cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grisel’s syndrome—a rare complication following “small” operations and infections in the ENT region

The atlanto-axial subluxation (Grisel's syndrome) is a rare complication following operative procedures and/or infections in the upper aerodigestive tract. Pathogenetically the higher flexibility of the ligaments during the inflammation causes a subluxation between axis and atlas. When the inflammation heals, this can probably result in a fixation in the rotated position. The purpose of the present study was to describe the clinical and radiological characteristics of this rare disease in children. The clinical files of 12 patients with Grisel's syndrome were examined retrospectively. The clinical files of these patients were reviewed and analyzed along with the results of radiographic and laboratory examinations. The clinical parameters were compared with the patient's therapy and outcome. Of 12 children (6 males, 6 females, average age of 7.1 years), Grisel's syndrome developed following surgery in 8 patients, and in another 4 patients following a severe in infection of the upper aerodigestive tract. The duration of complaints differed from 2 days to 6 months. All patients had a torticollis as the first symptom of atlanto-axial dislocation and three children had accompanying cervical lymphadenopathy. All patients were given antiphlogistic therapy either with diclofenac or ibuprofen. Additionally, 11 patients were treated with intravenous antibiotics (amoxicillin, ampicillin, clindamycin or cephalosporins) and 1 child with oral antibiotics. In eight patients a remission during antibiotic therapy occurred. In four cases (2 with Grisel's syndrome following surgery, 2 following infection), however, the torticollis persisted despite adequate conservative treatment and required reposition of the atlanto-axial joint along with external fixation. In all of them, starting of therapy was delayed. An early diagnosis of Grisel's syndrome and immediate therapy is most important. Grisel's syndrome must be taken under consideration in children with acute torticollis following either an infection or operative procedure in the upper aerodigestive tract. Early adequate antibiotic and antiphlogistic therapy is mandatory and leads to a high remission rate.
MAKING CHOICES ABOUT EARTHQUAKE PERFORMANCE

Performance-based earthquake engineering has gained prominence as an approach that allows facility owners or other relevant decision makers to select earthquake performance objectives for engineered structures. Refinement of this approach confronts the challenge of translating the needs of a diverse set of organizations into meaningful objectives. This challenge is addressed by reviewing the implications of relevant social science literature about different ways of framing individual and organizational choices about earthquake performance.
Simple Conduction Model for Theoretical Steady-State Heat Pipe Performance

An analytical model is established for the steady-state thermal performance of single component heat pipes. By considering the interaction of axial heat conduction through the wall with various heat-transfer modes inside and outside the heat pipe, the analysis leads to the prediction of saturated vapor temperature, the axial wall temperature and mass flow distributions along the heat pipe. The thermal performance of a heat pipe is shown to be dependent upon two dimensionless parameters: the Biot number with respect to the wick and a parameter that characterizes the relative contributions of radial conduction through the wick and axial conduction through the pipe wall. The predictions are compared and discussed with existing experimental results.
Multi-agent event recognition

This paper presents a new approach to recognizing multiagent events observed by a static camera. To track objects robustly, knowledge about the ground plane and the events is used. An event is considered as composed of action threads, each thread being executed by a single actor. A single thread of action is recognized from the characteristics of the trajectory and moving blob of the actor using Bayesian methods. A multi-agent event is represented by a number of action threads related by temporal constraints. Multi-agent events are recognized by propagating the constraints and likelihoods of event threads in a temporal logic network.
Adaptive stochastic manpower scheduling

Bayesian forecasting models provide distributional estimates for random parameters, and relative to classical schemes, have the advantage that they can rapidly capture changes in nonstationary systems using limited historical data. Stochastic programs, unlike deterministic optimization models, explicitly incorporate distributions for random parameters in the model formulation, and thus have the advantage that the resulting solutions more fully hedge against future contingencies. We exploit the strengths of Bayesian prediction and stochastic programming in a rolling-horizon approach that can be applied to solve real-world problems. We illustrate the methodology on an employee scheduling problem with uncertain up-times of manufacturing equipment and uncertain production rates.
The Making of a Slicer: Activation of Human Argonaute-1

