cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Pilot Study of Simulation Training in Difficult Bag Mask Ventilation Using a Computerized Patient Simulator

Objective Bag mask ventilation (BMV) is fundamental to airway management. Simulation is effective in airway management training, but its effectiveness for difficult BMV training is less clear. We evaluated the difference between type of training (simulation vs on patients) and the pass rate on a post-test on patients. Design A single center pilot study was performed with 32 medical students randomized to participate in difficult BMV training on simulators or patients. Pre- and post-training tests on the simulator and on patients were recorded. Surveys of trainee confidence level were collected. The primary goal was to estimate the difference between type of training (simulation vs on patients) and the pass rate on the post-test on patients with an improvement of 10% or more in passing rate considered as a meaningful improvement. Secondary outcomes included whether or not participants passed the simulator post-test, post-test on patient confidence, and pre- and post-test confidence. Measurements and main results Participants trained on the simulator had 13% higher passing rate on the post-test on patients compared to participants trained on patients (88% vs 75%). In addition, subjects that passed the simulator post-test had 11 times the odds of passing a post-test on patients relative to subjects that did not pass the simulator post-test (P = 0.023, odds ratio = 11.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48-81.6). Post-training confidence levels were higher among those who passed the simulator pre-test and post-test and received simulator training. Conclusions Simulation training for difficult BMV led to a higher passing rate on a post-test on patients compared to those trained on patients. This finding will need to be confirmed in larger randomized controlled trials. Successfully completing difficult BMV training on a simulator with a passing grade correlated with passing a test on difficult BMV on patients.
Immune correlates of CD73 expression in patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC).

4548Background: Checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes in UC. However, response rates are low and additional mechanisms of immune evasion need to be ascertained. CD73 (encoded by NT5E) conver...
FDA analysis of outcomes in Asian patients (pts) with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

e20690Background: Asian pts tend to be well-represented in mNSCLC clinical trials, and drug development in Asia is growing. We sought to investigate outcomes of Asian pts enrolled in clinical trial...
Repetition increases Perceived Truth even for Known Falsehoods

Repetition increases belief in false statements. This illusory truth effect occurs with many different types of statements (e.g., trivia facts, news headlines, advertisements), and even occurs when the false statement contradicts participants’ prior knowledge. However, existing studies of the effect of prior knowledge on the illusory truth effect share a common flaw; they measure participants’ knowledge after the experimental manipulation and thus conditionalize responses on posttreatment variables. In the current study, we measure prior knowledge prior to the experimental manipulation and thus provide a cleaner measurement of the causal effect of repetition on belief. We again find that prior knowledge does not protect against the illusory truth effect. Repeated false statements were given higher truth ratings than novel statements, even when they contradicted participants’ prior knowledge.
Simulation-assisted decorrelation for resonant anomaly detection

A growing number of weak and unsupervised machine learning approaches to anomaly detection are being proposed to significantly extend the search program at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and elsewhere. One of the prototypical examples for these methods is the search for resonant new physics, where a bump hunt can be performed in an invariant mass spectrum after applying a classifier to enhance the presence of a potential signal. A significant challenge to methods that rely entirely on data is that they are susceptible to sculpting artificial bumps from the dependence of the machine learning classifier on the invariant mass. We explore two solutions to this challenge by minimally incorporating simulation into the learning. In particular, we study the robustness of simulation assisted likelihood-free anomaly detection to correlations between the classifier and the invariant mass. Next, we propose a new approach that only uses the simulation for decorrelation but uses the classification without labels approach for achieving signal sensitivity. Both methods are compared using a full background fit analysis on simulated data from the LHC Olympics and are robust to correlations in the data.
724 STAT3 inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia cells allows for TLR9-driven differentiation to immunogenic monocytic cells and induction of T-cell mediated immune responses

Background Signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT3) is commonly activated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and known for supporting cancer cell proliferation and survival. Recently, we demonstrated that STAT3 also plays a critical role ensuring AML immune evasion. Intravenous injections of bi-functional decoy oligodeoxyribonucleotides (CpG-STAT3dODN) blocked STAT3 activity and induced TLR9 signaling in Cbfb/MYH11/Mpl (CMM) AML cells, thereby resulting in immunogenic effects and T cell-mediated immune responses and leukemia regression. Methods To understand the molecular mechanisms of the CpG-STAT3 decoy-induced AML differentiation and immunogenicity, we performed global gene expression analysis on the in vivo treated AML cells using oligonucleotide strategy as well as an inducible STAT3 gene silencing. Results Transcriptional profiling revealed the upregulation of myeloid cell differentiation related genes, such as Irf8, Cebpa, and Gadd45A with reduction of oncogenic Runx1 and Run1t1 in CMM leukemic cells after CpG-STAT3dODN but not after control treatments. CpG-STAT3dODN treatment also upregulated set of antigen-presentation related genes, such as CIIta, Il12a, and Ifng in CMM AML cells. Importantly, the induction of Irf8 and Cebpa, with the concomitant suppression of Runx1 were found specifically in the subset of differentiated CD11b+ CMM cells but not in the bulk CD11b– leukemic cells. These effects were likely related to epigenetic reprogramming of AML cells as indicated by treatment-induced changes in the expression and protein levels of STAT3 regulated DNA methyltransferases, DNMT1 and DNMT3a/b. Furthermore, our initial studies suggest that STAT3 inhibition/TLR9 activation leads to immunogenic effects also in a xenotransplanted model of human FLT3-ITD MV4-11 leukemia in humanized mice. CpG-STAT3dODN alone or together with clinically-relevant demethylating agent (Decitabine) triggered differentiation of MV4-11 cells into CD11b+HLA-DR+CD86+ antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and increased ratio of CD8+ to regulatory T cells in the bone marrow, thereby reducing leukemia burden. Conclusions Our results suggest that eliminating STAT3 permits the TLR9-driven reprogramming of AML cells into APCs to unleash T cell-mediated responses against leukemia.
Possible existence of time machines in a five-dimensional spacetime

