cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential effects of creatine kinase isoenzymes and substrates on regeneration in livers of transgenic mice

Creatine kinase (CK) has been implicated in affecting cell growth, and the CK substrates creatine (Cr) and cyclocreatine (CyCr) have been shown to have anti-tumor activity. The influence of Cr and CyCr on liver regeneration following major hepatectomy was evaluated in normal and transgenic mice expressing the human ubiquitous mitochondrial isoform of CK (CK-mit) or the brain isoform of CK (CK-B) or livers expressing both CK-mit and CK-B (CK-comb). Expression of CK isoenzymes had little effect on liver regeneration in the absence of dietary supplementation with Cr or CyCr as assayed by the increase in liver mass. Dietary supplementation with Cr and CyCr significantly reduced liver growth in normal mice. Liver regeneration was almost completely inhibited in mice expressing CK-mit in the presence of Cr. Livers expressing CK-mit regenerated better than normal livers in the presence of CyCr. In mice expressing CK-B, Cr and CyCr had opposite effects from those found in CK-mit mice. In the presence of CyCr, regeneration was inhibited in livers expressing CK-B, and, in the presence of Cr, CK-B-expressing livers regenerated better than normal livers. The amount of DNA synthesized 2 days after hepatectomy confirmed the results obtained from measurements of liver mass for all groups. Growth and DNA synthesis were completely abolished by Cr in CK-mit mice, whereas CyCr mainly affected growth 2 days after hepatectomy in CK-B-expressing mice. Coexpression of the CK isoforms in CK-comb mice ameliorated the effects detected with either isoform alone. Inhibition of growth by Cr and CyCr was not correlated to water accumulation. These results clearly demonstrate isoenzyme and substrate-specific effects of CK on cell growth.
Absence of somatic ATM missense mutations in 58 mammary carcinomas.

Accumulating evidence indicates that germline missense mutations in the ATM gene predispose to breast cancer. To investigate the potential role of somatic ATM mutations in the tumorigenesis of breast cancer, the ATM gene was scanned in 58 mammary carcinomas using DOVAM-S (detection of virtually all mutations-SSCP [single-strand conformation polymorphism]), a robotically enhanced, highly redundant form of SSCP that detects virtually all mutations. A total of 1.65 megabases of tumor DNA sequence was scanned and 16 structural variants were identified, including one novel nonsense mutation, four novel missense mutations, and a common missense change in African-Americans. Sequencing from microdissected normal cells reveals that all variants were present in the germline. Thus, the ATM gene may be similar to the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes in that germline mutations are important in cancer predisposition, but somatic mutations are seldom present in tumors. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is common in these tumors, but ATM missense mutations occur with similar frequencies when LOH is present or absent (P = 0.73). If germline ATM missense mutations predispose to breast cancer, the unmasking of a recessive missense allele by LOH does not seem to be a critical step in breast neoplasia.
Elevated and secreted phospholipase A₂ activities as new potential therapeutic targets in human epithelial ovarian cancer.

Ascites in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) promotes tumor development by mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a major tumor-promoting factor in EOC ascites, is an enzymatic product of autotaxin (ATX) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2)enzymes. The contribution of PLA2 activities to ovarian tumorigenesis was investigated. The quantitative measurement of PLA2 activities in ascites and tissues, as well as assay conditions selective for PLA2 subtypes, were optimized and validated. PLA2 activities correlated with tumor-promoting activates in cell-based and in vivo assays. High activities consistent with both cytosolic and calcium-independent PLA2 were found in human EOC ascites for the first time. Elevated PLA2 and ATX activities were also observed in EOC compared to benign tumors and normal tissues. Cell-free and vesicle-free (S4) human EOC ascites potently promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of human EOC cells in a PLA2-dependent manner. LPA mediated a significant part of the cell-stimulating effects of ascites. S4 ascites stimulated tumorigenesis/metastasis in vivo, and methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate was highly effective in inhibiting EOC metastasis in mouse xenograft models. PLA2 activity was found in conditioned media from both EOC cells and macrophages. Collectively, our work implies that PLA2 activity is a potential marker and therapeutic target in EOC.— Cai, Q., Zhao, Z., Antalis, C., Yan, L., Del Priore, G., Hamed, A. H., Stehman, F. B., Schilder, J. M., Xu, Y. Elevated and secreted phospholipase A2 activities as new potential therapeutic targets in human epithelial ovarian cancer.
Determination of vibrational energy levels and transition dipole moments of CO2 molecules by density functional theory

An efficient method is presented to calculate the intra-molecular potential energies and electrical dipole moments of CO2 molecules at the electronic ground state by solving the Kohn–Sham (KS) equation for a total of 101 992 nuclear configurations. The projector-augmented wave (PAW) exchange-correlation potential functionals and plane wave (PW) basis functions were used in solving the KS equation. The calculated intra-molecular potential function was then included in the pure vibrational Schrodinger equation to determine the vibrational energy eigen values and eigen functions. The vibrational wave functions combined with the calculated dipole moment function were used to determine the transition dipole moments. The calculated results were compared with the experimental data.
Fire management impacts on invasive plants in the western United States.

