. jejuni CG8486 when delivered with (31.2%) or without (44.8%) LTR192G. These results suggest that FspA1 may be a good subunit vaccine candidate against C. jejuni disease.
Enhancing Moral Intensity: The Roles of Personal and Consequential Information in Ethical Decision-Making

This research explored how (a) information regarding consequences and (b) personal information regarding the potential victim influences perceptions of moral intensity and ethical behavioral intent. An experimental vignette research design was used and 314 professional managers participated. The results of the study indicated that personal information impacted ethical behavioral intent through its influence on perceptions of proximity. In contrast, consequential information's impact depended on the presence of personal information or prior knowledge. Implications for management and future ethical research are discussed.
Room-temperature discotic liquid-crystalline coronene diimides exhibiting high charge-carrier mobility in air

Six N,N′,5,11-tetrasubstituted coronene-2,3,8,9-tetracarboxydiimides have been synthesised incorporating 3,4,5-tri(n-dodecyloxy)phenyl or 2-(n-decyl)-n-tetradecyl groups in various positions. Differential scanning calorimetry, polarised optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction indicate that all form columnar discotic mesophases from around room temperature to around 200 °C. Charge-carrier mobility values, which energetic considerations suggest are electron mobility values, have been determined in non-aligned samples cooled from the isotropic melt using the space-charge-limited current technique. The highest mobility, 6.7 cm2V−1 s−1, was found in N,N′-bis(n-2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-pentadecylfluorooctyl)-5,11-bis(3-[{3,4,5-tri(n-dodecyloxy)phenyl}carbonyloxy]-n-propyl)coronene-2,3,8,9-tetracarboxydiimide, which X-ray diffraction suggests is the most highly ordered of the materials examined.
The Problem of Market Relations and the State in Revolutionary Russia

If the market has emerged in current Soviet and Western discourse as a notional Rosetta stone capable of deciphering the coded blueprints of post-Soviet reconstruction, its apparent destruction by the Bolsheviks during the Civil War and subsequent resurrection under the New Economic Policy (NEP) is often seen as a similarly defining element of the whole early Soviet project. As many would have it, the party's initial urge to control entirely the whole complex of economic exchange relations firmly situates Soviet totalitarianism in a Leninist political economy. The brutal repression of free traders and the mindless nationalization of production clearly evidences the calamitous utopianism of Bolshevik class-based ideology, while the reemergence after 1921 of limited market mechanisms, even if only a reluctant concession to political weakness and economic devastation, opened alternative paths to a non-Stalinist Soviet modernity involving elements of a civil social order. In a phrase, reified conceptions of the market broadly shape historical constructions of a unique and problematic Soviet past, just as they purportedly demonstrate what is peculiar about the post-Soviet present and necessary for the future.
The green June beetle (Cotinis nitida) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): local variation in the beetle’s major avian predators and in the competition for mates

AbstractThe green June beetle (Cotinis nitida) was observed in northern Virginia for a second and third flight season. The study yielded some results that were consistent with earlier findings, namely that mate-locating beetles were vulnerable to attack by avian predators and matings occurred primarily early in the flight season. Novel findings included the following: (1) blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) were the major predators, not common grackles (Quiscalus quiscala), (2) some jays appeared to selectively prey on female beetles, (3) competition for mates among male beetles could be so intense that some males attempted to copulate with already mated (unreceptive) females, and (4) the sex ratio of the beetle population feeding on wild blackberries remained near equality late in the flight season despite the fact that the sex ratio of the population of beetles at the emergence site became highly female-biased over time.
Experimental Linear Descriptive Type Classification

The purpose was to determine if linear descriptive scores ignored age and stage of lactation. Holstein cows in five herds were classified by two evaluators of the Holstein Association. Each herd was scored by a single classifier on experimental linear system. Body measurements logically related to trait descriptions were taken approximately 1 mo later. Body measurements and linear scores were analyzed for age, stage, and interaction effects. Also, linear scores (322) were predicted from related body measurements, and residuals (actual score minus predicted score) were analyzed to determine if classifiers were adjusting subjectively for effects of age and stage of lactation. Classifier and herd within classifier differed for most traits. Age and interactions of age with classifier, indicators of differential age adjustment by evaluators, were significant sources of variation only for residuals of body strength, rear udder width, rump width, and teat placement. The absence of age and stage effects from the residual analyses provides evidence that linear scores for most traits ignored these factors. Residuals also regressed about .2 on final score of the cow. Cows with high final scores were assigned linear scores that were relatively higher than their body measurements would justify.
Is the Generality Problem too General

