cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transforming Growth Factor‐α and Rhinitis

OBJECTIVES Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) has been implicated in diverse physiologic and pathophysiologic functions including immunological, inflammatory, and neoplastic processes. TGF-alpha has been localized in the hyperproliferative, inflammatory environment of chronic otitis media, cholesteatoma, and asthmatic airways. TGF-beta1, which must be present with TGF-alpha to transform fibroblasts, has been found in rhinitic mucosa and in asthma in prior studies. The authors sought to identify whether TGF-alpha also played a role in the inflammatory cascade and fibrosis of rhinitis. STUDY DESIGN A nonrandomized, prospective study was carried out in which samples of inferior turbinate and nasal polyps from rhinitic and nonrhinitic patients were subjected to immunohistochemistry and Western blotting to determine the presence of TGF-alpha. METHODS Twenty-seven subjects undergoing surgery for rhinitis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal fracture, and rhinoplasty were recruited for this study, the latter three groups acting as controls. Immunohistochemical and Western blotting techniques were employed to identify the presence of TGF-alpha in inferior-turbinate and nasal-polyp samples of rhinitic subjects. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the selective staining of TGF-alpha in the basement membrane and extracellular matrix, including lymphatic, vascular, and glandular structures, in most turbinate samples and the absence of staining in corresponding controls. Further, TGF-alpha was isolated to a discrete 30-kD band in both inferior turbinate and polyp tissues by Western blotting without staining in the corresponding controls. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that TGF-alpha may play a role in the inflammatory derangement of rhinitis.
Students' and residents' perceptions regarding technology in medical training.

This pilot study provides firsthand feedback from medical students and residents in training regarding their perceptions of technology in medicine. The authors distributed an e-mail invitation to an anonymous Web-based survey to medical students and residents in two different U.S. training institutions. Respondents unanimously expressed that technology skills were important in medical training and felt it most important to learn about electronic medical records and accessing scientific information on the Internet. At the point of patient care, trainees’ preferred reference sources were the Internet and PDA, in that order. Most clinical trainees felt PDAs were critical in patient care and met their clinical needs, and they were most likely to use them for medication reference. The majority of trainees preferred printed media over digital media for initial learning, but the converse for referencing. Instructor-led small groups were viewed as the best environment in which to receive instruction. Trainees in medical education are technologically savvy and provide invaluable feedback regarding initiation, development and refinement of technological systems in medical training.
Use of energy-based coagulative fusion technology and lung sealants during anatomic lung resection

Objectives Energy-based tissue fusion technology is being increasingly used for vascular division in numerous intra-abdominal applications. Very few data, however, are available regarding the application of this technology in the chest during anatomic lung resection. In the present review, we evaluated the use of energy-based fusion and lung sealants during anatomic lung resection. Methods We performed a review of case series and published studies to evaluate the use of energy-based coagulative fusion technology and lung sealants during anatomic lung resection. We then used energy-based coagulative fusion technology during anatomic lung resection (segmentectomy or lobectomy) in 316 cases from 2008 to 2011. Two energy applications were applied to the arterial and venous branches before vessel division. Results In the first 12 cases, we used a device with a small curved jaw (range, 3.3-4.7 mm). Two partial venous dehiscences were noted and controlled intraoperatively. For the remaining cases, we used a larger jaw (6 mm × 22 mm) with no arterial or venous dehiscence occurring (vessels ranged from 0.4 to 1.2 cm). Autologous or synthetic tissue sealants applied to the parenchymal staple lines might reduce the severity and duration of perioperative air leaks. Suture line buttressing with pericardial or absorbable biosynthetic polyester strips might reduce the severity of air leaks in patients with severe emphysema undergoing anatomic lung resection or lung volume reduction surgery. Conclusions The bipolar tissue fusion system provides a safe and effective technique for the division of the pulmonary arterial and venous branches during anatomic lung resection. Surgical sealants and buttressing adjuncts might reduce perioperative air leak potential.
Foliar Nitrogen Application Timing Influence on Grain Yield and Protein Concentration of Hard Red Winter and Spring Wheat