Argonautes are the central protein component in small RNA silencing pathways. Of the four human Argonautes (hAgo1-hAgo4) only hAgo2 is an active slicer. We determined the structure of hAgo1 bound to endogenous copurified RNAs to 1.75 A resolution and hAgo1 loaded with let-7 microRNA to 2.1 A. Both structures are strikingly similar to the structures of hAgo2. A conserved catalytic tetrad within the PIWI domain of hAgo2 is required for its slicing activity. Completion of the tetrad, combined with a mutation on a loop adjacent to the active site of hAgo1, results in slicer activity that is substantially enhanced by swapping in the N domain of hAgo2. hAgo3, with an intact tetrad, becomes an active slicer by swapping the N domain of hAgo2 without additional mutations. Intriguingly, the elements that make Argonaute an active slicer involve a sophisticated interplay between the active site and more distant regions of the enzyme.
Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma Arising in a Background of Sialadenoma Papilliferum: A Case Report

Sialadenoma papilliferum is a rare tumor, primarily of minor salivary gland origin, first described by Abrams and Finck (Cancer 24:1057-63, 1969). It is both an exophytic and endophytic papillary lesion histologically resembling syringocystadenoma papilliferum of sweat gland. The tumor is considered benign although rare recurrent cases have been reported. Three cases of malignant transformation of sialadenoma papilliferum have been described in the literature. We report a high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising in a background of sialadenoma papilliferum, at the base of the tongue, an unusual location for minor salivary gland neoplasms. Eleven months after excision and nodal dissection, there is no evidence of recurrence or metastasis.
Immigrants’ TANF Eligibility, 1996–2003: What Explains the New Across‐State Inequalities?1

Why did some states adopt stringent TANF-eligibility policies toward immigrants, while others implemented more lenient rules throughout the post-1996 welfare reform period? We use immigrant-specific welfare rule measures to examine predominant theoretical frameworks for understanding state stringency in welfare policy. Analysis, utilizing a simultaneous equations modeling (SEM) strategy, uses annual data for all states. Results show consistent support for the median voter (primarily, the percent of liberal voters) theoretical explanation for less stringent state welfare eligibility rules regarding immigrants. While the size of the Social-Security-recipient population (tax capacity indicator) and perhaps unacceptable reproductive behavior (teen birth rate) relate to more stringent rules, key state economic and fiscal characteristics (i.e., per capita welfare expenditures, per capita personal income) explain less stringent TANF eligibility rules. Importantly, recent immigrant population concentration patterns (in new and traditional destination states) add to the theoretical explanation of less stringent state TANF immigrant eligibility policies.
Life-history strategy in an oligophagous tephritid: the tomato fruit fly, Neoceratitis cyanescens

In phytophagous insects, life-history traits mainly depend on host plant range. Substantial longevity, high fecundity and larval competition are the major traits of polyphagous Tephritidae while species with a restricted host range generally exhibit a lower longevity and fecundity as well as mechanisms to avoid larval competition. Our aim in this study was to investigate the life history of an oligophagous species, the tomato fruit fly, Neoceratitis cyanescens (Bezzi). 2. We determined life tables under laboratory conditions in order to calculate the main demographic parameters of N. cyanescens and studied the influence of larval and adult diet on life-history traits. 3. The mean longevity of N. cyanescens females was 40 days. There was a strong synchronisation of female maturity. Oviposition showed an early peak at 9 - 13 days after a short pre-oviposition period (6 days). The absence of proteins in the adult diet both delayed ovarian maturation and decreased female fecundity. In addition, females originating from tomato fruits produced significantly more eggs than females originating from bugweed or black nightshade, showing that even the larval host plant may strongly affect the subsequent fecundity of adult females. 4. The traits of N. cyanescens are then discussed in the light of those documented for polyphagous and monophagous tephritids. Neoceratitis cyanescens displayed attributes intermediate between those of polyphagous and monophagous tephritids. Its smaller clutch size compared with polyphagous species and its specialisation on the Solanaceae family whose fruits contain toxic compounds may help in reducing intra- and inter- specific competition, respectively.
Performance of First-Order Digital Phase-Locked Loops in Mobile Radio Channels