The idea of constructing a time machine is not new and even received a boost thanks to the realization that a traversable wormhole could be converted to a time machine. This also implied that it would be impossible to travel back in time beyond the creation of the time machine. This paper addresses these issues, as well as the concomitant causality violations, by starting with a physically acceptable model, a spacetime that is anti-de Sitter due to an extra time-like dimension, thereby allowing the existence of closed time-like curves. By assuming that the extra dimension is independent of the radial coordinate, the wormhole retains its basic geometric properties regardless of its location and can therefore serve as a shortcut for any closed time-like curve, which, in turn, can extend indefinitely into the past. The same independence of the radial coordinate suggests that the wormhole could connect a region in the present to a local region that (1) lies in the past and (2) does not contain any closed time-like curves. Previous studies have suggested that if such a region is sufficiently localized, it may be possible to avoid a causality violation.
Litigation in Facial Trauma

Malpractice litigation in the discipline of facial trauma affects providers from many medical specialties. Within the surgical specialties of Otolaryngology, plastic surgery, and oral maxillofacial surgery, facial trauma treatment deserves special attention because it sits apart from many of the purely elective and cosmetic procedures that are performed in these fields. Radiologists and emergency medicine physicians are also at risk of litigation in the care for facial trauma patients. When caring for facial trauma patients, understanding the factors that may lead to litigious circumstances is key to prevention. In this chapter, the types of injuries and complaints associated with litigation, as well as the legal outcomes and geographic variability in decisions, are discussed. Strategies to minimize liability are considered.
A numerical study of neutrally buoyant slickwater proppant flow and transport in rough fractures

Abstract Influence of rough rock surface geometry on flow behavior for single and multiple neutrally buoyant particles in fractures is explored. Degree of roughness is evaluated by varying synthetic surfaces’ root-mean-square asperity height and fractal dimension. Influences of flow Reynolds number and multiparticle volumetric concentration are also considered. Simulated behavior of particles within fluid is performed utilizing resolved computational fluid dynamics with the Discrete Element Method. Behavior within rough fracture apertures is contrasted against behavior within smooth wall fractures. Findings show accentuation in particle transport rate for some rough fractures at intermediate particle diameter to mechanical aperture ratio values. Further narrowing of fracture mechanical aperture past these intermediate values leads to increased particle–wall collision interactions, causing attenuation of particle transport rate and eventual particle arrest. Mechanical aperture in rough fractures where particle arrest occurs is appreciably larger than particle diameter and largely depend on surface fractal dimension and asperity height root-mean-square. Multiparticle flow and transport evaluations also reveal that increased particle interactions lead to varied hydraulic aperture values. Hydraulic aperture is found to be dependent on combined effects from injection particle volumetric concentration and surface roughness at moderate mechanical aperture, with increasing importance of surface roughness as mechanical aperture narrows. Further, it is found that particle jamming depends more on fracture geometry than injected particle volumetric concentration. This work provides a unique micro-level perspective of particle slurry behavior within rough rock fracture interfaces, pointing to the shortcomings of assumed analogous smooth-walled fracture face behavioral characterizations utilized in past investigations.
Psychotherapy With Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons: A Systemic Model

Contents: Preface. Introduction. A Systemic Model. Life-Span Development of the Deaf Ecosystem. Life-Span Development of the Hard-of-Hearing Ecosystem. Treating the Hard-of-Hearing Individual in Context. Treating the Deafened Individual in Context. On Joining the Deaf Client. The Communication Logistics. The Use of an Interpreter for the Deaf in Family Therapy. Hearing Children of Deaf Parents. Involving the Vocational Rehabilitation System. Coping With Ordinary Evil.
Non-stationary Subtasks Can Improve Diversity in Stationary Tasks

