cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection and Quantitation of Multiple Volatile Compounds in Tissues by GC and GC/MS

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of tissues and body fluids for multiple volatile organic compounds were performed by a combination of packed and open tubular capillary GC and GC/MS. This paper describes methods for such analyses in a case involving the exposure of two persons to methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene and the three isomeric xylenes. Tissue and body fluid concentrations of these substances in the two decedents are presented and discussed briefly.
Tooth enamel microstructure of Revueltosaurus and Krzyzanowskisaurus (Reptilia:Archosauria) from the Upper Triassic Chinle Group, USA: Implications for function, growth, and phylogeny

Tooth enamel microstructure can carry significant phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and functional information within amniotes. Here we provide the first descriptions of the tooth enamel microstructure of two Late Triassic taxa, the crurotarsan Revueltosaurus callenderi Hunt and the putative ornithischian Krzyzanowskisaurus hunti (Heckert), which some consider closely related. To test the hypotheses that enamel thickness corresponds to function and/or phylogeny we analyzed the enamel of each at various scales, measuring enamel thickness and examining microstructural features throughout both longitudinal and cross-sectional thickness using previously established techniques to facilitate comparisons. Both taxa possess thick (up to ~150 µm) enamel for their size (< 20 mm crown height). Enamel in R. callenderi ranged from ~5-152 µm across a premaxillary tooth in longitudinal section, and ~42-92 µm in a maxillary/dentary tooth transverse section. K. hunti enamel thickness was ~18-155 µm longitudinally and ~29-75 µm transversely. Both also had well-developed basal unit layers (BUL) and weakly developed columnar microstructure. Well-developed lines of incremental growth (LIG) are present in both taxa, through which the columnar enamel grades into parallel crystallite enamel. Their enamel microstructure is therefore grossly similar to that of several ornithischian taxa, especially ankylosaurs, with which they are strongly convergent, and also compares well to rauisuchids and tyrannosaurids. The relatively unique combination of microstructural characteristics in the schmelzmuster of R. callenderi and K. hunti supports the hypothesis that they are closely related, but does not conclusively preclude a different taxonomic placement for K. hunti so we retain its separate generic designation.
An index structure for pattern similarity searching in DNA microarray data

DNA microarray technology is about to bring an explosion of gene expression data that may dwarf even the human sequencing projects. Researchers are motivated to identify genes whose expression levels rise and fall coherently under a set of experimental perturbations, that is, they exhibit fluctuation of a similar shape when conditions change. In this paper, we show that queries based on pattern correlations against large-scale microarray databases can be supported by the weighted-sequence model, an index structure designed for sequence matching. A weighted-sequence is a two-dimensional structure where each element in the sequence is associated with a weight. We transform the DNA microarray data, as well as pattern-based queries, into weighted-sequences, and use subsequence matching algorithms to retrieve from the database all genes that match the query pattern. We demonstrate, using both synthetic and real-world data sets, that our method is effective and efficient.
Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Probing the Denaturation of Lysozyme

Resonance Raman spectroscopy measurements of lysozyme-bound single-walled carbon nanotubes have been made during different stages of the chemically and thermally induced misfolding and of the denaturation process of nanotube-bound lysozymes. Changes to the Raman intensity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been observed during the denaturation of lysozyme. The Raman intensity changes are attributed to excitonic transition energy (Eii) shifts of the SWNTs during the denaturation of lysozyme. The Eii shift of SWNTs was confirmed by photoluminescence measurements.
On Automatically Explaining Bisimulation Inequivalence

This paper describes a technique for generating a logical formula that differentiates between two bisimulation-inequivalent finite-state systems. The method works in conjunction with a partition-refinement algorithm for computing bisimulation equivalence and yields formulas that are often minimal in a precisely defined sense.
A general theory of constrained max-min rate allocation for multicast networks

This paper presents a general theory of network max-min rate assignment as a lexicographic optimization. The model includes multicast and lower bound constraints. The model for multicast allows the sender to send at the maximum rate allowed by the network and the receivers. Equivalent optimality conditions, especially those which can be coded into practical algorithms, are derived. A reference parallel algorithm is also derived. The theoretical results clearly show the important role of the advertised rates in automatable optimality conditions. The theory also shows that, once the single-link problem is solved, the multi-link (network) problem can be simply solved by recursively applying the algorithm for single-link problem.
Durable Remission After Aggressive Chemotherapy for Post-Cardiac Transplant Lymphoproliferation

