cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extended distance cardiac allograft can successfully be utilized without impacting long-term survival.

Background Despite the severe shortage of donor cardiac allografts, the general belief in worse outcomes with donors from prolonged distances has resulted in many centers greatly limiting the acceptable geographic distance of acceptable donors. However, with improvements in allograft preservation, it is likely that distance may be extended without compromising graft integrity. We hypothesized that recipients of appropriately selected allografts from greater distances would have equivalent long-term survival compared with recipients from closer geographic regions. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) adult heart transplant data from January 2000 to December 2013. Recipients were stratified by donor distance. Demographic and outcomes data were analyzed, with a primary end-point of survival. Results During the study period, 25,996 isolated orthotopic heart transplantations (OHTs) were performed. Patients were stratified by distance: 0 to 500 miles ( n = 24,645); 501 to 1,000 miles ( n = 1,201); 1,001 to 1,500 miles ( n = 134); and 1,501 + miles ( n = 16). Increased donor allograft distance correlated with significantly longer ischemic times (3.1 miles for 0 to 500 miles vs 7.5 hours for 1,501 + miles, p = 0.0001). One- and 5-year survival was similar in all cohorts, using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis (log rank, p = 0.8025). There was no difference in rate of stroke ( p = 0.82), dialysis ( p = 0.60) or reoperation ( p = 0.28). Length of stay was equivalent across cohorts ( p = 0.11). Conclusions Appropriately selected allografts from donors at a greater distance should be considered to increase organ availability. Donor heart procurement from increased distance may not directly increase morbidity and mortality post–heart transplant.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Consolidations in the Health-Care Industry: Does Bigger Have Ethical Consequences?

Abstract This chapter reviews the ethical considerations associated with the health industry’s trends toward consolidations, mergers, and acquisitions. The review of the health-care landscape notes a sustained trend of increasing consolidation activity across all sectors of the health-care system. Several forces that act as influencers of this activity are discussed and examples used to support the key points. The chapter contrasts the desired advantages of consolidation with the inherent risks that also are present in such business decisions. The implications for patient care and research endeavors are noted and an unbiased assessment of consolidation efforts to date is offered. A final word on responding to the ethical challenges concludes the chapter.
Dissipation of the Herbicide Benzobicyclon Hydrolysate in a Model California Rice Field Soil

The herbicide benzobicyclon (BZB; 3-(2-chloro-4-(methylsulfonyl)benzoyl)-2-phenylthiobicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-en-4-one) has recently been approved for use on California rice fields by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Hydrolysis of BZB rapidly forms the active compound, benzobicyclon hydrolysate (BH), whose fate is currently not well understood. A model California rice soil was used to determine BH soil dissipation. The pKa and aqueous solubility were also determined, as experimental values are not currently available. Sorption data indicate BH does not bind tightly, or irreversibly, with this soil. Flooding resulted in decreased BH loss, indicating anaerobic microbes are less likely to transform BH compared to aerobic microorganisms. Temperature increased dissipation, while autoclaving decreased BH loss. Overall, dissipation was slow regardless of treatment. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the exact routes of loss in soil, though BH is expected to dissipate slowly in floo...
The value of blood cytokines and chemokines in assessing COPD.

Blood biomarkers are increasingly used to stratify high risk chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients; however, there are fewer studies that have investigated multiple biomarkers and replicated in multiple large well-characterized cohorts of susceptible current and former smokers. We used two MSD multiplex panels to measure 9 cytokines and chemokines in 2123 subjects from COPDGene and 1117 subjects from SPIROMICS. These biomarkers included: interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, eotaxin/CCL-11, eotaxin-3/CCL-26, and thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL-17. Regression models adjusted for clinical covariates were used to determine which biomarkers were associated with the following COPD phenotypes: airflow obstruction (forced expiratory flow at 1 s (FEV1%) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), chronic bronchitis, COPD exacerbations, and emphysema. Biomarker-genotype associations were assessed by genome-wide association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Eotaxin and IL-6 were strongly associated with airflow obstruction and accounted for 3–5% of the measurement variance on top of clinical variables. IL-6 was associated with progressive airflow obstruction over 5 years and both IL-6 and IL-8 were associated with progressive emphysema over 5 years. None of the biomarkers were consistently associated with chronic bronchitis or COPD exacerbations. We identified one novel SNP (rs9302690 SNP) that was associated with CCL17 plasma measurements. When assessing smoking related pulmonary disease, biomarkers of inflammation such as IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and eotaxin may add additional modest predictive value on top of clinical variables alone. COPDGene (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02445183 ). Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcomes Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS) ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT 01969344 ).
A nonparametric Bayesian network approach to assessing system reliability at early design stages