Low diversity in a genetic algorithm (GA) can cause the search to become stagnant upon reaching a local optimum. To some extent, non-stationary tasks avoid this problem, which would be a desirable feature of GA for stationary tasks as well. With this in mind, we show that several methods of introducing artificial non-stationary elements help to promote diversity in a GA while working on an inherently stationary task. By analyzing online and offline diversity and fitness measures, we show that it is possible to improve overall performance through this technique, and that some measures intuitively related to performance are misleading.
Historical Bibliography of Quantum Computing

This bibliographic essay reviews seminal papers in quantum computing. Although quantum computing is a young science, its researchers have already published thousands of noteworthy articles, far too many to list here. Therefore, this appendix is not a comprehensive chronicle of the emergence and evolution of the field but rather a guided tour of some of the papers that spurred, formalized, and furthered its study. Quantum computing draws on advanced ideas from computer science, physics, and mathematics, and most major papers were written by researchers conversant in all three fields. Nevertheless, all the articles described in this appendix can be appreciated by computer scientists.
Statistical Evidence in Court

The words that a forensic science witness uses at trial to characterize a reported “match” between forensic evidence and a reference sample are important. Laboratory research indicates that even very subtle variations in the forensic scientist's words can be the difference between a guilty verdict and an acquittal in a close criminal case. This article examines the ways in which forensic scientists characterize a match, and explains how and why jurors often struggle to interpret the match statistics that they hear. The article concludes with recommendations for how a forensic scientist should communicate match statistics. Keywords: DNA; error; match; probability; statistical evidence
Distinct T Cell/Renal Tubular Epithelial Cell Interactions Define Differential Chemokine Production: Implications for Tubulointerstitial Injury in Chronic Glomerulonephritides

Chemokines can promote interstitial fibrosis that is, in turn, a strong predictor of renal failure in chronic glomerulonephritides (GN). Resident renal cells, including renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC), represent a prominent source of chemokine expression. Evaluating those factors responsible for sustained chemokine production by RTEC during GN is therefore crucial. The contribution of interstitial T cells to such expression, and in particular the precise nature of their interactions with RTEC, are poorly understood. Activated T cell/RTEC coculture induced production of high levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), RANTES, and IFN-inducible protein-10 from RTEC. Using double-chamber cultures and activated T cell plasma membrane preparations we demonstrated that both cell contact and soluble factors contributed to RTEC chemokine production. Importantly, different chemokines exhibited distinct activation requirements. Thus, for RANTES cell contact was essential, but not sufficient. In contrast, either soluble factors or cell contact induced MCP-1 and IFN-inducible protein-10 production, although both pathways were required for a maximal response. Neutralization experiments identified critical roles in this process for proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IFN-gamma as well as membrane molecules such as LFA-1, CD40 ligand, and membrane bound TNF-alpha. Finally, chemotactic bioassays of T cell/RTEC coculture supernatants demonstrated 80% reduction of monocyte migration following MCP-1 neutralization, indicating a dominant role for this chemokine. In summary, activation of renal tubular cells by infiltrating T cells can amplify and perpetuate local inflammatory responses through chemokine production differentially mediated by soluble and cell contact-dependent factors. Recognition of this regulatory diversity has important implications in the choice of potential therapeutic targets in GN.
Serotonergic modulation of striatal dopamine measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and in vivo microdialysis

Positron emission tomography and in vivo microdialysis were used to study serotonin9s role in modulating striatal dopamine. Serial PET studies were performed in adult female baboons at baseline and following drug treatment, using the dopamine (D2) selective radiotracer, 11C-raclopride. The serotonergic system was manipulated by administration of the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, citalopram, or by serotonergic (5-HT2) receptor blockade (using altanserin, a 5-HT2 antagonist). 11C-Raclopride time-activity data from striatum and cerebellum were combined with plasma arterial input functions and analyzed by calculating a distribution volume as described previously (Logan et al., 1990). Additionally, in vivo microdialysis studies were performed in awake freely moving rats using similar pharmacologic challenges plus SR 46349B, a new highly selective 5-HT2 receptor antagonist. Altanserin and SR 46349B increased extracellular striatal dopamine concentrations (35% and 910%, respectively) while altanserin decreased striatal 11C-raclopride binding (37%). Citalopram, however, decreased extracellular striatal dopamine concentrations (50%) and increased 11C-raclopride binding (33%). These data demonstrate that 5- HT-selective drugs produce changes in striatal dopamine that can be measured noninvasively with PET. Furthermore, the PET data obtained from anesthetized baboons is consistent with in vivo microdialysis data obtained from awake and freely moving rats. Finally, these studies have implications for understanding the therapeutic efficacy of atypical neuroleptics and their utility for treating schizophrenia and affective disorders.
Nerve Growth Factor Induces Transcription of the p21 WAF1/CIP1 and Cyclin D1 Genes in PC12 Cells by Activating the Sp1 Transcription Factor