Foliar N applications on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have increased grain protein. Foliar N timing evaluations have been minimal. The objectives were (i) determine the optimal timing of foliar N for increased grain protein of hard red winter wheat (HRWW) and spring wheat (HRSW), (ii) evaluate effect of foliar N on grain yield, and (iii) determine relationship of grain protein to foliar N application and grain yield. Foliar N was applied at Feekes stage 10.0 (boot) or 10.8 (postpollination) on two cultivars of HRWW and HRSW each year from 1995 to 2000. The foliar N rate (33.7 kg N ha -1 ) was applied as 1:1 solution of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and water. Fertilizer N for a 3360 kg ha -1 grain yield goal was broadcast as UAN after planting. Soil type was Estelline silt loam (fine-silty over sandy or sandy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Calcic Hapludoll). Postpollination foliar N gave the highest grain protein during all years. Grain yield was significantly reduced 5% by boot stage foliar N for HRSW. Neither timing application significantly reduced HRWW grain yield. All wheat data were pooled to relate grain yield level and protein response to foliar N. Grain protein and yield from plots without foliar N were inversely related (r 2 = 0.57). Postpollination foliar N increased protein 70% of the time when yield goal was exceeded compared with only 23% when it was not. These results show that postpollination foliar N gave higher grain protein and was most effective when planned yield goal was exceeded.
Unbiased estimation in sampling from two one- truncation parameter families when both samples are type ii censored

We consider the problem of uniform minimum variance unbiased (UMVU) estimation of a U-estimable function based on two independent random samples which are Type II censored and come from two one-truncation parameter families. In particular, we obtain the UMVU estimator of the probability that Y > X, and confidence interval for
Embedding damage detection algorithms in a wireless sensing unit for operational power efficiency

A low-cost wireless sensing unit is designed and fabricated for deployment as the building block of wireless structural health monitoring systems. Finite operational lives of portable power supplies, such as batteries, necessitate optimization of the wireless sensing unit design to attain overall energy efficiency. This is in conflict with the need for wireless radios that have far-reaching communication ranges that require significant amounts of power. As a result, a penalty is incurred by transmitting raw time-history records using scarce system resources such as battery power and bandwidth. Alternatively, a computational core that can accommodate local processing of data is designed and implemented in the wireless sensing unit. The role of the computational core is to perform interrogation tasks of collected raw time-history data and to transmit via the wireless channel the analysis results rather than time-history records. To illustrate the ability of the computational core to execute such embedded engineering analyses, a two-tiered time-series damage detection algorithm is implemented as an example. Using a lumped-mass laboratory structure, local execution of the embedded damage detection method is shown to save energy by avoiding utilization of the wireless channel to transmit raw time-history data.
Biomimetic chemistry of chromium. Intramolecular conversion of hydroperoxochromium(III) to oxochromium(V)

Transition metal hydroperoxo complexes, LMOOH (L = ligand system, M = transition metal), are important intermediates in many catalytic oxidations by molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. These complexes typically react as electrophiles and one-electron oxidants and show no tendency to form oxenes, presumably because the nonparticipating ligands do not stabilize the metal in the 4+ or 5+ oxidation state. We now report that a synthetic hydroperoxochromium(III) complex of a non-porphyrin, saturated macrocycle undergoes intramolecular conversion to Cr(V). 30 refs., 1 fig.
A Cohort Mortality Study of Chemical Laboratory Workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants

Objective This study evaluates the mortality experience of 6,157 chemical laboratory workers employed at United States Department of Energy facilities. Methods All cause, all cancer and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios were calculated. Cox regression analyses were conducted to further evaluate the relation between chemical exposure and mortality risk due to selected cancers. Results The mortality due to all causes combined and all cancers combined were below expectation for the cohort. There were no statistically significant elevations reported among males for any specific cancer or non-cancer outcome. There no statistically significant elevations among females for any specific non-cancer and most specific cancers;however,multiplemyelomadeathsweresignificantlyelevated(SMR ¼3.56;95% CI ¼1.43‐7.33; number of observed deaths, n ¼7). Statistically significant elevations were seen among workers employed 20þ years for leukemia using both 2- and 5-year lag periods. Also, a statistically significant positive trend of elevated lung cancer mortality with increasing employment duration was seen using both 5- and 10-year lags. A similar trend was seen for smoking related cancers among men. Conclusion Whilelymphaticandhematopoieticcancermortalitywasbelowexpectation, a significant elevation of multiple myeloma deaths among females and an elevation of leukemia among workers employed 20þ years (possibly due to radiation and benzene exposure) were observed. A NIOSH case‐control study is underway to examine more closely the relation between multiple myeloma and a variety of chemical exposures among workers employed at the Oak Ridge K-25 facility. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A comparison of Box-Jenkins time series models with autoregressive processes

The idea of using a finite autoregressive (AR) process in conjunction with a Kalman filter, rather than a Box-Jenkins autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) model, to forecast a univariate time series is explored in the context of recursive estimation. It is shown through simulation that the AR representation yields a mean-square error (MSE) of prediction that is comparable to the nonlinear ARMA models. The parameter updating for the AR representation, however, is computationally very simple, whereas the Box-Jenkins method requires all calculations to be repeated when a new piece of data arrives. It is concluded that the simplicity of updating more than compensates for the increase in the MSE of prediction when one is faced with routinely forecasting a large number of variables.
Absolute continuity results for superdiffusions with applications to differential equations

