cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular dynamics of structural transitions and intercalation in DNA

The large-scale flexibility of DNA and the intercalation of actinomycin D have been studied by computer simulation using molecular dynamics. The stretching and unwinding of B and Z forms of DNA and intercalation in B-DNA were examined through molecular dynamics simulations, and the energetics of transitions were calculated by the conformational energy minimization method. The principal results of this research are as follows: (1) A dynamic conformational pathway is presented for longitudinal stretching and unwinding of the double helix to open an intercalation site. (2) Large-scale transitions are possible in both B and Z forms of DNA through a conformationally allowed kinetic pathway. (3) The stretching and untwisting of a 5′(CG)3′ step is energetically more favorable than for a GC step in B-DNA. (4) The formation of an adjacent second cavity in B-DNA requires larger energy than the formation of the first cavity, affirming the neighbor-exclusion principle of intercalation. (5) Docking an intercalated actinomycin D in the stretched structure is shown to be geometrically and energetically feasible.
Inviscid Surface Streamlines and Heat Transfer on Shuttle-Type Configurations

A method is developed which calculates laminar, transitional, and turbulent heating rates on arbitrary blunt-nosed three-dimensional bodies at angle of attack in hypersonic flow. The geometry of the body may be specified analytically, or generated from a doubly cubic spline fit to coordinate points. Inviscid surface streamlines are calculated from Euler's equation using a prescribed pressure distribution. Laminar and turbulent heating rates are determined along a streamline by applying the axisymmetric analog to solutions of the axisymmetric boundary-layer equations. The location of the transition region may be specified optionally by geometric location, momentum thickness Reynolds number, or integrated unit Reynolds number along a streamline. Transitional heating rates are then calculated as a weighted average of the local laminar and turbulent values. Either ideal gas or equilibrium air properties may be used. Results are presented for blunted circular cones, and a typical delta-wing space shuttle orbiter at angle of attack. In comparison with experimental data, the present method was found to yield accurate laminar heating rates and reasonably accurate transitional and turbulent heating rates. The computer program developed to calculate the results presented herein requires only a few seconds of computing time per streamline on the CDC 6600 computer.
Laser speckle contrast imaging in biomedical optics

First introduced in the 1980s, laser speckle contrast imaging is a powerful tool for full-field imaging of blood flow. Recently laser speckle contrast imaging has gained increased attention, in part due to its rapid adoption for blood flow studies in the brain. We review the underlying physics of speckle contrast imaging and discuss recent developments to improve the quantitative accuracy of blood flow measures. We also review applications of laser speckle contrast imaging in neuroscience, dermatology and ophthalmology.
A System Dynamics Approach to the Evaluation of Airport Technology Portfolios

This paper proposes an approach to the evaluation of airport technology portfolios. The work leverages the benets yielded by impact assessment techniques and system dynamics modeling to support the successful and sustainable deployment of technologies at secondary and regional airports. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of understanding and identifying technology causal relationships and further discusses the potential of Cross Impact Analysis to do so. It later presents a System Dynamics model aimed at helping the decision maker understand the circumstances that drive the need for capacity expansion. Finally this paper discusses avenues for future work towards airport technology investment decisions.
Energy-balance in stream-flows carrying suspended load

Problem.-— The mechanism by which a flowing fluid transports solid material in suspension has received a great deal of thought. Many avenues of approach have been explored in attempts to gain more insight into the phenomenon. One of these which has been employed with the object of establishing the basic criteria of transportation in suspension has been the study of the energy-balance of the flow. The Transactions of the American Geophysical Union contain important discussions that fall in this category. In 1933, W. W. Rubey [Trans, 1933, p. 497] presented a paper on “Equilibrium-conditions in debris-laden streams” to the Section of Hydrology. This article proposes a general expression of stream-equilibrium in the form of an energy-equation. In this equation the loss in potential-energy of the flowing mixture plus the decrease in kinetic energy of flow is equated to the energy consumed in friction plus the energy consumed in supporting the debris. One of the significant conclusions reached by Rubey on the basis of this analysis, together with pertinent field-data, is that the energy consumed in supporting the debris is normally a very small fraction of the total energy in the flow.
Enhancement of Pervious Concrete Pile Subjected to Uplift Load Using Microbial Induced Carbonate Precipitation

Microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is considered an environmental-friendly soil improvement technique and laboratory studies have demonstrated that it can improve the soil shear strength and stiffness. In addition to the lab-scale tests, a limited number of field scale tests have been performed for mass soil stabilization using MICP. However, the improvement of soil at the field-scale has encountered practical difficulties including bio-clogging and heterogeneity of CaCO₃ precipitation, which limits the precipitated CaCO₃ to a small zone around the injection points. This paper focuses on verifying limited zone improvement surrounding permeable piles to enhance their axial capacity and improvement of the soil-pile interaction using MICP. To verify this, two pervious concrete pile tests subjected to uplift loading were conducted with and without MICP treatment. The same pervious concrete pile was used and embedded in a small soil box filled with poorly graded sand for the tests. For the MICP-treated test, the treatment solution was percolated from the top of the pile to induce CaCO₃ precipitation at the soil-pile interface. After the treatment, the pile was subjected to an increasing uplift load. The load and displacement at the pile top were measured and the responses from the MICP-treated and untreated tests are compared in this paper.
Time‐domain modelling of PKIKP precursors for constraints on the heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle

SUMMARY Compact solutions for the scattering of plane elastic waves by spheres now exist that are valid for arbitrary levels of velocity and density perturbations and arbitrary ratios of wavelength/sphere radius. These solutions are easily incorporated into methods of seismogram synthesis that remain valid for the frequency dependence near caustics. Short-period precursors to PKIKP are synthesized by dynamic ray tracing and superposition of Gaussian beams in a representation of D″ heterogeneity by distributed spheres. Corrections to Rayleigh-Born scattering for arbitrary levels of perturbation, wavelengths on the order of or smaller than the scatterer dimension, and scattering into inner core branches of PKP tend to cancel one another, validating previous work on PKIKP precursors that assumed the validity of the Rayleigh-Born approximation. Results are similar to those studies: scalelengths on the order of 20–35 km and perturbations in P velocity and density of 10 per cent. Modelling in the time domain is helpful in interpreting the emergent arrival of the precursor wave train, constraining the depth of D″ heterogeneity. The length and excitation of precursor coda in the 120° to 130° range helps to constrain the maximum thickness of D″ heterogeneity. An apparent increase in precursor amplitude as distance increases toward the B caustic suggests a scattering mechanism that is more strongly concentrated in the forward direction than is predicted by models containing spherical scatterers or by isotropic Gaussian distributions having a single scalelength.
Reference intervals for acute phase protein and serum protein electrophoresis values in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)

Acute phase protein (APP) immunoassays and serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) are assays for evaluating the inflammatory response and have use as diagnostic tools in a variety of species. Acute phase proteins are markers of inflammation that are highly conserved across different species while SPEP separates and quantifies serum protein fractions based on their physical properties. In the current study, serum samples from 35 clinically healthy Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) were analyzed using automated assays for C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, and haptoglobin and SPEP. Robust methods were used to generate reference intervals for the APPs: C-reactive protein (1.3-12.8 mg/l), serum amyloid A (0-47.5 mg/l), and haptoglobin (0-1.10 mg/ml). In addition, SPEP was performed on these samples to establish reference intervals for each protein fraction. A combination of APPs and SPEP measurements are valuable adjunctive diagnostic tools in elephant health care.
Simulation of Short-Channel Effects in N- and Ga-Polar AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

We have carried out 2-D simulation of N-polar and Ga-polar AlGaN/GaN HEMTs to investigate short-channel effects in highly scaled devices. N-polar HEMTs were found to have better drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) suppression than Ga-polar HEMTs. The short-channel effects were found to originate from the 2-D potential distribution in the channel and space-charge-limited current through the buffer. The inverted structure of the N-polar HEMT was found to provide better suppression of short-channel effects under idealized theoretical assumptions that were used in the model presented.
Image Registration Using Redundant Wavelet Transforms

Imagery is collected much faster and in significantly greater quantities today compared to a few years ago. Accurate registration of this imagery is vital for comparing the similarities and differences between multiple images. Image registration is a significant component in computer vision and other pattern recognition problems, medical applications such as Medical Resonance Images (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET), remotely sensed data for target location and identification, and super-resolution algorithms. Since human analysis is tedious and error prone for large data sets, we require an automatic, efficient, robust, and accurate method to register images. Wavelet transforms have proven useful for a variety of signal and image processing tasks. In our research, we present a fundamentally new wavelet-based registration algorithm utilizing redundant transforms and a masking process to suppress the adverse effects of noise and improve processing efficiency. The shift-invariant wavelet transform is applied in translation estimation and a new rotation-invariant polar wavelet transform is effectively utilized in rotation estimation. We demonstrate the robustness of these redundant wavelet transforms for the registration of two images (i.e., translating or rotating an input image to a reference image), but extensions to larger data sets are feasible. We compare the registration accuracy of our redundant wavelet transforms to the critically sampled discrete wavelet transform using the Daubechies (7, 9) wavelet to illustrate the power of our algorithm in the presence of significant additive white Gaussian noise and strongly translated or rotated images. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U. S. Government.
Mechanisms for coordinated power management with application to cooperative distributed systems