Abstract It is important to predict a system’s reliability at its early design stages because modifying design to improve reliability and maintainability at a later time in the system’s lifecycle will be costly and, oftentimes, impossible. However, this early prediction is challenging because of the lack of reliability data and the incomplete knowledge of a complex system’s reliability structure. To tackle this problem, this paper presents a nonparametric Bayesian network approach. Employing nonparametric Bayesian network, the limitation of discrete Bayesian network can be overcome, and it can be used as a useful tool for decision support. The proposed methodology is applied to a case study to demonstrate its prognostic and diagnostic capabilities.
Synopsis of the SOFL Plant-Specific Gene Family

SUPPRESSOR OF PHYB-4#5DOMINANT (sob5-D) was previously identified as a suppressor of the phyB-4 long-hypocotyl phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana . Overexpression of SOB5 conferred dwarf phenotypes similar to those observed in plants containing elevated levels of cytokinin (CK) nucleotides and nucleosides. Two SOB-FIVE- LIKE (SOFL) proteins, AtSOFL1 and AtSOFL2, which are more similar at the protein level to each other than they are to SOB5, conferred similar phenotypes to the sob5-D mutant when overexpressed. We used protein sequences of founding SOFL gene family members to perform database searches and identified a total of 289 SOFL homologs in genomes of 89 angiosperm species. Phylogenetic analysis results implied that the SOFL gene family emerged during the expansion of angiosperms and later evolved into four distinct clades. Among the newly identified gene family members are four previously unreported Arabidopsis SOFLs . Multiple sequence alignment of the 289 SOFL protein sequences revealed two highly conserved domains; SOFL-A and SOFL-B. We used overexpression and site-directed mutagenesis studies to demonstrate that SOFL domains are necessary for SOB5 and AtSOFL1’s overexpression phenotypes. Examination of the subcellular localization patterns of founding Arabidopsis thaliana SOFLs suggested they may be localized in the cytoplasm and/or the nucleus. Overall, we report that SOFLs are a plant-specific gene family characterized by two conserved domains that are important for function.
End-to-End Throughput in Multihop Wireless Networks With Random Relay Deployment

This paper investigates the effect of relay randomness on the end-to-end throughput in multihop wireless networks using stochastic geometry. We model the nodes as Poisson Point Processes and calculate the spatial average of the throughput over all potential geometrical patterns of the nodes. More specifically, for problem tractability, we first start with the simple nearest neighbor (NN) routing protocol, and analyze the end-to-end throughput so as to obtain a performance benchmark. Next, note that the ideal equal-distance routing is generally not realizable due to the randomness in relay distribution, we propose a quasi-equal-distance (QED) routing protocol. We derive the range for the optimal hop distance, and select the relays to formulate a quasi-equidistant deployment. We analyze the end-to-end throughput both with and without intra-route resource reuse. Our analysis indicates that: (i) The throughput performance of the proposed QED routing can achieve a significant performance gain over that of the NN routing. As the relay intensity gets higher, the performance of QED routing converges to that of the equidistant routing. (ii) If the node intensity is a constant over the network, then intra-route resource reuse is always beneficial when the routing distance is sufficiently large. (iii) With randomly distributed relays, the communication distance can generally be extended. However, due to the uncertainty in relay distribution, long distance communication is generally not feasible with random relays. This implies that the existence of a reasonably defined infrastructure is critical in effective long distance communication. Our analysis is demonstrated through numerical examples.
Health-related quality of life and care satisfaction outcomes: Informing psychosocial oncology care among Latina and African-American young breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE When breast cancer occurs in young women, the medical, physical, psychosocial, and overall impacts can be more severe warranting targeted medical and psychosocial oncology care. Yet, despite their risk for poorer survival and survivorship outcomes, little research has focused on this group with critical gaps concerning ethnic minorities who are particularly medically vulnerable. Therefore, this preliminary study examined demographic characteristics and patient centered outcomes, ie, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), quality care satisfaction to inform targeted psychosocial oncology care among African-American and Latinas young breast cancer survivors (YBCS). METHODS A total of 116 African-American and Latina YBCS aged ≥21 to 50 years were recruited from cancer registries and community agencies. Based on prior research and the literature, Latinas were categorized into English language proficient (ELP) and Spanish language proficient (SLP) based on their choice of language to conduct the study including completion of the measures. RESULTS SLP Latinas reported lower educational attainment and income (P < 0.001) and were more likely to report having a mastectomy (P < 0.01) but less likely to report breast reconstruction (P < 0.05). Satisfaction with care was correlated with patient-provider communication and overall HRQOL (P < 0.01) and physical, social/family, emotional and functional wellbeing (P < 0.01). SLP Latinas had lower emotional wellbeing than African-American YBCS (P < 0.01) and lower functional wellbeing than ELP Latina YBCS (P < 0.05). SLP Latina YBCS were less satisfied with their care compared with African-American and ELP Latina YBCS (P < 0.01). Financial toxicity seems to directly influence both access to care and quality care and survivorship outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Investigating demographic characteristics and medical outcomes including HRQOL outcomes and satisfaction with care among ethnic minority YBCS is needed to advance the science as well as assist health professionals with precision care delivery. Greater translational and patient-centered research must focus on at-risk population such as YBCS to inform precision psychosocial oncology care and reduce health disparities.
Another new species of flightless Rail (Aves: Rallidae: Rallus) from Abaco, The Bahamas.

