cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of preoperative carbohydrate loading on patients with type II diabetes in an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol.

Abstract Background We aimed to determine the effects of preoperative carbohydrate-loading (CHO) as part of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway on patients with/without type II diabetes (DMII). Methods Retrospective review of ERAS patients with CHO, including 80 with DMII, 275 without DMII in addition to 89 patients with DMII from the previous (non-ERAS) year. Outcomes included glucose-levels, insulin requirements, and complications. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of any complication with perioperative glucose control variables. Results Among ERAS versus non-ERAS patients with DMII, there were significant differences in median preoperative (142 mg/dL versus 129.5 mg/dL, p = 0.017) and postoperative day-1 glucose levels (152 mg/dL, versus 137.5 mg/dL, p = 0.004). There were no differences in insulin requirements, hypoglycemic episodes, or complications. Complications were not associated with Hgb-A1C%, home DMII-medications, or preoperative glucose measurement on logistic regression. Conclusions Patients with DMII tolerated CHO without increasing insulin requirements or substantially affecting glucose levels or complications.
Long-term beneficial effects of hematopoietic growth factors on brain repair in the chronic phase of severe traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the major cause of long-term, even life-long disability and cognitive impairments in young adults. The lack of therapeutic approaches to improve recovery in the chronic phase of severe TBI is a big challenge to the medical research field. Using a single severe TBI model in young adult mice, this study examined the restorative efficacy of two hematopoietic growth factors, stem cell factor (SCF) and granulocyte colony–stimulating factor (G-CSF), on brain repair in the chronic phase of TBI. SCF and G-CSF alone or combination (SCF + G-CSF) treatment was administered at 3 months post-TBI. Functional recovery was evaluated by neurobehavioral tests during the period of 21 weeks after treatment. Neuropathology was examined 22 weeks after treatment. We observed that severe TBI caused persistent impairments in spatial learning/memory and somatosensory-motor function, long-term and widespread neuropathology, including dendritic reduction, decrease and overgrowth of axons, over-generated excitatory synapses, and demyelination in the cortex, hippocampus and striatum. SCF, G-CSF, and SCF + G-CSF treatments ameliorated severe TBI-induced widespread neuropathology. SCF + G-CSF treatment showed superior efficacy in improving long-term functional outcome, enhancing neural plasticity, rebalancing neural structure networks disturbed by severe TBI, and promoting remyelination. These novel findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of SCF and G-CSF in enhancing recovery in the chronic phase of severe TBI .
Comprehensive Undergraduate Safety Instruction

The variation in curricular approaches to and content of chemical safety instruction in undergraduate programs highlight the need for a more comprehensive, integrative approach. This work describes the efforts of two institutions, Wittenberg University and St. Olaf College, to develop and to implement a chemical safety curriculum across the entirety of the students’ undergraduate experience. The use of RAMP (recognize hazards, assess risk, minimize risk, prepare for emergencies) as a central organizing theme enabled the educators and students to consider possibilities and technical materials relative to their knowledge base and to use modes of inquiry and practice to expand that base. While variability in safety presentation and thoroughness exists among individual faculty, department-wide assessment of the curricular aims coupled to faculty safety discourses promotes a culture of safety that is seen as a necessary and valuable part of the chemical enterprise.
A 35-Year-Old Opioid-Tolerant Patient with Uncontrolled Pain After Surgery

In 2001, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) advocated for pain to be the “fifth vital sign” and, ever since, the use of opioids for pain management has increased exponentially each year (Gulur, et al., Pain Physician. 17:E503–7, 2014). Mistakenly, opioids are thought of as the first line of treatment for pain. The United States appears to be the main consumer of opioids accounting for 56% of morphine and 81% of oxycodone usage globally (International Narcotics Control Board. Narcotic drugs technical reports. Estimated world requirements for 2011. https://www.incb.org. Accessed 24 May 2018). There is growing evidence that opioids may have a negative impact on pain, especially postoperative pain. Studies show that chronic opioid exposure can lead to opioid tolerance or opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH)—two distinct phenomena that are directly related to opioid therapy and are often difficult to control. Clinical differentiation between these two phenomena can be challenging. Anesthetic technique can influence the development of opioid tolerance and OIH. A multimodal approach is recommended and includes preemptive analgesia, intraoperative infusion therapy, consideration of regional techniques, and maximizing the use of non-opioid medications.
Vaginal squamous cell carcinoma develops in mice with Arid1a loss and gain of oncogenic Kras