Computing systems are experiencing a significant evolution triggered by the convergence of multiple technologies including multicore processor architectures, expanding I/O capabilities (e.g., storage and wireless communication), and virtualization solutions. The integration of these technologies has been driven by the need to deliver performance and functionality for applications being developed in emerging mobile and enterprise systems. These accomplishments, though, have come at the cost of increased power and thermal signatures of computing platforms. In response to the resulting power issues, power centric policies have been deployed across all layers of the stack including platform hardware, operating systems, application middleware, and virtualization components. Effective active power management requires that these independent layers or components behave constructively to attain globally desirable benefits. Two choices are (1) to tightly integrate different policies using negotiated management decisions, and (2) to coordinate their use based on the localized policy decisions that are already part of modern computer architectures and software systems. Recognizing the realities of (2), the goal of this thesis is to identify, define, and evaluate novel system-level coordination mechanisms between diverse management components that exist across system layers. The end goal of these mechanisms, then, is to enable synergistic behaviors between management entities, across different levels of abstraction, and across different physical platforms to improve power management functionality. Contributions from this work include operating system level mechanisms that dynamically capture workload behavior thereby enabling power efficient scheduling, and system descriptor mechanisms that allow for improved workload allocation and resource management schemes. Finally, observing the strong need for coordination in managing virtualized systems due to the existence of multiple, independent system layers, a set of extensions to virtualization architectures for effectively coordinating VM management in datacenters are developed.
Omniops gen. n. and two new species of Hydrophilini from Papua New Guinea (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)

Omniops gen. n. (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilini: Acidocerina) is described for two new species from Papua New Guinea: Omniops fasciatus sp. n. and O. hanseni sp. n. This genus is distinguished from other genera of Hydrophilidae by having the eyes divided into dorsal and ventral portions by an extension of the frons, and by having a row of dense long setae on the labrum. The tribal placement of the new genus and that of Quadriops Hansen are discussed. High resolution digital images are given for each holotype (online versions in color).
Recent advances in the syntheses of radical-containing macromolecules

Tailor-made polymers containing specific chemical functionalities have ushered in a number of emerging fields in polymer science. In most of these next-generation applications the focus of the community has centered upon closed-shell macromolecules. Conversely, macromolecules containing stable radical sites have been less studied despite the promise of this evolving class of polymers. In particular, radical-containing macromolecules have shown great potential in magnetic, energy storage, and biomedical applications. Here, the progress regarding the syntheses of open-shell containing polymers are reviewed in two distinct subclasses. In the first, the syntheses of radical polymers (i.e., materials composed of non-conjugated macromolecular backbones and with open-shell units present on the polymer pendant sites) are described. In the second, polyradical (i.e., macromolecules containing stabilized radical sites either within the macromolecular backbone or those containing radical sites that are stabilized through a large degree of conjugation) synthetic schemes are presented. Thus, the state-of-the-art in open-shell macromolecular syntheses will be reported and future means by which to advance the current archetype will be discussed. By detailing the synthetic pathways possible for, and the inherent synthetic limitations of, the creation of these functional polymers, the community will be able to extend the bounds of the radical-containing macromolecular paradigm. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 1875–1894
Analytical electron microscopy in pneumoconiosis.

The study of pneumoconiosis has been greatly facilitated by use of the analytical electron microscope. Morphologic, crystallographic, and chemical analyses may be obtained on submicroscopic particles using various analytical modalities. Since there is no destruction of tissue, as in other analytical techniques, analytical electron microscopy can help relate the effects of foreign particles to localized cell and tissue reactions. An overview of the different modalities of the analytical electron microscope is presented, along with cases illustrative of their use.
Immunoblastic sarcoma following Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

Immunoblastic sarcoma has been observed in association with, or subsequent to, chronic immune stimulation, connective tissue disorders, and immunoblastic lymphadenopathy. A case of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia progressinng after a few years into immunoblastic sarcoma is reported. Splenectomy led to disappearance of hemolytic anemia and of pulmonary infiltrates, as well as to marked reduction of macroglobulins. Although immunoblastic sarcoma usually terminates fatally within two or three months, complete remission was induced by combination chemotherapy. It is speculated that Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, immunoblastic lymphadenopathy, and immunoblastic sarcoma are related disorders reflecting a clonal nature of immunoblastic lymphoma cells and the plasmacytic cells.
On Rawls's Basic Structure: Forms of Justification and the Subject Matter of Social Philosophy

The basic structure is understood as the way in which the major social institu tions fit together into one system, and how they assign fundamental rights and duties and shape the division of advantages that arises through social coopera tion. Thus the political constitution, the legally recognized forms of property, and the organization of the economy, and the nature of the family, all belong to the basic structure.2
Arc-BEST: A GIS-Based Tool for Bioaccumulation Risk Analysis