We describe a late Pleistocene species of extinct rail, Rallus gracilipes n. sp., from Sawmill Sink blue hole on Abaco Island, Little Bahama Bank, The Bahamas. The only other extinct rail known from any Bahamian island is the smaller Rallus cyanocavi , also from late Pleistocene contexts at Sawmill Sink. No fossils of R. gracilipes or R. cyanocavi have been found in Holocene sites on Abaco; the loss of both of these species is likely to be due to changes in climate, habitat, and island area during the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition.
Rodenticide Causing Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Resident Simulation.

Introduction Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is becoming more common with an aging population. Lower GI bleeding is less common than its upper GI bleed counterpart. Incidence of bleeding is increasi...
Anterior and middle ethmoid

The ethmoidal bulla is formed by the fusion between the middle and inferior turbinates and is the dorsal limit of the infundibulum. It contains the anterior and middle ethmoidal cells, while the agger nasi contains the most anterior of the anterior ethmoidal cells. Behind the bulla is the superior hiatus semilunaris, or retrobullar space, which is the space between the bulla and the basal lamella. The outlet for the ethmoidal cells contained in the bulla are multiple and are phylogenetically determined in each person. The manner in which they fuse embryologically, anatomical variations and their individual growth patterns, among other factors, will determine their final drainage sites. One must take into account that the ethmoidal bulla can grow or become pneumatized between the middle turbinate and the orbital wall, towards the cribiform plate. This makes the walls much thinner and as described by Keros and Onishi lead to dehiscence. The natural draining orifices of the ethmoid bulla can be systematized as follows: anterior, posterior and medial, posterior and superior. The anterior drainage site is found as a true natural ostium in the anterior aspect of the bulla. The discharge from the bulla in this case drains directly into the infundibulum. The most frecuent finding is to find it in the superior and lateral quadrant of the anterior wall of the bulla. The posterior and medial outlet is found in 81.5% of the cases and the content drains directly into the nasal cavity (Fig. 1). When the bulla has a posterior and superior drainage orifice, the mucus falls directly into the superior meatus or into a posterior and superior ethmoidal cell. In a diseased anterior ethmoid, these drainage sites are hampered, therefore it is necessary to exteriorize them (Fig. 2).
Historical Archaeology and the Post-Columbian World of North America

Historical archaeology, with its interest in material culture and its use of the broader perspectives of anthropology and anthropological archaeology, has contributed to a distinctive understanding of the North American experience. Historical archaeologists have, to varying degrees, investigated the material traces of class, race, gender, and state formation. These studies provide an understanding of the origin of many of the social practices that undergird modern culture, a necessary, though neglected, case in a unified anthropological archaeology's goal of writing innovative world histories.
Robust Optimal Designs with Constraints

A researcher wants to design an experiment from which he can investigate the relationship between a specified response variable y and several controllable independent variables. The model, notations, and design problem are the same as in Fedorov et. al. (1994), and therefore our introductory part will be very sketchy.
Interactional patterns of clinical supervision: using sequential analysis

This study targets interactional patterns of clinical supervision by using sequential analysis. Specifically, it explores (a) the overall transitional dynamics of clinical supervision; (b) differen...
Management of Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytomas are catecholamine-secreting tumors located in the adrenal gland. Patients may present with incidentally found adrenal nodules but commonly have symptoms related to catecholamine excess including paroxysmal hypertension, tremors, palpitations, and diaphoresis. Biochemical evaluation should include serum metanephrines with confirmatory testing with urinary catecholamines, including dopamine and creatinine for adequacy of sample. Cross-sectional imaging should be performed with and without intravenous (IV) contrast for localization. Pheochromocytomas typically show marked enhancement and are greater than 3 cm. Biopsy of the adrenal gland should never be performed. Surgical management with laparoscopic adrenalectomy unless the tumor is greater than 6 cm or has concerning imaging features suggestive of malignancy. Preoperative alpha blockade should be performed until the patient develops orthostatic hypotension, at which point beta blockade should be added to counteract rebound tachycardia.
Demography, Asset Allocation, and Investment Horizon: Enduring Lessons from Long History