Fire management practices affect alien plant invasions in diverse ways. I considered the impact of six fire management practices on alien invasions: fire suppression, forest fuel reduction, prescription burning in crown-fire ecosystems, fuel breaks, targeting of noxious aliens, and postfire rehabilitation. Most western United States forests have had fire successfully excluded for unnaturally long periods of time, and this appears to have favored the exclusion of alien plant species. Forest fuel reduction programs have the potential for greatly enhancing forest vulnerability to alien invasions. In part this is due to the focus on reestablishing pre-Euro- American fire regimes on a landscape that differs from pre-Euro-American landscapes in the abundance of aggressive non-native species. We may be forced to choose between restoring "natural" fire regimes or altering fire regimes to favor communities of native species. Intensive grazing in many western forests may exacerbate the alien problem after fire and temporally decoupling grazing and fire restoration may reduce the alien threat. Many shrubland ecosystems such as the Intermountain West sagebrush steppe or California chaparral have a natural, high-intensity crown fire regime that is less amenable to forest restoration tactics. Historical use of prescribed fire for type conversion of shrublands to more useful grazing lands has played some role in the massive annual grass invasion that threatens these shrublands. Fuel breaks pose a special invasive plant risk because they promote alien invasion along corridors into wildland areas. Use of prescription burning to eliminate noxious aliens has had questionable success, particularly when applied to disturbance-dependent annuals, and success is most likely when coupled with ecosystem restoration that alters the competitive balance between aliens and natives. Artificial seeding of alien species as a form of postfire stabilization appears to cause more problems than it solves and may even enhance alien invasion.
Lidar monitoring of regions of intense backscatter with poorly defined boundaries

The upper height of a region of intense backscatter with a poorly defined boundary between this region and a region of clear air above it is found as the maximal height where aerosol heterogeneity is detectable, that is, where it can be discriminated from noise. The theoretical basis behind the retrieval technique and the corresponding lidar-data-processing procedures are discussed. We also show how such a technique can be applied to one-directional measurements. Examples of typical results obtained with a scanning lidar in smoke-polluted atmospheres and experimental data obtained in an urban atmosphere with a vertically pointing lidar are presented.
Health care utilization and charges following the enactment of the 2007 Graduated Drivers Licensing Law in Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: Graduated Drivers Licensing (GDL) programs phase in driving privileges for teenagers. In 2007, Massachusetts implemented a stricter version of the 1998 GDL law, with increased fines and education. This study evaluated the impact of the law on motor vehicle crash (MVC)-related health care utilization and charges. METHODS: Massachusetts government and US Census Bureau data were analyzed to compare the rates of MVC-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospital charges before (2002-2006) and after (2007-2011) the 2007 GDL law. Three driver age groups were studied: 16-17 (evaluating the law effect), 18-20 (evaluating the sustainability of the effect), and 25-29 years old (control group). RESULTS: MVC-related ED visits per population decreased after the law for all three age groups (16-17: 2326 to 713; 18-20: 2110 to 1304; 25-29: 1694 to 1228; per 100,000, pCONCLUSIONS: The 2007 GDL law in Massachusetts was associated with significant decreases in MVC-related health care utilization and hospital charges among teenage drivers. Language: en
The contributions of Arthur Robert von Hippel to electrical insulation research

The life and career of Prof. Arthur Robert von Hippel are reviewed. It is noted that he founded the Laboratory for Insulation Research at MIT in 1940, pioneering in materials research, measurements, and instrumentation evolving to the present-day MIT Center for Materials Science and Engineering and to the MIT Laboratory of Electromagnetic Electronic Systems. Particular attention is given to his conception that it may be possible to use atoms as building blocks for design purposes, with physicist as architect. >
Three-dimensional theory on supercavitating hydrofoils near a free surface

Supercavitating hydrofoils of large aspect ratio operating near a free surface are investigated, assuming an inviscid and irrotational flow with the effects of gravity and surface tension neglected. The flow near the foil, treated as two-dimensional, is solved by a nonlinear free-streamline theory, then a three-dimensional 'downwash' correction is made using Prandtl's lifting-line theory. The strength of the lifting-line vortex is determined by information from the two-dimensional solution through a matching procedure, in which the inverse of aspect ratio is used as a small parameter for asymptotic expansions. The analysis incorporates a free-surface reference level to determine the submergence depth of the foil. The present method can be applied to any type of foil having an arbitrary planform or profile shape, including a rounded leading edge, a twist and even a small dihedral angle, within the assumption of large aspect ratio. Numerical computations made on rectangular flat-plate hydrofoils show excellent agreement of results with existing experimental data, even for large angles of attack and relatively low aspect ratios. The pressure distributions, shapes of the cavity and free surface are also calculated as a function of spanwise position.
Thermal modeling of W rod armor