Recent sequencing studies showed that loss-of-function mutations in ARID1A (AT-rich interactive domain 1a) were enriched in gynecologic malignancies. However, multiple mouse models with deletion of Arid1a did not exhibit gynecologic malignancy. Oncogenic KRAS mutations are a common finding in endometrial cancers. However, expression of oncogenic Kras (KrasG12D) in the uterus was not sufficient to develop endometrial cancer. These results suggest that both ARID1A deletion and oncogenic KRAS require additional hits before driving gynecologic malignancy. To determine the role of the combination effects of deletion of Arid1a and oncogenic Kras, Arid1aflox/flox mice were crossed to KrasLox-Stop-Lox-G12D/+ mice using progesterone receptor Cre (PgrCre/+). Survival studies, histology, and immunohistochemistry were used to characterize the phenotype. Hormone dependence was evaluated by ovarian hormone depletion and estradiol replacement. Arid1aflox/flox; KrasLox-Stop-Lox-G12D/+; PgrCre/+ (AKP) mice exhibited early euthanasia due to large vaginal tumors, which were invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Younger mice exhibited precancerous intraepithelial lesions that progressed to invasive squamous cell carcinoma with age. Immunohistochemistry supported the pathological diagnosis with abnormal expression and localization of cytokeratin 5, tumor protein P63, cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A or p16), and marker of proliferation Ki-67. Vaginal lesions in AKP mice were hormone dependent. Ovarian hormone deletion in AKP mice resulted in atrophic vaginal epithelium without evidence of vaginal tumors. Estradiol replacement in ovarian hormone depleted AKP mice resulted in lesions that resembled the squamous cell carcinoma in intact mice. AKP mice did not develop endometrial cancer. Arid1a deletion with KrasG12D expression drives invasive vaginal squamous cell carcinoma. This mouse can be used to study the transition from benign precursor lesions into invasive vaginal squamous cell carcinoma offering insights into progression.
An overview of the effect of bioaerosol size in coronavirus disease 2019 transmission.

The fast spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) constitutes a worldwide challenge to the public health, educational and trade systems, affecting the overall well-being of human societies. The high transmission and mortality rates of this virus, and the unavailability of a vaccine or treatment, resulted in the decision of multiple governments to enact measures of social distancing. Such measures can reduce the exposure to bioaerosols, which can result in pathogen deposition in the respiratory tract of the host causing disease and an immunological response. Thus, it is important to consider the validity of the proposal for keeping a distance of at least 2 m from other persons to avoid the spread of COVID-19. This work reviews the effect of aerodynamic diameter (size) of particles carrying RNA copies of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A SARS-CoV-2 carrier person talking, sneezing or coughing at distance of 2 m can still provide a pathogenic bioaerosol load with submicron particles that remain viable in air for up to 3 h for exposure of healthy persons near and far from the source in a stagnant environment. The deposited bioaerosol creates contaminated surfaces, which if touched can act as a path to introduce the pathogen by mouth, nose or eyes and cause disease.
Translating 2 John 12 and 3 John 14

This paper explores the background of the phrase stoma pros stoma as it occurs in 2 John 12 and 3 John 14. If John drew from Num 12.8 and the “Prophet like Moses” theme in the Pentateuch when writi...
STRATEGIC EXERCISE OF REAL OPTIONS: INVESTMENT DECISIONS IN TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

Viewing investment projects in new technologies as real options, this paper studies the effects of endogenous competition and asymmetric information on the strategic exercise of real options. We first develop a multi-period, game-theoretic model and show how competition leads to early exercise and aggressive investment behaviors and how competition erodes option values. We then relax the typical full-information assumption found in the literature and allow information asymmetry to exist across firms. Our model shows, in contrast to the literature that payoff is independent of the ordering of exercise, that the sequential exercise of real options may generate both informational and payoff externalities. We also find some surprising but interesting results such as having more information is not necessarily better.
Lag Effects of Ozone, PM2.5, and Meteorological Factors on COVID-19 New Cases at the Disease Epicenter in Queens, New York

The influences of environmental factors on COVID-19 may not be immediate and could be lagged for days to weeks. This study investigated the choice of lag days for calculating cumulative lag effects of ozone, PM2.5, and five meteorological factors (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, absolute humidity, and cloud percentages) on COVID-19 new cases at the epicenter of Queens County, New York, before the governor’s executive order on wearing of masks in public places (1 March to 11 April 2020). Daily data for selected air pollutants and meteorological factors were collected from the US EPA Air Quality System, weather observation station of the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information at John F. Kennedy Airport, and World Weather Online. Negative binomial regression models were applied, including the autocorrelations and trend of the time series, as well as the effective reproductive number as confounders. The effects of ozone, PM2.5, and five meteorological factors were significant on COVID-19 new cases with lag9-lag13 days. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were consistent for any lag day choice between lag0 and lag14 days and started fluctuating after lag15 days. Considering moving averages >14 days yielded less reliable variables for summarizing the cumulative lag effects of environmental factors on COVID-19 new cases and considering lag days from 9 to 13 would yield significant findings. Future studies should consider this approach of lag day checks concerning the modeling of COVID-19 progression in relation to meteorological factors and ambient air pollutants.
Student and faculty perceptions of integrated therapeutics courses in a doctor of pharmacy program.