One and a half centuries of evidence suggests that only individuals who start saving for retirement in the later (early) stages of population busts (booms) spend most of their retirement planning phase in bull stock markets with tame inflation and thus benefit greatly from investing in stocks. Demography, particularly the proportional size of aggregate savers as measured by the ratio of the middle-aged to young populations, is a critical, pertinent determinant of intergenerational variations in retirement planning results. Savers, particularly those who do not have a long planning horizon, should incorporate demography in determining the weight of asset classes in their retirement portfolios. TOPICS:Retirement, portfolio construction
Leveraging Multiple Schools into a Multidisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program at an Academic Medical Center: The NUvention Model

In this chapter, the Northwestern University, NUvention: Medical Innovation course will be featured. NUvention represents a unique model. Multiple schools within the larger university context have been combined to form a medical innovation program, manifested as a six-month long interdisciplinary course. NUvention is jointly owned and developed by the schools of Engineering, Medicine, Law, and Business. It features interdisciplinary teams comprised of graduate students from each of the four disciplines, paired with a faculty mentor. Each team is tasked with finding a unique, unmet health care need and then developing a product (either device or software) or a service to address this need. This chapter will detail the structure of the course, highlighting its unique attributes, as well as how it originated, driven by demand from university students. Finally, this chapter will offer some insights into the development of NUvention that may be beneficial for those aspiring to develop a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional medical innovation program within their academic setting.
CHD4 mutations promote endometrial cancer stemness by activating TGF-beta signaling

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers of the female reproductive system. CHD4, a core subunit of the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation (NuRD) complex, is frequently mutated in these patients. However the role it plays in promoting endometrial tumorigenesis is poorly understood. Here, we use genetic engineering approaches to modulate CHD4 expression levels and functionally evaluate hot spot mutations R975H and R1162W. We find that CHD4 depletion induces up-regulation of the cancer stem cell (CSC) marker CD133. This CSC phenotype was verified functionally by invasion ability, spheroid formation, and tumorigenicity in vivo. While cells expressing mutated CHD4 did not display impaired CHD4 DNA recruitment or NuRD complex formation, the mutations did reduce the stability of CHD4 protein to phenocopy CHD4 depletion. Consistently, patients with mutant CHD4 showed overexpression of CD133. Network analysis indicated activation of the TGFβ signaling pathway may drive this CSC phenotype, and chemical blockade of TGFβ abrogated the ability CHD4 knockdown cells to form spheroids. Taken together, these results indicate that mutations in CHD4 can promote endometrial tumorigenesis by increasing CSC character through TGFβ signaling pathway.
Finding ranges of optimal transcript expression quantification in cases of non-identifiability

Current expression quantification methods suffer from a fundamental but under-characterized type of error: the most likely estimates for transcript abundances are not unique. Current quantification methods rely on probabilistic models, and the scenario where it admits multiple optimal solutions is called non-identifiability. This means multiple estimates of transcript abundances generate the observed RNA-seq reads equally likely, and the underlying true expression cannot be determined. The non-identifiability problem is further exacerbated when incompleteness of reference transcriptome and existence of unannotated transcripts are taken into consideration. State-of-the-art quantification methods usually output a single inferred set of abundances, and the accuracy of the single expression set is unknown compared to other equally optimal solutions. Obtaining the set of equally optimal solutions is necessary for evaluating and extending downstream analyses to take non-identifiability into account. We propose methods to compute the range of equally optimal estimates for the expression of each transcript, accounting for non-identifiability of the quantification model using several novel graph theoretical approaches. It works under two scenarios, one assuming the reference transcriptome is complete, another assuming incomplete reference and allowing for expression of unannotated transcripts. Our methods calculate a "confidence" range for each transcript, representing its possible abundance across equally optimal estimates. This range can be used for evaluating the reliability of detected differentially expressed (DE) transcripts, as a large overlap of confidence range between DE conditions indicates the prediction may be unreliable due to uncertainty. We observe that 5 out of 257 DE predictions are unreliable on an MCF10 cell line and 19 out of 3152 are unreliable on a CD8 T cell dataset. The source code can be found at https://github.com/Kingsford-Group/subgraphquant.
Extension of Snoek’s Law to Higher RF Frequencies by Controlling Nanomagnetic Particle Parameters

Snoek’s law is one of the key theories to describe the relationship between the permeability level and the operating frequency in the bulk ferromagnetic material. Generalized Snoek’s law, proposed by Acher et al., introduced the integral form to investigate the high frequency properties of ferromagnetic films and composites. In this paper, we study the influence of the size and shape on the properties of nanometer-scale magnetic particles (nanomagnets). It is shown that the size, thickness and geometric shape of nanomagnets play a vital role in determining the magnetic properties. However, they are still governed by either Snoek’s law or generalized Snoek’s law. Micromagnetic software package, Object Oriented MicroMagnetic Framework (OOMMF) is used as a theoretical framework in this study. Understanding the influence of shape opens the way to designing new nanostructured magnetic materials where the magnetic properties can be tailored to a particular application.
Common Allergens and Considerations When Performing Pediatric Patch Testing