Sandia has developed and tested mockups armored with W rods over the last decade and pioneered the initial development of W rod armor for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in the 1990's. We have also developed 2D and 3D thermal and stress models of W rod-armored plasma facing components (PFCs) and test mockups and are applying the models to both short pulses, i.e. edge localized modes (ELMs), and thermal performance in steady state for applications in C-MOD, DiMES testing and ITER. This paper briefly describes the 2D and 3D models and their applications with emphasis on modeling for an ongoing test program that simulates repeated heat loads from ITER ELMs.
Black Women and Community Violence -- Trauma, Grief, and Coping

The current article examines literature relevant to understanding the impact of community violence on African American women and children, with a focus on witnessing violence and injury, and the loss of close others. Survivors may report psychological distress, increased rates of aggression, diminished physical health, and additional challenges in their parental roles. Despite these challenges, they have developed a variety of coping strategies. Individual and community level interventions, based on the more successful coping mechanisms of violence survivors, are discussed. She is also a member of the steering committee of the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community. Her research interests include children's exposure to community violence, impact of sexual abuse on African American girls, and Black child mental health.
On variable scope of parity protection in disk arrays

In a common form of a RAID 5 architecture, data is organized on a disk array consisting of N+1 disks into stripes of N data blocks and one parity block (with parity block locations staggered so as to balance the number of parity blocks on each disk). This allows data to be recovered in the event of a single disk failure. Here we consider an extension to this architecture in which parity information applies to arbitrary subsets of the data blocks in each stripe. Using several simplifying assumptions, we present simulation and analytic results that provide estimates of the improvement using this approach, in terms of total I/O operations, as compared to 1) conventional RAID 5 under a random single-block write workload, and 2) the use of a log-structured file system in which data is written out in stripes. Results on the reduction of disk recovery costs are also presented.
Vitalizing the Seventeenth Century

Author's Summary.— Survey and basic literary courses dealing with seventeenth-century France frequently need new vitality. Some devices that have helped. Brain appeal should be supplemented by methods of proven pedagogical value.
Reduced insulin suppression of glucose appearance is related to susceptibility to dietary obesity in rats

To examine the relationship between insulin action and body weight regulation in male rats, the following studies were performed. In study 1, rats (n = 31) were fed a low-fat diet (LFD) for 4 wk, and then glucose kinetics were estimated under basal and hyperinsulinemic conditions using the glucose clamp. After clamps, these same rats were placed on a high-fat diet (HFD) for 5 wk. In study 2, rats (n = 30) were fed an LFD for 3 wk and then a high-sucrose diet for 1 wk to produce selective hepatic insulin resistance. Clamps were then performed, and after clamps, these same rats were placed on an HFD for 5 wk. In study 3, rats (n = 30) were fed an LFD for 1 wk and then a high-sucrose diet for 3 wk to produce widespread insulin resistance. Clamps were then performed, and after clamps, these same rats were placed on an HFD for 5 wk. The rate of glucose appearance (R(a)) during the hyperinsulinemic clamps was the only pre-HFD variable that correlated (r = 0.49, P < 0.01 in study 1; r = 0.51, P < 0.001 in study 2) with weight gain on the HFD. Clamp R(a) also correlated with energy intake on the HFD in study 1 (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) and study 2 (r = 0.59, P < 0.001). Clamp R(a) and energy intake on the HFD accounted for similar portions of the variance in body weight gain on the HFD. Weight gain and fat-pad mass were increased (P < 0.05) in study 2 compared with study 1. In study 3, pre-HFD glucose kinetics were not correlated with energy intake or weight gain on the HFD. Widespread insulin resistance did not significantly reduce the rate of weight gain on the HFD. Thus insulin action on R(a) can influence body weight gain on an HFD. The effects of R(a) on body weight gain appear to be mediated via effects on energy intake. Selective hepatic insulin resistance can increase body weight gain on an HFD, but widespread insulin resistance does not significantly reduce HFD-induced weight gain.
Challenges and Recommended Solutions to End of Life Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Patients Diagnosed with Cancer with a Life-Limiting Prognosis

There is a sizeable LGBT population for whom end of life care services are required. However, over and above the tremendous challenges that most people face at end of life, there are several significant additional obstacles that LGBT patients at end of life encounter, barriers that often prevent them from receiving appropriate end of life care.
Recipes for building voice search UIs for automotive

In this paper we describe a set of techniques we found suitable for building multi-modal search applications for automotive environments. As these applications often search across different topical domains, such as maps, weather or Wikipedia, we discuss the problem of switching focus between different domains. Also, we propose techniques useful for minimizing the response time of the search system in mobile environment. We evaluate some of the proposed techniques by means of usability tests with 10 novice test subjects who drove a simulated lane change test on a driving simulator. We report results describing the induced driving distraction and user acceptance.
Multifocal osteomyelitis with Streptococcus pneumoniae in a patient with Waldenström macroglobulinemia: a case report.