This paper presents a GIS-based model Arc-BEST (Bioaccumulation Evaluation Screening Tool) that can perform spatially distributed bioaccumulation risk analyses. Estimating bioaccumulation risk is important to help predict potentially adverse effects from contaminants on ecosystems and human health, which are key factors in the development of sound public policy. Arc-BEST is based on the BEST model in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BRAMS (Bioaccumulation Risk Assessment Modeling System) software. Arc-BEST enables the automated use of digital spatial data sets, which improves model creation speed and the comparison and visualization of results. The code for Arc-BEST is written in Python, is opensource, and can also be used as a stand-alone model called by other software programs. Results for a case study concerning metals bioaccumulation in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest were analyzed; cancer risk for human health represented the greatest hazard in the region.
Wordsworth's ‘bright cavern of romance’

In the eighteenth century, the term ‘Romantic’ was applied to a resurgence of wild narratives similar to those of Medieval and Renaissance Europe, from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (1485) to Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene (1590–96). Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando furioso (1516) and Torquato Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata (1581) were ranked as masterpieces of romance. Anne Radcliffe's Gothic Romance and Sir Walter Scott's Historical Romance contributed further to the popular permutations of the genre. Among the poets who persisted in attributing sublime grandeur to the traditional romance, Wordsworth recognized in the romance a model for exploring the subjective spaces of fantasy and dream. A ‘cavern of romance’ is one of Wordsworth's repeated metaphors for the retreat into the imagination. ‘Caverns there were within my mind which sun/ Could never penetrate’ (Prelude 3:246–249). He also delineates, however, an intruding ‘glimpse/ Of daylight’ which exposes the illusion and enables his cultivation of ‘ro...
Research on Engineering Critical Anchorage Length of Rock Anchor-pile Foundation in Transmission Line

Based on the load transfer theory,an engineering critical anchorage length theory formulation,which relates to the anchorage diameter,anchorage deformation modulus and anchorage rock layer characteristic,is derived and relative counting parameter values are obtained.Field prototype tests show that the axial forces decay rapidly with the length increase of anchor bolts and does not distributed uniformly along the buried length.Further study shows that anchor-bolt ultimate uplift bearing capacity increases very little as the anchorage lengths exceed a limited length.Based on the field prototype tests and the theory formulation,it is suggested that the designed anchorage lengths of rock bolts in transmission line should be equal their engineering critical anchorage lengths.
Treatment of wounds of violence.

This brief article summarizes the basic principles of early management of wounds of violence. Particular emphasis is given to methods of handling severely injured patients prior to definite surgical treatment. Methods for the proper use of antibiotics in wounds of violence, developed during the Korean conflict, and the studies leading to them are described.
An Analysis of Emotional Appeals Used by Global and Regional Cosmetic Advertisers

According to Mueller (1991), there are 4 traditional theories that explain advertising effectiveness. One of the most frequently used is the economic theory. In it, consumers are viewed as rational humans, who will make purchase decisions rationally. The basis for their decisions will be the information they receive from advertisements. This theory has provided the conceptual framework for much of the work done in the area of advertising effectiveness.
Implantation of Kelman-style, Open-loop Anterior Chamber Lenses during Keratoplasty for Aphakic and Pseudophakic Bullous Keratopathy: A Comparison with Iris-sutured Posterior Chamber Lenses

Abstract The clinical and specular microscopic results of 40 cases (39 patients) of penetrating keratoplasty during which a Kelman-style anterior chamber intraocular lens was implanted were reviewed retrospectively. Thirty-one pseudophakic eyes received an intraocular lens exchange and nine aphakic eyes received a secondary intraocular lens. Postoperative follow-up averaged 24.5 months (range, 3 to 51 months). At 1, 2, and 3 years after keratoplasty, 39.3%, 63.2%, and 63.6% of eyes, respectively, had visual acuities of 20/40 or better. Ninety-five percent of the grafts remained clear. Causes of poor postoperative visual acuity included cystoid macular edema (32.5%), new glaucoma (22.5%), and age-related macular degeneration (10.0%). Other causes were endothelial rejection leading to graft failure, corneal ulceration, and retinal detachment. Corneal endothelial cell loss by specular microscopy was 11.5% at 1 year, 21.3% at 2 years, and 25.0% at 3 years. These results were compared with cell loss associated with iris-sutured posterior chamber lenses in penetrating keratoplasty. Visual outcomes and complication rates were similar between these two methods; however, the endothelial attrition at 1 and 2 years for the sutured posterior chamber lens was greater than that of the Kelman anterior chamber lens.
Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality After Elective Anterior Cervical Fusion in Patients with Chronic and End-Stage Renal Disease