The performance of a first-order digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) using nonuniform sampling is studied in the mobile radio environments. The mobile radio channel is characterized by introducing fast Rayleigh fading and random phase variation to the signal envelope and phase, respectively. The nonlinear stochastic difference equation describing the loop operation in fading environments is introduced. The joint probability density function (pdf) of the random variables of this equation is derived by transformation of random variables for fast Rayleigh fading channels. A closed-form expression for the transition probability of the ChapmanKolmogorov (C-K) equation is obtained for phase step plus noise input and for frequency step plus noise input. The probability density function of the steady-state phase error is obtained by solving the C-K equation numerically.
Round-robin with adaptable-size-frame arbitration for input-crosspoint buffered switches

Combined input-crosspoint buffered switches relax arbitration timing and provide high-performance switching for packet switches with high-speed ports. It has been shown that these switches, with one-cell crosspoint buffer and round-robin arbitration at input and output ports, provide 100% throughput under uniform traffic. However, under admissible traffic patterns with nonuniform distributions, only weight-based selection schemes are reported to provide high throughput. This paper proposes a round-robin based arbitration scheme for a combined input-crosspoint buffered packet switch. The presented scheme uses adaptable-size frames, where the frame size is determined by the received service. The resulting switch provides nearly 100% throughput for several admissible traffic patterns, including uniform and unbalanced traffic, using one-cell crosspoint buffers.
Evaluating Online Text Classification Algorithms for Email Prediction in TaskTracer

paper examines how six online multiclass text classification algorithms perform in the domain of email tagging within the TaskTracer system. TaskTracer is a project-oriented user interface for the desktop knowledge worker. TaskTracer attempts to tag all documents, web pages, and email messages with the projects to which they are relevant. In previous work, we deployed an SVM email classifier to tag email messages. However, the SVM is a batch algorithm whose training time scales quadratically with the number of examples. The goal of the study reported in this paper was to select an online learning algorithm to replace this SVM classifier. We investigated Bernoulli Naive Bayes, Multinomial Naive Bayes, Transformed Weight-Normalized Complement Naive Bayes, Term Frequency - Inverse Document Frequency counts, Online Passive Aggressive algorithms, and Linear Confidence Weighted classifiers. These methods were evaluated for their online accuracy, their sensitivity to the number and frequency of classes, and their tendency to make repeated errors. The Confidence Weighted Classifier and Bernoulli Naive Bayes were found to perform the best. They behaved more stably than the other algorithms when handling the imbalanced classes and sparse features of email data.
2,6-Di­amino-3,5-di­nitro­pyrazine

The title compound, C4H4N6O4, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c, and is an energetic compound containing only C, H, N and O atoms, with a density of 1.812 Mg m−3. Thus, it is a very stable di­aza analog of 1,3,5-tri­amino-2,4,6-tri­nitro­benzene (TATB). Like TATB, it packs in planar graphite-like layers in the ab plane, with mol­ecules held together by intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Both compounds decompose at temperatures above 573 K and are insoluble in most common solvents. Crystals of the title compound are usually twinned (twins related by a 180° rotation about a*) and the crystal analyzed had a minor twin component.
Analysis of the Salmonella typhimurium Proteome through Environmental Response toward Infectious Conditions

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (also known as Salmonella typhimurium) is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes approximately 8,000 reported cases of acute gastroenteritis and diarrhea each year in the United States. Although many successful physiological, biochemical, and genetic approaches have been taken to determine the key virulence determinants encoded by this organism, the sheer number of uncharacterized reading frames observed within the S. enterica genome suggests that many more virulence factors remain to be discovered. We used a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based "bottom-up" proteomic approach to generate a more complete picture of the gene products that S. typhimurium synthesizes under typical laboratory conditions as well as in culture media that are known to induce expression of virulence genes. When grown to logarithmic phase in rich medium, S. typhimurium is known to express many genes that are required for invasion of epithelial cells. Conversely stationary phase cultures of S. typhimurium express genes that are needed for both systemic infection and growth within infected macrophages. Lastly bacteria grown in an acidic, magnesium-depleted minimal medium (MgM) designed to mimic the phagocytic vacuole have been shown to up-regulate virulence gene expression. Initial comparisons of protein abundances from bacteria grown under each of these conditions indicated that the majority of proteins do not change significantly. However, we observed subsets of proteins whose expression was largely restricted to one of the three culture conditions. For example, cells grown in MgM had a higher abundance of Mg(2+) transport proteins than found in other growth conditions. A second more virulent S. typhimurium strain (14028) was also cultured under these same growth conditions, and the results were directly compared with those obtained for strain LT2. This comparison offered a unique opportunity to contrast protein populations in these closely related bacteria. Among a number of proteins displaying a higher abundance in strain 14028 were the products of the pdu operon, which encodes enzymes required for propanediol utilization. These pdu operon proteins were validated in culture and during macrophage infection. Our work provides further support for earlier observations that suggest pdu gene expression contributes to S. typhimurium pathogenesis.
Structure of the SecY channel during initiation of protein translocation