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a rare hematologic disorder in which a neoplastic clonal proliferation of terminally differentiated B lymphocytes produces excessive immunoglobulin M (IgM)1,2. This condition typically presents with constitutional symptoms including generalized fatigue and weakness, weight loss, and mucosal bleeding3. The known complications of this disorder, first described in 19444, include hyperviscosity, conversion to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, anemia, and hypofibrinogenemia1,2. Additionally, monoclonal proliferation of IgM leads to low concentrations of other immunoglobulins, such as IgG. This impaired antibody response5 renders patients vulnerable to encapsulated organisms such as Haemophilus influenzae type B , Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, as would be the case in an asplenic patient6. Although the rate of infection with encapsulated organisms in patients with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is increased compared with the general population, musculoskeletal infections in these patients are still uncommon. Case reports of septic arthritis are rare in the literature7-9, and we know of only one case of osteomyelitis of a lumbar vertebral body that has been published10. To our knowledge, this is the first report of multifocal pneumococcal osteomyelitis in a patient with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and she consented. A sixty-eight-year-old woman presented to our orthopaedic office with severe pain in the right shoulder and mild pain in the right knee. She had been diagnosed as having Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia seventeen years earlier during a workup for osteoporosis. She was treated with chemotherapy (rituximab), and the disease remained well controlled. Her medical history was notable only for mild mitral valve prolapse, for which she usually took oral antibiotics before dental procedures. She had not, however, taken antibiotics prior to her most recent dental …
The Changing Lives of Women’s Knives: Ulus, Travel, and Transformation

As the biographies of objects reflect the practices, values, and connections of the people who own and exchange them, the circulation of material culture across and between societies can demonstrate how people navigate cultural contact. In the 19th-century North American Arctic, ulus were not only utilitarian tools that entered transcontinental trading networks, they were signs from which indigenous people in whaling villages and nonnative sailors, explorers, and collectors drew impressions of each other. By the late 20th century, ulus in collections from the eastern United States had come to reflect the historical connections among Inuit, Inupiat, and American social worlds.
Community Health Center Utilization Following the 2008 Medicaid Expansion in Oregon: Implications for the Affordable Care Act.

Objectives. To assess longitudinal patterns of community health center (CHC) utilization and the effect of insurance discontinuity after Oregon’s 2008 Medicaid expansion (the Oregon Experiment).Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study with electronic health records and Medicaid data. We divided individuals who gained Medicaid in the Oregon Experiment into those who maintained (n = 788) or lost (n = 944) insurance coverage. We compared these groups with continuously insured (n = 921) and continuously uninsured (n = 5416) reference groups for community health center utilization rates over a 36-month period.Results. Both newly insured groups increased utilization in the first 6 months. After 6 months, use among those who maintained coverage stabilized at a level consistent with the continuously insured, whereas it returned to baseline for those who lost coverage.Conclusions. Individuals who maintained coverage through Oregon’s Medicaid expansion increased long-term utilization of CHCs, whereas thos...
A multiple degree of freedom modeling approach of piezoelectret foam in a multilayer stack configuration

As electronic devices become both ubiquitous and more energy efficient, powering them with energy harvested from, for example, piezoelectric materials has become a subject of much interest. The field does indeed show promise, as harvesting energy from smart materials has the potential to replace batteries completely in some low-power applications. This paper presents modeling of piezo-electret foam assembled in a multilayer stack configuration, with the required adhesives and conductors, as a multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) system. The benefits of using the foam over some piezo-ceramics include its high flexibility, its light weight, and its lead-free composition. This model predicts the mechanical and electromechanical response to base excitation for any number of layers of piezo-electret foam. Building upon previous work which modeled the piezo-electret stack as a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system, the MDOF model provides information concerning the response of internal stack layers. The MDOF model is validated against the experimentally determined mechanical and electrical responses of a 20-layer piezo-electret foam stack. Also, the internal stack dynamics at higher order vibration modes suggest that charge cancellation is a serious outcome of vibration at these modes that designers need to consider.
Determinants of going concern opinions and audit fees for development stage enterprises