Pediatric allergic contact dermatitis (Ped-ACD) is an increasingly recognized highly prevalent skin disease that has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients and their families. Accurate and appropriate patch testing is vital to diagnosing Ped-ACD. This requires knowledge of the most common allergens in the pediatric population, consideration of concurrent diseases that can complicate the clinical picture, and potential modification of techniques to lessen exposure to irritants and sensitizers while obtaining true positive results. This article reviews the most common pediatric allergens and discusses considerations when performing pediatric patch testing.
The REBOA Dissipation Curve: Training Starts to Wane at 6 Months in the Absence of Clinical REBOA Cases

Background Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a low-frequency, high-acuity intervention. We hypothesized that REBOA-specific knowledge and comfort deteriorate significantly within 6 months of a formal training course if REBOA is not performed in the interim. Methods A comprehensive REBOA course was developed including didactics and hands-on practical simulation training. Baseline knowledge and comfort were assessed with a precourse objective test and a subjective self-assessment. REBOA knowledge and comfort were then re-assessed immediately postcourse and again at 6 months and 1 year. Performance trends were measured using paired Student's t and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results Thirteen participants were evaluated including trauma faculty (n = 10) and fellows (n = 3). Test scores improved significantly from precourse (72% ± 10% correct) to postcourse (88% ± 8%, p Conclusions A formal REBOA curriculum improves knowledge and comfort with critical aspects of this procedure. This knowledge persists at 6 months, though subjective comfort deteriorated among those without REBOA placement in the interim. REBOA refresher training should be considered at 6-month intervals in the absence of clinical REBOA cases. Level of Evidence/Study type Level III, prognostic.
A case of recurrent vaccine-triggered Gianotti-Crosti syndrome.

Gianotti–Crosti syndrome (GCS) is a self-limited benign dermatosis, clinically characterized by a monomorphic papular or papulovesicular eruption symmetrically distributed on the limbs and face of ...
Robust Control of the Flywheel Inverted Pendulum System Considering Parameter Uncertainty

A linear controller for the unstable flywheel inverted pendulum (also known as a reaction wheel inverted pendulum or inertia wheel pendulum) is designed using Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT) to provide response that stays withing upper and lower bounds in the face of significant variations of the plant parameters. A mathematical model of the plant, including both the mechanics of the pendulum and the electromechanics of the motor, is derived. Simulation is used to compare performance of the QFT controller to that of simple PID compensation. It is shown that while the QFT controller consistently satisfies the robust performance bounds for all plant uncertainty in both frequency and time domains, the PID controller fails to provide robust tracking performance.
Using Ontology-based Approaches to Representing Speech Transcripts for Automated Speech Scoring

This paper presents a thesis proposal on approaches to automatically scoring non-native speech from second language tests. Current speech scoring systems assess speech by primarily using acoustic features such as fluency and pronunciation; however content features are barely involved. Motivated by this limitation, the study aims to investigate the use of content features in speech scoring systems. For content features, a central question is how speech content can be represented in appropriate means to facilitate automated speech scoring. The study proposes using ontology-based representation to perform concept level representation on speech transcripts, and furthermore the content features computed from ontology-based representation may facilitate speech scoring. One baseline and two ontology-based representations are compared in experiments. Preliminary results show that ontology-based representation slightly improves performance of one content feature for automated scoring over the baseline system.
Physical analysis for tribology: The analysis of lubricant films

The analysis of extreme-pressure lubricant films formed in the presence of typical disulphide additives Introduction In this section of our chapter on the analysis of lubricant films, we will be concerned with the use of physical methods of analysis to investigate the mechanisms whereby some selected disulphides provide protection under conditions of sliding which would otherwise have resulted in the breakdown or seizure of the tribo-system if the disulphides were not present as ‘extreme-pressure’ additives in the lubricant. There are, in fact, two types of extreme-pressure additives, one that prevents catastrophic failure when a tribo-system is suddenly subjected to unexpectedly high loads (such an additive is truly called an ‘extreme-pressure’ additive), and another that reduces the wear to an ‘acceptable’ level in a system designed to work close to the limits of lubrication, for example a hypoid gear system. We call the latter type of lubricant additive an ‘anti-wear’ additive, for obvious reasons. Some tribologists suggest we should drop the word ‘pressure’ in the generic word for the whole family of lubricant additives and merely call them ‘extreme-temperature’ additives. As we shall see, the temperature between the wearing interfaces is indeed an important factor in the mechanisms whereby extreme-pressure lubricant additives provide protection of those interfaces from the incidence of severe way.
Evaluation of acute dual-chamber pacing with a range of atrioventricular delays on cardiac performance in refractory heart failure.