Let X=(XD,Pμ) be a superdiffusion in a domain E⊂Rd. We introduce a germ σ-algebra FE− at the boundary of E and we prove that, on this σ-algebra, Pμ1 is absolutely continuous with respect to Pμ2 if μ1 and μ2 are concentrated on compact subsets of E. In combination with previous results of Dynkin, Kuznetsov and Mselati, this leads to a complete classification of positive solutions of equation Δu=uα in a bounded domain E of class C4 for the case 1<α⩽2. To cite this article: E.B. Dynkin, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004).
Ultrastructural Changes in Trichospores of Smittium Culisetae and S. Culicis During in Vitro Sporangiospore Extrusion and Holdfast Formation

Ultrastructural changes associated with in vitro sporangiospore extrusion (“germination”) and holdfast formation in Smittium culisetae and S. culicis (Trichomycetes) were examined upon treatment of...
Defending the Nation

The Second World War threw into sharp relief the importance to the modern state of a large body of trained scientists and engineers. In the United States of America, Vannevar Bush stressed that scientists were a national resource, and insisted that the Federal government had a key role to play in creating a pool of scientific talent to drive American industrial development, social well-being, and national security. During the 1950s, the 'manpower' question was widely debated on both sides of the Atlantic, fuelled by fears that the Western alliance would be overtaken by a massive expansion in the quality and quantity of the Soviet scientific and engineering workforce. Subsequently, the debate has changed several times, but the issue persists not only in the USA, but also in Europe and Russia, and in China and India as well. In the USA, the National Academy of Sciences has declared that the country is not training enough scientists and engineers to meet national needs, or to maintain US leadership in a constantly changing global environment. The existence of a 'science and engineering gap' is an everpresent if implicit theme in academic planning at a technological university such as mine (Georgia Institute of Technology). More generally, as recently as May 2004, Elias Zerhouni, the Director of the US National Institutes of Health, raised the alarm yet again. 'Those considering careers in science and engineering', he wrote
Ratio of False Positive Results of Growth Hormone Stimulation Tests (Arginine and Insulin)

We studied the false positive ratios of arginine and insulin tests in short children. Totally, the false positive ratio was about 22%. There was no statistical difference in the false positive ratios between arginine tests and insulin tests. It did not seem that the false positive ratio was influenced by height or IGF-I levels.
Age Differences in Romantic Attachment Around the World

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential universality of age differences in romantic attachment. Relatively few studies have investigated attachment processes beyond young adulthood and very little is known about age differences in romantic attachment orientations in geographic regions outside North America. We examined attachment anxiety and avoidance among 90,904 Internet respondents in 81 countries. Attachment anxiety was highest among younger adults and lowest in middle-aged and older adults. Attachment avoidance was lowest among younger adults and highest in middle age and older adults. Further, the patterns of age differences were universal across individualistic and collectivistic regions. Findings are discussed in the context of normative social roles and the universality of their influence on life span personality development.
Maturation of luteinizing hormone (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) secretion across puberty: evidence for altered regulation in obese peripubertal girls

Context: Peripubertal obesity (body mass index-for-age ≥ 95%) in girls is associated with hyperandrogenemia. LH likely contributes to this relationship, but overnight LH secretion in obese girls is poorly characterized. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate LH pulse characteristics in obese girls throughout pubertal maturation. Design: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis. Setting: The study was performed in a general clinical research center. Participants: Eight nonobese and five obese Tanner 1–2 girls participated, as well as 32 nonobese and 12 obese Tanner 3–5 girls. Intervention: Blood samples were collected every 10 min overnight (from 1900 to 0700 h). Main Outcome Measures: LH pulse frequency, amplitude, and mean LH were measured in three 4-h time blocks (block 1, 1900–2300 h; block 2, 2300–0300 h; and block 3, 0300–0700 h). Results: Tanner stage 1–2 nonobese girls demonstrated nocturnal increases of LH frequency (P < 0.01, block 1 vs. 2) and mean LH (P < 0.05, block 1 vs. 2 and 3). Obese Tanner 1–2 girls had lower 12-h LH frequency and LH amplitude (P < 0.05 for both), with no overnight changes of LH pulse parameters. Compared to normal, LH frequency was elevated in Tanner 3–5 obese girls (P < 0.01 in all blocks), whereas LH amplitude was low (P < 0.05 in all blocks). Overnight increases of LH amplitude were observed in nonobese Tanner 3–5 girls (P < 0.0001), but not in obese Tanner 3–5 girls. Conclusions: Obesity in prepubertal and early pubertal girls is associated with reduced LH secretion and reduced nocturnal changes of LH. In later pubertal girls, obesity is linked with reduced LH amplitude, but elevated LH frequency; the latter may reflect effects of hyperandrogenemia.
Synthesis and properties of human β‐endorphin‐(1–17) and its analogs