Abstract Startup entities have been the focus of much political and academic interest recently. Development stage enterprises (DSEs), as defined by SFAS 7, are startup entities for which some publicly available information exists. New accounting standards have removed the DSE designation and related extra reporting requirements, and placed more responsibility on owners and managers to assess the ability of entities to continue as a going concern. We examined information from financial statements and audit reports of companies previously reporting as DSEs to investigate what increases the likelihood of receiving a going concern modification in auditors' opinions (GCO) and what affects audit fees. Our overall analyses indicate that the asset size of DSEs, negative working capital, and prior-year going concern modifications consistently influence going concern modifications to auditors' opinions. Managers should clearly consider these conditions when making their assessment of their companies' future going concern status. Our results indicate that the size of the audit firm did not influence the going concern modification decision, but Big4 auditors charge significantly higher fees than other auditors. Thus, managers/owners of DSEs should weigh the benefits of having a Big4 firm audit on their financial statements against the higher fees charged by those firms.
Field-Reversible Thermal Connector (RevCon) Challenges: A Review

Thermal connectors (card holder, retainer, thermal connector, etc.) have played a critical thermal management role for decades for electronic components. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research have long been aware of the importance of this thermal management technology, and as such hosted the first two Field-Reversible Thermal Connector (RevCon) challenges. Later, with DARPA’s support, the University of Missouri hosted the RevCon III and RevCon IV competitions in 2014 and 2015. The number of competing teams has increased from four in RevCon I to nine in the first phase of RevCon III and 11 in RevCon IV. This event has expanded by creating: 1) crowdsourcing with more effective channels; 2) broader involvement from international teams; 3) an effective two-phase down-selecting procedure so that the uniqueness of their concept, concept feasibility, mass production cost analysis, complete project plan, and the delivery of a real prototype after the execution of the first phase can be well evaluated; and 4) better judgment on thermal performance with the combination of vibration and vacuum testing by experts from AFRL, Rockwell Collins, Honeywell, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, BAE Systems, HRL, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, and Advanced Cooling Technologies Corporation. Progressively challenging metrics were set for participating teams to achieve in subsequent challenges, leading to unique and novel prototype concepts from the teams. The thermal performance of the prototypes is generally outstanding: the majority outperforming advanced commercial-off-the shelf thermal connectors with thermal resistance values as low as 0.1 °C/W.
Intravenous vs. intraosseous access and return of spontaneous circulation during out of hospital cardiac arrest.

Abstract Introduction Guidelines endorse intravenous (IV) and intraosseous (IO) medication administration for cardiac arrest treatment. Limited clinical evidence supports this recommendation. A multiagency, retrospective study was performed to determine the association between parenteral access type and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in out of hospital cardiac arrest. Methods This was a structured, retrospective chart review of emergency medical services (EMS) records from three agencies. Data was analyzed from adults who suffered OHCA and received epinephrine through EMS established IV or IO access during the 18-month study period. Per regional EMS protocols, choice of parenteral access type was at the provider's discretion. Non-inferiority analysis was performed comparing the association between first access type attempted and ROSC at time of emergency department arrival. Results 1310 subjects met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Providers first attempted parenteral access via IV route in 788 (60.15%) subjects. Providers first attempted parenteral access via IO route in 552 (39.85%) subjects. Rates of ROSC at time of ED arrival were 19.67% when IV access was attempted first and 19.92% when IO access was attempted first. An IO first approach was non-inferior to an IV first approach based on the primary end point ROSC at time of emergency department arrival (p=0.01). Conclusion An IO first approach was non-inferior to an IV first approach based on the end point ROSC at time of emergency department arrival.
Femoral Vein Homograft as Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Conduit in Stage 1 Norwood Operation