A frequently fatal complication of organ transplantation, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) develops in 2%-6% of cardiac recipients. Treatment remains poorly defined. Reduction in immunosuppression is effective in a proportion of cases, but mortality in the order of 80% is reported for patients requiring chemotherapy. The reason for such poor outcomes is unclear, but may be partly due to the concomitant use of immunosuppressives. An update report is provided on nineteen consecutive cardiac recipients with PTLD, studied retrospectively in terms of clinical features and outcome. Patients were managed according to a uniform treatment approach. Initial therapy was a trial of reduced immunosuppression with concomitant acyclovir followed, if unsuccessful, by aggressive combination chemotherapy. The regimen used was predominantly ProMACE-CytaBOM. Six patients with phenotypically polyclonal PTLD presented <6 months after transplantation (median 6 weeks). Only 1/4 (25%) treated patients responded...
Scour of Chinook Salmon Redds on Suction Dredge Tailings

Abstract We measured scour of the redds of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha on dredge tailings and natural substrates in three tributaries of the Klamath River, California. We measured maximum scour with scour chains and net scour by surveying before and after high winter flows. Scour of chinook salmon redds located on dredge tailings exceeded scour of redds on natural substrates, although the difference varied among streams. Our results show that fisheries managers should consider the potential negative effects of dredge tailings on the spawning success of fall-spawning fishes such as chinook salmon and coho salmon O. kisutch.
Castleman's disease — The lymphoma impostor†

The asymptomatic neck mass in the middle-aged adult is not an uncommon clinical dilemma for the otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon. After a complete medical evaluation and panendoscopy with multiple "blind" biopsies, the patient usually comes to excisional biopsy, when the prior work-up has not added any positive information. Most commonly, in this age group, the mass represents metastatic cancer from a head and neck primary, a carcinoma from a distant site, or a lymphoma. We present a case of Castleman's disease, a benign lymphoepithelial disease that can easily be mistaken for lymphoma.
Differential effects of stimulus context in sensory processing

Abstract Stimulus contexts in which different intensity levels are presented to two sensory–perceptual channels can produce differential effects on perception: Perceived magnitudes are depressed in whichever channel received the stronger stimuli. Context differentially can affect loudness at different sound frequencies or perceived length of lines in different spatial orientations. Reported in hearing, vision, haptic touch, taste, and olfaction, differential context effects (DCEs) are a general property of perceptual processing. Characterizing their functional properties and determining their underlying mechanisms are essential both to fully understanding sensory and perceptual processes and to properly interpreting sensory measurements obtained in applied as well as basic research settings.
Masculine discrepancy stress, substance use, assault and injury in a survey of US men

To understand and ultimately prevent injury and behavioural health outcomes associated with masculinity, we assessed the influence of masculine discrepancy stress (stress that occurs when men perceive themselves as falling short of the traditional gender norms) on the propensity to engage in stereotypically masculine behaviours (eg, substance use, risk taking and violence) as a means of demonstrating masculinity. Six-hundred men from the USA were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) online data collection site to complete surveys assessing self-perceptions of gender role discrepancy and consequent discrepancy stress, substance use/abuse, driving while intoxicated (DWI) and violent assaults. Negative binomial regression analyses indicated significant interactive effects wherein men high on gender role discrepancy and attendant discrepancy stress reported significantly more assaults with a weapon (B=1.01; SE=0.63; IRR=2.74; p=0.05) and assaults causing injury (B=1.01; SE=0.51; IRR=2.74; p<0.05). There was no association of discrepancy stress to substance abuse, but there was a protective effect of gender role discrepancy for DWI among men low on discrepancy stress (B=-1.19, SE=0.48; IRR=0.30; p=0.01). These findings suggest that gender role discrepancy and associated discrepancy stress, in particular, represent important injury risk factors and that prevention of discrepancy stress may prevent acts of violence with the greatest consequences and costs to the victim, offender and society.
Equatorial Waves Including the Madden-Julian Oscillation in TRMM Rainfall and OLR Data

Four years of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and rainfall data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) are investigated to find the dominant large-scale wave modes in the Tropics. By using space‐ time cross-section analysis and spectral analysis, the longitudinal and latitudinal behaviors of the overall waves and the dominant waves are observed. Despite the noisy nature of precipitation data and the limited sampling by the TRMM satellite, pronounced peaks are found for Kelvin waves, n 5 1 equatorial Rossby waves (ER), and mixed Rossby‐gravity waves (MRG). Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) and tropical depression (TD)-type disturbances are also detected. The seasonal evolution of these waves is investigated. An appendix includes a study of sampling and aliasing errors due to the peculiar space‐time sampling pattern of TRMM. It is shown that the waves detected in this study are not artifacts of these sampling features. The results presented here are compared with previous studies. Consistency with their results gives confidence in the TRMM data for wave studies. The results from this study can be utilized for modeling and testing theories. Also, it may be useful for the future users of the TRMM data to understand the nature of the TRMM satellite sampling.
Reviewing the Research : Promotion vs. Retention: What Are the Implications for Policy Development?