AbstractObjectives. This study evaluated how variations in atrioventricular (AV) delay affect hemodynamic function in patients with refractory heart failure being supported with intravenous inotrop...
Comparison of a New Sin-Hyperbolic Creep Damage Constitutive Model with the Classic Kachanov-Rabotnov Model Using Theoretical and Numerical Analysis

The creep deformation, damage, and life of creep susceptible components are a function of temperature, stress and strain rate. In this study the Kachanov-Rabotnov (KR) creep damage constitutive model and a recently developed Sinh creep damage constitutive model are compared in terms of accuracy, considerations/assumptions, constants evaluation techniques, flexibility in use, and limitations for 304 Stainless Steel (STS). Twenty tests performed at four different configurations of stress and temperature (five repeats for each) are collected from literature and used. It is found that the novel Sin-hyperbolic model exhibits lower constant dependency, is easier to apply, and more accurately models the creep deformations and damage evolution of 304 STS. The Sin-hyperbolic model produces a continuous damage (from zero to unity) by normalizing the experimental data while the KR model produces critical damage values well below unity. It is found that overall the new Sin-hyperbolic model offers more flexibility and prediction accuracy.
Identifying users in social networks with limited information

We study the problem of Entity Resolution (ER) with limited information. ER is the problem of identifying and merging records that represent the same real-world entity. In this paper, we focus on the resolution of a single node g from one social graph (Google+ in our case) against a second social graph (Twitter in our case). We want to find the best match for g in Twitter, by dynamically probing the Twitter graph (using a public API), limited by the number of API calls that social systems allow. We propose two strategies that are designed for limited information and can be adapted to different limits. We evaluate our strategies against a naive one on a real dataset and show that our strategies can provide improved accuracy with significantly fewer API calls.
Evaluation of the applicability of the network flow approach to the emergency service restoration problem

The graph theory/network flow approach to the emergency-service restoration problem is discussed. The mixer integer programming formulation looks rigorous and concise. However, its usefulness appears to be very limited due to computational difficulties. By introducing artificial branches and a source and sink, the problem may be formulated as a maximal-flow problem in a restricted sense. In this case, zero-one decision variables representing switch status should be handled separately after the solution to the completely connected network is obtained. It is shown that the straight-forward application of the graph theory/network flow approach is not suitable for the problem. This simply points out difficulties associated with the problem and also suggests that heuristic algorithms need to be used to handle problems of this nature. >
Student Development and Service-Learning: A Three-Phased Model for Course Design

Many key resources in service-learning literature offer tools and advice to faculty members for designing effective service-learning courses; these materials typically focus on integrating service-learning effectively into a syllabus, fostering reciprocal partnerships, and using reflection to analyze experience. In addition, a number of research studies have explored the impact of participation in service-learning on student development outcomes. However, very few resources “flip” this equation—that is, there is less information in the literature on how student development theory can inform the effective design of service-learning courses and curricula. This article utilizes an extensive review of student/adult development and learning theory to propose a three-phased model for service-learning course design. Informed by the authors’ experiences working with faculty members and departments, the article provides examples illustrating the potential impact of this approach for individual courses or sequential curricula.
Dropped Gallstones Causing a Perihepatic Abscess and Empyema

Iatrogenic perforation of the gallbladder during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a well-known occurrence; however, the consequences of spillage of gallstones in the peritoneum and particularly intrathoracic complications are less defined. We describe the delayed development of a perihepatic abscess and empyema in a patient five years following laparoscopic cholecystectomy secondary to dropped gallstones. A 53-year-old man with medical history significant for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy five years prior to acute cholecystitis presented with purulent cough, hemoptysis, night sweats, and right-upper quadrant (RUQ) pain. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed 5.4 cm right-sided subpulmonic and 5.9 cm perihepatic fluid collections with an 8 mm focal radiopaque density within the perihepatic fluid collection. Open intra-abdominal exploration resulted in retrieval of a 1 cm intraperitoneal gallstone. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common surgical operation during which gallstone spillage can occur, causing both intra-abdominal and intrathoracic complications, presenting even years after surgery. This necessitates an attempt to retrieve all free intra-abdominal gallstones during the initial operation.
Three Cases Concerning the Restitution of Usury in Florence

Investigation of Florentine legislation concerning the practice of usury in the fourteenth century leads the researcher to the conclusion that a general theory cannot be constructed unless more facts are made known. It is to be hoped that an exposition of factual data will lead to an inquiry into those “shades and nuances” of meaning that are symptomatic of historical change. I do not believe that the present state of knowledge on this problem allows more than a descriptive historical approach, followed by a suggestion of possible levels of understanding and strategies of further inquiry. There are many reasons for taking this position. First, the documents available to the researcher are less than adequate for the formulation of a general theory. To cite only one instance, the judicial records of the period before 1343 were burned in the revolution of that year. Second, case histories of those individuals cited by the court or the councils as usurers have not been written. Finally, the Consulte, which contain the opinions of the advisory councils of the Priorate, do not aid the researcher in understanding the motives that animated the passage of legislation. With these limitations firmly in mind, I should like to present certain facts that I suspect can be understood only dimly within die framework of our present knowledge of Florentine life in the Trecento. One further disclaimer must be made: this paper does not purport to consider the state of juridical consciousness nor the legalistic matrix that provided the framework in which the events narrated took place.
New perspectives on the vitamin D binding protein