Background The polytetrafluoroethylene tube used as right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit in the stage 1 Norwood operation is associated with risks of suboptimal branch pulmonary artery growth, thrombosis, free insufficiency, and long-term right ventricular dysfunction. Our experience with use of valved femoral vein homograft as right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit is described. Methods Between June 2012 and December 2015, 15 neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or complex single ventricle underwent stage 1 Norwood operation with valved segment of femoral vein homograft as right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit. The median age at surgery was 3 days and the mean weight was 3 kg. The size of the femoral vein homograft was 5 mm in 8 patients and 6 mm in 7 patients. Results There was no hospital or interstage mortality. Fourteen patients underwent Glenn operation, and 6 have undergone Fontan operation to date. The median Nakata index at pre-Glenn catheterization was 262 mm2/m2 (interquartile range: 121 to 422 mm2/m2). No patient had thrombosis of conduit. Most femoral vein conduits remained competent in the first month after stage 1 Norwood operation, although most became incompetent by 3 months. Catheter intervention on the conduit was necessary in 7 patients. Right ventricular function was preserved in most patients at follow-up. Conclusions The use of femoral vein homograft as right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit in the Norwood operation is safe and associated with good pulmonary artery growth and preserved ventricular function. Balloon dilation of the conduit may be necessary during the interstage period.
Histologic Evaluation of Wound Healing After Ridge Preservation With Cortical, Cancellous, and Combined Cortico-Cancellous Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Cortical and cancellous mineralized freeze-dried bone allografts (FDBA) are available for use in alveolar ridge preservation after tooth extraction. There are currently no data regarding use of a combination 50%/50% cortico-cancellous FDBA compared with a 100% cortical or 100% cancellous FDBA in ridge preservation. The primary objective of this study is to dimensionally and histologically evaluate healing after ridge preservation in non-molar sites using 50%/50% cortico-cancellous FDBA versus 100% cortical and 100% cancellous FDBA.Methods: Sixty-six patients requiring extraction of a non-molar tooth were enrolled and randomized into three groups to receive ridge preservation with the following: 1) 100% cortical FDBA; 2) 100% cancellous FDBA; or 3) 50%/50% cortico-cancellous FDBA. After 18 to 20 weeks of healing, a biopsy was harvested, and an implant was placed. The alveolar ridge was measured pre- and postoperatively to evaluate change in ridge height and width. Percentages of vital bone, res...
Early Appropriate Care and opportunities for integrated care pathwyas in orthopaedic trauma

Early appropriate care (EAC) is a treatment protocol for trauma patients with unstable fractures of the thoracolumbar spine, pelvis, acetabulum, and/or femur. The protocol was designed to expedite treatment based on patient physiologic readiness for definitive fracture surgery. In the EAC protocol, patients are aggressively resuscitated and managed by a multidisciplinary team. Upon achieving predefined thresholds for adequate resuscitation, patients undergo definitive stabilization of their fractures with the goal of performing surgery within 36 hours of injury. As an integrated care pathway, the EAC protocol defines a time dependent strategy to trauma care and minimizes complications and reduces cost through a multidisciplinary approach. Adoption of the EAC protocol was achieved through buy-in from all involved parties in the development phase and contributed to subsequent adherence to the protocol. As such, lessons learned from the development, institution and study of the EAC protocol may be applied to other clinical challenges in orthopaedic trauma, including fracture management in high-energy geriatric injuries as well as head injury.
AIDS/HIV and Neurological Disease

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) eventually affects the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). These changes may be directly related to the virus itself, the secondary immune deficiency state, opportunistic infection (OI), neoplasm, or because of iatrogenic causes. This article summarizes various CNS manifestations, including cognitive impairment and dementia, vacuolar myelopathy, OIs, primary CNS lymphoma, headache, stroke, seizure, and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. PNS manifestations covered in this entry include neuropathy, myopathy, polyradiculopathy, and OIs.
Baby Boomers and the Death Café

This chapter examines the key demographic that attends Death Cafes, the Baby Boomers, that is, those born between 1946 and 1964. The chapter notes how by participating in these monthly or bimonthly meetings, Cafe attendees are in the process of personalizing their own crucial narrative and expectations regarding end-of-life issues. They are preempting technical control by institutionalized medicine and distortions by the media and market, a process that takes place in a supportive community environment. In the chapter, emphasis is also placed on how the Boomers generation witnessed if not participated in the Civil Rights struggle, inculcating in many a rather dauntless orientation toward perceived systemic abuse. They are mindful of this as they are now—in the guise of Death Cafe attendees—contesting large systems that are attempting to monopolize a discourse that purportedly frames and articulate their curiosities and concerns about mortality. The chapter also discusses a landmark study by the Pew Research Center in 2002 titled “The Civic and Political Health of the Nation,” one which explores in greater detail how Boomers continue to show their civic and political engagement in greater degrees than members of Generation X and the Millennials. Finally, the implications of the research findings with Baby Boomers’ Death Cafe participation are considered.
Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Type R Pseudogene Presence in Staphylococcus aureus Reference and Outbreak Strains

Novel staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) expressed by Staphylococcus aureus strains have been described throughout the years, among these being the SE protein SER. To further characterize this toxin, this research used 13 S. aureus strains previously determined to contain the SE type R (ser) gene. These S. aureus isolates were evaluated using serological assays for identification of SEA-SEE and PCR for the detection of newly described SE and SE-like enterotoxin genes seg-seu. PCR-based cloning was performed such that the ser gene could be ligated into the pTrc99A plasmid expression vector. Ligation products were used to transform Escherichia coli (DH10Br) strains so that the ser open reading frame (ORF) could be sequenced and expressed for further characterization. Four of the 13 S. aureus strains tested harbored a ser ORF that yielded a PCR-positive result, but contained a frameshift mutation that subsequently introduced a premature stop codon abrogating expression of a full-sized functional protein. In this study, 30% of the PCR-positive ser strains tested were found to carry genes that coded for a nonfunctional SER protein, a finding that clearly illustrates the limited effectiveness of PCR for reliably evaluating enterotoxin potential for ser and, perhaps, other enterotoxin types.
Using DIVAN to assess disease/trait-associated single nucleotide variants in genome-wide scale.