Abstract Introduction There has been a movement in clinical education towards integrating foundational and applied course content. It remains unclear what best practices are for integration or how meaningful integration is for improving learning. We assessed the impact and perceptions of different degrees of integration in Integrated Pharmacy Care and Patient Management (IPC) courses. Methods Students and faculty of one four-year doctor of pharmacy program were asked to complete surveys upon conclusion of the last of twelve integrated courses. Three degrees of integration (first degree, second degree, complete Integration) were defined for respondents. The student questionnaire included items on perceived value of integrated education as well as used and preferred levels of integration throughout the course series. Perceived estimated integration levels were then correlated with mean grade point averages (GPAs) for the courses. The faculty survey assessed experience with, and perceptions of, integrated teaching. Results Sixty-five students (100% response) and 10 faculty (50% response) completed the surveys. Students preferred complete integration for all IPC courses and indicated that they were better able to retain and understand information with higher levels of integration. Supporting this, mean course GPAs positively correlated with estimated levels of integration. Faculty remained neutral on whether integration helps students to better understand course material and highlighted barriers to implementing higher levels of integration, including lack of time. Conclusions Our results suggest that a team approach to complete integration is most beneficial for pharmacy students. Faculty may require additional institutional support to accomplish such integration.
Hexapod External Fixators in Paediatric Deformities

Lower limb deformities are very common in paediatric patients. Although most cases can be treated conservatively or with minimally invasive procedures (e.g., hemiepiphysiodesis), a minority of patients end up developing severe and multiaxial deformities. The most common causes of severe limb deformities in paediatric patient are congenital (e.g., fibular hemimelia or congenital proximal femur deficiency), post-traumatic (e.g., growth plate injuries), post-infectious (e.g., as a result of septic arthritis or osteomyelitis), and tumor or tumor-like conditions (e.g., Ollier’s disease, hereditary multiple exostoses). Correction of these deformities is of paramount importance to avoid long-term sequelae and later arthritis and pain. Hexapod external fixator, a later evolution of the original Ilizarov external fixator system, is specifically designed for simultaneous treatment of multiaxial deformities. In this chapter, we will be discussing specific aspects of the use of hexapod external fixator in paediatric patients; furthermore, several clinical cases will be presented in order to highlight critical steps in preoperative planning, surgery execution, postoperative care, and expected final results.
A critical opportunity: Detecting and Reducing Lead in Drinking Water at child care facilities.

Abstract There is no safe level of lead exposure. As exposure from point sources like lead paint have decreased, non-point sources such as drinking water have become a greater proportional source of total lead exposure. Even at low levels, lead exposure is shown to harm children, contributing to impaired development as well as learning and behavioral issues. This paper summarizes the key results of an Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) pilot study conducted at 11 child care facilities in 4 US states to evaluate approaches to testing and remediating lead in water at child care facilities. Over 75% of first draw samples contained lead levels under the 1 μg/L level recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). However, 10 of 11 child care facilities produced at least one sample above 1 μg/L. Fixture flushing, aerator cleaning, and fixture replacement were evaluated as remediation strategies. Fixture replacement was effective when initial lead was above 5 μg/L. Aerator cleaning did not have a measurable effect on lead levels for most fixtures but unexpectedly significantly increased lead levels in approximately 30% of fixtures. The 2021 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) revision was applied to study data to determine whether updates would flag cases of low-level lead in child care settings and was found insufficient to prompt mitigation unless high lead was present at most taps.
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1, a Novel Therapeutic Target for Post-Vascular Injury Thrombosis in CKD

Background CKD, characterized by retained uremic solutes, is a strong and independent risk factor for thrombosis after vascular procedures . Urem ic solutes such as indoxyl sulfate (IS) and kynurenine (Kyn) mediate prothrombotic effect through tissue factor (TF). IS and Kyn biogenesis depends on multiple enzymes, with therapeutic implications unexplored. We examined the role of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1), a rate-limiting enzyme of kynurenine biogenesis, in CKD-associated thrombosis after vascular injury. Methods IDO-1 expression in mice and human vessels was examined. IDO-1-/- mice, IDO-1 inhibitors, an adenine-induced CKD, and carotid artery injury models were used. Results Both global IDO-1-/- CKD mice and IDO-1 inhibitor in wild-type CKD mice showed reduced blood Kyn levels, TF expression in their arteries, and thrombogenicity compared with respective controls. Several advanced IDO-1 inhibitors downregulated TF expression in primary human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells specifically in response to uremic serum. Further mechanistic probing of arteries from an IS-specific mouse model, and CKD mice, showed upregulation of IDO-1 protein, which was due to inhibition of its polyubiquitination and degradation by IS in vascular smooth muscle cells. In two cohorts of patients with advanced CKD, blood IDO-1 activity was significantly higher in sera of study participants who subsequently developed thrombosis after endovascular interventions or vascular surgery. Conclusion Leveraging genetic and pharmacologic manipulation in experimental models and data from human studies implicate IS as an inducer of IDO-1 and a perpetuator of the thrombotic milieu and supports IDO-1 as an antithrombotic target in CKD.
Intuitionism, Entailment, Negation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses intuitionism, entailment, and negation. The extensional analysis of the conditional has been in favor of late. In the first place it is clearer, at least superficially. Efficient logical techniques have been developed with its aid. But the intensional analysis is gaining ground. There has, of course, existed a hard core of mathematical intuitionists and others who reject classic logic on philosophical grounds. Their ranks have been swelled, ironically, by the very success of classic semantical analysis in explicating intensionally motivated logics. Contextual elimination of sentential constants stood behind the use of these constants to characterize intuitionistic and material implication and intuitionistic and elliptical negation. But logic has come a long way from the days when every successful elimination in context brought automatic cheers that another putative entity had bit the dust.
Tobacco Use, Use Disorders, and Smoking Cessation Interventions in Persons Living With HIV