After examining the policies regarding the promotion and reten tion of students in South Carolina and several other states, the authors recommend alternatives to retention as well as considera tions for policy development.
Formic Acid Treatment for Control of Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) and Safety to Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Under Southern United States Conditions

The efficacy of a formic acid pad formulation was field tested for control of the honey bee parasitic mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman in Florida and Texas. This pad formulation gave 39.8 ± 11.1% control at the end of a 6-wk treatment period, which did not significantly differ from the initial sample date. Coumaphos treatment provided poor control (38.4 ± 11.1%) over the 6-wk period, confirming reports of coumaphos resistance in the region. Under relatively warm winter conditions in southern Texas, formic acid caused mortality of developing eggs and brood. If resistance by V. destructor to the two acaricides registered for its control in the United States continues, the formic acid pad could provide an alternative compound to use as part of an integrated pest management approach. Given the low control seen in this trial, however, modifications of application technology would seem necessary.
'Kristallnacht' Remembered: History & Communal Responsibility

The anniversary of Kristallnacht is used to revisit the debate between those who would bury the past and those who would assign various forms of "hereditary guilt" to the descendants of the perpetrators (in this case the German nation). The author rejects both approaches and instead introduces the communitarian concept of "communal responsibility". It holds that when we are members of a community, we benefit from its assets (even if we did not help form them) and must share in the corrective measures for past transgressions (even if we were not alive when they occurred).
Adaptive network access with 100 Gb/s Ethernet by Packet-based Lane Bundling

Lambda-on-demand network access with 100 Gb/s Ethernet interface is achieved for SuperHD video/image transfer by using adaptive inverse multiplexing onto parallel 10 Gb/s optical paths assigned individually over optical transport networks.
Thromboxane synthesis inhibitors and postprandial jejunal capillary exchange capacity

The effects of thromboxane synthesis inhibitors (imidazole and U 63557A; Upjohn) and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, mefenamic acid, on jejunal capillary filtration coefficients (Kfc) were determined in dogs before and during the presence of predigested food in the jejunal lumen. The jejunal Kfc increased significantly soon after the placement of a predigested test food containing all major constituents of diet. The Kfc remained elevated as long as the food was present in the lumen (15 min). Mefenamic acid (10 mg/kg iv) did not significantly alter resting jejunal Kfc or alter the food-induced increase in Kfc. Imidazole (5.0 mg/min ia) or U 63557A (5.0 mg/kg iv) per se significantly increased jejunal Kfc. Placement of digested food further increased the Kfc to levels significantly higher than those observed before administration of the two thromboxane synthase inhibitors. Production of thromboxane B2 by jejunal tissue was significantly reduced and 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha (the stable hydrolysis product of prostacyclin) production was significantly increased after administration of U 63557A. Our study indicates that the relative production of endogenous thromboxanes and other prostanoids modulates jejunal capillary exchange capacity in the absence or presence of digested food in the jejunal lumen.
Disentangling the Physical Processes Responsible for the Kinetic Complexity in Interfacial Electron Transfer of Excited Ru(II) Polypyridyl Dyes on TiO2

Interfacial electron transfer at titanium dioxide (TiO2) is investigated for a series of surface bound ruthenium-polypyridyl dyes whose metal-to-ligand charge-transfer state (MLCT) energetics are tuned through chemical modification. The 12 complexes are of the form RuII(bpy-A)(L)22+, where bpy-A is a bipyridine ligand functionalized with phosphonate groups for surface attachment to TiO2. Functionalization of ancillary bipyridine ligands (L) enables the potential of the excited state RuIII/* couple, E+/*, in 0.1 M perchloric acid (HClO4(aq)) to be tuned from −0.69 to −1.03 V vs NHE. Each dye is excited by a 200 fs pulse of light in the visible region of the spectrum and probed with a time-delayed supercontiuum pulse (350–800 nm). Decay of the MLCT excited-state absorption at 376 nm is observed without loss of the ground-state bleach, which is a clear signature of electron injection and formation of the oxidized dye. The dye-dependent decays are biphasic with time constants in the 3–30 and 30–500 ps range. ...
Bioethics Skill Sets Can Work, But It Would Take Moral Courage to Apply Them and Get Desired Results.

In “Bioethicists Can and Should Contribute to Addressing Racism,” Danis, Wilson, and White (2016) discussed seven skill sets that bioethicists can use to contribute meaningfully in the effort to ad...
An Elementary Derivation of the Cauchy, Hölder, and Minkowski Inequalities from Young's Inequality

(1964). An Elementary Derivation of the Cauchy, Holder, and Minkowski Inequalities from Young's Inequality. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 2-12.
In-situ recovery of butanol during fermentation