The majority of sequence variants identified by Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) fall outside of the protein-coding regions. Unlike coding variants, it is challenging to connect these noncoding variants to the pathophysiology of complex diseases/traits due to the lack of functional annotations in the non-coding regions. To overcome this, by leveraging the rich collection of genomic and epigenomic profiles, we have developed DIVAN, or Disease/trait-specific Variant ANnotation, which enables the assignment of a measurement (D-score) for each base of the human genome in a disease/trait-specific manner. To facilitate the utilization of DIVAN, we pre-computed D-scores for every base of the human genome (hg19) for 45 different diseases/traits. In this work, we present a detailed protocol on how to utilize DIVAN software toolkit to retrieve D-scores either by variant identifiers or by genomic regions for a disease/trait of interest. We also demonstrate the utilities of the D-scores using real data examples. We believe that the pre-computed D-scores for 45 diseases/traits is a useful resource to follow up on the discoveries made by GWASs, and the DIVAN software toolkit provides a convenient way to access this resource. DIVAN is freely available at https://sites.google.com/site/emorydivan/software .
Perioperative Celecoxib and Postoperative Opioid Use in Hand Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose Prescription opioid abuse is an epidemic in the United States; multimodal analgesia has been suggested as a potential solution to decrease postoperative opioid use. The primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of perioperative celecoxib on opioid intake. Secondary goals were to determine whether perioperative administration of celecoxib decreased postoperative patient-reported pain and whether patient demographic characteristics could predict postoperative pain and opioid intake. Methods This prospective cohort study enrolled patients undergoing mass excision or carpal tunnel, trigger finger, or de Quervain release by 1 of 3 fellowship-trained hand surgeons. Patients in the experimental group were given 200 mg celecoxib tablets taken twice a day starting the day before surgery and continued for 5 days after surgery. Both groups received hydrocodone–acetaminophen tablets 5 mg/325 mg as needed after surgery. After surgery, patients completed daily opioid consumption and pain logs for 7 days and underwent a pill count. Outcomes included morphine milligram equivalents (MME) consumed and postoperative pain. Results A total of 123 patients were enrolled: 68 control patients and 54 celecoxib patients. Fifty (74%) and 37 (69%) patients, respectively, completed the study. Overall, the median number of MMEs consumed was 25 (range, 0–330). During the first postoperative week, patients in the celecoxib and control groups were similar with respect to postoperative pain experienced (median visual analog scale score, 2.0 vs 1.4, respectively) and amount of opioid taken (median MMEs = 30 vs 20, respectively). Conclusions Patients taking perioperative celecoxib had similar postoperative pain and opioid intake compared with patients not prescribed celecoxib in the study. Regardless of study group, 4 to 10 hydrocodone tablets were sufficient to control postoperative pain for most patients undergoing soft tissue ambulatory hand surgery. This may be the result of the limited duration and mild nature of pain after outpatient elective hand surgery. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic II.
Core-Annular Flow in Vertical Pipes

A linear stability analysis is given in sections VII.2 – VII.9 for Poiseuille flow in a vertical pipe in the presence of gravity [Chen, Bai and Joseph 1990], and sections VII.10 – 21 are based on Bai, Chen and Joseph [1992] and Arney, Bai, Joseph and Liu [1992]. The analysis will be restricted to the axisymmetric mode. We include the effect of an applied pressure gradient which can reinforce or oppose the body force due to gravity. The physical effects treated are associated with gravity, density difference, viscosity difference, surface tension and Reynolds number. It is shown that a heavy lubricant should be used to stabilize capillary instability in slow flows in the direction of gravity and a light lubricant should be used for slow flow against gravity. The results also show that there is an optimal value of density ratio that maximizes the interval of Reynolds numbers for which CAF is stable.
Intrinsic Control Mechanisms of Pain Perception

Through the course of evolution, the brain has become increasingly able to respond adaptively to the ever-changing internal and external sensory world. To do so, it must continually monitor the environment through specialized sensory systems. One might imagine that the brain passively receives environmental inputs, processes them, and responds accordingly. We are learning instead that some sensory information can be modulated before it reaches the brain by the activation of centrifugal paths descending from higher central nervous system stations to lower ones in the brain, in the spinal cord, and even in the periphery. Thus, it appears to be important, at least at certain times, that some inputs never reach the brain or arrive only after considerable modification.
Spin Excitations in 208Pb

Various aspects of the response of 208Pb to spin perturbations are considered. Based on a boson exchange picture for the spin channel of the ph interaction the excitation of Gamow-Teller and various transverse magnetic spin states are discussed. We also investigate the role of the tensor force in isoscalar spin states. The dynamics of the coupling of 1p-1h degrees of freedom to multiparticle-multihole channels is analyzed in a 2p-2h doorway state model. Finally we derive energy weighted sum rules for spin operators in the long wavelength limit based on the quark model.
How Our Decimal Money Began.