Many secretory proteins are targeted by signal sequences to a protein-conducting channel, formed by prokaryotic SecY or eukaryotic Sec61 complexes, and are translocated across the membrane during their synthesis. Crystal structures of the inactive channel show that the SecY subunit of the heterotrimeric complex consists of two halves that form an hourglass-shaped pore with a constriction in the middle of the membrane and a lateral gate that faces the lipid phase. The closed channel has an empty cytoplasmic funnel and an extracellular funnel that is filled with a small helical domain, called the plug. During initiation of translocation, a ribosome-nascent chain complex binds to the SecY (or Sec61) complex, resulting in insertion of the nascent chain. However, the mechanism of channel opening during translocation is unclear. Here we have addressed this question by determining structures of inactive and active ribosome-channel complexes with cryo-electron microscopy. Non-translating ribosome-SecY channel complexes derived from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii or Escherichia coli show the channel in its closed state, and indicate that ribosome binding per se causes only minor changes. The structure of an active E. coli ribosome-channel complex demonstrates that the nascent chain opens the channel, causing mostly rigid body movements of the amino- and carboxy-terminal halves of SecY. In this early translocation intermediate, the polypeptide inserts as a loop into the SecY channel with the hydrophobic signal sequence intercalated into the open lateral gate. The nascent chain also forms a loop on the cytoplasmic surface of SecY rather than entering the channel directly.
Deprofiled Arguments in Coextension Path Fictive Motion

Fictive Motion (FM) constructions where static entities are construed as dynamic have been studied from multiple perspectives; most notably on processing times and cognitive simulation (Matlock: 2004). The present study takes a different approach and explores FM as a discourse mechanism that moderates information flow in geography writing. As a foundation, this study uses Talmy's (2000) palpability parameters to evaluate the nature of the FM construction and then looks at the discourse functions of FM in light of Goldberg's (2006) Cognitive Construction Grammar, and Chafe's (1994) views on flow and displacement to explore how the presence or absence of prepositional phrases in a FM construction moderate topicality and reflect activation cost. The present study explores popular science works on oceanography and geography to explore the relationship of the map as artifact and questions whether or not particular FM instances reflect an artifactual reading or a geographical reading.
Relaxed Inx.Ga1-xas Graded Buffers Grown With Organometallic Vapor Phase Epitaxy on GaAs

In x Ga 1−x As structures with compositionally graded buffers were grown with organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) on GaAs substrates and characterized with plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (PV-TEM and X-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that surface roughness experiences a maximum at growth temperatures where phase separation occurs in In.Gal.,As. The strain fields from misfit dislocations induce this phase separation in the directions. At growth temperatures above and below this temperature, the surface roughness decreases significantly; however, only growth temperatures above this regime ensure nearly complete relaxed graded buffers with the most uniform composition caps. With the optimum growth temperature for grading In x Ga 1−x ,As determined to be 700 °C, it was possible to produce In 0.33 Ga 0.67 As diodes on GaAs with threading dislocation densities 6 /cm 2 .
Optimization of the Manufacturing Route to PF-610355 (1): Synthesis of Intermediate 5

Tertiary carbinamine 5 is an isolated intermediate in the synthesis of a novel, inhaled β-2 adrenoreceptor agonist PF-610355. Process development for the key amide-formation and Ritter reactions, together with reaction understanding studies are discussed in context of the synthesis of 5. The optimized process employed to manufacture 140 kg of 5 is described, and was shown to have superior metrics to the preliminary commercial route.
SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF BRONCHOLITHIASIS