Four analogs of human beta-endorphin (beta h-EP) were synthesized by the solid-phase method: beta h-EP-(1-9) (I), [D-Ala2]-beta h-EP-(1-9) (II), [Gln8]-beta h-EP-(1-9) (III), and [D-Ala2, Gln8]-beta h-EP-(1-9) (IV). Measurement in a radioreceptor binding assay with use of tritiated beta h-EP as primary ligand gave relative potencies as follows: Met-enkephalin, 100; I, 76; II, 100; III, 200; IV, 200. Two new amino acid derivatives were prepared and used for synthesis of the analogs: N alpha-t-butyloxycarbonyl-O-(cyclopentyl)-tyrosine and N alpha-t-butyloxycarbonyl-gamma-(cyclopentyl)-glutamic acid.
Noncellulosic constituents on raw cotton and their relationship to fiber physical properties

Raw cottons contain a number of noncellulosic materials that are generally considered to be surface related and may therefore affect fiber quality. Chemical tests are conducted on cottons originating from different U.S. growing locations to determine reducing sugars, wax, metal contents, and total alcohol extractable materials. Relationships between concentrations of these constituents and conventional fiber physical property measure ments are investigated. Increases in HVI and Stelometer fiber strength and RotorRing fiber-to-fiber friction and decreases in Suter-Webb short fiber content are highly related to increases in alcohol extractable materials, fiber ash residues, and total light metal contents. Conversely, increases in the metal calcium correlate with decreases in both fiber strength and fiber-to-fiber friction and increases in short fiber content. Increases in HVI Rd and + b color measurements correlate positively with increasing levels of the metals potassium and magnesium.
Outsourcing Service Manager: Supporting People Work Across Lifecycle of Outsourcing Services

We present Outsourcing Service Manager (OSM) as an approach and toolset that support people work across the lifecycle of outsourcing services. The OSM enables the definition of service lifecycle phases, and the creation and maintenance of relationships among information pertinent to various lifecycle phases of a service. OSM includes a Conversation Manager component that offers a light-weight conversation-centered approach and a tool for dynamic and flexible definition and enactment of best practice processes in a collaborative and interactive manner among people. OSM addresses the issue of information loss related to people work using the concept of a conversation as a container of information and people interactions related to a service engagement. A conversation contains a semi-structured model of the process of how work gets done during the interactions among people. The conversation manager enables flexible and adaptive enactment of the best practice processes. It maintains the link of each conversation to a service lifecycle stage, as well as the relationships among conversations based on their input/outputs (deliverables) and exchanged information during hand-offs.
Depth from scattering

Light power is affected when it crosses the atmosphere; there is a simple, albeit non-linear, relationship between the radiance of an image at any given wavelength and the distance between object and viewer. This phenomenon is called atmospheric scattering and has been extensively studied by physicists and meteorologists. We present the first analysis of this phenomenon from an image understanding perspective: we investigate a group of techniques for extraction of depth cues solely from the analysis of atmospheric scattering effects in images. Depth from scattering techniques are discussed for indoor and outdoor environments, and experimental tests with real images are presented. We have found that depth cues in outdoor scenes can be recovered with surprising accuracy and can be used as an additional information source for autonomous vehicles.
Where observation is concerned, chance favours only the prepared mind

1He treated a 32-year-old man with stomach cancer, who presented with jaundice, cachexia, fainting spells, melaena without haematemesis, severe pain, and a palpable epigastric mass “like the head of an 8 month fetus”. 1 Roentgen-ray treat ment was given for 30 min twice a day, and after 8 days of this treatment the patient had substantial pain relief, decreased jaundice, and a palpably smaller tumour. The scientifi c basis for Despeignes’ treatment consisted of four factors: the contemporary concept of cancer as a microbial or parasitic disease; extensive research of medical electrotherapeutics spanning over a century; 2 reports of curative treatment of cutaneous tuberculosis with phototherapy; 3 and a report of X-rays attenuating the severity of an experimental tuberculosis infection. 4
Frozen plasma flow from E-beam targets

Summary form only given. An intense electron beam pulse deposits energy into a thin metal plate creating a region of hot ionized fluid, which vents as an expanding hypersonic flow with nonequilibrium ionization. This paper describes an analytical model and how it compares to experimental data from Los Alamos National Laboratory. The source temperature is proportional to the ratio of Bethe stopping power to source volume, and the shape of this volume depends on the lateral diffusion of beam electrons traversing the plate. Mass flow within the plate is modelled as a one-dimensional unsteady expansion of a perfect gas with clumped pressure waves, and the mass flow into an external vacuum is modelled as a sequence of steady hemispherical flows. The local conditions in the external flow are parametrized by Mach number, and derivatives of these relations give local gradients of temperature, velocity and density. The source volume can be highly ionized, yet on expansion the density and temperature drop so precipitously that the ionization fraction becomes both small and out of equilibrium with local conditions. The ability of the ionization fraction to adjust to local conditions increasingly lags the motion of the accelerating flow, until a point is reached where the ionization fraction is "frozen" at a fixed value. The transition between equilibrium and frozen now occurs in a narrow zone close to the plate, and the location of this zone is given by a criterion first stated by K.N.C. Bray (1959).
AN OPTICAL APPROACH TO STRUCTURAL DISPLACEMENT MEASUREMENT AND ITS APPLICATION