Objective We sought to investigate the postoperative morbidity and mortality rate of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing elective anterior cervical fusion (ACF). Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2002−2011 was used to identify adult patients who underwent elective ACF for degenerative spine disease. Major complication rates and in-hospital mortality were compared among 3 groups—no kidney disease, CKD, and ESRD (dialysis dependent). A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the independent effect of CKD and ESRD on outcome. Results There were 164,097 patients who met inclusion criteria. Among these, 1047 had CKD (0.64%) and 270 had ESRD (0.16%). After multiple logistic regression analysis, patients with CKD (odds ratio [OR] 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–2.01; P = 0.005) and ESRD (OR 1.96; 95% CI, 1.20–3.21; P = 0.007) were significantly more likely to incur a postoperative complication when compared with patients without kidney disease (the reference group). Compared with patients without kidney disease, patients with CKD did not have higher odds of postoperative mortality (OR 2.25; 95% CI, 0.83–6.06; P = 0.108). However, in-hospital mortality was 15 times higher for patients with ESRD compared with patients without kidney disease (OR 15.2; 95% CI, 5.67–40.88; P Conclusion Chronic and end-stage renal disease may significantly increase the risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality after ACF. Future research into preoperative optimization of these patients and on the potential benefits of undergoing surgery until after renal transplantation is warranted.
Explicit-enumeration based verification made memory-efficient

We investigate new techniques for reducing the memory requirements of an on-the-fly model checking tool that employs explicit enumeration. Two techniques are studied in depth: exploiting symmetries in the model, and exploiting sequential regions in the model. These techniques can result in a significant reduction in memory requirements, and often find progress violations at much lower stack depths. Both techniques have been implemented as part of the SPIN verifier, a widely used on-the-fly model-checking tool.
A dual G m -mode LC-tank VCO with programmable-in-size-and-current active core and pseudo-exponential tank capacitance

An LC-tank quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) with an octave overall tuning range is designed and fabricated in AMS 0.35µm 2P/4M RF CMOS. The VCO utilizes an nMOS-based, cross-coupled, programmable-in-size-and-current active core for dual G m -mode operation to overcome a tradeoff between the VCO minimum frequency limited by the startup gain of its active core and the VCO maximum frequency impacted by parasitic capacitances of the active core. The VCO also employs a pseudo-exponential tank capacitance with both coarse and fine tuning, which highly linearizes the coarse-tuning characteristics and reduces the variation of the VCO gain factor across the tuning range. The VCO achieves 66.3% frequency-tuning range (FTR) from 1.232 to 2.455GHz with measured phase noise of −119.5 and −121.5dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset from the minimum and maximum oscillation frequencies, respectively. The measured power consumption is 6mW at 2.455GHz and 15mW at 1.232GHz from 1.5V.
Outcome after Detection of Minimal Residual Disease during Treatment with the Modified Hyper-CVAD Regimen with or without Rituximab in Newly Diagnosed Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (LL).

The hyper-CVAD regimen is an effective program for adult ALL and LL [Kantarjian et al, Cancer101:2788, 2004, Thomas et al, Blood104:1624, 2004]. Hyper-CVAD (fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine [VCR], doxorubicin, dexamethasone) alternates with methotrexate and ara-C every 21 days for 8 courses, followed by POMP maintenance (6-MP, methotrexate, VCR, prednisone). Complete response (CR) rate was 92% with 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 38%. The regimen was modified to address the following issues: (1) higher induction mortality in patients (pts) aged ≥ 60 years (17% vs 3%); (2) longer DFS with early anthracycline intensification in other studies; (3) worse survival with CD20 expression (excluding Burkitt’s [BL] and LL); (4) CNS relapse rate of 6% and 1% in low and high risk pts, respectively; (5) late relapses after completion of POMP. Newly diagnosed ALL or LL pts were treated on two sequential studies. BL and Ph-ALL pts were treated with other hyper-CVAD regimens. From May 2000 to December 2001, 69 pts received the modified regimen as above (9 courses of intensive therapy). Course 2 was eliminated from the second study, with an additional 113 pts treated (8 courses of intensive therapy). The median age for these 182 pts was 39 years (range, 15–83); 19% were ≥ 60 years old and 57% were males. Overall response rate was 90% (6 too early); 96% for the CD20+ group vs 86% for the CD20− group ( p =.0.02). Induction mortality was 2%. The addition of rituximab for the CD20+ subgroup appeared to improve DFS compared with hyper-CVAD alone (83% vs 50%, p =.018), but not survival (OS) (72% vs 66%, p =0.327). The 2-yr OS rate for the elderly group was 22% vs 79% for their younger counterparts ( p vs 84%, p =0.02; 53% vs 73%, p =0.057). Alternative therapeutic strategies will be developed for the elderly pts and those with detectable MRD by FC at CR. Additional analysis of the latter subgroup, the other measures of MRD, and impact of MRD on outcome will be forthcoming.
Trace-gas Raman spectroscopy using functionalized waveguides

The vapor-phase Raman spectra of trace concentrations of chemicals are measured using highly evanescent silicon nitride rib waveguides functionalized with a top cladding that is designed to strongly sorb organophosphonates and other toxic species.
Distal Femoral Valgus Is Highly Variable in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty

Introduction Optimal alignment and position of implants is an important goal In TKA. Conventional mechanical instruments use the anatomic axis and “average” anatomy to position the femoral component to achieve acceptable mechanical limb alignment. Numerous studies have documented the frequency of TKA outliers (+/− 3 degrees) to be 30% or more. The purpose of this study was to determine the “true” distal femoral valgus angle of the femur. Methods 13,586 CT scans of patients undergoing TKA with patient specific instruments were analyzed. Three-dimensional reconstructions were performed and the distal femoral anatomic and mechanical axes were measured digitally. The distal femoral valgus angle was defined and the difference between the anatomic and mechanical axes of the distal femur. Results The average distal femoral valgus angle was 5.7 +/− 2.3 degrees. The range was one-degree varus to 16 degrees valgus. 13.8% of patients had greater than 9 or less than 3 degrees of femoral valgus. Conclusion The anatomy of the distal femur is highly variable in patients undergoing TKA. Routine use of anatomic based instruments and average distal femoral valgus angular resections can lead to errors in resultant mechanical limb alignment in a significant number of patients undergoing TKA
Supporting Context-Aware Computing in Ad Hoc Mobile Environments

Context awareness is important for many cooperation and coordination scenarios in ad hoc mobile environments. Developing context-aware applications in a dynamic and volatile ad hoc mobile setting is a complex task. The goal of this proposal is to investigate implications of ad hoc mobility on application design and development, to explore design principles and general design frameworks, and to deliver a middleware to facilitate application development for ad hoc mobile systems. The middleware aims to provide a set of toolkits and services for efficient and reliable information discovery and dissemination in ad hoc mobile environments. We believe this research effort will result in new insights, algorithms and design principles much needed in this area.
Size matters: Finding growth pathways that protect the heart

In a recent paper published in Cell Research, Abdul-Ghani and colleagues show that the cytokine, cardiotrophin-1 (CT1), drives a protective form of reversible cardiac hypertrophy that acts through a nonapoptotic caspase-dependent mechanism. Since CT1 can be delivered as exogenous protein, these studies provide new biological insights and potential translational opportunities.
Predicting the performance impact of different fat-tree configurations

The fat-tree topology is one of the most commonly used network topologies in HPC systems. Vendors support several options that can be configured when deploying fat-tree networks on production systems, such as link bandwidth, number of rails, number of planes, and tapering. This paper showcases the use of simulations to compare the impact of these design options on representative production HPC applications, libraries, and multi-job workloads. We present advances in the TraceR-CODES simulation framework that enable this analysis and evaluate its prediction accuracy against experiments on a production fat-tree network. In order to understand the impact of different network configurations on various anticipated scenarios, we study workloads with different communication patterns, computation-to-communication ratios, and scaling characteristics. Using multi-job workloads, we also study the impact of inter-job interference on performance and compare the cost-performance tradeoffs.
Die ertragsteuerliche Organschaft in M&A Transaktionen

Das deutsche Ertragsteuerrecht kennt keine Konzernbesteuerung sondern stellt grundsatzlich auf die jeweilige rechtliche Einheit ab. Umso groser ist daher in der Praxis die Bedeutung des Instruments der Organschaft, mittels derer eine steuerliche Ergebnisverrechnung in deutschen Konzernstrukturen erreicht werden kann.
Contrasting the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Mammals: Factors that Influence Absorption

Publisher Summary The rate and extent of absorption of orally ingested compounds are influenced by properties that are intrinsic to ingested substances themselves as well as factors that are associated with the milieu of the alimentary canal and its absorptive surface. This chapter presents comparative, quantitative data for the previously identified important anatomical and physiological parameters of the gastrointestinal tract for several additional mammalian species. Data for the dog, rabbit, mouse, pig, and monkey, and updated information for rats and humans is presented. It has been found that perfused jejunal segments of normal human subjects absorb fluids at a rate that is 5–10 times greater per unit area of mucosa than that of laboratory rats. It is emphasized that the parameters described relate to the crossing of materials from the gastrointestinal lumen into the bloodstream. The information about absorption of materials from the gastrointestinal tract is the first step in determining potential biological effects.
Metaphor and the Flux of Human Experience

Human experience is flux, process, change. It is in the nature of human beings to try to understand this experience (is this not man’s eternal quest for meaning?), but how can we understand this experience, or even talk about it, if this experience is in continual flux? This problem is rendered even more complex with the realization that any attempt to understand human experience becomes, itself, part of the experience. We seem caught, then, much like Virginia Woolf’s record player needle, in a vicious circle that is endlessly retracing itself, a movement which underlines the hopelessness of our ever grasping its significance. Even if some way were found to stop this movement in order to explore it, that too would be futile since the experience would no longer be the same one (flux, process) that we had sought to understand, but some other.
Genetic analyses of scrotal circumference size and growth in Rambouillet lambs