End product inhibition can be reduced by the in situ removal of inhibitory fermentation products as they form. Extractive fermentation, in which an immiscible organic solvent is added to the fermentor in order to extract inhibitory products, was applied to the acetone-butanol fermentation. Six solvents or solvent mixtures were tested in batch extractive fermentations: kerosene, 30 wt% tetradecanol in kerosene, 50 wt% dodecanol in kerosene, oleyl alcohol, 50 wt% oleyl alcohol in a decane fraction and 50 wt% oleyl alcohol in benzyl benzoate. The best results were obtained with oleyl alcohol or a mixture of oleyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate. In normal batch fermentation of Clostridium acetobutylicum, glucose consumption is limited to about 80 kg/m3 due to the accumulation of butanol in the broth. In extractive fermentation using oleyl alcohol or a mixture of oleyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate, over 100 kg/m3 of glucose can be fermented. Removal of butanol from the broth as it formed also increased the rate of butanol production. Maximum volumetric butanol productivity was increased by as much as 60% in extractive fermentation compared to batch fermentation. Butanol productivities obtained in extractive fermentation compare favorably with other in situ product removal fermentations.
Reading between the number lines.

We agree with Nunez that the Mundurucu do not master the formal propreties of number lines and logarithms, but as the term "intuition" implies, they spontaneously experience a logarithmic mapping of number to space as natural and "feeling right."
Photodissociation structural dynamics of trirutheniumdodecacarbonyl investigated by X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy

The molecular and electronic structures of the transient intermediates generated from the photolysis of trirutheniumdodecacarbonyl, Ru3(CO)12, by ultrafast UV (351 nm) laser excitation were investigated using X-ray transient absorption (XTA) spectroscopy. The electronic configuration change and nuclear rearrangement after the dissociation of carbonyls were observed at ruthenium K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure and X-ray absorption fine structure spectra. Analysis of XTA data, acquired after 100, 200, and 400 ps and 300 ns time delay following the photoexcitation, identified the presence of three intermediate species with Ru3(CO)10 being the most dominating one. The results set an example of applying XTA in capturing both transient electronic and nuclear configurations in metal clusters simulating catalysts in chemical reactions.
Extracellular voltage threshold settings can be tuned for optimal encoding of movement and stimulus parameters

Objective. A traditional goal of neural recording with extracellular electrodes is to isolate action potential waveforms of an individual neuron. Recently, in brain–computer interfaces (BCIs), it has been recognized that threshold crossing events of the voltage waveform also convey rich information. To date, the threshold for detecting threshold crossings has been selected to preserve single-neuron isolation. However, the optimal threshold for single-neuron identification is not necessarily the optimal threshold for information extraction. Here we introduce a procedure to determine the best threshold for extracting information from extracellular recordings. We apply this procedure in two distinct contexts: the encoding of kinematic parameters from neural activity in primary motor cortex (M1), and visual stimulus parameters from neural activity in primary visual cortex (V1). Approach. We record extracellularly from multi-electrode arrays implanted in M1 or V1 in monkeys. Then, we systematically sweep the voltage detection threshold and quantify the information conveyed by the corresponding threshold crossings. Main Results. The optimal threshold depends on the desired information. In M1, velocity is optimally encoded at higher thresholds than speed; in both cases the optimal thresholds are lower than are typically used in BCI applications. In V1, information about the orientation of a visual stimulus is optimally encoded at higher thresholds than is visual contrast. A conceptual model explains these results as a consequence of cortical topography. Significance. How neural signals are processed impacts the information that can be extracted from them. Both the type and quality of information contained in threshold crossings depend on the threshold setting. There is more information available in these signals than is typically extracted. Adjusting the detection threshold to the parameter of interest in a BCI context should improve our ability to decode motor intent, and thus enhance BCI control. Further, by sweeping the detection threshold, one can gain insights into the topographic organization of the nearby neural tissue.
Knowledge Economy and Accounting Vocational Education

Knowledge economy has changed the social circumstance, people's methods of manufactory and the way of living, and made a great impact on accounting vocational education. The educational concept, training-target, contents and approaches of teaching cant meet the demands of knowledge economy. Therefore, we should reestablish a new system to meet the demands of knowledge economy and create a bright future for accounting vocational education.
Tradeoff between quality and quantity of emotional annotations to characterize expressive behaviors

Emotional descriptors collected from perceptual evaluations are important in the study of emotions. Many studies on emotion recognition depend on these labels to train classifiers. The reliability of the emotion descriptors vary with the number and quality of the raters. Conducting perceptual evaluations used to be an expensive and time demanding task, resulting in emotional databases with poor labels annotated by few raters. Nowadays, crowdsourcing services have simplified the process, reducing the cost, facilitating more evaluations per stimuli. The key challenge in using crowdsourcing for perceptual evaluation is the quality which significantly varies across workers. Is it better to have multiple annotations with lower inter-evaluator agreement or to have few annotations with higher inter-evaluator agreement? This study explores this tradeoff between quality and quantity in emotional annotations to characterize expressive behaviors. The analysis relies on emotional labels from the MSP-IMPROV database, where each video was evaluated by over 20 workers. We discuss the theoretical concept of effective reliability to address this problem. We demonstrate that a reduced set of labels with higher inter-evaluator agreement can provide similar classification performance than unfiltered set of labels from multiple workers. We discuss best practices to collecting annotations for emotion recognition tasks using crowdsourcing.
The Relation of Word Reading Fluency Initial Level and Gains with Reading Outcomes.