The PC12 pheochromocytoma cell line responds to nerve growth factor (NGF) by gradually exiting from the cell cycle and differentiating to a sympathetic neuronal phenotype. We have shown previously () that NGF induces the expression of the p21 WAF1/CIP1/Sdi1 (p21) cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor protein and the G1 phase cyclin, cyclin D1. In this report, we show that induction is at the level of transcription and that the DNA elements in both promoters that are required for NGF-specific induction are clusters of binding sites for the Sp1 transcription factor. NGF also induced a synthetic promoter with repeated Sp1 sites linked to a core promoter, and a plasmid regulated by a chimeric transactivator in which the Gal4 DNA binding domain is fused to the Sp1 transactivation domain, indicating that this transactivation domain is regulated by NGF. Epidermal growth factor, which is a weak mitogen for PC12, failed to induce any of these promoter constructs. We consider a model in which the PC12 cell cycle is arrested as p21 accumulates and attains inhibitory levels relative to Cdk/cyclin complexes. Sustained activation of p21 expression is proposed to be a distinguishing feature of the activity of NGF that contributes to PC12 growth arrest during differentiation
Analysis of Variants Within the Porous Media Transport Models

An investigation of variants within the porous media transport models is presented in this work. Four major categories in modeling the transport processes through porous media, namely constant porosity, variable porosity, thermal dispersion, and local thermal non-equilibrium, are analyzed in detail. The main objective of the current study is to compare these variances in models for each of the four categories and establish conditions leading to convergence or divergence among different models. To analyze the effects of variants within these transport models, a systematic reduction and sensitivity investigation for each of these four aspects is presented. The effects of the Darcy number, inertia parameter, Reynolds number, porosity, particle diameter, and the fluid-to-solid conductivity ratio on the variances within each of the four areas are analyzed. For some cases the variances within different models have a negligible effect on the results while for some cases the variations can become significant. In general, the variances have a more pronounced effect on the velocity field and a substantially smaller effect on the temperature field and Nusselt number distribution
Simulation of fine sediment transport in oscillatory boundary layer

Abstract Sediment transport and resulting morphodynamics take place at vastly different spatial and temporal scales. Bottom boundary layer dynamics is one of the most critical small-scale processes controlling sediment transport. However, it is very challenging as it involves highly nonlinear turbulent flow phenomenon that occurs at a scale as small as Kolmogorov scales. The unsteady nature of the flow forcing in the coastal environment, such as waves, is another important factor that further complicates the process. This paper aims to take a step to better understand wave-driven turbulent boundary layer and corresponding transport process. The problem of wave-driven sediment transport is simplified into fully developed oscillatory channel flow. Particles are assumed to be fine and dilute and hence they can be approximately considered as passive except gravitational settling with its settling velocity estimated from Stokes' law. Highly accurate pseudo-spectral flow solver has been employed and Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) is carried out to resolve all scales of flow turbulence without sub-grid closure. Sediment concentration is then updated via mass conservation. Clear fluid simulation for intermittently turbulent condition (i.e., Stokes Reynolds number Re Δ = 1000) is validated with earlier DNS results reported by Spalart and Baldwin [1989. Direct simulation of a turbulent oscillating boundary layer. Turbulent Shear Flows 6. Springer]. Fine sediment with dilute concentration is then added in the numerical simulation to study sediment suspension events under oscillatory flow. Suspension events are evaluated both qualitatively, by observing vortex structures, and quantitatively by the statistics of vertical fluxes. For fine particles and dilute concentration considered here, it is observed that particle phase is well-mixed in the boundary layer. Suspension is highly dependent on turbulent vortical structures at different wave phases.
Extra Credit: Preferential Trade Arrangements and Credit Ratings

Credit rating agencies such as Moody's and Standard & Poor's have considerable influence in the global economy. Nonetheless, we know little about the factors that affect these ratings, particularly factors under government control. We argue that participation in preferential trade arrangements (PTAs) can significantly improve national credit ratings by “locking in” liberal trade policies at home and abroad. This both ensures a stable stream of export revenues and represents a commitment to market-friendly policies of which the rating agencies approve. We test and find support for this hypothesis with an analysis of intra-PTA trade and credit ratings in 100 countries from 1971 to 2008. As expected, intra-PTA trade consistently improves national credit ratings. However, this effect is only partially mediated by trade volatility and other economic variables, suggesting that the rating agencies' support for PTAs is partly ideological in nature. Interestingly, overall trade openness does not affect credit ratings once we control for participation in PTAs. It is thus the formal commitment to open trade, rather than the volume of trade per se, that improves credit ratings. Our results point to the growing importance of private actors in international governance, as well as to the interrelated nature of trade and financial regimes.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL OBSERVATIONS OF GYRODINIUM ESTUARIALE (DINOPHYCEAE)1

Gyrodinium estuariale Hulburt has ultrastructural features typical for a dinoflagellate including a particularly well developed pusule and numerous prominent trichocysts. The amphiesma is relatively simple with thecal vesicles containing thecal membranes. The epicone is embellished with two concentric raised ridges reminiscent of the form typical for more heavily thecate genera.
Dysmorphic and anthropometric outcomes in 6-year-old prenatally cocaine-exposed children