The serum vitamin D binding protein (DBP), also known as GC-globulin, is a multifunctional protein known for its role in the transport of vitamin D metabolites. DBP also binds fatty acids and actin monomers, preventing their polymerization that could be detrimental in the circulatory system. DBP may have immune functions independent of its role as a transporter of vitamin D. Because of the abundance of DBP, many aspects of its basic biochemistry were quickly established. Other features of vitamin D action, particularly transcriptional mechanisms of regulation, received greater focus and early interest in DBP centred on its value as a tool for population genetics because of its intriguing genetic variations. Nonetheless, knowledge of DBP mechanisms in physiology was obtained, and functions beyond vitamin D ligand binding were identified. With the recent increased attention regarding the benefits of vitamin D (bone health and immunological regulation), there has been a resurgence of interest in DBP. Because DBP is the primary transporter of vitamin D, it has a role in maintaining the total levels of vitamin D for the organism and in regulating the amounts of free (unbound) vitamin D available for specific tissues and cell types to utilize. This review will describe the findings on the basic biochemistry and molecular biology of DBP, the studies that elucidated its biological functions and highlight these results in light of the current renewed interest in vitamin D and human health, as well as the debate over what constitutes sufficient levels of vitamin D.
Acute heat stress model of seizures in weanling rats: Influence of prototypic anti-seizure compounds

Abstract The present study tested the therapeutic potential for prototype anti-epilepsy drugs using an animal model of infantile febrile seizures. The model consisted of immersion of weanling rats (21 days old) in a 45°C water bath for a maximum of 4 min (four exposures over a 2 week period) and observing for the progression to stage-5 seizures. All compounds were administered orally at the respective ED 50 for prevention of seizures in the maximal electroshock (MES) test. Clonazepam effectively lowered the score for seizure grade, shortened the duration of seizures, as well as reduced the number of animals experiencing seizures during three of the four testing periods. MK801 reduced both the maximum seizure grade, and the number of animals experiencing seizures during sessions two and three. However, the dose of MK801 caused behavioral side effects. Valproate actively decreased seizure grade, while it modestly acted to attenuate seizure duration, extended the time to seizure onset, and reduced the number of animals experiencing seizures on testing day 1. Remacemide hydrochloride and phenobarbital were not effective. The method appears useful for evaluating the potential of agents to prevent acute febrile seizures.
Dorsal Genital Nerve Stimulation for Neurogenic Bladder

With the goal of low-pressure bladder storage and efficient bladder emptying, neurogenic bladder management is complex and requires a varied approach to treatment. Neuromodulation, such as dorsal genital nerve (DGN) stimulation, has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment modality for neurogenic bladder patients, improving bladder capacity and compliance, reducing incontinence episodes, increasing catheterization volumes and time intervals between catheterizations, and improving bladder overactivity, especially in those patients who have failed conservative management. Although limited in its current clinical application, dorsal genital nerve stimulation may prove to be a viable method of neuromodulation for the neurogenic bladder (NGB) patient as the technique and application of this treatment option continues to advance.
Influence of Glycerol and Sodium Acetate on the Lipid Composition of Streptococcus Cremoris

Abstract Cells of Streptococcus cremoris were grown in the presence of various levels of glycerol and sodium acetate. The cultures were harvested in the maximum stationary phase and the lipids subsequently extracted and analyzed. The presence of either metabolite resulted in stimulated lipid synthesis. The lipids were fractionated into five major groups by thin layer chromatography. These groups were designated as containing phospholipids, mono-, di-, and triglycerides, and esterified fatty acids or wax esters. The fatty acid compositions of these fractions in the lipid from the control (no added metabolite) and treated cells were determined. The presence of acetate favored the synthesis of phospholipids, and influenced the percentage of 18:1 acid(s) incorporated within this fraction.
Genetic Protein Polymorphisms in Human Saliva: An Interpretive Review