S The objectives of this study were to identify nongenetic factors influencing scrotal circumference size and growth and to estimate heritabilities of scrotal circumference size at different ages and scrotal circumference growth between ages. Data on scrotal circumference, live weight, and age were recorded over 6 yr (1982 to 1987) on 541 spring-born Rambouillet ram lambs (109 sires, 307 dams1 at the Dixon Springs Agricul- tural Center. Scrotal circumference and live weight were predicted at four ages (90, 120, 150, and 180 d) for each lamb. The two models used to evaluate factors affecting scrotal circumference size at fixed ages were the same except for the addition of live weight and live weight squared to one of the models. Likewise, the two models used for scrotal circumference growth between ages were the same except for the addition of live weight change and live weight change squared to one of the models. Year and type of birth were significant sources of variation for both traits under both models. Regression coefficients for live weight and live weight squared on scrotal circum- ference size and for live weight change and live weight change squared on scrotal circumference growth and for day of birth within year for both traits were generally different from zero u) < .05). Heritability estimates for scrotal circumference size at fixed ages ranged from .19 to .41. Adjust- ments for live weight led to an average 41.5% increase in heritability estimates. For scrotal circumference growth, heritabilities ranged from .17 to .60 and adjustments for live weight change resulted in an average 13% decrease in estimates. Total scrotal circumference growth (90 to 180 d) had the highest heritability (3) among traits studied, and the heritability was not affected by live weight.
Exploring Associations with 6-Minute Walk Test Performance in Adolescents and Young Adults with Down Syndrome: a Pilot Study

Six-minute walk test (6MWT) has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure of functional performance with respect to mobility in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). However, a wide variability of walking distance was observed from previous studies. Thus, there is a need to investigate the possible influencing factors of walking distance of the 6MWT in this population. In the current study, fourteen adolescents and young adults with DS, aged 14-30 yr. were recruited. Anthropometric variables, such as chronological age (CA), mental age (MA), Body Mass Index (BMI), level of physical activity (PA), grip strength, represented as muscular strength, leg length, resting heart rate (RHR), exercise heart rate (EHR) and walked distance of 6MWT (6MWD) were measured during their laboratory visit. Our results indicated the positive associations between the level of PA, grip strength, leg length and 6MWD. The total of 37.7% of the variance in 6MWD can be explained while considering the level of PA and grip strength in this population. Future research is still needed to include elderly populations with DS and more measures (i.e., motivation, leg length) to implement effective intervention and optimize functional performance in individuals with DS.
Effect of Collaborative Telerehabilitation on Functional Impairment and Pain Among Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Most patients with advanced-stage cancer develop impairment and pain-driven functional losses that jeopardize their independence. Objective To determine whether collaborative telerehabilitation and pharmacological pain management improve function, lessen pain, and reduce requirements for inpatient care. Design, Setting, and Patients The Collaborative Care to Preserve Performance in Cancer (COPE) study was a 3-arm randomized clinical trial conducted at 3 academic medical centers within 1 health care system. Patient recruitment began in March 2013 and follow-up concluded in October 2016. Participants (N = 516) were low-level community or household ambulators with stage IIIC or IV solid or hematologic cancer. Interventions Participants were randomly assigned to the (1) control arm, (2) telerehabilitation arm, or (3) telerehabilitation with pharmacological pain management arm. All patients underwent automated function and pain monitoring with data reporting to their care teams. Participants in arms 2 and 3 received 6 months of centralized telerehabilitation provided by a physical therapist-physician team. Those in arm 3 also received nurse-coordinated pharmacological pain management. Main Outcomes and Measures Blinded assessment of function using the Activity Measure for Postacute Care computer adaptive test, pain interference and average intensity using the Brief Pain Inventory, and quality of life using the EQ-5D-3L was performed at baseline and months 3 and 6. Hospitalizations and discharges to postacute care facilities were recorded. Results The study included 516 participants (257 women and 259 men; mean [SD] age, 65.6 [11.1] years), with 172 randomized to 1 of 3 arms. Compared with the control group, the telerehabilitation arm 2 had improved function (difference, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.08-2.35;P = .03) and quality of life (difference, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.004-0.071;P = .01), while both telerehabilitation arms 2 and 3 had reduced pain interference (arm 2, −0.4; 95% CI, −0.78 to −0.09;P = .01 and arm 3, −0.4; 95% CI, −0.79 to −0.10;P = .01), and average intensity (arm 2, −0.4; 95% CI, −0.78 to −0.07;P = .02 and arm 3, −0.5; 95% CI, −0.84 to −0.11;P = .006). Telerehabilitation was associated with higher odds of home discharge in arms 2 (odds ratio [OR], 4.3; 95% CI, 1.3-14.3;P = .02) and 3 (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.1-12.4;P = .03) and fewer days in the hospital in arm 2 (difference, −3.9 days; 95% CI, −2.4 to −4.6;P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance Collaborative telerehabilitation modestly improved function and pain, while decreasing hospital length of stay and the requirement for postacute care, but these outcomes were not enhanced with the addition of pharmacological pain management. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT01721343
Study on cross-sections between the fine-structure levels of atomic rubidium

The diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) is a new type of high-powered laser sources which has been paid much attention in recent years. The fluorescent spectra can be used to investigate how the collisions between atomic rubidium and various buffer gases are affected when a sealed rubidium vapor cell is pumped by a LD. In this study, the cross sections between the fine-structure levels of atomic rubidium in a vapor cell were first theoretically deduced by using a gas kinetic procedure. And then, the sensitized fluorescence was experimentally obtained by means of a series of spectral measurements. Finally, the influence of the temperature on the cross section between the fine -structure levels of atomic rubidium was studied with the systematical analyses. The results are thought to be helpful for deeply understanding the theoretical characteristics of a DPAL at the atomic physics level.
Maximal homology alignment: A new method based on two-dimensional homology

Maximal homology alignment is a new biologically-relevant approach to DNA sequence alignment that maps the internal dispersed microhomology of individual sequences onto two dimensions. It departs from the current method of gapped alignment, which uses a simplified binary state model of nucleotide position. In gapped alignment nucleotide positions have either no relationship (1-to-None) or else orthological relationship (1-to-1) with nucleotides in other sequences. Maximal homology alignment, however, allows additional states such as 1-to-Many and Many-to-Many, thus modeling both orthological and paralogical relationships, which together comprise the main homology types. Maximal homology alignment collects dispersed microparalogy into the same alignment columns on multiple rows, and thereby generates a two-dimensional representation of a single sequence. Sequence alignment then proceeds as the alignment of two-dimensional topological objects. The operations of producing and aligning two-dimensional auto-alignments motivate a need for tests of two-dimensional homological integrity. Here, I work out and implement basic principles for computationally testing the two dimensions of positional homology, which are inherent to biological sequences due to replication slippage and related errors. I then show that maximal homology alignment is more informative than gapped alignment in modeling the evolution of genetic sequences. In general, MHA is more suited when small insertions and deletions predominantly originate as local microparalogy. These results show that both conserved and non-conserved genomic sequences are enriched with a signature of replication slippage relative to their random permutations.
Janus Particles with Varying Configurations for Emulsion Stabilization

Analogous to molecular surfactants, amphiphilic Janus particles can function as surface active agents to stabilize emulsions. For molecular surfactants, the shape and amphiphilicity, described by packing parameters and hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB), respectively, determine the type of emulsions that are produced. However, it remains unclear which features of Janus particles determine the type of emulsion that can be stabilized by these particles. In this study, a homologous series of amphiphilic Janus particles with shifting Janus boundaries and tunable chemical properties are synthesized via seeded emulsion polymerization. We systematically study the effect of the relative size of the hydrophilic domain to the total particle (configuration) and chemical nature of Janus particles on their emulsification properties. The concept of the Janus structure parameter (JSP) is introduced to describe the configuration of Janus particles. The emulsification results show that the configuration of Janus particl...
Mobile Applications for Low-Income U.S. Fathers: A Systematic Review of Content, Comprehensiveness and User Ratings

Low-income fathers are likely to drop out of parenting service provision, as access and retention in services remain barriers to parenting education. To boost access to evidence-based parenting inf...
Moving Beyond Implicit Bias Training: Policy Insights for Increasing Organizational Diversity:

Many organizations are working to address diversity, equity, and inclusion. Organizations frequently use implicit bias to explain disparities and marshal implicit bias training as a solution. Impli...
Initial experience of bamlanivimab monotherapy use in solid organ transplant recipients.

The widespread transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to propagate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients being an exceptionally vulnerable population for poor outcomes. Treatments for COVID-19 are limited; however, monoclonal antibodies are emerging as a potential therapeutic option to change the trajectory of high-risk patients. This retrospective single center cohort study evaluated the outcomes of SOT recipients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who received bamlanivimab monotherapy. Eighteen SOT recipients (15 kidney, 2 liver, and 1 heart) received the medication between November 9, 2020 and February 10, 2021 with no reported infusion reactions. One patient experienced headache and fatigue following the infusion that resolved within 3 days. Fourteen patients continued their recovery as an outpatient with no further escalation in care. Three patients required hospitalization: two for suspected bacterial pneumonia 9 and 32 days postinfusion, respectively, and one for acute kidney injury 7 days postinfusion. One patient had an emergency room visit for gastrointestinal symptoms 24 days postinfusion. In this small cohort of SOT recipients, bamlanivimab monotherapy appeared to be a well-tolerated option for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19, but it was not completely effective in preventing hospitalization. One month following the end of this cohort, COVID-19 treatment guidance changed due to the rising prevalence of resistant variants. For this reason, bamlanivimab is now recommended to be used only in combination with etesevimab. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the role of this therapy in SOT recipients.