Dysmorphologic and anthropometric assessments were performed on 154 6-year-old children prenatally exposed to cocaine (PCE) and 131 high-risk controls (NCE) of similar race and social class. Adjusted mean height z scores demonstrated a dose–response with metahydroxybenzoylecgonine above a threshold of 100 ng/g of meconium and greater cocaine exposure predicted lower weight for height z score. Higher average alcohol exposure throughout pregnancy and 3rd trimester predicted lower head circumference and weight z scores, respectively. Severity of marijuana use also predicted lower height for age but greater weight for height. There was not an increased rate of minor anomalies among the PCE cohort, nor was a consistent phenotype identified. After controlling for covariates, higher average prenatal cigarette exposure predicted higher incidence of cranial facial abnormalities. First trimester alcohol exposure predicted greater rates of ear abnormalities and third trimester marijuana exposure predicted greater rates of chest and head shape abnormalities. These finding indicate that prenatal cocaine exposure has a negative effect on specific growth outcomes including standardized height and weight for height, but not a systematic pattern of structural abnormalities.
Scanning tunneling microscopy study of rough Si films deposited on Si(111)

Abstract Series of silicon films were grown by thermal evaporation on Si(1 1 1) substrates at temperatures between ∼240°C and ∼500°C under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, and examined with scanning tunneling microscopy. Two series of films grown at ∼240°C and ∼400°C showed a trend toward multilayer root-mean-squared (rms) roughness as thicknesses of tens to hundreds of bilayers were reached. The roughening of the ∼240°C deposition series appeared to slow as thicker films were deposited; the effective power law for the rms roughness suggested by measurement of the thinner films was t0.4±0.1, which is faster than that consistent with linear diffusion dynamics. The growth at ∼400°C appeared to be multilayer epitaxial and showed an increase in lateral feature size with deposition time. At higher deposition temperatures of ∼450°C and ∼500°C, a flatter terraced morphology with dotted depressions was seen. Some of these vacancies appeared in straight lines, usually running parallel to the rough steps, indicating a pinning effect on the growing film due to the initial substrate step morphology. The degree of pinning was analyzed in the framework of the directed-percolation depinning model. The roughening behavior exhibited by the films in this study results from a pinning effect and is attributed partially to the incorporation of carbon and oxygen in these films.
Tube renewal effects in binary polymer mixtures

The effects of tube renewal on the diffusion of deuterated polystyrene (d-PS) into binary mixtures of polystyrene (PS) and poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) were examined as a function of the molecular weight of PS. The contribution of tube renewal to the diffusivity of the d-PS chains was smaller in these mixtures than observed for the diffusion of d-PS into PS hosts. A model based on the work of Klein and Graessley was developed to describe these observations
Nanofiber Alignment on a Flexible Substrate: Hierarchical Order from Macro to Nano

A simplified approach to constructing a composite material comprised of aligned electrospun nanofibers onto a flexible substrate consisting of a microfilament yarn is presented. The metal-coated knit patterns of the microfilament yarn play the role of the parallel electrode, required for the alignment of electrospun nanofibers. Hybrid materials with knitted textile as a support material and aligned high-surface-area nanofibers could represent ideal materials for use in the filtration, optical, and biomedical industries.
DRGEP-based mechanism reduction strategies: graph search algorithms and skeletal primary reference fuel mechanisms

Skeletal mechanism reduction based on the directed relation graph with error propagation (DRGEP) is explored with focus on the selection of graph search algorithm and application on primary reference fuels (PRF). It is demonstrated that R-value-based breadthfirst search (BFS) and Dijkstra’s algorithm generate results independent of species order, while basic and modified depth-first search and basic BFS depend on the order of species in the reaction mechanism. Each of the search algorithms is also used with DRGEP to generate skeletal mechanisms for a detailed mechanism for n-heptane, consisting of 561 species and 2539 reactions, covering a comprehensive range of conditions for temperature, pressure, and equivalence ratio. Dijkstra’s algorithm combined with a coefficient scaling approach generates the most compact skeletal mechanism compared to the other search algorithms for a 30% error limit, with 131 species and 651 reactions. A comprehensive reduction scheme including DRGEP with Dijkstra’s algorithm followed by sensitivity analysis and unimportant reaction elimination is then applied on a large binary (n-heptane and iso-octane) PRF mechanism, containing 1034 species and 4236 reactions, to generate skeletal mechanisms at varying levels of detail. The skeletal mechanisms with ∼100 species adequately predict the ignition delay and laminar flame speed calculations of the detailed mechanism.
Correlation of esophageal lengths in children with height: Application to the Tuttle test without prior esophageal manometry

The complications that occurred during acid reflux testing were minimal. However, the potential for aspiration of instilled acid exists and HC1 should be removed from those infants found to have gross GER or from those whose symptoms have been apnea or recurrent pneumonia. In spite of the potential difficulties in the acid reflux test, it still is the most sensitive indicator for GER. Until other methods are devised, this test should be considered in any patient thought to have significant GER.
Technique of cervicothoracic junction pedicle subtraction osteotomy for cervical sagittal imbalance: report of 11 cases.