Almost ten years ago, we celebrated the bicentennial of the American Revolution. A few years from now we will celebrate the bicentennial of our 1789 Constitution. During the era of these two major American events two hundred years ago our decimal monetary system was created. As arithmetic teachers, we are responsible for teaching children the facts of pennies, dimes, and dollars. Some background relating this arithmetic to American history can enrich both subjects.
An Introduction to Liquid Filtration

Filtration is a unit operation that is designed to separate suspended particles from fluid media by passing the solution through a porous membrane or medium. As the fluid or suspension is forced through the voids or pores of the filter medium, the solid particles are retained on the medium's surface or, in some cases, on the walls of the pores, while the fluid, which is referred to as the filtrate, passes through. The flow of fluids through a porous medium is of interest not only to the unit operation of filtration but to other processes, such as adsorption, chromatography, operations involving the flow of suspensions through packed columns, ion exchange, and various reactor engineering applications. The chapter discusses the fundamentals of flow through porous media and relates these principles to the industrial operations of filtration. The subject of filtration is discussed from a process engineering viewpoint and, in particular, from that of a chemical engineer. Filtration has a long history in the chemical engineering field both from the standpoint of the production of high purity products, as well as the technology extensively used in pollution control and prevention.
Rational Inattention, Optimal Consideration Sets, and Stochastic Choice

We unite two basic approaches to modelling limited attention in choice by showing that the rational inattention model implies the formation of consideration sets—only a subset of the available alternatives will be considered for choice. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for rationally inattentive behaviour which allow the identification of consideration sets. In simple settings, chosen options are those that are best on a stand-alone basis. In richer settings, the consideration set can only be identified holistically. In addition to payoffs, prior beliefs impact consideration sets. Linear inequalities identify all priors consistent with each possible consideration set.
Experimental Study of Memristors for use in Neuromorphic Computing

Memristor devices have the potential to drive a new class of specialized low power embedded hardware. The unique characteristics of these non-volatile and nanoscale devices allow them to perform parallel analog computing with extreme efficiency. To help facilitate the design of such systems, this paper describes the fabrication and characterization process used to develop memristors that are strong candidates for use in neuromorphic systems. In this work two different types of memristor devices, those with a GeTe switching layer, and those with a VO 2 switching layer, are characterized and analyzed. These results are used to determine device suitability for use in neuromorphic computing applications through the properties of symmetry, reliability, stability, and programmability. In short, repeatable multi-level resistive switching has been investigated and the results have been summarized.
Adaptive Hierarchical Cache Management for Cloud RAN and Multi-access Edge Computing in 5G Networks.

Cloud Radio Access Networks (CRAN) and Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) are two vital technologies proposed for 5G mobile networks. CRAN utilizes the cloud model on top of the traditional RAN, thus provides scalability, flexibility, and improved resource utilization. MEC brings cloud computing services closer to the users to provide high bandwidth, low latency, real-time access and to improve the overall user experience. A cache may be included in both CRAN and MEC architectures to speed up time-critical communications as well as to provide preferential services. This work focuses on adaptive cache management of CRAN and MEC. First, a new hierarchical cache management algorithm, H-EXD-AHP (Hierarchical Exponential Decay and Analytical Hierarchy Process), is proposed to improve the existing EXD-AHP. Next, two adaptive versions of hierarchy-based cache management algorithms are described, with the goal to provide guaranteed-QoS. Finally, a third enhanced adaptive version is described to greatly speed up the run time. Performance evaluation of the new adaptive algorithms based on system parameters provided by Nokia Research are carried out with comparison with existing ones. Experimental results show that the new hierarchical H-EXD-AHP improves the performance in terms of increased cache hit rate as well as reduced network overhead and access delay. Furthermore, the three adaptive algorithms are effective in guaranteeing QoS and in reducing algorithm execution time. This work contributes significantly in realizing the support of 5G for IoT by enhancing CRAN and MEC performance and would have wide applications in other real-time systems that require efficient adaptive cache management with guaranteed QoS.
Effect of polymer coating characteristics on the biodegradation and biocompatibility behavior of magnesium alloy

The permanence of cardiovascular stents and orthopedic fixation devices often cause problems; thus, it would be advantageous to make them biodegradable to prevent or minimize the issues caused by t...