Cigarette smoking remains highly prevalent among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), estimated to be 40-75 %, and is significantly higher than what is observed among the general population. Health risks of smoking in this population include cardiovascular disease; bacterial pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other respiratory conditions; lung cancer and other malignancies; adverse cognitive and neurological outcomes; low birth weight, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational-age infants; and overall mortality. Smokers with HIV now lose more life years to smoking than they do to the HIV itself. A majority of smokers living with HIV report being interested in cessation, and a significant proportion has made recent quit attempts. There is a general paucity of large, randomized controlled trials of smoking cessation interventions among smokers living with HIV, and among the existing research, cessation rates are suboptimal. Greater resources and effort should be allocated to developing and evaluating cessation treatment modalities for smokers living with HIV. Efforts to individualize and tailor treatments to address specific client needs and comorbidities are warranted. HIV care providers and other health professionals can play a key role in improving health among this population by regularly screening for smoking and promoting cessation.
Electroencephalographic and behavioral correlates in rats during repeated ethanol withdrawal syndromes

Rats chronically implanted with electrodes in the amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, and cortex were addicted twice, separated by an interval of 2 weeks, with 18 days of ethanol liquid diet. The diet consumption and the blood ethanol levels (BELs) were carefully controlled twice a day during both addictive phases. After ethanol removal the behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) changes were continuously monitored for 24 h. During each withdrawal the behavioral and EEG changes appeared at the same time, the EEG changes being of shorter duration Behavioral and EEG changes (primarily in hippocampus) were more severe and of earlier onset during the second withdrawal. In spite of an ethanol liquid diet intake comparable to that of the first addiction, during the ethanol readdiction the BELs were found to fluctuate. The results support the hypothesis of an ethanol withdrawal potentiation through a mechanism of kindling of different brain areas related to the observed BEL fluctuations.
Improving the quality of online presence through interactivity

Online interactivity is becoming a valuable way of improving the communication quality of business web sites. As a result, it is important that web site designers understand the concept and how it affects the quality of web site design. This study empirically validated Ha and James' five interactivity dimensions (playfulness, connectedness, reciprocal communication, information collection, and choice) and their relationship to design quality. The findings suggested that the playfulness, connectedness, and reciprocal communication dimensions are important predictors of web site quality. While information collection tools are powerful for web engineering and user tracking, the companies surveyed here had not fully used the promising potential of such tools. The choice dimension, although it offered flexibility and customizability to users, was not significant in predicting web site quality. The results underscored the viability of interactivity dimensions in the online environment.
Development of paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient severe aortic stenosis

Objective Among patients with severe aortic stenosis (sAS) and preserved LVEF, those with low-flow, low-gradient sAS (LFLG-sAS) have an adverse prognosis. It has been proposed that LFLG-sAS represents an end-stage point of sAS, but longitudinal information has not been described. The aim was to determine whether LFLG-sAS represents an end-stage consequence of normal-flow, high-gradient sAS (NFHG-sAS) or a different entity. Methods From our transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) database, we identified patients with sAS (aortic valve area 2 ) and preserved LVEF (≥50%), and from these, patients with LFLG-sAS (stroke volume index 2 and mean transvalvular gradient Results In 78 patients with LFLG-sAS, an HG stage preceded the index TTE in only 4 (5%). During the five years preceding the index TTE, patients with LFLG-sAS developed increasing relative wall thickness (0.42 to 0.49; p 2 ; p Conclusions LFLG-sAS is a distinct presentation of sAS preceded by a unique remodelling pathway and is uncommonly preceded by an HG stage.
Diversification and biogeography of the Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi)

Abstract The rodent superfamily Octodontoidea comprises 6 families, 38 genera, and 193 living species of spiny rats, tuco-tucos, degus, hutias, and their relatives. All are endemic to the Neotropical Region where they represent roughly three-quarters of extant caviomorphs. Although caviomorph monophyly is well established and phylogenetic hypotheses exist for several families, understanding of octodontoid relationships is clouded by sparse taxon sampling and single-gene analyses. We examined sequence variation in one mitochondrial (12S rRNA) and three nuclear genes (vWF, GHR, and RAG1) across all caviomorph families (including 47 octodontoid species), all phiomorph families, and the sole remaining hystricognath family, using the gundi ( Ctenodactylus ) and springhaas ( Pedetes ) as outgroups. Our analyses support the monophyly of Phiomorpha, Caviomorpha, and the caviomorph superfamilies Cavioidea (Dasyproctidae, Cuniculidae, and Caviidae, the latter including Hydrochoerus ), Erethizontoidea, Chinchilloidea (including Dinomyidae), and Octodontoidea. Cavioids and erethizontoids are strongly supported as sisters, whereas chinchilloids appear to be sister to octodontoids. Among octodontoids, Abrocomidae is consistently recovered as the basal element, sister to a pair of strongly supported clades; one includes Octodontidae and Ctenomyidae as reciprocally monophyletic lineages, whereas the other includes taxa currently allocated to Echimyidae, Capromyidae and Myocastoridae. Capromys appears near the base of this clade, in keeping with current classification, but Myocastor is nested securely inside a clade of Echimyidae that also contains eumysopines, echimyines and dactylomyines. Another, more weakly supported clade of Echimyidae contains fossorial and scansorial taxa from the Chaco–Cerrado–Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest. Biogeographic analyses robustly recover the Patagonia–Southern Andes complex as ancestral for the Octodontoidea, with three component lineages emerging by the Oligocene–Miocene boundary (∼23 Ma): (1) stem abrocomids in the Central and Southern Andes; (2) a lineage leading to octodontids plus ctenomyids in Patagonia, later dispersing into the Chaco–Cerrado–Caatinga; and (3) a lineage leading to echimyids, capromyids, and myocastorids that subsequently radiated in more mesic biomes, including Amazonia, Atlantic Forest, and the Antilles. This reconstruction refutes earlier ideas that the diverse, generalized, mainly lowland family Echimyidae, which appears early in the fossil record, gave rise to the Andean lineages of octodontoids—instead, the reverse derivation appears to be true. We recommend formal synonymy of Myocastoridae with Echimyidae but defer a similar treatment of Capromyidae until additional hutia taxa and sequences can be analyzed.
Prolonged apnea after remifentanil

A young, healthy adult man exhibited naloxone-reversible, prolonged apnea after a 4-hour infusion of remifentanil, which was used as the opioid component of a general endotracheal anesthetic. Clinical experience and pharmacokinetic simulations indicate that the apnea was clearly atypical.
Reaction of proton pump inhibitors with model peptides results in novel products

The proposed mechanism for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is that PPIs are activated at low pH to the sulfenamide form, which reacts with the sulfhydryl group of cysteine(s) at the active site of the proton pump, to produce reducible disulfide-bonded PPI-proton pump conjugates. However, this mechanism cannot explain the observations that some PPI-protein conjugates are irreducible. This study was designed to investigate the chemistry of the irreducible conjugates by mass spectrometry, using three PPIs and 17 cysteine-containing peptides. While some peptides favored the formation of reducible PPI-peptide adduct, the other peptides mainly produced irreducible adducts. Characterization of the irreducible adduct revealed that the irreducible bonding required the participation of both a sulfhydryl group and a nearby primary amino group. High resolution mass spectrometry suggested a molecular structure of the irreducible adduct. These results suggested a reaction mechanism in which the PPI pyridone form reacted with an amino group and a sulfhydryl group to form an irreducible adduct. The irreducible adduct becomes the dominant product over time because of the irreversible nature of the pyridone-mediated reaction. These findings may explain the irreducible inhibition of H/K-ATPase by PPIs and their relatively slow biological turnover in vivo. [Supplementary materials: available only at http://dx.doi.org/10.1254/jphs.13058FP].
Complications of type I thyroplasty and arytenoid adduction.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Unilateral vocal fold paralysis resulting in glottal incompetence can cause significant morbidity attributable to impaired speech, swallowing, and ability to protect the airway. Type I thyroplasty in combination with arytenoid adduction is a proven technique for medialization of the paralyzed vocal fold but must be evaluated in light of potential complications following laryngeal framework surgery. Study Design and Methods: The charts of 237 patients who underwent unilateral vocal fold medialization surgery between July 1, 1991, and August 30, 1999, at a tertiary care cancer referral center were retrospectively reviewed. Results: There were 98 cases of type I thyroplasty alone and 96 cases of type I thyroplasty with arytenoid adduction. The two groups had similar patient characteristics. Mean time of surgery (45 vs. 73 min, p <.0001) and length of hospital stay (1.1 vs. 1.8 d, p <.0001) were increased when arytenoid adduction was performed. Overall improvement of symptoms was similar in both groups (93%-94%), but posterior glottic closure appeared subjectively improved when arytenoid adduction was used (p =.0054). Overall complication rates were slightly higher in the arytenoid adduction group (14% vs. 19%), primarily because of transient vocal fold edema and wound complications (9 vs. 19 cases), but the increase was not statistically significant (p = .1401). Complications warranting medical or surgical intervention occurred in 8% of cases. Two patients who underwent type I thyroplasty with arytenoid adduction required tracheotomy as a consequence of postoperative complications. The three patients who had extrusion of the implant underwent type I thyroplasty alone. Conclusion: Using the appropriate technique, the potential benefits of improved glottic function following type I thyroplasty with arytenoid adduction outweigh the small risk of significant complications observed.
Large-area hyphenated fiber optic chemical sensor platforms

The ability to collect broadband spectroscopic information about chemical analytes is highly desirable. We report on a technique that combines chemically selective coatings and optical spectroscopy. A 1-meter fiber 150 micrometers in diameter has approximately 5 cm2 surface area. This entire surface is used by incorporating selective moieties into the fiber cladding. The Large-Area Chemical Sensor concept for chemical sensing and measurement is based on a combination of three techniques. Specifically, it uses: (1) optical waveguides as the sensor substrate, (2) selectively adsorbing or absorbing materials to concentrate the target materials, and (3) spectroscopic interrogation for verification and quantification. The concept has been demonstrated for an iodine sensor by co-polymerizing methyl, phenyl siloxane into di-methyl siloxane. The phenyl group forms a charge-transfer complex with iodine which has an absorption at ca. 500 nm. Fused silica is the waveguide core. This system provides sensitivities in the 10-ppm range. The concept has been implemented into a prototype field iodine sensor unit. Work on the sensor concept continues with the goal of improving the sensitivity by allowing each photon multiple opportunities to interact with a target molecule.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Scattering angle dependence of double-collision processes

Abstract In solid targets projectile and target K vacancies or 1sσ molecular orbital (MO) X-rays may be created by a double-collision process where a projectile L or K vacancy is formed in one-collision then transfer to the K shell or radiates a MO X-ray in a second collision. The scattering-angle dependence of the probability for this process to occur is calculated. The projectile scattering in the first collision can influence the observed scattering-angle dependence in several ways: (1) the MO X-ray production probability falls off faster with decreasing angle, (2) the azimuthal angular distribution of MO X-ray emission is smeared out, and (3) predicted oscillations in the MO X ray spectrum for fixed impact parameter in the second collision are probably not observable in solid targets.
Comparison of muscle activity between conventional and neuromuscular splints

The muscle relaxation appliance (MRA) has been used in the treatment of myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD) patients. The neuromuscular orthotic is a version of the MRA and is constructed from a three-dimensional mandibular position when muscles are in a state of minimal electromyographic (EMG) activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the affect of two muscle relaxation appliances and a placebo (cotton rolls) on EMG activity of the functional masseter and anterior temporalis muscles. A centric relation mandibular MRA and a neuromuscular orthotic were constructed under controlled protocols for 12 women MPD patients with a mean age of 38 years. EMG measurements were taken during a 10-second clench of both appliance and placebo. No statistical difference was found between the centric relation mandibular MRA and neuromuscular orthotic. A statistically significant difference was found between the mean EMG values of the placebo and two treatment appliances.
Plasmonic nanostructures for transparent photovoltaic facades

Building-integrated photovotaic facades can capture a significant amount of solar energy that is currently underused. Semitransparent photovoltaic devices are one of the most promising solutions for such applications. However, in conventional transparent photovoltaic structures, transparency inevitably translates to poor light harvesting and hence low power conversion efficiency. In this paper, we propose a plasmonic nanostructure based wavelength and angle selective back reflector that can provide excellent see-through clarity while providing effective light harvesting for efficient solar energy conversion. The proposed back reflector is independent from the solar cell design and can be integrated with nearly every type of transparent solar cell structures, ranging from amorphous to polymer absorbers and from single-junction to tandem cells. Uniquely, the plasmonic nanostructures can be integrated with a large-area thin-film solar cell device on flexible substrates, enabling “photovoltaic film” that can be retrofitted to the existing window systems. This paper presents the proposed concept and its validation using finite-difference-time-domain simulations. Results indicate that plasmonic light trapping can improve photovoltaic absorption of angled light by a factor of 1.7 on resonance while maintaining good transparency for normally incident light.
Predictive stop-loss premiums and Student's t-distribution

Abstract A Bayesian stop-loss prediction model is constructed from a mixture of a normal with a gamma conjugate prior. Its predictive density is a location-scale transformation of Student's t -distribution. When no data are available for statistical prediction, the marginal distribution coincides with Bowers' distribution, introduced in Hurlimann (1993b), which generates the best stop-loss upper bounds by given mean, variance and range (− ∞, ∞) of a distribution. The present prediction model is justified using a conditional measure of safeness. Furthermore, it is shown how estimates of the approximation error made when replacing the predictive exact stop-loss premiums by a simple normal approximation can be obtained using computer simulations.
Nuclear resonance fluorescence and Rayleigh scattering from 203Ti

Abstract The lifetime of the 279 keV excited state of 203Tl was determined to be 0.28±0.04 nsec by the method of nuclear resonance fluorescence, using the 212 keV beta radiation for compensation of the recoil energy loss. Using gaseous and liquid sources and a thallium scatterer, the cross sections for resonance fluorescence and Rayleigh scattering processes were determined. The agreement between theory and experiment on Rayleigh scattering cross section obtained from the present measurement lends support to this value of lifetime.
Biodiversity, conservation and inventory: why insects matter

Western culture views insects and arachnids as pests and vermin that need to be controlled. They usually are not considered as something to be preserved. Accordingly, arthropods and other small organisms have not been taken seriously for conservation by policy makers and the conservation community at large. Having existed for more than 400 million years and after surviving the Permian and Cretaceous mass extinctions, arthropods have been the most successful of all living things and along with other invertebrates constitute more than three-quarters of today's global biodiversity. Arthropods are major components of diverse ecosystems and are the major players in functioning of ecosystem processes. Nevertheless, arthropods, which are the least known and, along with other plants and animals, are relentlessly vanishing before our eyes. Thus, aside from anthropocentric perception and societal prejudice, arthropods certainly are not pests in an ecological or evolutionary context and have an inherent biological right to exist in an evolutionary context, with ecological and instrumental values. They must be preserved because of their inherent values but also because we need them for human survival. Thus, arthropods must become an important and necessary part of the conservation strategy at all levels of environmental organization, from populations and species to ecosystems and landscapes. Insect conservation aims at saving both endangered species and ecosystem processes with a multitude of approaches targeted at different scales. Conservation efforts for arthropods are daunting because all the odds are against them: whereas species diversity, population size and biomass are so large, taxonomy and faunal information are inadequate; whereas the need for taxonomic and biodiversity information increases greatly, the shortage of taxonomic expertise worsens. Basic issues of biodiversity and the loss of species are reviewed. The goals and strategies for insect conservation are discussed with a focus on inventory and monitoring. Taxonomic and environmental surveys are compared, and the needs for biodiversity monitoring are discussed as ecological monitoring process based on inventory data. This monitoring focuses on the health of nested biodiversity (composition, structure and process) and the state of species, differing from other contemporary monitoring efforts.
Comprehensive low vision rehabilitation care for oculocutaneous albinism: A longitudinal case report

Abstract Low vision rehabilitation (LVR) is an on-going treatment that evolves as the needs of the patient grow. This case presents a longitudinal report highlighting the evolution of goals from glare relief to driving over the course of 15 years for a patient with oculocutaneous albinism. Telescopes for distance viewing, opaque-iris soft contact lenses for glare relief, and a bioptic telescopic spectacle for driving are discussed.
Shape sensitivity analysis in thermal problems using BEM

The shape design sensitivity analysis of thermal problems based on the adjoint variable method is presented. The boundary element method (BEM) is employed for the numerical evaluation of thermal responses and sensitivity of the performance functions. The adjoint variable method and the material derivative concept are utilized to obtain the sensitivity expressions. The results are verified numerically for two simple example problems using the BEM. Unlike previous studies, this approach takes into account the Dirac delta type of performance function and varying boundary temperatures. The sensitivity of the performance functions can then be evaluated more accurately at discrete points. This is achieved by an efficient application of the concentrated adjoint temperature in the boundary element framework.
Mitigation of Milling Chatter at High-Speed

A highly interrupted machining process, milling at high speed can be dynamically unstable and chattering with aberrational tool vibrations. While its associated response is still bounded in the time domain, however, milling could become unstably broadband and chaotic in the frequency domain, inadvertently causing poor tolerance, substandard surface finish and tool damage. Instantaneous frequency along with marginal spectrum is employed to investigate the route-to-chaos process of a nonlinear, time-delayed milling model. It is shown that marginal spectra are the tool of choice over Fourier spectra in identifying milling stability boundary. A novel discrete-wavelet-based adaptive controller is explored to stabilize the nonlinear response of the milling tool in the time and frequency domains simultaneously. As a powerful feature, an adaptive controller along with an adaptive filter effective for on-line system identification is implemented in the wavelet domain. By exerting proper mitigation schemes to both the time and frequency responses, the controller is demonstrated to effectively deny milling chatter and restore milling stability as a limit cycle of extremely low tool vibrations.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Constraining the Metallicity of the Low-Density Lyα Forest Using O VI Absorption