The purpose of this research brief is to present results from a study investigating the relation between word reading fluency (both initial level and fall–winter gain scores), passage reading fluen...
Fossiliferous Formations of South Carolina

(1979). Fossiliferous Formations of South Carolina. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 54, Sunbelt Satates, pp. 166-172.
Passive linewidth narrowing through nondegenerate optical parametric oscillation with asymmetric port couplings

We propose and theoretically investigate a configuration of an optical parametric oscillator which asymmetrically distributes the frequency noise of a pump laser through a nonlinear process in an optical cavity to two nondegenerate output modes.
Laparoscopic/Robotic Simple Prostatectomy

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common benign neoplasm in American men, affecting nearly 6.5 million men aged 50–79 years in the United States. The treatment options for clinically significant benign prostatic hyperplasia have dramatically changed in the recent past with the development of minimally invasive procedures and advanced medical therapies. However, open prostatectomy remains the surgery of choice in selected patients. Simple prostatectomy used to be the primary treatment of choice for symptomatic patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In an attempt to reduce the length of hospital stay and morbidity associated with open prostatectomy, minimally invasive approaches have evolved. Robot-assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP) holds potential for improving perioperative outcomes following simple prostatectomy. In this chapter we briefly describe the indications, contraindications, prevalent techniques, and complications of RASP.
Vida Calma: CBT for Anxiety with a Spanish-Speaking Hispanic Adult

ABSTRACTBackground: Hispanic adults aged 55 years and older are the fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States facing significant mental health disparities. Barriers in accessing care have been attributed to low income, poor education, language barriers, and stigma. Cultural adaptations to existing evidence-based treatments have been encouraged to improve access. However, little is known about mental health treatments translated from English to Spanish targeting anxiety among this Hispanic age group.Objctive: This case study offers an example of how an established, manualized, cognitive-behavioral treatment for adults 55 years and older with generalized anxiety disorder (known as “Calmer Life”) was translated to Spanish (“Vida Calma”) and delivered to a monolingual, Hispanic 55-year-old woman.Results: Pre- and post-treatment measures showed improvements in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction.Conclusion: Findings suggest Vida Calma is a feasible treatment to use with a 55...
Chapter 11 Control of Terrigenous-Carbonate Facies Transitions by Baroclinic Coastal Currents - Nicaragua

Abstract The cross-shelf movement of fine-grained terrigenous sediment has received considerable attention in recent geological literature. Of perhaps greater interest is the spatial relationship with other sediment types and the processes that control facies segregation. Studies of sediment distribution on the shallow and broad shelf off the east coast of Nicaragua have revealed a 20- to 30-km-wide (12- to 19-mi) band of terrigenous sediment confined near the coast. The band grades abruptly into an area of carbonate deposition that is composed principally of the disintegration products of calcareous green algae. Detailed studies of watershed runoff, structure of nearshore currents, and density gradients indicate the existence of a well-organized band of currents that run essentially parallel to the coast. An analytical model is formulated that successfully predicts the strength and location of this coastal boundary current system as a function of wind speed and direction, water depth, and local density gradients. The analytical prediction of the cross-shore current structure agrees well with the field observations in delineating the presence of convergences and divergences that will act to restrict the seaward migration of fine-grained terrigenous particulates and thus preserve the identity of the two contiguous facies. Variations in the model inputs (e.g., rainfall runoff, wind regime) allow estimates of how such systems operated in different geological regimes, and consequently how such facies relations evolved in climatic regimes different from that of the present time. An understanding of the physical processes that control the siliciclastic-carbonate interface on the eastern Nicaragua shelf emphasizes the delicate balance that exists between terrigenous and carbonate dominance over the shelf.
Ecosystem size and flooding drive trophic dynamics of riparian spiders in a fire-prone Sierra Nevada river system

Disturbance can play an important role in structuring stream food webs. Although floods have received the greatest attention as a disturbance agent in rivers, wildfire — which can strongly influence fluvial ecosystem structure and function — may also drive consumer trophic dynamics. We measured the relative effects of wildfire, hydrologic disturbance, ecosystem size, and canopy openness (as a proxy for in-stream productivity) on trophic position and reliance on aquatically-derived nutritional subsidies of riparian spiders of the family Tetragnathidae along two rivers on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada in California, USA. Ecosystem size received strong support as an environmental determinant of both trophic measures, with variability in flood magnitude emerging as an important mechanism linking ecosystem size and trophic responses. Piecewise linear regression revealed significant breakpoints in spider trophic position and reliance on aquatically-derived nutritional subsidies that were related to thresh...
Chronic Pain Management with Anticoagulation

Many commonly used analgesics increase the risk of bleeding by various mechanisms. This case reviews this risk and how patients planning to undergo invasive procedures for chronic pain should discuss the risks and benefits of suspending anticoagulation with their care provider.
Idiopathic Restrictive Cardiomyopathy in Children and Young Adults.

Idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy (IRC) is a rare condition characterized by reduced ventricular compliance. Children with IRC have poor outcomes with most patients proceeding to cardiac transplantation. We sought to analyze our institutional experience and assess contemporary outcomes for children with IRC. We reviewed the medical record for patients (
Real-time optimal intersection control system for automated/cooperative vehicles

Abstract Automated vehicles (AVs) are an emerging technology in the automotive industry. The numerous research efforts that are being dedicated to the development of these systems makes them achievable in the near future. The need to make this technology mature is justified by potential safety gains from the elimination of human error, the enhancement of mobility through the reduction of congestion, and the protection of the environment through the reduction in vehicle emissions. Algorithms are needed to deliver optimal and/or sub-optimal solutions for situations and/or scenarios that AVs would encounter in the field. In this paper, an attempt to optimize the movement of AVs through intersections is developed. The developed model is a real-time optimization problem subjected to dynamic constraints (i.e., ordinary differential equations governing the motion of a vehicle) and static constraints (i.e., maximum achievable velocities). By virtue of the Lagrangian formulation used in Pontryagin’s minimum principle and convex optimization, the solution that minimizes the trip time is obtained. This logic is simulated and compared to the operation of a roundabout, an all-way stop sign, and a traffic-signal-controlled intersection. The results demonstrate that a 55% reduction in delay is achievable compared to the best of these three intersection control strategies, on average. An interesting byproduct of this new logic is a 43% reduction in fuel consumption (reduction from an average of 200 mL to 115 mL) and CO2 emissions (a reduction from 445 g for the roundabout to 265 g).
Enhancing macrocell downlink performance through femtocell user cooperation

This paper studies cooperative techniques that rely on femtocell user diversity to improve the downlink communication quality of macrocell users. We analytically analyze and evaluate the achievable performance of these techniques in the downlink of Rayleigh fading channels. We provide an approximation of both the bit-error rate (BER) and the data throughput that macrocell users receive with and without femtocell user cooperation. Using simulations, we show that under reasonable SNR values, cooperative schemes improve both the BER and the data throughput of macrocell users significantly when compared with the traditional, non-cooperative scheme.
Management of Aortoiliac Aneurysms with Atypical Renal Artery Anatomy.

Background Renal artery anomalies occur at a rate of 1–2% and present a challenge to vascular surgeons performing aortic surgery. We describe adjuncts used to manage such anatomic variants. Methods A single surgeon registry of all abdominal aortic aneurysms repaired in an academic center was retrospectively reviewed. Patients with prior renal transplants, congenital pelvic kidneys, or horseshoe kidneys were included. Open repair was reserved for patients with no endovascular or hybrid repair options. Results Over an 8-year period, 18 patients were identified (renal transplant n = 9, horseshoe kidney n = 3, congenital pelvic kidney n = 6). All transplant patients were treated with endovascular repair. Four required cross-femoral bypasses, 1 for retrograde allograft perfusion after aorto-uni-iliac (AUI) procedure to the contralateral external iliac artery and 3 for contralateral limb perfusion after endograft extension into iliac artery ipsilateral to allograft. Three transplant patients required carotid access due to severe iliofemoral occlusive disease or allograft origin off the internal iliac artery. Two horseshoe kidney patients underwent open repair with direct reimplantation of accessory renal arteries, whereas 1 underwent endovascular repair with exclusion of an isthmus branch. Of the congenital single/pelvic kidney cohort, 2 underwent open repair with renal reimplantation, 2 underwent endovascular aneurysm repair, 1 was treated with AUI and cross-femoral bypass, and one was treated with a staged iliorenal bypass and subsequent fenestrated endovascular repair. Intravascular ultrasound was used to minimize contrast use in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (Cr > 1.5 mg/dL, n = 6). Over a mean follow-up of 31 months (range, 1–110), there were no aortic deaths or reintervention, no decline in renal function (measured by serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate), and 100% patency of the preserved renal arteries. Conclusions Atypical renal anatomy should not preclude repair of aortic aneurysms. Repair of such aneurysms is safe and achieves good long-term outcomes with the use of the described techniques.
Thermoelectric Properties of Silicon-Germanium Alloys

In this chapter, SiGe nanocomposites are investigated for various parameters, such as thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient, which determine their applications in thermoelectrics. Grain boundaries in nanocomposites can scatter phonons, when their mean free path is longer than the grain size. Mean free path of electrons is usually shorter than the grain size of nanocomposites, so that the electrical conductivities of nanocomposites are not expected to change significantly. However, the results show that, at the nanoscale, the properties related to electron transport are affected. Based on the calculations of the electronic and thermal properties in the literature, studies show that an enhancement in ZT for n-type and p-type SiGe alloys is mostly due to the reduction in the thermal conductivity. Such a reduction is due to both the alloying effect and increased phonon interface scattering at the grain boundaries.
Generic prescription drug price increases: which products will be affected by proposed anti-gouging legislation?