Object Sagittal imbalance of the cervicothoracic spine often causes severe pain and loss of horizontal gaze. Historically, the Smith-Peterson osteotomy has been used to restore sagittal balance. Cervicothoracic junction pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) offers more controlled closure and greater biomechanical stability but has been infrequently reported in the literature. This study details the cervicothoracic PSO technique in 11 cases and correlates clinical kyphosis (chin-brow to vertical angle [CBVA]) with radiographic measurements. Methods Between February 2008 and September 2010, 11 patients (mean age 70 years) underwent a modified PSO (10 at C-7, 1 at T-1) for treatment of sagittal imbalance. Preoperative and postoperative sagittal plane radiographic measurements were made. The CBVA was measured on clinical photographs. Operative technique and perioperative correction were reported for all 11 patients and long-term follow-up data was reported for 9 patients, in whom the mean duration of follow-up ...
Plasma homocyst(e)ine levels in men with premature coronary artery disease.

Abstract Plasma homocyst(e)ine (that is, the sum of free and bound homocysteine and its oxidized forms, homocystine and homocysteine-cysteine mixed disulfide) levels were determined in 170 men (mean age ± SD 50 ± 7 years) with premature coronary artery disease diagnosed at coronary angiography and in 255 control subjects clinically free of coronary artery disease (mean age 49 ± 6 years). Patients with coronary artery disease had a higher homocyst(e)ine level than control subjects (13.66 ± 6.44 versus 10.93 ± 4.92 nmol/ml, p
Esprimere la voce humana: Connections between Vocal and Instrumental Music by Italian Composers of the Early Seventeenth Century

Several points of intersection exist between vocal and instrumental music by Italian composers of the early seventeenth century. First, like books of vocal monody with an overt pedagogical purpose, volumes of instrumental music may have been designed to instruct the performer in the conventions of the modern style. Specifically, many books published in the 1610s and 920s offer their users a window on the changeable, fluid idiom of the stile moderno, in which contrast of musical material and a posture of invention assumes primary importance. Second, as in recitative and other vocal styles, much of the vocal and instrumental music of the early seventeenth century is dominated by a metrical flexibility that similarly contributes to an air of immediacy, and that seems designed to highlight the emotional qualities of the music——to convey and move the affetti . And third, whereas the theatrical nature of vocal music of the period——especially music destined for the stage——may appear obvious, some instrumental music of the period may be equally theatrical, containing instructions for interaction with an audience, staging, imitation, and role-play. These points of intersection in particular suggest a relationship between the instrumental stile moderno and the vocal stile rappresentativo, prevalent in operas, ensemble madrigals, and solo songs in the early 1600s. Although no single, exclusive definition of the stile rappresentativo exists, it is nevertheless possible to trace a constellation of features associated with that term through a variety of works. Despite the divergence of the specific musical language of the vocal and instrumental repertoires, some of the vocal features are analogous to elements of instrumental music discussed in the article.
Examination of Size-Induced Ferroelectric Phase Transitions in Template Synthesized PbTiO3 Nanotubes and Nanofibers

Here we report on the application of sol-gel template synthesis to the investigation of size-induced ferroelectric phase transitions in lead titanate (PbTiO 3 ) nanotubes and nanofibers. A 0.8 M chelate sol-gel, made from titanium(IV) tertabutoxide and lead(II) trihydrate acetate, was applied to two different templates. Nanotubes were formed within 200-nm-pore Whatman anodisc aluminum oxide membranes, and nanofibers were prepared using 50-, 100-, and 200-nm Whatman track-etched polycarbonate membranes. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that the tubes comprised grains of ≤20 nm and the fibers comprised individual grains ≤200 nm in width when a 200-nm pore size template is used. An examination of how the grain/crystallite size and aspect ratio of one-dimensional morphologies affect the ferroelectric phase transition was monitored through the comparison of bulk powders and the nanostructured materials using electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry.
The 65Cu(p, t)63Cu reaction and the structure of 63Cu

Abstract The 65 Cu(p, t) 63 Cu reaction has been studied with 18.0 and 19.5 MeV protons. The states in 63 Cu at 1.547 and 2.498 MeV are each assigned J π = 3 2 − on the basis of angular distributions indicating mixed L = 0 and L = 2 transfer. Relative cross sections for L = 2 transfer to the low-lying states are compared with predictions of the shell model and particle-core model.
Effects of the number of yearling Boer crossbred wethers per automated feeding system unit on feed intake, feeding behavior and growth performance