The purpose of this review is to summarize recent progress in the field of genetic protein polymorphisms found in human saliva since 1972. Prior to 1972 most of the investigations were related to amylase. The genetics of salivary amylase will not be considered here, since it has recently been thoroughly reviewed elsewhere (Merritt and Karn, 1977). In this review, special attention will be devoted to the complex interrelationships of the proline-rich (Pr), double-band (Db), acidic protein (Pa), and peroxidase (SAPX) systems. The biochemically related Pr, Db, and Pa systems show distinctive genetic patterns, and there are associations between the phenotypes indicating linkage relationships. There is also evidence for probable interaction of products of the Pa and SAPX loci. Electrophoretic properties of these proteins can be defined in several gel systems, permitting an accurate definition of phenotypes. The usefulness and limitations of the different gel systems in the interpretation of these electrophoretic patterns will be illustrated. Allelic frequencies of the systems to be discussed are given in Table I. To aid comprehension, the systems will be discussed in logical rather than historical sequence.
Adaptation in Dyadic Interaction: Defining and Operationalizing Patterns of Reciprocity and Compensation

Interaction patterns of reciprocity and compensation have received extensive consideration in the literature on mutual influence processes. Unfortunately, conflicting and ambiguous definitions of these concepts, along with inadequate differentiation from other patterns such as matching, convergence, divergence, and complementarity have hindered theoretical and empirical progress. This article is dedicated to sorting out the differences among the various accommodation processes and offering appropriate constitutive definitions and operationalizations. It is proposed that definitions of reciprocity and compensation be distinguished from matching and complementarity in that the former incorporate principles of(1) directedness, (2) contingency, (3) both unidirectional and mutual influence, (4) change rather than maintenance, (5) directionality rather than magnitude of change, (6) intentional and automatic processes, and (7) functional equivalence of behaviors. Operationally, these criteria imply a focus on designs demonstrating causality or strong association between partner behaviors, concatenous and lagged responses, within-dyad and longitudinal analyses, and, for many purposes, a more molar perspective. Issues of macro versus micro measurement, perceived versus actual reciprocity and compensation, and reliance on observer versus participant perspectives are also considered.
Ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase (Complex III) electrochemistry at multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Nafion modified glassy carbon electrodes

Abstract Electron transport chain complexes are critical to metabolism in living cells. Ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase (Complex III) is responsible for carrying electrons from ubiquinol to cytochrome c, but the complex has not been evaluated electrochemically. This work details the bioelectrochemistry of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase of the electron transport chain of tuber mitochondria. The characterization of the electrochemistry of this enzyme is investigated in carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotube/tetrabutyl ammonium bromide-modified Nafion ® modified glassy carbon electrodes by cyclic voltammetry. Increasing concentrations of cytochrome c result in a catalytic response from the active enzyme in the nanotube sandwich. The experiments show that the enzyme followed Michaelis–Menten kinetics with a K m for the immobilized enzyme of 2.97 (±0.11) × 10 −6 M and a V max of 6.31 (±0.82) × 10 −3 μmol min −1 at the electrode, but the K m and V max values decreased compared to the free enzyme in solution, which is expected for immobilized redox proteins. This is the first evidence of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase bioelectrocatalysis.
Hemodynamic effect of dobutamine in patients with severe heart failure

Dobutamine, a derivative of dopamine, was infused at a rate of 10 mug/kg per min in 15 patients with severe congestive heart failure. Cardiac output increased from an average of 3.1 to 5.6 liters/min (P less than 0.001) with no change in mean arterial pressure (93.3 to 98.2 mm Hg) and only a slight increase in heart rate (98.5 to 105.2 beats/min) (P less than 0.02). Pulmonary wedge pressure was decreased from an average of 27.4 to 21.1 mm Hg (P less than 0.001). In seven patients a dose of 5 mug/kg per min also produced a significant increase in cardiac output but the effect was less than with the 10 mug/kg per min dose. No side effects were observed during the infusion. Dobutamine therefore is a potent inotropic drug with limited chronotropic and peripheral vascular effects and deserves therapeutic trial in the short-term management of low output heart failure.
Recurrent community-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections in children presenting to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas.

Background:There are limited data characterizing recurrent staphylococcal disease in children. We sought to define the clinical features and laboratory findings of children with recurrent community-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections presenting to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX.Met
Tensile Properties of LDPE + Boehmite Composites

Effect of interfacial interactions on mechanical properties of composites of low-density polyethylene reinforced with micrometric Boehmite powders were studied in combination with two silane coupling agents vinyltri(2-methoxyethoxy)-silane (VTMES)-SCA 972 and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propylmethacrylate (3MPS)-SCA 989. Samples were prepared via melt mixing followed by compression or injection molding. Morphology and mechanical behavior of the composites were investigated as a function of the filler loading. The modulus of the composites increases with increasing contents of micrometric Boehmite particles. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) examination reveals formation of fibrous structures upon addition of the treated micro fillers. We presume the fibrillation of the LDPE phase is related to changes of the matrix viscosity. Improvements in mechanical properties are attributed to homogeneous dispersion and good interfacial adhesion between the filler and the matrix, as evidenced by ESEM. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers