cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supporting Informational Writing in the Elementary Grades.

The greater emphasis on information books in elementary schools has led to an increased emphasis on informational writing as well. Although some have suggested utilizing mentor texts to engage children in informational writing, there has been little information about the developmental progression of children's ability to compose in this genre. What has been missing is advice on how to support children's approximations of the information report genre. This article aims to do precisely that by presenting a developmental framework of informational writing derived from a study of K–5 children's writing. We share the framework, provide examples of children's compositions at each developmental level, and demonstrate how teachers can use this continuum to support increasingly more mature forms of information text.
Pharmacological management of persistent pain in older patients.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this manuscript is to foster understanding of the unique attributes of aging as they relate to the treatment of persistent pain in order to improve care of older patients. METHODS : A thorough review of pertinent recent literature, including clinical guidelines, provided the materials from which this synthesis is drawn. RESULTS Several unique attributes of aging are identified that should be taken into account in order to provide safe and effective pharmacotherapy for older patients with persistent pain. DISCUSSION Adherence to contemporary clinical guidelines should serve to promote improved outcomes in older patients who suffer from ongoing and debilitating pain. Since outcomes studies are lacking, attention to principles of care as they apply to this particular population is advised. Since each patient's experience and response to drug therapy will be unique, individualized assessment that incorporates an analysis of the patient's physiological state (comorbidities and concurrent drug therapies), a determination of realistic goals, and monitoring of outcomes on a regular basis will provide the optimum balance between benefits and risks of analgesic pharmacotherapy.
Apoptosis Protection by Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 Modulation of Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor-dependent Ca2+ Signaling

Members of the Bcl-2 protein family play a central role in the regulation of apoptosis. An interaction between anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized inositol trisphosphate receptor Ca2+ release channel (InsP3R) enables Bcl-xL to be fully efficacious as an anti-apoptotic mediator (White, C., Li, C., Yang, J., Petrenko, N. B., Madesh, M., Thompson, C. B., and Foskett, J. K. (2005) Nat. Cell Biol. 7, 1021–1028). Physiologically, Bcl-xL binds to the InsP3R to enhance its gating and Ca2+ signaling. Here we have discovered that structurally related proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 function similarly. Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL bind with comparable affinity to the carboxyl termini of all three mammalian InsP3R isoforms with important functional consequences. Stable expression of Bcl-2 or Mcl-1 lowered ER Ca2+ content and enhanced the rate of InsP3-mediated Ca2+ release in response to submaximal InsP3 stimulation in permeabilized wild-type DT40 cells but not in cells lacking InsP3R. In addition, expression of either Bcl-2 or Mcl-1 enhanced spontaneous InsP3R-dependent Ca2+ oscillations and spiking in intact cells in the absence of agonist stimulation. Bcl-2- and Mcl-1-mediated protection from apoptosis induced by staurosporine or etoposide was enhanced in cells expressing InsP3R, demonstrating that their interactions with InsP3R enable Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 to be fully efficacious anti-apoptotic mediators. Our data suggest a molecular mechanism that is shared by several anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins that provides apoptosis resistance by direct interactions at the ER with the InsP3R that impinges on cellular Ca2+ homeostasis.
EPR Studies of 13C-labeled and monomethylated 6-oxybenzo[α]pyrene and 6-trifluoroacetoxy-benzo[a]pyrene radicals

Abstract The EPR spectrum of 6-oxy-benzo[alpyrene (6-oxy-BaP) radical in CH 2 Cl 2 has been reanalyzed in light of data obtained from 13 C singly labeled 6-oxy-BaP radicals, in terms of 11 proton splitting constants, in gauss: 0.105, 0.270, 1.102, 1.135, 1.275, 1.415, 1.660, 4.460, 4.720, 4.803, and 5.603 (±0.005). Assignments have been made on the basis of the EPR data of monomethyl 6-oxy-BaP radicals and HMO calculations. The proton splitting constants found from an ENDOR spectrum of 6-CF 3 CO 2 -BaP (6-TFA-BaP) cation radical have also been assigned to specific positions by analogy with the methyl splittings of monomethyl 6-TFA-BaP radicals and HMO calculations. The assignments of proton splittings for both 6-oxy-BaP and 6-TFA-BaP are supported by the consistency of the 13 C splitting data obtained under the same conditions from the 12 singly labeled 6-oxy-BaP and 6-TFA-BaP radicals.
How (Not) to Influence People: The Contrary Tale of John F. Muth

Historiansofeconomicsarecontendingwitheconomistsintheevalua-tionofcontemporarydevelopmentsineconomics.Forinstance,RobertLucas andThomas Sargent (1981a) have provided a history of ratio-nalexpectationseconomicsinwhichtheyreservemuchpraiseforJohnMuth.They include three essays by him in their edited volume, not-ingthat“Muth’sideaof‘rationalexpectations’hastakenhold”andthat“Muth’shypothesisisacontributionofthemostfundamentalkind”(xi).
Thermodynamic and related properties of oxygen from the triple point to 300 K at pressures to 1000 bar

The results of an experimental program are presented in the form of PVT data in the temperature range 58 to 300 K at pressures up to 800 bar. Tables of the derived thermodynamic properties on isobars to 1000 bar are given, including density, internal energy, enthalpy, entropy, specific heats at constant volume and constant pressure, velocity of sound, and the surface derivatives (delta P/delta T) sub rho and (delta P/delta Rho) sub T. Auxiliary tables in engineering units are also given. The accuracy of the data is discussed and comparisons are made with previous data.
The projective identifications of everyday life.

In his classic paper, “The Psychopathology of Everyday Life,” Freud (1903) expanded his understanding of repression, which he had first seen only in neurosis and dreams, to the routine behavior of normal psychology. Thus, “The Psychopathology of Everyday Life” (1903) and The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) both represent for Freud his transition from abnormal psychology to normal psychology and to a theory of personality. Following in that vein, this paper is an attempt to expand the concept of the defense of projective identification (PI) to include everyday occurrences. Currently, PI is understood in a limited way as a process seen primarily in severe character pathology; I suggest, however, that PI is actually a much more common process of communication between people in intimate contact, and that expanded notions of PI may help the analytic therapist working in any intimate dyad, particularly with the marital couple. Under this expanded notion of PI, the defense is not necessarily psychologically malignant; rather, it becomes so only if it is used in conjunction with other primitive defenses.
71. A novel combined psychosocial stress paradigm alters tumor VEGF and circulating exosomes in a spontaneous, metastatic model of breast cancer

Metastatic breast cancer carries significant risk of morbidity and mortality with limited treatment options. Psychosocial stress exposure has been linked to tumor growth and metastasis; therefore understanding the underlying neurohormonal mechanisms may yield new therapeutic options and lead to the development of more effective disease interventions. Here we investigated the impact of social isolation combined with acute restraint stress on spontaneous tumor development in MMTV-PyMT mice. Mammary tumor progression in this mouse model of metastatic breast cancer mimics that of invasive ductal carcinoma in humans. Female MMTV-PyMT mice were singly housed at 8 weeks of age during the hyperplastic stage of tumor development. Restraint stress was initiated after 2 weeks of isolation. Control mice remained in their home cages throughout the experiment. Twenty-four hours after the final restraint exposure, stressed mice exhibited elevated circulating corticosterone and splenic normetanephrine (a norepinephrine metabolite), which correlated with increased tumor VEGF and decreased splenic neutrophils. There was no difference in total tumor burden at this early carcinoma stage. Circulating CD63+ exosomes, extracellular vesicles that drive cancer pathogenesis, were decreased. These results demonstrate the dual stressor elicited potent hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation in conjunction with alterations in the premetastatic tumor that may facilitate progression.
Though it seemed to be a lie, the women (even the shy one) danced on the pulpit that night: What Mexicans made of the revolutionaries among them, 1934–1940 The most languid, untold pleasure

Inviting readers to enter the post-revolutionary Mexican world where women, long denied equality before the law, were suddenly courted by church and state, this article focuses on a group of women from the Michoacan village of Ario Santa Monica who invaded the local church and danced. Informed by oral history interviews and explorations of sensibility and embodiment, multiple versions of that dance emerge. They include the dance devised by the women's critics, that of the timid woman reminding us through her dance that history is at times made by the reticent, and that of the dancer hounded from the village. Finally, using a form suited to inner experience, the dance emerges again in the accompanying poem, ‘The Most Languid, Untold Pleasure'.
Comparison of LaBr/sub 3/:Ce and NaI(Tl) scintillators for radio-isotope identification devices

LaBr3:Ce scintillators offer significantly better resolution (<3% at 662 keV) relative to NaI(Tl) and have recently become commercially available in sizes large enough for the handheld, radio-isotope identification device (RIID) market. Drawbacks to lanthanum halide detectors, however, include internal radioactivity contributing to spectral counts, and a low-energy response which can cause detector resolution to be worse than that of NaI(Tl) below 100 keV. To study the potential of this new material for RIIDs we performed a series of measurements comparing a 1.5"times1.5" LaBr3:Ce detector with an Exploranium GR-135 RIID, which contains a 1.5"times2.2" NaI(Tl) detector. Measurements were taken for short timeframes, as typifies RIID usage. Measurements included examples of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), typically found in cargo, and special nuclear materials. Some measurements were non-contact, involving short distances or cargo shielding scenarios. To facilitate direct comparison, spectra from the different detectors were analyzed with the same isotope-identification software (ORTEC ScintiVision)
α1 Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase (sGC) Splice Forms as Potential Regulators of Human sGC Activity

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), a key protein in the NO/cGMP signaling pathway, is an obligatory heterodimeric protein composed of one α- and one β-subunit. The α1/β1 sGC heterodimer is the predominant form expressed in various tissues and is regarded as the major isoform mediating NO-dependent effects such as vasodilation. We have identified three new α1 sGC protein variants generated by alternative splicing. The 363 residue N1-α1 sGC splice variant contains the regulatory domain, but lacks the catalytic domain. The shorter N2-α1 sGC maintains 126 N-terminal residues and gains an additional 17 unique residues. The C-α1 sGC variant lacks 240 N-terminal amino acids, but maintains a part of the regulatory domain and the entire catalytic domain. Q-PCR of N1-α1, N2-α1 sGC mRNA levels together with RT-PCR analysis for C-α1 sGC demonstrated that the expression of the α1 sGC splice forms vary in different human tissues indicative of tissue-specific regulation. Functional analysis of the N1-α1 sGC demonstrated that this protein has a dominant-negative effect on the activity of sGC when coexpressed with the α1/β1 heterodimer. The C-α1 sGC variant heterodimerizes with the β1 subunit and produces a fully functional NO- and BAY41-2272-sensitive enzyme. We also found that despite identical susceptibility to inhibition by ODQ, intracellular levels of the 54-kDa C-α1 band did not change in response to ODQ treatments, while the level of 83 kDa α1 band was significantly affected by ODQ. These studies suggest that modulation of the level and diversity of splice forms may represent novel mechanisms modulating the function of sGC in different human tissues.
Characterization of Forests in Western Sayani Mountains, Siberia from SIR-C SAR Data

Abstract This paper examines the use of space-borne radar data to map forest types and logging in the mountainous Western Sayani area in central Siberia. L- and C- band HH-, HV-, and VV-polarized images from the Shuttle Imaging Radar–C instrument were used in the study. Techniques to reduce topographic effects in the radar images were investigated. These included radiometric correction using illumination angle inferred from a digital elevation model and reducing apparent effects of topography through band ratios. Forest classification was performed after terrain correction utilizing typical supervised techniques and principal component analyses. An ancillary data set of local elevations was also used to improve the forest classification. Map accuracy for each technique was estimated for training sites based on Russian forestry maps, satellite imagery, and field measurements. The results indicate that it is necessary to correct for topography when attempting to classify forests in mountainous terrain. Radiometric correction based on a digital elevation model improved classification results but required reducing the synthetic aperture radar resolution to match the digital elevation model. Using ratios of synthetic aperture radar channels that include cross-polarization improved classification and had the advantages of eliminating the need for a digital elevation model and preserving the full resolution of the synthetic aperture radar data.
Denervation-related fatty muscle infiltration.

Brain MRI in a 6-year-old girl with a history of congenital HIV and toxoplasmosis infection revealed polymicrogyria and white matter findings suggestive of congenital CMV infection. In addition, a smaller right trigeminal nerve (Fig. 1 curved arrow), a cleft extending into the smaller right cerebellar hemisphere (Fig. 1 straight arrow) and fatty infiltration of the right temporalis muscle (Figs. 1 and 2 arrowheads) were seen. The gyral pattern in the right
Effect of Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement on Renal Function: A 7-year, Single-center Experience

Purpose Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation has been shown to improve renal function in small series of patients with hepatorenal syndrome. The present study examined the effect of TIPS creation on renal function in a large series of patients undergoing TIPS creation who had varying degrees of baseline renal function. Materials and Methods All de novo TIPS creations during a 7-year period at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed regardless of indication. Pre- and postprocedural laboratory values were obtained and used to calculate Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores and glomerular filtration rates. Subanalysis was performed based on degree of renal insufficiency and indication for the procedure. Results A total of 201 successful conventional TIPS procedures were identified. Of those, 72 patients were excluded for lack of follow-up, death during the same hospitalization, lack of TIPS function, or end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis before TIPS creation, leaving 129 procedures. Patients with preprocedural creatinine levels of 1.2–1.9 mg/dL ( n = 45) showed an improvement in mean creatinine from 1.5 to 1.1 mg/dL ( P −12 ) and patients with preprocedure creatinine levels greater than 2.0 mg/dL ( n = 21) showed an improvement from 2.8 to 1.5 mg/dL ( P −5 ). MELD scores decreased in patients with creatinine levels greater than 2.0 mg/dL from 22.1 to 19.2 ( P Conclusions TIPS creation improves renal dysfunction in chronic liver disease. Patients with poorer renal function benefit the most from TIPS creation.
An accurate closed-form analytical model of single nanoshells for cancer treatment

Recently, there have been significant experimental advances in cancer treatment using metallic nanoshells, which are silica spheres coated with gold. Nanoshells posses an excellent tunability of their resonance frequency as a function of the relative sizes of the core and the thickness of the shell, consequently offering much improved sensitivity, specificity, and cost-effectiveness in cancer treatment. In this paper, we develop an accurate analytical closed-form model for the frequency resonance and scattering characteristics of single nanoshells. The closed-form model helps to intuitively explain the optical properties of the nanoshells. Simulation results show that the new model matches very closely with the exact solution for typical nanoshell configurations used in cancer treatment. The developed model ultimately allows for the real-time detection, monitoring and treatment of cancer using nanoshells.
A UWB antenna with a stop-band notch in the 5-GHz WLAN band

A new UWB antenna, the sail-boat antenna, is proposed that provides a stop-band notch in the 5-GHz WLAN band. The CPW-fed sail-boat antenna offers a compact planar structure. Measured results for input impedance, VSWR, patterns, and gain demonstrate that the antenna provides the stop-band notch of 11/spl sim/13.5 dB in the WLAN band.
Measuring Opportunity-Recognition Beliefs: Illustrating and Validating an Experimental Approach

The authors develop, illustrate, and validate an experimental approach to further empirical research on opportunity recognition. The approach emphasizes the use of recognition exercises that provide direct observations of participants’ efforts to think about ex-ante uncertain opportunities. To facilitate future uses of this approach, the authors develop a measure of opportunity-recognition beliefs and conduct three related studies to validate this measure. The authors conclude by offering concrete practical recommendations for future studies. Doing so, the authors contribute an integrated method to address conceptual and methodological issues that have hindered prior research on opportunity recognition, and thereby enable more rigorous investigations of this important activity.
Some More on Empiricism in the Study of Law: A Reply to Jacobs

Ad hominem styles of discourse seldom accomplish anything beyond the reiteration of one's own theoretical presuppositions over and against those of one's opponents. Because my original argument was only tangentially concerned with David Jacobs' contributions to the testing of conflict theory, and this but illustratively and passim, my remarks here will accordingly be confined to the more general epistemological issues raised by his Comment. The main focus of disagreement between Jacobs and myself seems to lie in our respective notions of the relationship between the conceptual purview afforded by a theory's logical relations and, through the intervention of empirical data, the external criteria of proof appropriate to the theory in question.
Stability boundary approximation of a power system using the real normal form of vector fields

This paper presents a method to approximate the stability boundary of the post-fault stable equilibrium point of a power system using the real normal form of vector fields. We first explain the method of approximating the invariant manifolds of an equilibrium point via second order normal forms, and present an instructive example. The proposed method is then used to analyze an 11 generator test system. For two different fault scenarios and different loading conditions, we determine the controlling unstable equilibrium point (UEP), study the change of this UEP under increased loading, find the approximation to the stability boundary, and discuss the change of its shape. Finally, the behavior of system trajectories near the UEP and the stability boundary is described.
STRUCTURAL CONTROL ALGORITHMS IN EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT DESIGN

The dynamic finite element equations of a two-dimensional structure made of axial-flexural frame elements with tendon-driven actuators have been derived. A critical review of classical optimal control theory is made with respect to its application to the control of structure under seismic excitations. Seven control algorithms, including two newly proposed algorithms, have been described, investigated and discussed. The need of an optimal observer, Kalman filter, is discussed. The validity of separation theorem applicable to the optimal stochastic control of structure for earthquake resistance is shown. How the control system perform under the circumstances of actuator saturation is also shown. Several numerical examples are worked out to demonstrate and compare the efficiency and limitations of those control algorithms.
Hamiltonian paths in Cayley graphs

The classical question raised by Lovasz asks whether every Cayley graph is Hamiltonian. We present a short survey of various results in that direction and make some additional observations. In particular, we prove that every finite group G has a generating set of size at most log"2|G|, such that the corresponding Cayley graph contains a Hamiltonian cycle. We also present an explicit construction of 3-regular Hamiltonian expanders.
PORE STRUCTURE EVOLUTION DURING NON-CATALYTIC GAS-SOLID REACTIONS: IV. STUDIES WITH DEMINERALIZED CHARS

The gasification of demineralized chars and an activated carbon is studied. Detailed pore structure characterization of the carbonaceous materials is performed and their reactivity during gasification with oxygen and carbon dioxide is measured. Reactivity data are analyzed and compared to theoretical predictions for the evolution of surface area with conversion obtained from discrete models. The applicability of random pore models is critically analyzed and the effects of ordered pore structure and of non-uniform surface activity on the transient reactivity are investigated.
Periodically-Scheduled Controller Analysis Using Hybrid Systems Reachability and Continuization

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) consist of physical entities that obey dynamical laws and interact with software components. A typical CPS implementation includes a discrete controller, where software periodically samples physical state and produces actuation commands according to a real-time schedule. Such a hybrid system can be modeled formally as a hybrid automaton. However, reachability tools to verify specifications for hybrid automata do not perform well on such periodically-scheduled models. This is due to a combination of the large number of discrete jumps and the nondeterminism of the exact controller start time. In this paper, we demonstrate this problem and propose a solution, which is a validated abstraction mechanism where every behavior of the original sampled system is contained in the behaviors of a purely continuous system with an additive nondeterministic input. Reachability tools for hybrid automata can better handle such systems. We further improve the analysis by considering local analysis domains. We automate the proposed technique in the Hyst model transformation tool, and demonstrate its effectiveness in a case study analyzing the design of a yaw-damper for a jet aircraft.
Perspectives of Elementary Teachers on Refugee Parent-Teacher Relations and the Education of their Children

Abstract This qualitative study explores the perspectives of elementary teachers who work with refugee students in a suburban school district in the Rocky Mountain Region. Teachers’ efforts to respond to the unique educational, socioeconomic, and emotional needs of refugee students in their classrooms were explored. It was noted that refugees have had limited and sporadic access to education prior to their enrollment in public schools in the United States. Additionally, they may have social and emotional issues and may deal with traumas of their past difficult life trajectories. The article pinpoints the obstacles experienced and the overtures made by the teachers in their work and then highlights the suggestions they found helpful in teaching refugee students while meaningfully relating to students’ parents in the best interest of their children’s learning and growth. Keywords: teacher perspective, refugee children, refugee parents
Human instability related to drowning risk in surf zones for novice beachgoers or weak swimmers

This paper provides qualitative descriptions of the physical mechanisms that can cause human instability in surf zones, where human instability is considered the loss of solid contact between an individual’s feet and the seabed. The forces resulting from the combination of waves and currents typical in surf zones present a hazard to novice beachgoers and weak swimmers that is often not recognized by those individuals. A conservative “rule of thumb” is that the deepest water a novice beachgoer should reach, even during the passage of wave crests, is a depth that only reaches the persons thigh, that is, between the knee and the waste.
Robust \(L_{2}E\) Parameter Estimation of Gaussian Mixture Models: Comparison with Expectation Maximization

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of \(L_{2}E\) estimation that minimizes integrated square distance as a practical robust estimation tool for unsupervised clustering. Comparisons to the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm are made. The \(L_{2}E\) approach for mixture models is particularly useful in the study of big data sets and especially those with a consistent numbers of outliers. The focus is on the comparison of \(L_{2}E\) and EM for parameter estimation of Gaussian Mixture Models. Simulation examples show that the \(L_{2}E\) approach is more robust than EM when there is noise in the data (particularly outliers) and for the case when the underlying probability density function of the data does not match a mixture of Gaussians.
A gilled mushroom, Gerontomyces lepidotus gen. et sp. nov. (Basidiomycota: Agaricales), in Baltic amber.

A densely scaled small mushroom in Baltic amber is described as Gerontomyces lepidotus gen. et sp. nov. and is characterized by a convex pileus 1.0 mm in diameter, distant to subdistant lamellae with smooth margins and a centrally inserted cylindrical, solid stipe. Its taxonomic placement is uncertain. This is the first mushroom described from Baltic amber.
Stand der Technik

Zunachst jedoch werden Charakteristika sowie Fahigkeiten von gegenwartig existierenden Graphik- und CAD-Systemen gemas dem Stand der Technik kurz vorgestellt.
Seventeen Paradoxes of the Infinite

In this chapter, I aim to convince you that infinity is puzzling. I start with some simple mathematical puzzles before moving on to more exotic paradoxes. I will not attempt to solve any of the paradoxes in this chapter; solutions will be considered later.
A new generation of solid particle and other high-performance receiver designs for concentrating solar thermal (CST) central tower systems

This chapter reviews new solar thermal receiver designs to achieve higher temperatures for higher-efficiency power cycles and high-temperature thermochemical processes. Direct particle receivers include free-falling, obstructed-flow, centrifugal, and fluidized designs that irradiate the particles directly. Advantages include the potential for high efficiencies due to direct irradiance of the heat transfer media. Challenges include reducing particle and heat losses through the open aperture. Indirect particle receivers include gravity-driven flow in enclosures and fluidized flow in tubes. Advantages include complete containment of the particles, while challenges include increasing heat transfer between the irradiated surfaces and particles. Other novel receiver designs include features and geometries that trap radiation and minimize thermal emittance by reducing localized view factors in the hottest regions and creating a volumetric heating effect. Finally, the use of air curtains and active airflow have the potential to reduce convective heat losses from cavity receivers.
Network analysis for identifying and characterizing disease outbreak influence from voluminous epidemiology data

Planning for large-scale epidemiological outbreaks in livestock populations often involves executing compute-intensive disease spread simulations. To capture the probabilities of various outcomes, these simulations are executed several times over a collection of representative input scenarios, producing voluminous data. The resulting datasets contain valuable insights, including sequences of events that lead to extreme outbreaks. However, discovering and leveraging such information is also computationally expensive. In this study, we propose a distributed approach for analyzing voluminous epidemiology data to locate and classify the most influential entities in a disease outbreak. Using our disease transmission network (DTN), planners or analysts can isolate entities that have a disproportionate effect on epidemiological outcomes, enabling effective allocation of limited resources such as vaccinations and field personnel. We use a representative dataset to verify our approach, including identification of influential entities and creation of machine learning models for accurate classifications that generalize to other datasets.
Difference Between Estimated Purchase Price and Insurance Payments for Knee and Hip Implants in Privately Insured Patients Younger Than 65 Years.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) are common procedures with charges ranking first and eighth among all procedures in the United States.1 The cost of the implant device is typically the largest expense associated with these procedures,2 but insurance companies pay without knowledge of either price or even the device model. We compared allowed insurance payments for these devices to an estimated price at which the hospital purchased the implant from the manufacturer to estimate the discrepancy.
Molecular dynamics simulations of the first charge of a Li-ion—Si-anode nanobattery

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the most popular devices for energy storage but still a lot of research needs to be done to improve their cycling and storage capacity. Silicon has been proposed as an anode material because of its large theoretical capacity of ∼3600 mAh/g. Therefore, focus is needed on the lithiation process of silicon anodes where it is known that the anode increases its volume more than 300%, producing cracking and other damages. We performed molecular dynamics atomistic simulations to study the swelling, alloying, and amorphization of a silicon nanocrystal anode in a full nanobattery model during the first charging cycle. A dissolved salt of lithium hexafluorophosphate in ethylene carbonate was chosen as the electrolyte solution and lithium cobalt oxide as cathode. External electric fields are applied to emulate the charging, causing the migration of the Li-ions from the cathode to the anode, by drifting through the electrolyte solution, thus converting pristine Si gradually into Li14Si5 when fully lithiated. When the electric field is applied to the nanobattery, the temperature never exceeds 360 K due to a temperature control imposed resembling a cooling mechanism. The volume of the anode increases with the amorphization of the silicon as the external field is applied by creating a layer of LiSi alloy between the electrolyte and the silicon nanocrystal and then, at the arrival of more Li-ions changing to an alloy, where the drift velocity of Li-ions is greater than the velocity in the initial nanocrystal structure. Charge neutrality is maintained by concerted complementary reduction-oxidation reactions at the anode and cathode, respectively. In addition, the nanobattery model developed here can be used to study charge mobility, current density, conductance and resistivity, among several other properties of several candidate materials for rechargeable batteries and constitutes the initial point for further studies on the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase in the anode. Graphical Abstract Nanobattery: LiCoO2 cathode, electrolyte solution of 1M Li+PF6- in ethylene carbonate, and Si crystal anode, which changes its volume due to lithiation during the first charge.
Isomers of C20: An energy profile

Semiempirical calucaltions, at the PM 3 level, are used to geometrically optimize and determine the absolute energies (heats of formation) of a variety of C20 isomers. Based on the geometrically optimized Cartesian coordinates of the ring and the bowl isomers, and the subsequent saddle-point calculation, a two-dimensional energy profile between these two isomers is generated. Performing geometry optimization on the Cartesian coordinates that correspond to energy minima within the ring–bowl profile, we have been able to identify several more isomers of C20 that are predicted to be energitically stable. With these additional stable structures, we have identified pairs of isomers that lie adjacent to one another on the potential energy surface, as is evidenced by the form of their respective energy profiles. These adjacent pairs of isomers establish a step-wise transformation between the ring and the bowl. This process, which extends out over the three-dimensional surface, is predicted to require less energy than that of the direct, two-dimensional transformation predicted in the ring–bowl profile. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 23: 938–942, 2002
A Putative Lysophosphatidylinositol Receptor GPR55 Modulates Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity

GPR55, an orphan G-protein coupled receptor, is activated by lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) and the endocannabinoid anandamide, as well as by other compounds including THC. LPI is a potent endogenous ligand of GPR55 and neither GPR55 nor LPIs' functions in the brain are well understood. While endocannabinoids are well known to modulate brain synaptic plasticity, the potential role LPI could have on brain plasticity has never been demonstrated. Therefore, we examined not only GPR55 expression, but also the role its endogenous ligand could play in long-term potentiation, a common form of synaptic plasticity. Using quantitative RT-PCR, electrophysiology, and behavioral assays, we examined hippocampal GPR55 expression and function. qRT-PCR results indicate that GPR55 is expressed in hippocampi of both rats and mice. Immunohistochemistry and single cell PCR demonstrates GPR55 protein in pyramidal cells of CA1 and CA3 layers in the hippocampus. Application of the GPR55 endogenous agonist LPI to hippocampal slices of GPR55+/+ mice significantly enhanced CA1 LTP. This effect was absent in GPR55-/- mice, and blocked by the GPR55 antagonist CID 16020046. We also examined paired-pulse ratios of GPR55-/- and GPR55+/+ mice with or without LPI and noted significant enhancement in paired-pulse ratios by LPI in GPR55+/+ mice. Behaviorally, GPR55-/- and GPR55+/+ mice did not differ in memory tasks including novel object recognition, radial arm maze, or Morris water maze. However, performance on radial arm maze and elevated plus maze task suggests GPR55-/- mice have a higher frequency of immobile behavior. This is the first demonstration of LPI involvement in hippocampal synaptic plasticity.
Inflamm-vestigating inflamm-aging

Monocytes from elderly people respond differently to pattern recognition receptor engagement than monocytes from younger adults.
Maximal Respiratory Muscle Strength and Vital Capacity in Children With Early Onset Scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN Descriptive cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVE To measure respiratory muscle function in children with early onset scoliosis (EOS), determine the frequency of respiratory muscle weakness, and correlate these measures with vital capacity, body mass index, and Cobb angle. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Progressive restrictive respiratory disease is common among children with moderate to severe EOS. Reduced respiratory muscle strength is associated with the loss of lung function in adolescents and adults with scoliosis. We hypothesized that reduced inspiratory and expiratory respiratory muscle strength also occur in children with EOS and correlate with reduced vital capacity, poor nutritional status, and severity of the spine deformity. METHODS We measured maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), forced vital capacity (FVC), body mass index IBMI), and Cobb angle in 49 children with EOS but with no diagnosis of underlying muscle weakness. We measured these indices in 12 children serially over 18 months to see if abnormal respiratory muscle function was sustained. RESULTS FVC averaged 51% (SD 21) of predicted norms with 26 subjects having an FVC 2SD below the age and sex-based norms. BMI ranged between 1% and 99% of age-based norms. Cobb angle averaged 59° (SD27). MIP% and MEP% significantly correlated with FVC% (r =0.37, P = 0.01 and r = 0.52, P < 0.001 respectively)) but not with BMI or Cobb angle. Reduced MIP% and MEP% were sustained over 7 to 41 months. CONCLUSION Respiratory muscle weakness is common and persistent in children with EOS and correlates with reductions in vital capacity. Mechanisms for abnormal respiratory function are unclear but must be determined to develop surgical treatment strategies that preserve respiratory muscle function in children with EOS throughout childhood. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2.
Biokinetic models for Group VB elements

This paper reviews biokinetic data for the Group VB elements vanadium, niobium, and tantalum, and presents biokinetic models describing their systemic behaviour. The model for systemic niobium in adults was developed earlier and described in Publication 134 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The model for niobium is used as a starting point for the development of models for vanadium and tantalum. Published biokinetic data for vanadium, including comparisons with niobium, indicate that the initial distribution of vanadium is broadly similar to that of niobium but that vanadium is less firmly fixed in most tissues and is excreted more rapidly than niobium. Biokinetic data for tantalum are more limited but suggest that its systemic behaviour closely resembles that of niobium at early times after administration. The model for niobium is proposed for application to tantalum in view of the suggested biological similarities of tantalum and niobium, their generally strong coherence in nature due to similar ionic radii and identical valence states, and the difficulties in developing parameter values directly from available data for tantalum. The proposed model for vanadium relies largely on vanadium-specific information and varies considerably from the model for niobium.
Fully electronic urine dipstick probe for combinatorial detection of inflammatory biomarkers.

Aim: An electrochemical urine dipstick probe biosensor has been demonstrated using molybdenum electrodes on nanoporous polyamide substrate for the quantitative detection of two inflammatory protein biomarkers, CRP and IL-6. Materials & methods: The electrode interface was characterized using ζ-potential and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Detection of biomarkers was demonstrated by measuring impedance changes associated with the dose concentrations of the two biomarkers. A proof of feasibility of point-of-care implementation of the biosensor was demonstrated using a portable electronics platform. Results & conclusion: Limit of detection of 1 pg/ml was achieved for CRP and IL-6 in human urine and synthetic urine buffers. The developed portable hardware demonstrated close correlation with benchtop equipment results.
Evolution of algebraic terms 3: Term continuity and beam algorithms

The first paper in this series introduced the notion of term to term operation continuity for finite groupoids, and proved that two testable conditions on a finite groupoid imply that it is term co...
PFC based bridgeless Cuk converter for SRM drive

A bridgeless PFC (Power Factor Correction) converter is proposed to feed a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive in this work. The new Cuk converter generates two symmetrical voltages with no extra voltage loop. The new converter eliminates diode bridge rectifier (DBR) thus reducing the semiconductor switches in current path. A double cell structure utilizes two Cuk converters, which operates for two half cycles of the AC mains, separately. The proposed topology operates in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), which reduces the size, weight and cost of the proposed drive. The speed control of proposed drive is obtained by regulating converter output voltage over a wide range. However DC link voltage based control, eliminates speed sensor requirement, which makes the drive cost effective. Test results are presented for proposed converter converting universal AC input voltage (90V–270V) to varying DC voltage for speed control of SRM. Test results demonstrate the power factor close to unity with input current THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) below 5% as per the given IEEE-519 standard.
Sundance Rapid Prototyping Tool for Parallel PDE Optimization

High-performance algorithms for PDE-constrained optimization often require application of operators and solution of systems of equations that are different from those used in a single solution of the PDE; consequently, exploration of a research idea entails startup costs for modification to the PDE solver. A software tool to enable rapid development of parallel codes for large-scale, complex PDEs on realistic problems would be a useful aid to research in this area. As part of Sandia’s research efforts in PDE-constrained optimization, we are developing Sundance, an environment in which a parallel PDE solver is accessed via a high-level problem description, using abstract concepts such as functions, operators, and regions. With this high-level problem description, it is possible to specify a variational formulation of a PDE and its discretization method in a small amount of user-level code. It is then straightforward to obtain operators such as Jacobians and Hessians for use in optimization algorithms.
Coral Reef Fishes

About 4500 fish species inhabit coral reefs globally, yet their fisheries are overexploited, their habitat is threatened, and there are indications that species are endangered. Coral reef fishes are so diverse that there are many exceptions to virtually every generalization that can be made about them. The typical species is a distinctively colored, highly compressed perciform that readily maneuvers and picks small invertebrates from complex reef habitats. Behaviorally, mutualism, territoriality, antipredatory mechanisms, and complex social systems (sometimes involving sex reversal) are common. Reproduction is typically via broadcast spawning, with pelagic larval duration averaging about a month, and life span less than a decade. Population dynamics are apparently driven by fluctuations in larval mortality, and populations appear to be regulated in the absence of fishing by density-dependent fecundity and early postsettlement mortality via predation. Community structure is complex, involving numerous feeding guilds, and includes day–night transitions between diurnal and nocturnal assemblages. Communities are variously structured by recruitment, competition, and predation in a way that maintains high local species diversity.
Resolution of inflammation-induced depression requires T lymphocytes and endogenous brain interleukin-10 signaling

In humans, depression is often associated with low-grade inflammation, activation of the tryptophan/kynurenine pathway, and mild lymphopenia. Preclinical research confirms that inflammation induces depression-like behavior through activation of the tryptophan/kynurenine pathway. However, the mechanisms governing recovery from depression are unknown. Understanding the pathways leading to resolution of depression will likely lead to identification of novel targets for treatment. We investigated the contribution of T lymphocytes to the resolution of lipopolysaccharide-induced depression-like behavior. Duration of depression-like behavior was markedly prolonged in mice without mature T or B lymphocytes (Rag1-/- mice). This prolonged depression-like behavior was associated with persistent upregulation of the tryptophan-metabolizing enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (Ido)1 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Reconstitution of Rag1-/- mice with T lymphocytes normalized resolution of depression-like behavior and expression of Ido1 in the PFC. During resolution of inflammation-induced depression-like behavior, T lymphocytes accumulated in the meninges and were required for induction of interleukin (IL)-10 in the meninges and the PFC. Inhibition of IL-10 signaling by nasal administration of neutralizing anti-IL-10 antibody to WT mice led to persistent upregulation of Ido1 in the PFC and prolonged depression-like behavior. Conversely, nasal administration of recombinant IL-10 in Rag1-/- mice normalized Ido1 expression and resolution of depression-like behavior. In conclusion, the present data show for the first time that resolution of inflammation-induced depression is an active process requiring T lymphocytes acting via an IL-10-dependent pathway to decrease Ido1 expression in the brain. We propose that targeting the T lymphocyte/IL-10 resolution pathway could represent a novel approach to promote recovery from major depressive disorder.
Ultrasound-guided Morcellation During Difficult Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate.

Abstract Objective To demonstrate how bladder ultrasound can be useful in completing morcellation during difficult Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP). As HoLEP has emerged as a standard of care for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, multiple studies have reported the potentially catastrophic complication of bladder injury during morcellation. This video aims to assist any urologist performing HoLEP by providing step-by-step instruction for using ultrasound to complete morcellation safely. Methods Enucleation is performed using a 26-French continuous flow scope, off-set laser bridge with a laser stabilization catheter, and a 550 µm holmium laser fiber. Once the median and lateral lobes have been enucleated, the outer sheath is removed and the nephroscope is inserted to facilitate morcellation. Under dual inflow irrigation, the Piranha morcellator (Richard Wolf, Knittlingen, Germany) is introduced and set to the manufacturer's recommended settings of 1500 rpm. A 3.5-MHz convex abdominal ultrasound transducer (Hitachi Prosound Alpha 7; Hitachi Aloka Medical America, Wallingford, CT) under B-mode is used to visualize the bladder, predominantly in the sagittal orientation. Morcellation proceeds under simultaneous ultrasound and direct cystoscopic guidance. Results The distended bladder is visualized concurrently with the ultrasound and via the nephroscope as the Piranha engages the adenoma and begins morcellation. Once the adenoma is engaged, the operator then drops their hands to place the morcellator in the center of the bladder. Ultrasound provides real-time feedback as to the location of the morcellator in relation to the adenoma and bladder. Conclusion This video highlights the use of intraoperative bladder ultrasound as a visual aid to assist during the morcellation portion of HoLEP. This proof of concept demonstrates that ultrasound can be an additional tool to utilize during difficult cases when cystoscopic visualization during morcellation is limited.