Abstract Thirty-six growing Boer × Spanish wethers (initial BW of 30 ± 0.7 kg) were used in an 82-day experiment to determine effects of the number of animals per automated feeding system (NPF; 6, 8, 10 and 12), allowing consumption by only one animal at a given time, on intake of a 50% concentrate pelletized diet (9.2 MJ/kg ME, DM basis), feeding behavior and growth performance. During the entire experiment DM intake (1454, 1513, 1596 and 1374 g/day) and BW gain (156, 167, 181 and 136 g/day for 6, 8, 10 and 12 NPF, respectively) were affected by NPF quadratically ( P P P
Directional wavemaker theory with sidewall reflection

A directional wavemaker theory is presented for waves in wave basins with sloping bottoms and reflective sidewalls. The theory includes the refraction, shoaling and diffraction that occur in wave basins with the wavemaker mounted along one end of the basin. A procedure is shown which utilizes the reflection from the sidewalls to produce planar wave trains at a given location in the basin, similar to that which would be obtained by an infinitely long wavemaker.
Minding the Gap: Pan-Americanism's Highway, American Environmentalism, and Remembering the Failure to Close the Darién Gap

AbstractThe Pan-American Highway, proposed in 1923, was Pan-Americanism's most publicized idea, and the dream of a hemispheric highway inspired automotive adventurers from Canada to Argentina to at...
Calculation of long term solar collector heating system performance

Abstract A calculation of system performance is necessary for an economic analysis of solar space heating systems, but is made difficult by the complexity of the system and weather parameters. The system studies in the literature have in general employed detailed computer analyses which, although informative, require detailed weather records and tend to be costly in computer time. To overcome these difficulties, a simplified technique to predict yearly system performance was developed. This simplified method is based on a computation of the system performance for a single “average” day of each month, modifying this result with a correction factor, and summing the results over each month of the heating season. The result is that system performance can be calculated easily, by hand or with trivial computer cost. A comparison with detailed numerical analyses in the literature for systems in the cities of Phoenix, Charleston, Madison and Boston shows excellent agreement. Results are also presented for systems in Salt Lake City.
Physical Stability of Spray‐Dried Milk Fat Emulsion as Affected by Emulsifiers and Processing Conditions

: The effects of emulsifiers, wall, carbohydrate, and processing conditions on the physical properties of encapsulated powders were studied. Unstable emulsion causes an increase in the surface fat of spray-dried powder. Surface fat decreased with increasing DE and was unaffected by drying outlet temperature. A seven-fold decrease in surface fat was observed when the oil droplet size increased from 0.5 to 1.2 μm. At best, about 98% of the milk fat was encapsulated. Powder average particle size changed with outlet air temperature, oil droplet size, and DE. Particles contained air cells with some large voids and more spherical shape for 36 DE but dented and irregular shape for 10 DE.
Maternal, not paternal, PTSD is related to increased risk for PTSD in offspring of Holocaust survivors

Abstract Background A significant association between parental PTSD and the occurrence of PTSD in offspring has been noted, consistent with the idea that risk for the development of PTSD is transmitted from parent to child. Two recent reports linking maternal PTSD and low offspring cortisol prompted us to examine the relative contributions of maternal vs. paternal PTSD in the prediction of PTSD and other psychiatric diagnoses in offspring. Methods One hundred seventeen men and 167 women, recruited from the community, were evaluated using a comprehensive psychiatric battery designed to identify traumatic life experiences and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses. 211 of these subjects were the adult offspring of Holocaust survivors and 73 were demographically comparable Jewish controls. Participants were further subdivided based on whether their mother, father, neither, or both parents met diagnostic criteria for lifetime PTSD. Results A higher prevalence of lifetime PTSD, mood, anxiety disorders, and to a lesser extent, substance abuse disorders, was observed in offspring of Holocaust survivors than controls. The presence of maternal PTSD was specifically associated with PTSD in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors. However, other psychiatric diagnoses did not show specific effects associated with maternal PTSD. Conclusion The tendency for maternal PTSD to make a greater contribution than paternal PTSD to PTSD risk suggests that classic genetic mechanisms are not the sole model of transmission, and paves way for the speculation that epigenetic factors may be involved. In contrast, PTSD in any parent contributes to risk for depression, and parental traumatization is associated with increased anxiety disorders in offspring.
Transmission of optical communication signals by distributed parametric amplification

We have demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, distributed parametric amplification, i.e. amplification of 10-Gb/s communication signals along a 75-km transmission fiber by using a co-propagating pump with only 66.5 mW of power.
Faster flicker rate increases reading speed on CRTs

We have investigated whether reading is adversely affected by the flicker of VDTs. We use 60 Hz flicker for our low frequency because it is the standard used in most computer monitors, and 500 Hz for our upper boundary because it provides nearly constant presentation. Sixty hertz flicker results in 16.67 ms of dead time after every screen write. Therefore, there is no usable information at the fixation point for an average of 8.33 ms following a saccadic eye movement. We hypothesized that the visual system might have to wait for text to become available after each saccade, slowing reading speed. The 500 Hz condition allows 2 ms of dead time with an average wait of 1 ms.
Comment on "nonmonotonicity in the quantum-classical transition: chaos induced by quantum effects".

A Comment on the Letter by Arie Kapulkin and Arjendu K. Pattanayak, [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 074101 (2008)]. The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.
Disruption of microalgal cells using high-frequency focused ultrasound

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of high-frequency focused ultrasound (HFFU) in microalgal cell disruption. Two microalgal species including Scenedesmus dimorphus and Nannochloropsis oculata were treated by a 3.2-MHz, 40-W focused ultrasound and a 100-W, low-frequency (20 kHz) non-focused ultrasound (LFNFU). The results demonstrated that HFFU was effective in the disruption of microalgal cells, indicated by significantly increased lipid fluorescence density, the decrease of cell sizes, and the increase of chlorophyll a fluorescence density after treatments. Compared with LFNFU, HFFU treatment was more energy efficient. The combination of high and low frequency treatments was found to be even more effective than single frequency treatment at the same processing time, indicating that frequency played a critical role in cell disruption. In both HFFU and LFNFU treatments, the effectiveness of cell disruption was found to be dependent on the cell treated.
The National Association of Manufacturers' Community Relations Short Film Your Town: Parable, Propaganda, and Big Individualism

In the aftermath of the Great Depression, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) faced growing antibusiness sentiment. In 1940, as part of a widespread propaganda campaign to assuage public concerns about industry and rehabilitate big business's reputation, NAM created and distributed the community relations short film, Your Town. The movie, pursuing an integration propaganda strategy, appealed to Americans' individualistic values by portraying industry as a beneficent fellow traveler who was a big individual—a heroic, larger-than-life figure who could make the land profitable and guard the citizenry against evil, antibusiness influences. Applying Vogler's (1997) synthesis of Campbell's (1949) heroic narrative form, this article shows that NAM's portrayal of industry as a hero has continued to resonate with strains of contemporary American thought that (a) sees business as the foundation for societal progress and stability and (b) conceptualizes the corporate entity as a person. Finally, this stu...
PROSTATE CANCER GENE THERAPY

The death of a patient at the University of Pennsylvannia gene therapy trial for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency led to an outpouring of interest regarding the efficacy and potential hazards of gene therapy. This unfortunate outcome prompted internal and external reviews of the strategies and potential toxicities of adenoviral-based gene therapy as well as gene therapy as a whole. The development of gene therapy treatments largely will profit from this tragedy, however, because these inquiries will strengthen the rigor of product development and risk assessment. The possibility that through genetic manipulation the course of diseases, such as prostate cancer, can be altered has captured the imagination of scientists and the lay public. Regardless of the obstacles and technical difficulties to be overcome, ultimately molecular medicine and gene therapy will be a reality in the treatment of human disease. As a consequence, medical practitioners need to understand the role for gene therapy in the treatment of urologic malignancy so that they may answer patients' questions and refer interested, eligible patients to clinical trials.
Byron’s Cultural Ecology

Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage is Byron’s first major expression of his environmental consciousness, a product of the existential embeddedness he achieved during his 1810–11 tour of Greece. Canto 2 represents Greek culture as an evolved outgrowth of its environment, and Greece as a place that depends upon preserving the integration of natural and built environments in order to retain its identity as the spiritual birthplace of European concepts of freedom. This environmental portrait underlies Byron’s Philhellenism and his critique of Lord Elgin’s removal of key artifacts of the Greek cultural environment. In later writings, Byron extended this environmental consciousness to a vision of Europe and the Mediterranean as a bioregion connected by its waterways. Byron’s cultural ecology provokes some necessary rethinking of key ecocritical concepts, specifically “dwelling” and “nature,” leading to a broader understanding of how writers imagine human‐environment relationships.
HPC runtime support for fast and power efficient locking and synchronization

As compute nodes increase in parallelism, existing intra-node locking and synchronization primitives need to be scalable, fast, and power efficient. Most parallel runtime systems try to find a balance between these properties during synchronization by fine-tuned spin-waiting and processor yielding to the OS. Unfortunately, the code path followed by the OS to put the processor into a lower power state for idling almost always includes the interrupt processing path. This introduces an unnecessary overhead for both the waiting tasks and the task waking them up. In this work we investigate a pair of x86 specific instructions, MONITOR and MWAIT, that can be used to build these primitives with the desired performance and power efficiency properties. This pair of instructions allow a processor to quickly pause execution until another one wakes it up with single memory store avoiding the overhead of switching to the idle thread of the OS for the waiting task, and sending IPIs for the waking task. We implement a locking primitive using these instructions and evaluate its effectiveness in OpenMP on low to high scales. In these tests we have seen very good scaling and performance improvements of up to 23x and 6x power reduction at 64 cores. With these results as a motivation we propose that other high-core count processors include these type of instructions and make them available to user-space applications.