Reliabilism holds that knowledge is true belief reliably caused. Reliabilists should say something about individuating processes; critics deny that the right degree of generality can be specified without arbitrariness. It is argued that this criticism applies as well to processes mentioned in scientific explanations. The gratuitous puzzles created thereby show that the “generality problem” is illusory.
The adrenergic receptor α-2A gene (ADRA2A) and neuropsychological executive functions as putative endophenotypes for childhood ADHD

There is resurgent interest in the psychiatric literature in endophenotypes, variables thought to more strongly reflect the effects of candidate genes than do manifest disorders. In a sample of 176 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 52 of their siblings, we examined the validity of several putative endophenotypes for ADHD that represent commonly used clinical measures of multiple cognitive/neuropsychological domains of executive functions (EFs). We review their distributional normality, their relations to ADHD symptoms in probands and unaffected siblings relative to nonADHD controls, and their correlation in siblings. We also tested the EF measures’ associations with the ADRA2A gene and whether they mediated or moderated the associations between ADHD and ADRA2A. Several EF measures showed association with ADRA2A, as well as moderation, but not mediation, of its association with ADHD. Implications of the results for evaluating the validity and utility of putative endophenotype measures and for finding candidate gene effects on ADHD are discussed.
Underwing Missile Aerodynamic Effects on Flight-Measured Limit-Cycle Oscillations

F-16 testing revealed differences in limit-cycle oscillation response characteristics associated with subtle aerodynamic variations of the underwing missiles. Physical length differences between long and short missiles led to the accidental discovery of the limit-cycle oscillation sensitivity. In addition to the length difference, the long missiles were found to have builtup collar sections, to which the fins and canards were attached to the missile body. Two cases are presented where both long and short missiles were carried underwing. For the case with no wingtip missiles present, carriage of the long missiles showed significant limit-cycle oscillation response, while the short missiles showed very little response. For the case with wingtip missiles present, the limit-cycle oscillation response levels were slightly higher for carriage of the short missiles but were otherwise quite similar to the long-missile responses. Computational fluid dynamics on a rigid wing suggest that the differences between the...
Apophysitis of the fifth metatarsal base. Iselin's disease

Apophysitis of the fifth metatarsal base, or Iselin's disease, is an overuse osteochondrosis seen in growing children. Although amenable to treatment, it is a self-limiting disorder, disappearing spontaneously with completion of growth.
Physiological correlates of symbiont migration during bleaching of two octocoral species

Perturbed colonies of Phenganax parrini and Sarcothelia sp. exhibit migration of symbionts of Symbiodinium spp. into the stolons. Densitometry and visual inspection indicated that polyps bleached while stolons did not. When migration was triggered by temperature, light and confinement, colonies of Sarcothelia sp. decreased rates of oxygen formation in the light (due to the effects of perturbation on photosynthesis and respiration) and increased rates of oxygen uptake in the dark (due to the effects of perturbation on respiration alone). Colonies of P. parrini, by contrast, showed no significant changes in either aspect of oxygen metabolism. When migration was triggered by light and confinement, colonies of Sarcothelia sp. showed decreased rates of oxygen formation in the light and increased rates of oxygen uptake in the dark, while colonies of P. parrini maintained the former and increased the latter. During symbiont migration into their stolons, colonies of both species showed dramatic increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS), as visualized with a fluorescent probe, with stolons of Sarcothelia sp. exhibiting a nearly immediate increase of ROS. Differences in symbiont type may explain the greater sensitivity of colonies of Sarcothelia sp. Using fluorescent probes, direct measurements of migrating symbionts in the stolons of Sarcothelia sp. showed higher levels of reactive nitrogen species and lower levels of ROS than the surrounding host tissue. As measured by native fluorescence, levels of NAD(P)H in the stolons were unaffected by perturbation. Symbiont migration thus correlates with dramatic physiological changes and may serve as a marker for coral condition.
Bosonic Stimulation in the Formation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate

The formation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of a dilute atomic gas has been studied in situ with a nondestructive, time-resolved imaging technique. Sodium atoms were evaporatively cooled close to the onset of Bose-Einstein condensation and then suddenly quenched to below the transition temperature. The subsequent equilibration and condensate formation showed a slow onset distinctly different from simple relaxation. This behavior provided evidence for the process of bosonic stimulation, or coherent matter-wave amplification, crucial to the concept of an atom laser.
Electrotactile haptic display on the fingertips: preliminary results

Electrical stimulation of the sense of touch may be used to display pictorial information to blind computer users via a fingertip-scanned (haptic) touch tablet containing embedded electrodes. This might be particularly useful to users of systems with graphical user interfaces, or with drawing and layout software. Electrotactile (electrocutaneous) stimulation on the fingertip, however, differs substantially from that on other body locations. We discuss the implications of designing a practical graphics haptic display by addressing the high-resistance and variable nature of the fingertip electrode-skin interface. >
A Simple Group Key Management Approach for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Securing communications among a group of nodes in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) is challenging due to the lack of trusted infrastructure. Group key management is one of the basic building blocks in securing group communications. A group key is a common secret used in cryptographic algorithms. Group key management involves creating and distributing the common secret for all group members. Change of membership requires the group key being refreshed to ensure backward and forward secrecy. In this paper, we extend our previous work with new protocols. Our basic idea is that each group member does not need to order intermediate keys and can deduce the group key locally. A multicast tree is formed for efficient and reliable message dissemination.*****
Interharmonics Power Losses Estimation in Power Transformer fed High Power Cycloconverter Drive

High power cycloconverter (CCV) fed drives are widely used in mining plants for ore processing. Actually, transformers for CCV are manufactured under IEEE Standards for rectifier power transformers, considering harmonics losses only. However, when the drive operates at full power and variable speed, interharmonics currents can cause additional losses and overheating. In this work, the analysis of an actual CCV-drive with experimental measurements is presented, including a model for estimation of the interharmonic losses, considering the most relevant spectral components around the fundamental component. These losses are relevant and new considerations for transformer design are proposed.
Could recent advances in DNA-loaded nanoparticles lead to effective inhaled gene therapies?

Gene therapy provides an attractive therapeutic strategy for treating and curing devastating lung disorders, due to recent identification of numerous genetic targets or the monogenic nature of some respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF) and α-antitrypsin deficiency. Inhalable gene therapies provide a straightforward modality for delivering therapeutic nucleic acids directly to target sites in the airways. Clinical trials of inhaled gene therapies to date have primarily employed virus-based delivery systems (i.e., gene vectors) [1,2], as evolution has endowed viruses with the intrinsic ability to infect cells. However, concerns exist around the use of viral gene vectors, including proinflammatory side effects, therapy-inactivating immunogenicity, potential insertional mutagenesis and limited packaging capacity [1,3]. In addition, manufacturing viral vectors on a large scale is complex and potentially costly, a particular concern for use in highly prevalent lung diseases. To avoid some of the potential limitations of viral systems, synthetic nanoparticlebased gene vectors have been increasingly investigated as an alternative for inhaled gene therapy. Advances in nucleic acid engineering [4,5] have enabled synthetic systems to provide long-term or cell-specific transgene expression similar to what was once only possible with viral vectors. The most widely tested synthetic materials include cationic polymers and lipids that compact negatively charged nucleic acid macromolecules into small nanoparticles. These DNA-loaded nanoparticles (DNA-NPs) protect nucleic acid payloads from physiological enzymatic degradation, and due to their small size, help bypass biological barriers. DNA-NPs generally possess a positive surface charge, which is thought to facilitate electrostatic interactions with anionic cell surfaces and subsequent uptake. Many scientists have created novel synthetic systems incorporating environmentally-sensitive linkers for timely intracellular payload release and/or improved safety [6], chemical variations for improved endosomal escape and other intracellular processes [7,8] and targeting moieties for facilitating cellular or nuclear uptake [9]. Such systems have demonstrated improved in vitro transgene expression compared with commercially available and/or gold-standard controls. Although promising, it should be noted that improved gene transfer in vitro does not necessarily correlate with improved delivery in vivo. Specifically, commonly used cell lines are physiologically different from human primary cells, including their readily mitotic nature and distinct molecular zip codes (i.e., cell surface receptors and glycosylation patterns). Thus, in vitro experiments must be designed carefully to be physiologically or pathologically relevant. Three-dimensional tumor spheroids [10] and air-liquid interface airway Could recent advances in DNA-loaded nanoparticles lead to effective inhaled gene therapies?
Wind Induced Ground Motion

Wind noise is a problem in seismic surveys and can mask the seismic signals at low frequency. This research investigates ground motions caused by wind pressure and shear stress perturbations on the ground surface. A prediction of the ground displacement spectra using the measured ground properties and predicted pressure and shear stress at the ground surface is developed. Field measurements are conducted at a site having a flat terrain and low ambient seismic noise. Triaxial geophones are deployed at different depths to study the wind-induced ground vibrations as a function of depth and wind velocity. Comparison of the predicted to the measured wind-induced ground displacement spectra shows good agreement for the vertical component but significant underprediction for the horizontal components. To validate the theoretical model, a test experiment is designed to exert controlled normal pressure and shear stress on the ground using a vertical and a horizontal mass-spring apparatus. This experiment verifies the linear elastic rheology and the quasi-static displacements assumptions of the model. The results indicate that the existing surface shear stress models significantly underestimate the wind shear stress at the ground surface and the amplitude of the fluctuation shear stress must be of the same order of magnitude as the normal pressure. Measurement results show that mounting the geophones flush with the ground provides a significant reduction in wind noise on all three components of the geophone. Further reduction in wind noise with depth of burial is small for depths up to 40 cm.
Vitamins, Phytonutrients, and Minerals in Potato

Potatoes contain a complex mix of phytonutrients in amounts that vary greatly among cultivars and primitive germplasm. Potatoes contain sizable amounts of vitamin C and potassium, the two phytonutrients for which they may be best known. Potatoes also contain important amounts of other phytonutrients, including protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, carotenoids, and B vitamins, and are one of the primary suppliers of polyphenols to the diet. Red- and purple-fleshed potatoes can provide especially high amounts of phenylpropanoids including chlorogenic acid and anthocyanins. Immature tubers contain higher amounts of many phytonutrients than at maturity and are marketed typically as “new” or “baby” potatoes. Tubers also contain glycoalkaloids that can have undesirable effects if present at too high a concentration, although research over the past decade has increasingly shown a range of potential health-promoting properties for these compounds, including anticancer effects. Potatoes provide more calories per acre than any other major crop and have historically played an important role in providing food security. With forecasts that global food production must double by 2050, potatoes will continue to have a key role, especially in Asia and Africa, where production of potatoes has markedly increased in recent decades. While this staple food is already an important source of phytonutrients, genomics and metabolomics, along with the elucidation of phytonutrient biosynthetic pathways and regulatory mechanisms, allow new approaches to be undertaken by traditional and molecular breeders to further increase the phytonutrient content of potato.
Low Density Lipoprotein Reconstitutions with Alkyl and Aryl Carboranes

Low density lipoproteins (LDL’s) are among the most attractive of possible boron delivery methodologies by virtue of their high carrying capacity for hydrophobic boron compounds and their cellular internalization through receptor-mediated processes. Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that long chain unsaturated fatty alcohol esters of carborane carboxylic acid can be very efficiently exchanged for the cholesterol ester core of human LDL. In collaboration with coworkers at Brookhaven National Laboratory using in vitro techniques, we have found that: (a) boron concentrations exceeding 10 times that needed for therapy were easily obtained; (b) boron remained firmly bound despite repeated washings and suspension in boron-free medium; (c) boron distribution was intracellular, with a biological efficacy indicative of a cytoplasmic location; (d) in vitro uptake and efficacy studies were consistent with a receptor-mediated binding mechanism; (e) boron uptake, retention, and efficacy were better by far than those obtained with any other boron compound previously studied in our in vitro screening system.(1) The present study was undertaken to determine whether simple alkyl and aryl carboranes could be similarly exchanged for LDL cholesterol and, if so, whether any identifiable structure activity relationships among the compounds could be identified. We also wished to determine whether reconstituted LDL’s suffered serious aggregation and to demonstrate that ICP-AES and prompt gamma spectrometric boron assay procedures produced coincident numbers.
Click chemistry: Straining to react.

A new click-style reaction based on a strain-release amination strategy has been developed. This approach can be used to append small, strained ring systems onto a core scaffold.
Environmental drivers of seasonal variation in green roof runoff water quality

Abstract Green (vegetated) roofs provide many beneficial environmental services but can also pose a disservice by leaching nutrients and metals, via storm water runoff, to downstream aquatic ecosystems. Current estimates of water quality impacts rely on limited samples (snapshots in time) and may not accurately reflect the true influence of green roof ecosystems, which likely vary temporally as do natural ecosystems. Using a 46 m 2 green roof in Cincinnati, OH, we analyzed runoff from >80 events over two years for pH, conductivity, and concentrations of dissolved nutrients, base cations, and metals. We related the variation in water chemistry to environmental variables including air temperature, storm event magnitude, and estimated antecedent moisture. We observed strong seasonal patterns in bioactive elements, with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and base cation concentrations highest in the summer, and positively correlated with temperature. This suggests temperature-mediated processes such as microbial mineralization of organic matter, desorption or weathering, rather than plant uptake or hydrologic variation among storms, are the major controlling mechanisms for runoff water quality in this newly constructed green roof. The large temporal variation in green roof effluent water quality supports the need for long-term studies to characterize the complexity of these engineered ecosystems and their responsiveness to environmental variation.
Specialized Training and the Science Writer

The problem of specialization in news reporting is enormously complex and often confusing, with arguments centering around how much expertise the specialized reporter should have and how he should ...
The Internal Anatomy of Home Range

Direct observations and radio tracking provide a great many more observations of animal location than does live trapping. This greater wealth of data allows quantitative descriptions of the distribution of use-intensity within the home range, in addition to the usual outline of the home range. This entails the use of biometrical methods adapted to the management of the more massive data. Variation in use-intensity over the home range can be represented graphically as a 3-dimensional frequency surface. The “Index of Overlap” described here, provides a succinct measure of the coincidence of use-intensity over the home ranges of two individuals.
From Origin to Aspiration: Development of the University of Minnesota's Human Factors Research Laboratory

This paper details the development of the Human Factors Research Laboratory at the University of Minnesota from its conception to the present time. The account features the intellectual structure and thematic progress through illustrative examples of individual research projects. These examples are given not simply for historical purposes but as specific cases of how Human Factors research can feature in an ever more pragmatic societal environment and therefore come to the fore of the modern University agenda in both education and research.
A Queueing Network Model for Spaced Repetition

Flashcards are a popular study tool for exploiting the spacing effect -- the phenomenon in which periodic, spaced review of educational content improves long-term retention. The Leitner system is a simple heuristic algorithm for scheduling reviews such that forgotten items are reviewed more frequently than recalled items. We propose a formalization of the Leitner system as a queueing network model, and formulate optimal review scheduling as a throughput-maximization problem. Through simulations and theoretical analysis, we find that the Leitner Queue Network (LQN) model has desirable properties and gives insight into general principles for spaced repetition.
Melanopsin-Encoded Response Properties of Intrinsically Photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells

Summary Melanopsin photopigment expressed in intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) plays a crucial role in the adaptation of mammals to their ambient light environment through both image-forming and non-image-forming visual responses. The ipRGCs are structurally and functionally distinct from classical rod/cone photoreceptors and have unique properties, including single-photon response, long response latency, photon integration over time, and slow deactivation. We discovered that amino acid sequence features of melanopsin protein contribute to the functional properties of the ipRGCs. Phosphorylation of a cluster of Ser/Thr residues in the C-terminal cytoplasmic region of melanopsin contributes to deactivation, which in turn determines response latency and threshold sensitivity of the ipRGCs. The poorly conserved region distal to the phosphorylation cluster inhibits phosphorylation's functional role, thereby constituting a unique delayed deactivation mechanism. Concerted action of both regions sustains responses to dim light, allows for the integration of light over time, and results in precise signal duration.
Agricultural Household's Contract and Management

The essay elaborates theoretically and practically the fact that agricultural household's contract and management are collective economy,and are the main forms of agricultural management which conform to our country's actual situation and the state of productivity development. The essay also puts forward the strategies and measures for persevering in agricultural household's contract and management.
Determination of gibberellin,benzioc acid,saccharin sodium and ponceau 4R in fruits by solid phase extration and high perfermance liquid chromatography

Objective:To establish a SPE-HPLC method for the determination of gibberellin,benzoic acid,saccharin sodium and ponceau 4R in fruits.Methods:Fruit samples were extracted with methnal/water(50%) and cleaned up with Waters HLB solid extration phase.Then gibberellin,benzoic acid,saccharin sodium and ponceau 4R were determined by HPLC with PAD detector.Results:The four components were concentrated and separated completely by HLB cartridges.The good correlation and coefficient of the standard curve were obtained(r0.999),the recoveries of sample were 92%～104% with relative standard deviations between 3.5% and 4.3%.Conclusion:This method is simple,reliable and accurate for determination of gibberellin,benzioc acid, saccharin sodium and ponceau 4R in fruits.
Parametric models for studying time to antiretroviral resistance associated with illicit drug use.

OBJECTIVE Biomedical researchers tend to choose semiparametric methods to model time-to-event data because they do not require any assumptions about the shape of the underlying hazard. An example is provided where parametric models are a desirable alternative. METHODS Data were analyzed from a prospective cohort study of 195 adults receiving HIV care and highly active antiretroviral therapy in Baltimore, Md. They were followed for 1188 visits between February 2000 and December 2001. Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox and Weibull regressions were performed. RESULTS Illicit drug users experienced a greater hazard of clinically significant antiretroviral resistance as compared to non-users. Weibull regression demonstrated that a quarter and a half of illicit drug users developed resistance within 5 and 20 months of viral suppression, respectively, compared to 20 and 85 months, respectively, for non-users. CONCLUSIONS Both semiparametric and parametric methods demonstrated an increased hazard of clinically significant resistance associated with illicit drug use. The parametric model facilitated the estimation of elapsed time to resistance associated with illicit drug use.
Oblique projections in aortography following blunt thoracic trauma

We report a patient with innominate artery false-aneurysm formation following blunt trauma to the thorax. Aortography in the standard anteroposterior and left anterior oblique (LAO) projections failed to delineate the injury. Its true extent was only demonstrable in the right anterior oblique (RAO) projection. When the clinical history and a chest radiograph suggest a high likelihood of injury to the aorta or great vessels, routine aortography may need to be performed in both the LAO and RAO projections.
Cost and Utilization: Hospitalized Patients on a Family Medicine Service.

OBJECTIVES: The cost of hospitalizations contributes to the rising expense of medical care in the United States. Providing health insurance to uninsured Americans is a strategy to reduce these costs, but only if costs for uninsured patients are disproportionately high. This study examined hospitalization use patterns for uninsured patients compared with those with Medicaid and commercial insurance. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review to analyze inpatient admissions to a family medicine teaching service in a 290-bed, for-profit community hospital during a 2-year period based on insurance status of the patient. Outcome variables investigated were length of stay, emergency department visits, and readmission rates to the hospital and/or emergency department. Secondary outcome variables were mean charges. RESULTS: A total of 1102 admissions to a family medicine teaching service were evaluated. Length of stay, readmission rates to the hospital and the emergency department after hospital discharge, and average length of stay compared with diagnosis-related groups were significantly higher in the Medicaid population than for insured and uninsured individuals. Variable costs also were significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: Insurance status was found to be a significant factor in hospital charges and utilization data, with Medicaid patients having the highest costs. This suggests that moving uninsured patients to Medicaid may not significantly reduce hospitalization costs.
Low-Moisture Food Manufacturing and Storage Sanitation

Rigid sanitation practices are essential in low-moisture food manufacturing and storage facilities to maintain product acceptability and to comply with regulatory requirements. A sanitary operation should be complemented with appropriate facility site selection and hygienic design of the building and equipment. Unprocessed materials should be sampled during the receiving operation to verify that they are not infested with insects, molds, rodents, or other unacceptable contaminants. Insect-resistant packaging should be considered for nonperishable items.
Multiview Marker-Free Registration of Forest Terrestrial Laser Scanner Data With Embedded Confidence Metrics

Terrestrial laser scanning has demonstrated increasing potential for rapid comprehensive measurement of forest structure, especially when multiple scans are spatially registered in order to reduce the limitations of occlusion. Although marker-based registration techniques (based on retro-reflective spherical targets) are commonly used in practice, a blind marker-free approach is preferable, insofar as it supports rapid operational data acquisition. To support these efforts, we extend the pairwise registration approach of our earlier work, and develop a graph-theoretical framework to perform blind marker-free global registration of multiple point cloud data sets. Pairwise pose estimates are weighted based on their estimated error, in order to overcome pose conflict while exploiting redundant information and improving precision. The proposed approach was tested for eight diverse New England forest sites, with 25 scans collected at each site. Quantitative assessment was provided via a novel embedded confidence metric, with a mean estimated root-mean-square error of 7.2 cm and 89% of scans connected to the reference node. This paper assesses the validity of the embedded multiview registration confidence metric and evaluates the performance of the proposed registration algorithm.
Incorporating thermal requirements into flow regime development for multiple Pacific salmonid species in regulated rivers

Abstract It has long been recognized that altered flow regimes and warm water temperature are among major stressors that have contributed to the precipitous decline of salmonid populations in California’s Central Valley, resulting in many of them being listed as endangered or threatened pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. While it is widely acknowledged that water temperature affects all freshwater life stages of salmonids, it has not been a focus when developing instream flow requirements. In this study, we developed a framework that incorporates water temperature requirements into flow regime development for multiple Pacific salmonid species. We applied this framework to Clear Creek, an upper Central Valley stream that supports three salmonid species and has been regulated by reservoir releases for instream flow since 1963 when Whiskeytown dam was built. The analysis of flow data indicated that from the pre-project (i.e., pre-dam) period to post- project period, flow magnitude was reduced by 45–76% for flood flows, 43% for spring pulse flows, and 27–53% for monthly average flows from January through May. Water temperature from 1996 to 2013 exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended criteria for salmonids from May to October, with most exceedances occurring in September, followed by May and October. Statistical analyses suggested that the abundances of both adult and juvenile salmonids in Clear Creek were strongly correlated to flow magnitude, water temperature, or both. Higher flows that coincided with adult immigration were correlated to higher numbers of adults spawning in Clear Creek, which in turn produced a higher number of juveniles; however, higher flows that occurred during the early life stages (e.g., fry) appeared to reduce the number of outmigrating juveniles. Higher water temperatures in the immigration, spawning, and juvenile rearing periods were correlated with reduced numbers of both adult and juvenile spring-run Chinook salmon in Clear Creek. High water temperatures in June and July were correlated with reduced number of outmigrating juvenile steelhead. Adult or juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon showed either a curvilinear or linear relationship with water temperature during their immigration, spawning, and rearing periods. Based on the pre-project flow and strong correlation between fish abundance and flow or water temperature, we developed a flow regime that incorporates water temperature requirements and other needs of different life stages of salmonids. The flow regime includes the following elements: winter and spring base flow, summer and fall water temperature sustaining flow, winter floodplain inundation flow, and spring pulse flow. This approach can be applied to other regulated streams for developing flow regimes to conserve and recover listed salmonid species.
Strain-dependent and hysteretic resistance of stretchable carbon nanotube networks (Conference Presentation)

The increasing demands of human-machine integration require stretchable electronic devices. Percolating networks of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have potential to work as stretchable electrodes and semiconductors, since CNTs can reorient and slide under large deformation. In this work, we investigate the effect of cyclic loadings on the resistance and morphology of stretchable CNT electrodes, by combining experiment, coarse grained molecular static (CGMS) simulation, and analytical modeling. Experimentally, a CNT electrode spray-coated on the surface of a stretchable substrate is subject to cyclic stretches with the maximal strain sequentially increasing. The resistance of the electrode in both stretching and transverse directions increases during the loading, while it remains almost a constant during the unloading, forming a hysteresis between the loading and unloading. To understand the strain-dependent and hysteretic resistance of stretchable CNT electrodes, we have developed a CGMS method to simulate the morphological change of CNT networks under cyclic loadings. Then we calculate the evolution of the resistance for different CNT configurations, by modeling a network of nanotube resistances and contact resistances. We find that during stretching, the CNTs reorient to the stretching direction. As the strain increases, the nanotubes slide between each other, and the resistance of the network increases. During the unloading, the CNTs buckle due to the compression, and the resistance of the network remains almost a constant. Based on this understanding, we have further developed an analytical model to describe the evolution of the resistance of CNT electrodes under arbitrary loadings. This combined approach enables us to design stretchable CNT devices with optimized properties.
Persuasive agent based simulation for evaluation of the dynamic threshold line and trigger classification from the Fogg Behavior Model

Abstract In this paper, we present an agent based simulation from a mathematical formulation for Motivation and Ability axis formation, threshold line and triggers positioning of the Fogg Behavior Model (FBM). This model is primarily used for the evaluation of persuasive technology based process. A dynamic behavior for the threshold line is proposed in order to identify trigger location based on the dataset Kolmogorov mean. Results shown, with the multiagent environment implemented, that the action line proposed on the FBM must not be fixed, but dynamically allocated in order to act as a feature for identification of trigger events zones. The data acquired by agent based simulation, helped the validation process for all mathematical equations and triggers defined before only on a conceptual level. Given the lack of mathematical information for the FBM, this paper tends to contribute with a theoretical support on the persuasive technology evaluation process in order to provide reasoning for further trigger implementation with more efficiency.
Risk Stratification of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders in Fanconi Anemia Patients Using Autofluorescence Imaging and Cytology-On-A Chip Assay

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a hereditary genomic instability disorder with a predisposition to leukemia and oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) facilitates cure of bone marrow failure and leukemia and thus extends life expectancy in FA patients; however, survival of hematologic malignancies increases the risk of OSCC in these patients. We developed a "cytology-on-a-chip" (COC)-based brush biopsy assay for monitoring patients with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). Using this COC assay, we measured and correlated the cellular morphometry and Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 2 (MCM2) expression levels in brush biopsy samples of FA patients' OPMD with clinical risk indicators such as loss of autofluorescence (LOF), HSCT status, and mutational profiles identified by next-generation sequencing. Statistically significant differences were found in several cytology measurements based on high-risk indicators such as LOF-positive and HSCT-positive status, including greater variation in cell area and chromatin distribution, higher MCM2 expression levels, and greater numbers of white blood cells and cells with enlarged nuclei. Higher OPMD risk scores were associated with differences in the frequency of nuclear aberrations and differed based on LOF and HSCT statuses. We identified mutation of FAT1 gene in five and NOTCH-2 and TP53 genes in two cases of FA patients' OPMD. The high-risk OPMD of a non-FA patient harbored FAT1, CASP8, and TP63 mutations. Use of COC assay in combination with visualization of LOF holds promise for the early diagnosis of high-risk OPMD. These minimally invasive diagnostic tools are valuable for long-term surveillance of OSCC in FA patients and avoidance of unwarranted scalpel biopsies.
Multiple recurrent abscesses in a patient with undiagnosed IL-12 deficiency and infection by Burkholderia gladioli.

Abstract We report the occurrence of two severe illnesses experienced by one patient over a 19 year period of time. Both illnesses were characterized by severe inflammation and tissue destruction. Signs and symptoms of the first illness were characteristic of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV). The second illness mimicked scrofula. During the second illness the patient was discovered to have a rare immunodeficiency due to auto-antibodies to Interleukin (IL)-12 and infection by Burkholderia gladioli, a plant pathogen usually harmless in humans. We were able to retrieve biopsies from the first illness to establish that B. gladioli was already present during the original presentation. That first illness lasted 5 year s, but she survived without the correct pathogen ever being identified, and without a diagnosis of immunodeficiency. After a remission of 10 year s, she experienced her second illness. The responses to treatment before and after the correct diagnoses were established provide us with an excellent opportunity to consider and discuss how disease expression reflects complex relationships between host defenses and microbial characteristics.
Causes of EC-IC Brain Differences

Enriched and impoverished environments are demonstrably different in several respects. Likewise, subjects with experience in differential environments are different in several types of behavioral measures. Of the many environmental characteristics manipulated as independent variables, and the many subject characteristics shown to be altered by enriched and impoverished laboratory environments, there are few that have not been singled out at one time or another and proposed to be the critical difference between EC and IC animals, and therefore the cause of the brain changes that result from differential experience. This section will examine several of the possibilities that have been suggested, examining the data relevant to each.
Adaptive head impact protection via a rate-activated helmet suspension

Abstract The design of an adaptive helmet suspension system that provides optimized head protection under variable impact conditions is reported. The adaptive response is achieved through the use of rate activated tethers (RATs), a flexible strap-like material that uses shear thickening fluids to generate speed-sensitive extensional resistance. The RATs are integrated into a helmet by replacing the webbing system of a traditional construction hardhat with a network of RATs, and performing impact attenuation testing over a range of velocities. Impacts to the crown region of the helmet demonstrate a 50% reduction in peak acceleration experienced by the headform for impact velocities between 1.5 and 3.5 m/s compared to the conventional webbing system, and comparable response to the conventional system at 4.5 m/s. Complementary RAT extensional testing and low velocity helmet compression tests confirm that the rate-sensitive response of the RATs contributes significantly to improved system performance. Additionally, calculations for suspension model systems show that the steady yield force exhibited by RATs over long strokes is a critical feature for minimizing head acceleration, and that the RAT suspension systems are achieving responses remarkably close to the ideal suspension response.