In the United States (U.S.), large price increases for selected generic drugs have elicited public outrage. Recent legislative proposals aim to increase price transparency and identify outlier drug “price spikes.” It is unknown how many and what types of products would be highlighted by such efforts. IQVIA Health Incorporated’s National Sales Perspectives™ provided sales, use and price data for all generic prescription products (unique molecule-manufacturer-formulation combinations) sold in the U.S. We estimated annual prescription price levels and changes between 2013 and 2014. We identify drugs with annual prescription price increases in excess of the medical consumer price index (CPI), and in excess of 15% or 20%, per legislative proposals. We reported annualized inflation-adjusted mean, standard deviation (SD), median, and 95th percentile prescription price increases and percentage of products exceeding the growth in the medical CPI. We fitted logistic regression models to identify characteristics of drugs associated with each category of price increase. We analyzed data for 6,182 generic products. The mean inflation-adjusted price increase among all generic products was 38% (SD 1,053%), the median, 2%; the 95th percentile, 135%; and the mean price level, $29.69 (SD $378.44). Approximately half of all products experienced price increases in excess of the growth in the medical CPI; 28% had price increases greater than 15% and 23% had price increases greater than 20%. Drugs exceeding outlier thresholds exhibited lower baseline price levels than the mean price level observed among all generic drugs. The most consistent characteristic predicting whether a product would exceed “price spike” thresholds proposed in legislation is the being supplied by only one manufacturer. “Price spikes” among generic drugs in 2014 were more common than newspaper stories and legislative hearings suggest. While the cross-sectional association between an indicator of being sold by only a single manufacturer and the probability of meeting specific price growth thresholds is suggestive of an economically intuitive causal story, future work should delve more deeply into whether decreases in generic competition explain the dramatic price increases that have captured the public’s attention in recent years.
Exploring the effects of electrospun fiber surface nanotopography on neurite outgrowth and branching in neuron cultures

Three aligned, electrospun fiber scaffolds with unique surface features were created from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). Fibers without surface nanotopography (smooth fibers), fibers with surface divots (shallow pits), and fibers with surface pits (deeper pits) were fabricated, and fiber alignment, diameter, and density were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Whole dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were isolated from rats and placed onto uncoated fibers or fibers coated with laminin. On uncoated fibers, neurite outgrowth was restricted by fibers displaying divoted or pitted nanotopography when compared to neurite outgrowth on smooth fibers. However, neurites extending from whole DRG cultured on laminin-coated fibers were not restricted by divoted or pitted surface nanotopography. Thus, neurites extending on laminin-coated fibers were able to extend long neurites even in the presence of surface divots or pits. To further explore this result, individual neurons isolated from dissociated DRG were seeded onto laminin-coated smooth, pitted, or divoted fibers. Interestingly, neurons on pitted or divoted fibers exhibited a 1.5-fold increase in total neurite length, and a 2.3 or 2.7-fold increase in neurite branching compared to neurons on smooth fibers, respectively. Based on these findings, we conclude that fiber roughness in the form of pits or divots can promote extension and branching of long neurites along aligned electrospun fibers in the presence of an extracellular matrix protein coating. Thus, aligned, electrospun fibers can be crafted to not only direct the extension of axons but to induce unique branching morphologies.
The Interplay between Principal Leadership and Teacher Leader Efficacy

Researchers assert that the influence of teacher leadership on school change is highly contingent on the actions and beliefs of school principals. Self-efficacy theory also suggests that the extent...
Multiple routes to word recognition: evidence from event-related potentials

We used event-related potentials to determine whether lexical access during semantic processing is achieved solely by the letter-based route, or by both a letter-based and word-based route. Participants determined whether words were related or unrelated to a prespecified category. To disrupt the word-based route (i.e., disrupt the processing of overall word shape), we manipulated case type. We measured the N170, assumed to be an index of holistic processing, and the N400, an index of semantic activation. Surprisingly, mixed-case words elicited a larger N170 effect than either consistent lowercase words (Experiment 1) or consistent uppercase words (Experiment 2). The N400, meanwhile, was unaffected by case mixing. In contrast, LEET words (e.g., T4BL3 instead of TABLE), which preserve overall word shape but distort letter shape, increased the N400 but did not reduce the N170 (Experiment 3). The results indicate that the N170 is in fact not a reliable index of holistic word processing. Implications for word recognition models are discussed.
Employment Pathways: How Former Offenders Navigate to Employment