A number of optical devices are commercially available now for measurement. Some of them, such as laser devices and still and video cameras with high resolution, may be used effectively and efficiently for measuring structural displacement. This paper presents an approach to this type of application using a charge-coupled-device camera. It can acquire digitized images for low cost, to be used to identify structural displacement via digital signal processing. It is shown that this approach’s resolution for point measurement is comparable with traditional sensors such as dial gages. Furthermore, it offers a new capability of displacement measurement for a large number of points on a structure, and it can provide spatially intensive displacement data. This kind of data may be used for structural damage detection and health monitoring, as suggested and demonstrated herein.
Inflammation and Viral Infection: Chemotactic Activity Resulting from the Interaction of Antiviral Antibody and Complement with Cells Infected with Herpes Simplex Virus

polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes. Injury to the primary rabbitkidney cells was evaluated by measurement of the release of 51Cr. From five to 10 times more chemotactic activity and 10 times more 51Cr were present in supernatants from infected cells that had been exposed to antibody to HSV and complement than in the supernatants from controls. Moreover, it was shown that the interaction of antiviral antibody and complement with viral antigens absorbed to the surface of cells (before penetration) also resulted in the generation of chemotactic activity but did not cause injury to the cell. The data support the hypothesis that activation of the complement system is responsible, at least in part, for the inflammatory response observed in certain viral infections.
Tips for a successful poster presentation.

A common goal of many pharmacy residents is to present their research in a poster at a regional or national meeting. Once the poster abstract has been written and accepted for presentation at a meeting, much work is left to be done to create a successful poster presentation. Poster format and
Building skills in psychiatric assessment through an online problem-based learning course

Clinical social workers use psychiatric assessment on most clients in the US. Insurance companies that pay for counseling need diagnoses on claim forms. Despite the need for diagnostic skills, a gap exists between education and practice. The Council on Social Work Education standards do not include competencies addressing psychiatric diagnosis. Consequently, not all programs offer students this training. This paper outlines an online Problem Based Learning (PBL) course in psychiatric diagnostic assessment for graduate social work students. It provides findings from an evaluation of the first two years a US public university offered the course online. The study provides an understanding of the learners’ experiences with online learning and their demonstration of skill in psychiatric assessment. It shows how one school of social work tried to fill the gap between education and practice related to diagnostic assessment.
Exploration of Teaching Reform of Basic Architecture Courses Based on Sustainable Development Concept

The reform of architectural education based on sustainable development is an enormous challenge we are facing currently.This paper analyzes basic architectural design education in our school and proposes an organic combination of architectural theory based on sustainable development and original course content of basic architecture.We should create an overall teaching mode which is appropriate for our school,systemic and progressive.
Selecting suitable solid organ transplant donors: Reducing the risk of donor-transmitted infections

Selection of the appropriate donor is essential to a successful allograft recipient outcome for solid organ transplantation. Multiple infectious diseases have been transmitted from the donor to the recipient via transplantation. Donor-transmitted infections cause increased morbidity and mortality to the recipient. In recent years, a series of high-profile transmissions of infections have occurred in organ recipients prompting increased attention on the process of improving the selection of an appropriate donor that balances the shortage of needed allografts with an approach that mitigates the risk of donor-transmitted infection to the recipient. Important advances focused on improving donor screening diagnostics, using previously excluded high-risk donors, and individualizing the selection of allografts to recipients based on their prior infection history are serving to increase the donor pool and improve outcomes after transplant. This article serves to review the relevant literature surrounding this topic and to provide a suggested approach to the selection of an appropriate solid organ transplant donor.
Tradeoffs between Bends and Displacement in Anchored Graph Drawing.

Many graph drawing applications entail geographical constraints on positions of vertices; these constraints can be at odds with aesthetic requirements such as the use of straight-line edges or the number of crossings. Without positional constraints on vertices, of course, every planar graph can be drawn crossing-free with straight-line edges. On the other hand, inflexible and precise specification of all vertex positions essentially leaves no room for presenting the graph in an aesthetically pleasing drawing. However, small deviations from precise vertex positions can often be tolerated, and so a natural middle ground is to impose soft positional constraints on vertices and then optimize for an appropriate aesthetic criterion. We explore one such trade-off: the amount of vertex position displacement vs. the number of bends in planar polyline drawings. In particular, let G = (V,E) be a planar graph, where each vertex v has a specified (target) position α(v). We wish to draw G so that no vertex is placed at distance more than δ from its target position and no edge has more than b bends. Given a bound on b, what is the smallest value of δ achievable for all n-vertex planar graphs? Our main result establishes that δ = Θ(n) is both necessary and sufficient if b is constant. We also derive trade-offs between δ and b.
Sustainability of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) as a construction material

Abstract Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have emerged as a relatively new construction material that is used both in new construction and in repair applications and that address many of the drawbacks of traditional construction materials. Primarily, FRP materials are resistant to electro-chemical corrosion, have high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, and provide installation flexibility making them relatively easy to install in repair applications where access is limited. As such, they have emerged as a sustainable and durable material for the repair of deteriorated concrete structures, including for flexural strengthening and repair, shear strengthening and repair, and confinement of columns. Based on the success of using FRP materials for the repair of concrete structures, they have also been investigated as an alternative repair material for steel structures and have demonstrated promise in this market. In new construction, composites have been used as corrosion-resistant reinforcements for concrete structures and have been adopted in all-FRP structural components, such as bridge decks. In all of these applications, composites represent a promising alternative to traditional construction materials and techniques for a sustainable and durable infrastructure.
Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of the parotid gland

AbstractCarcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (Ca ex PA) is a rare salivary gland malignancy arising from a previously benign pleomorphic adenoma. With a similar clinical presentation to benign salivary gland tumors and a variety of histologic variants, diagnosis is often difficult. Diagnosis of malignancy and thus surgical treatment is largely based on pathologic and radiographic features. The malignant component of Ca ex PA can take on many forms to include poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified, salivary duct carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, myoepithelial carcinoma, and epithelial myoepithelial carcinoma. A case report of myoepithelial carcinoma ex pleomorhpic adenoma is explained here. This case highlights the challenges in clinical and pathologic diagnoses and provides an overview of surgical treatment in these rare and potentially aggressive tumors.
Studying the Safety and Performance of Rapid Sequence Intubation: Data Collection Method Matters

Objective We sought to describe and compare chart and video review as data collection sources for the study of Emergency Department (ED) Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI). Methods This retrospective cohort study compares the availability and content of key RSI outcome and process data from two sources: chart and video data from 12 months of pediatric ED RSI. Key outcomes included adverse effects (oxyhemoglobin desaturation, physiologic changes, inadequate paralysis, vomiting), process components (number of laryngoscopy attempts, end-tidal CO2 detection), and timing data (duration of pre-oxygenation and laryngoscopy attempts). Results We reviewed 566 documents from 114 cases with video data. Video review detected higher rates of adverse effects (67%) than did chart review (46%, p<0.0001), identifying almost twice the rate of desaturation noted in the chart (34%, vs 18%, p=0.0002). The performance and timing of key RSI processes were significantly more reliably available via video review (timing and duration of pre-oxygenation, as well as timing, duration, and number of laryngoscopy attempts, all p<0.05). Video review identified 221 laryngoscopy attempts, whereas chart review only identified 187. Conclusions When compared with video review for retrospective study of RSI in a pediatric ED, chart review significantly underestimated adverse effects, inconsistently contained data on important RSI process elements, rarely provided time data, and often conflicted with observations made on video review. Interpretation of and design of future studies of RSI should take into consideration the quality of the data source. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Anterior Interosseous Nerve Neuropraxia Secondary to Shoulder Arthroscopy and Open Subpectoral Long Head Biceps Tenodesis

Arthroscopic rotator cuff tendon repair is a common elective procedure performed by trained orthopaedic surgeons with a relatively low complication rate. Specifically, isolated neuropraxia of the anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) is a very rare complication of shoulder arthroscopy. An analysis of peer-reviewed published literature revealed only three articles reporting a total of seven cases that describe this specific complication following standard shoulder arthroscopic procedures. This article reports on three patients diagnosed with AIN neuropraxia following routine shoulder arthroscopy done by a single surgeon within a three-year period. All three patients also underwent open biceps tenodesis immediately following completion of the arthroscopic procedures. The exact causal mechanism of AIN neuropraxia following shoulder arthroscopy with biceps tenodesis is not known. This case report reviews possible mechanisms with emphasis on specific factors that make a traction injury the most likely etiology in these cases. We critically analyze our operating room setup and patient positioning practices in light of the existing biomechanical and cadaveric research to propose changes to our standard practices that may help to reduce the incidence of this specific postoperative complication in patients undergoing elective shoulder arthroscopy with biceps tenodesis.
Thermo-mechanical reliability analysis of flip-chip bonded silicon carbide Schottky diodes

This paper presents the thermo-mechanical reliability analysis of a novel chip-scale wire bondless packaging technique for a SiC Schottky diode that leads to lower parasitics, higher reliability, lower costs, and lower losses. The proposed approach uses a flip-chip solder ball array to make connections to the anode. A copper connector was used to make contact with the bottom cathode, thus reconfiguring the bare die into a chip-scale, flip-chip capable device. Thermo-mechanical analysis in a finite element software showed that the proposed approach could better manage Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) mismatch stresses arising at the critical module interfaces as compared with a conventional wire bonded module. A detailed analysis of the flip-chip structure is presented and contrasted with a state-of-the-art wire bonded module. Different design parameters were explored for the drain connector to be able to make an optimized decision. However, keeping production costs low was prioritized without compromising significant performance. The fabrication process for manufacturing a flip-chip schottky diode module was also demonstrated along with preliminary test results to demonstrate functionality.
Fibrous cephalic plaques in tuberous sclerosis complex

Background Fibrous cephalic plaques (FCPs) stereotypically develop on the forehead of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). They constitute a major feature for TSC diagnosis and may present before other TSC-related cutaneous hamartomas. Objective To describe the clinical characteristics of FCPs in TSC. Methods A total of 113 patients with TSC were enrolled in an observational cohort study. Retrospective analysis of medical records and skin photography was performed. FCPs were categorized by anatomic location and size. Results FCPs were observed in 36% of patients (41 of 113). Of 62 total lesions, 58% were 1 to less than 5 cm, 13% were 5 cm or larger, and 29% were of unknown size mostly because of prior excision. The distribution of lesions was 39% on the forehead, 27% on the face (nonforehead), 3% on the neck, and 31% on the scalp. Fourteen patients had similar lesions less than 1 cm in diameter. Histopathologically, FCPs displayed dermal collagenosis, decreased elastic fibers, and features of angiofibromas or fibrofolliculomas. Limitations Men were under-represented because the cohort was enriched for patients with TSC with lymphangioleiomyomatosis, which occurs in adult women. Conclusion Two-fifths of FCPs presented on the forehead, with most of the remainder in other locations on the face and scalp. Better recognition of these lesions may lead to earlier diagnosis of TSC.
Culture, Collaboration, and Confidentiality Performance: An Inter- organizational Investigation

Organizations’ proprietary works have grown increasingly digitized and globally distributed, as have the magnitude and challenge of upholding confidentiality. Despite these trends’ persistence, muc...
Risks from Ebolavirus Discharge from Hospitals to Sewer Workers

Current World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for the disposal of liquid waste from patients undergoing treatment for Ebola virus disease at hospitals in the U.S. is to manage patient excreta as ordinary wastewater without pretreatment. The potential for Ebolavirus transmission via liquid waste discharged into the wastewater environment is currently unknown, however. Possible worker inhalation exposure to Ebolavirus-contaminated aerosols in the sewer continues to be a concern within the wastewater treatment community. In this study, a quantitative microbial risk assessment was carried out to assess a sewer worker's potential risk of developing Ebola virus disease from inhalation exposure when performing standard occupational activities in a sewer line serving a hospital receiving Ebola patients where there is no pretreatment of the waste prior to discharge. Risk projections were estimated for four scenarios that considered the infectivity of viral particles and the degree of worker compliance with personal protective equipment guidelines. Under the least-favorable scenario, the median potential risk of developing Ebola virus disease from inhalation exposure to Ebolavirus-contaminated aerosols in the sewer is approximately 10-5.77 (with a first to third quartile range of 10-7.06 to 10-4.65), a value higher than many risk managers may be willing to accept. Although further data gathering efforts are necessary to improve the precision of the risk projections presented here, the results suggest that the potential risk that sewer workers face when operating in a wastewater collection system downstream from a hospital receiving Ebola patients warrants further attention, and that current authoritative guidance for Ebolavirus liquid waste disposal-to dispose in the sanitary sewer without further treatment-may be insufficiently protective of sewer worker safety.
Mechanisms of environmental policy change in a federal system: The case of open federalism and the 2006–15 Harper government

Between 2006 and 2011, the Canadian Conservative government advocated the concept of ‘open federalism’ which sought to minimize the role of the federal government in areas falling under provincial ...
Participation of pigment epithelium of iris and ciliary body in ocular immune privilege. 2. Generation of TGF-beta-producing regulatory T cells.

PURPOSE: To determine whether T cells exposed to cultured iris and ciliary body pigment epithelial (I/CB PE) cells acquire the capacity to modify the activation, differentiation, and effector functions of bystander T cells, and if so, to identify the mechanism. METHODS: T cells from naive BALB/c mice were cultured with I/CB PE cells, x-irradiated, and used as regulators (a) of T-cell activation in vitro and (b) of delayed hypersensitivity expression in vivo. Neutralizing anti-TGF-beta and -IL-10 antibodies were used to abolish regulatory function. T-cell activation was assessed for proliferation by [(3)H]thymidine incorporation and for IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IL-10 production by semi-quantitative RT-PCR for mRNA and by supernatant analysis by ELISA. I/CB PE-exposed T cells were evaluated for mRNA content of IFN-gamma, IL-4, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, and IL-10, and their supernatants were analyzed for content of TGF-beta. RESULTS: T cells exposed to I/CB PE cells inhibited anti-CD3-driven activation of bystander naive T cells in vitro and suppressed the expression of delayed hypersensitivity in vivo. Bystander T cells cocultured with I/CB PE-exposed T cells failed to proliferate and secreted high levels of IL-4 and IL-10 but low amounts of IL-2 and IFN-gamma. Regulation of bystander T-cell activation was mediated via enhanced secretion of TGF-beta by I/CB PE-exposed T cells. CONCLUSIONS: T cells exposed to cultured I/CB PE cells were induced to secrete active and latent TGF-beta, which conferred on the T cells the capacity to inhibit the differentiation as well as the effector function of Th1-type cells.
Environmental Conflict and Environmental Determinism: The Relative Importance of Social and Natural Factors

Many contemporary discussions of the role of environment in the causation and escalation of violent conflict treat it in a fairly deterministic fashion. Natural resources are axiomatically taken to be scarce and therefore the object of struggle between individuals, societies, and states. The invocation of ‘environmental determinism’ as a means of predicting resource-centered conflicts, and formulating strategies in response, is hardly a new phenomenon. The great geopoliticians of the 19th and the early 20th century engaged in similar exercises. In their work, they took little cognizance of the importance of social factors in driving conflict and thereby contributed to the emergence of competitive foreign policies that, in many ways, became self-fulfilling prophecy. In this chapter, I examine and critique this approach to ‘environmental conflict and security’, providing two examples of deterministic discourses of environment and conflict, one based on ‘water wars’, the other on population. Finally, I argue that most discussions of ‘environment and security’ are rooted in these types of ‘naturalized’ discourses and that we need to ‘denaturalize’ such notions and pay greater attention to social factors.
Reducing seek overhead with application-directed prefetching

An analysis of performance characteristics of modern disks finds that prefetching can improve the performance of nonsequential read access patterns by an order of magnitude or more, far more than demonstrated by prior work. Using this analysis, we design prefetching algorithms that make effective use of primary memory, and can sometimes gain additional speedups by reading unneeded data.We show when additional prefetching memory is most critical for performance. A contention controller automatically adjusts prefetching memory usage, preserving the benefits of prefetching while sharing available memory with other applications. When implemented in a library with some kernel changes, our prefetching system improves performance for some workloads of the GIMP image manipulation program and the SQLite database by factors of 4.9x to 20x.
The structural anatomy and institutional architecture of inclusive growth in sub-Saharan Africa

The distinct features of inclusive growth within the context of sub-Saharan Africa are identified. The anatomy of growth is analysed by exploring the interrelationship among growth, inequality, and poverty. The present growth spell appears to have been re
Pilot Study of the Effect of Plant-Based Enteral Nutrition on the Gut Microbiota in Chronically Ill Tube-Fed Children.

Background Dietary intake sharply impacts the structure and function of the gut microbiota, which is important for childhood health. However, little is known about the microbiota of children who cannot eat by mouth. Standard enteral formulas for supplemental nutrition are low in fiber and high in processed sugars and are commonly associated with gastrointestinal side effects. In this pilot study, we examined the effects of plant-based enteral nutrition (PBEN) upon the gut bacteria of chronically ill children. Methods Ten children (median age 3.5 years, age range 2-8 years) dependent upon conventional enteral formula were transitioned to PBEN for 2 months. Microbial diversity within fecal samples collected before and after PBEN was assessed by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis and was compared with rectal swabs from healthy children. Fecal short-chain fatty acids and bile acids were measured in parallel. Results Relative to control samples, fecal samples from study subjects were depleted of commensals (eg, Faecalibacterium) and enriched with pathogens (eg, Enterococcus). Postintervention samples from study subjects were more similar to healthy controls. Most subjects experienced PBEN-induced alterations in the gut microbiota, but these changes varied significantly across individuals. Clinical diaries indicated that PBEN was well tolerated, with improvement in symptoms noted in several subjects. Conclusion Results from this pilot study suggest that PBEN is well tolerated and could improve the health of the microbiota in chronically ill children. This trial provides a rationale for systematic evaluation of PBEN in clinical trials of children who require supplemental nutrition.