We present a systematic search for O VI (1032, 1037 A) absorption in a Keck High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer spectrum of the z = 3.62 quasar Q1422+231, with the goal of constraining the metallicity and ionization state of the low-density intergalactic medium (IGM). Comparison of C IV absorption measurements to models of the Lyα forest based on cosmological simulations shows that absorbers with NH I 1014.5 cm-2 have a mean carbon abundance [C/H] ≈ -2.5, assuming a metagalactic photoionizing background with the spectral shape predicted by Haardt and Madau in 1996. In these models, lower column density absorption arises in lower density gas where most C IV is photoionized to C V. Therefore, O VI should be the most sensitive tracer of metallicity in Lyα absorbers with NH I 1014.5 cm-2. O VI lines lie at wavelengths heavily contaminated by Lyman series absorption, so we interpret the search results by comparing them to carefully constructed, mock Q1422 spectra drawn from a hydrodynamic simulation of a Λ-dominated cold dark matter model. A search for deep, narrow absorption features yields only a few candidate O VI lines in the spectrum of Q1422. H I absorption blankets the position of the doublet companion line in each case, and the total number of narrow lines is statistically consistent with that in zero-metallicity artificial spectra. Artificial spectra generated with the Haardt and Madau background and [O/H] -2.5 predict too many narrow lines and are statistically inconsistent with the data. We also search for O VI associated with C IV systems, using the optical depth ratio technique of Songaila. With this method we do find significant O VI absorption; matching the data requires [O/C] ≈ 0.5 and corresponding [O/H] ≈ -2.0. Taken together, the narrow-line and optical depth ratio results imply that (1) the metallicity in the low-density regions of the IGM is at least a factor of 3 below that in the overdense regions where C IV absorption is detectable, and (2) oxygen is overabundant in the C IV regions, consistent with the predictions of Type II supernova-enrichment models and the observed abundance pattern in old halo stars. The photoionizing background spectrum would be truncated above 4 Ryd in regions that have not undergone helium reionization (He II → He III), and in this case matching the Q1422 data requires lower [C/H] but higher [O/H]. Taking [O/C] ≈ 1 as the maximum plausible overabundance of oxygen, we conclude that helium must have been reionized through at least 50% of the volume from z ~ 3-3.6.
Time and energy budgets of Cassin's sparrow (Aimophila cassinii) during the breeding season: evaluation through modelling

The elusive nature of Cassin's Sparrow (Aimophila cassinii) has hampered studies of its basic biology. In this paper, we examine the bird's behavioral and energetic ecology within a systems analysis framework. First, we present an individual energetics model for Cassin's Sparrow. A computer simulation of the model is then used to quantify time and energy budgets of birds during five phases of their breeding cycle. Attention is focused on (1) evaluating the relative costs of reproductive events and their seasonal correlates, (2) demonstrating the effectiveness of a systems approach in time/energy budget analysis, and (3) demonstrating how these modelling techniques can extend our capacity to reason about obscure behaviors in secretive species. Salient results of the behavioral analysis are: (1) Male Cassin's Sparrows acquire territories by singing from prominent perches and engaging other males in song duels; the distinctive male song flights, in contrast, are important in establishing pair-bonds. (2) Division of parental responsibility is a prominent feature of Cassin's Sparrow natural history; females assume primary responsibility for care of the young, males are responsible for acquiring and maintaining territories and repelling predators. (3) Males show diurnal and interphasic variation in activity patterns; significantly more singing occurs in morning hours (P < 0.05), and birds spend significantly more time perching once nesting begins (P < 0.01). (4) Females spend a seasonal average of 95% of daytime hours in activities on the ground. The energetic analysis indicates that: (1) basal and thermostatic power comsumption preempt a seasonal average of 59% of the total daily energy expenditure (HTD) of Cassin's Sparrow; (2) HTD in males varies from 59.1 kJ (incubation phase) to 118.9 kJ (pre-incubation phase) and in females 57.8 kJ (nestling care phase) to 87.0 kJ (pre-incubation phase); (3) the seasonal mean HTD for males is 88 kJ and 70 kJ for females; (4) the breeding cycle is potentially long, and males invest heavily in maintaining territories and pair bounds until circumstances in the habitat permit successful nesting. The model predicts, among other things, that male participation in the feeding of nestlings may become an energetic necessity with clutch sizes larger than average.
Visual speech information for face recognition

Two experiments test whether isolated visible speech movements can be used for face matching. Visible speech information was isolated with a point-light methodology. Participants were asked to match articulating point-light faces to a fully illuminated articulating face in an XAB task. The first experiment tested single-frame static face stimuli as a control. The results revealed that the participants were significantly better at matching the dynamic face stimuli than the static ones. Experiment 2 tested whether the observed dynamic advantage was based on the movement itself or on the fact that the dynamic stimuli consisted of many more static and ordered frames. For this purpose, frame rate was reduced, and the frames were shown in a random order, a correct order with incorrect relative timing, or a correct order with correct relative timing. The results revealed better matching performance with the correctly ordered and timed frame stimuli, suggesting that matches were based on the actual movement itself. These findings suggest that speaker-specific visible articulatory style can provide information for face matching.