Employment is one of the most critical dimensions of reintegration, and much research documents the barriers formerly incarcerated persons experience in seeking out steady work. However, most offenders are ultimately successful in obtaining some form of employment. Less research discusses how offenders man age these barriers or examines the practice by which offenders navigate employment pathways, and even less examines whether particular offense categories further challenge the process. The current research utilizes qualitative data to examine the methods by which ex-offenders seek out and obtain employment, with an emphasis on the function of self-motivating practices, access to services, and the utilization of social capital. The analysis further differentiates between sex offenders and non-sex offenders in these experiences. Our findings suggest ex-offenders rely on many types of resources in seeking out employment, and that these differ by offense type, but underlying motivation and persistence are key components in their search. Understanding these methods is important, as a comprehensive understanding of successful navigation to employment can inform policy in relation to improved guidance on advising employment searches.
Daily life frequently erupted like a slap: Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels as narrative intertexts of 1970s Italian feminist praxis

This article historicises Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Series novels in terms of 1970s feminism. The novels provide a phenomenological account of the development of the autonomist Italian left in th...
Simplicity Radiofrequency Ablation Demonstrates Greater Functional Improvement Than Analgesia: A Prospective Case Series.

Background Pain originating from the posterior sacroiliac complex is notoriously difficult to effectively treat due to its complex anatomy and variable innervation. Data on radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is limited. The Abbott Simplicity probe creates 3 monopolar lesions along the medial aspect of the sacroiliac joint and 2 bipolar lesions between the active portions of the probe. This device has been studied previously with improvement of pain-associated disability and pain reduction, but insufficient data is present to determine its utility at this time. Using the most recent literature for the potential innervation of the posterior sacroiliac joint, it is reasonable to explore this novel device and its ability to treat sacroiliac joint pain. Objectives Identify the percentage of improved posterior sacroiliac complex pain and improved function in patients who completed posterior sacroiliac complex radiofrequency ablation using the Simplicity probe. Study design Prospective case series. Setting A single outpatient pain clinic. Methods This prospective case-series occurred at an outpatient pain clinic. Data were analyzed after completion of follow-up appointments. Inclusion criteria included 2 successful lateral branch blocks. Fourteen patients with posterior sacroiliac complex pain were examined and completed sacroiliac ablation with the Simplicity probe. The numeric rating scale and the Modified Oswestry Disability Index were used as outcome measures for pain and function, respectively. The primary outcome measures were improvement in the numeric rating scale score by a reduction of 2.5 points and an improvement in Modified Oswestry Disability Index by 15% based upon previous studies demonstrating these values as the minimal clinical important difference . Patients were followed at a 3 to 6 month interval and 12 month interval (an average of 88 and 352 days, respectively). Results In total, 14 patients were examined. At the first follow-up, 29% of patients had analgesia and 38% functionally improved. At the second follow-up, 15% of patients had analgesia and 31% functionally improved. Limitations Considering data were collected retrospectively, this study relied on completed charts. Therefore, data points of interest were limited to what was previously documented, which included multiple answers or the absence of numerical data points. In addition, patients were disproportionately female (71.4%). Data were also affected by patients lost to follow-up. Also, this study examined a relatively small number of patients, therefore the results should be carefully considered. Conclusions Radiofrequency ablation of the posterior sacroiliac complex with the Simplicity probe resulted in more functional improvement than analgesia. This study provides more data for clinicians to utilize in managing posterior sacroiliac complex pain. IRB: Protocol number 20170342HU. Not registered in clinical trials.
Risk factors associated with adenoma recurrence following cold snare endoscopic mucosal resection of polyps ≥ 20 mm: a retrospective chart review.

Background and study aims Cold snare endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is being increasingly utilized for non-pedunculated polyps ≥ 20 mm due to adverse events associated with use of cautery. Larger studies evaluating adenoma recurrence rate (ARR) and risk factors for recurrence following cold snare EMR of large polyps are lacking. The aim of this study was to define ARR for polyps ≥ 20 mm removed by cold snare EMR and to identify risk factors for recurrence. Patients and methods A retrospective chart review of colon cold snare EMR procedures performed between January 2015 and July 2019 at a tertiary care medical center was performed. During this period, 310 non-pedunculated polyps ≥ 20 mm were excised using cold snare EMR with follow-up surveillance colonoscopy. Patient demographic data as well as polyp characteristics at the time of index and surveillance colonoscopy were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 108 of 310 polyps (34.8 %) demonstrated adenoma recurrence at follow-up colonoscopy. Patients with a higher ARR were older (P = 0.008), had endoscopic clips placed at index procedure (P = 0.017), and were more likely to be Asian and African American (P = 0.02). ARR was higher in larger polyps (P Conclusions Although cold snare EMR remains a feasible alternative to hot snare polypectomy for resection of non-pedunculated polyps ≥ 20 mm, endoscopists must also carefully consider factors associated with increased ARR when utilizing this technique.