Fifty-two patients (31 men and 21 women) were treated for complications of broncholithiasis between 1969 and 1984. Mean age was 50.8 years (range 26 to 74 years). Indications for operation included symptoms in 49 patients and an abnormal chest x-ray film in three. Broncholithectomy was initially attempted by thoracotomy in 40 patients and by bronchoscopy in 12. In the thoracotomy group broncholithectomy was successful in all patients, 32 of whom underwent pulmonary resection. Significant postoperative complications occurred in five patients (12.8 %). There was one postoperative death (2.5 %). In the bronchoscopy group broncholithectomy was successful in eight patients (67%); significant complications occurred in two and there were no early deaths. Subsequent thoracotomy was done in three of the four patients in whom bronchoscopic removal was unsuccessful. Follow-up averaged 76.5 months (range 6 to 183 months). The 15 year survival rate (Kaplan-Meier) for all patients was 75.1 % and did not differ from a control group of patients. No patient in the thoracotomy group had recurrent complications of broncholithiasis. In contrast, complications recurred in three of the eight patients (37.5 %) successfully treated by bronchoscopy. We conclude that broncholithectomy via thoracotomy is the preferred treatment, as the risks are low and the long-term results are excellent.
Assistive collision avoidance for quadrotor swarm teleoperation

This paper presents a method for controlling quadrotor swarms in an environment with obstacles, with an intuitive human-swarm interface operated by a single human user. Our method allows for the quadrotor swarm to maintain a desired formation, while also keeping the quadrotors a safe distance from obstacles and from one another. We use a Virtual Rigid Body abstraction to provide a bridge between the single human user and the quadrotor swarm, so that a human user can fly an arbitrarily large quadrotor swarm from a single joystick. By applying multiple vector fields, collisions are automatically avoided within the swarm of quadrotors, and between the quadrotors and obstacles, while the Virtual Rigid Body is controlled by the human user. Our method is demonstrated in hardware experiments with groups of quadrotor micro aerial vehicles teleoperated by a single human operator in a motion capture system.
Reoperation for complications of the Nissen fundoplication

Case histories of 25 patients are reported in whom complications after a Nissen fundoplication were sufficiently severe to require reoperation. Patients were classified by complications as having postoperative dysphagia (14), recurrent reflux (seven), "gas bloat" syndrome (two), and paraesophageal hernia (two). Six of the 14 patients with dysphagia had no esophageal peristalsis, one had a panmural fibrous stricture, and had a "slipped" Nissen, and in six the wrap was presumed to have been fashioned too tightly. Too tight a wrap was also responsible for the seven instances of recurrent reflux and the two of "gas bloat" syndrome. Revision of the fundoplication relieved the symptoms in the 15 patients in whom it was done. A variety of surgical procedures were performed on the other 10, all but one of whom experienced a good result. Proper selection of patients for operation coupled with attention to certain technical surgical details will ensure good results in 90% of patients after a Nissen fundoplication.
Monoclonal Antibody-Based ELISA for Detection of Clostridium perfringens Alpha-Toxin

A monoclonal antibody-based ELISA was developed to detect alpha-toxin present in Clostridium perfringens bacterial cell lysates and cell-free culture supernatants, Monoclonal antibodies against C. perfringens alpha-toxin were produced in hybridoma tissue culture supernatants and in BALB/c mice ascites fluid, The monoclonal antibodies obtained from hybridoma culture supernatant and ascites fluid showed identical antigen specificity, but the latter showed a higher titer, with a 50% endpoint at 1/4,000. The monoclonal antibodies were specific for phospholipase C produced by C. perfringens , but not by Bacillus cereus . The lower limit of phospholipase C detection was 16 ng/ml. The dose-dependent relationship between absorption at 490 nm and concentration of phospholipase C diluted in HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid) or Trypticase glucose yeast broth fit a four-parameter and a quadratic model, respectively. The monoclonal antibody-based ELISA developed is a rapid, sensitive and specific detection method and can be used for quantitative characterization of C. perfringens alpha-toxin.
Strategy for Systems Sellers: A Grid Approach

AbstractWhile systems selling has become popular as a general concept, many companies have experienced difficulty applying it in practice. The authors propose using a grid approach to implement the strategy. It is based on analysis of the expertise and experience held by both the buyer and seller in a given situation. The grid first examines the product technology knowledge, or “solution expertise,” held by both. Then the “problem expertise” (knowledge of buyer problems and needs) is analyzed. The results are plotted on a problem-solution grid, and can assist systems sellers in targeting the best prospects, developing sales presentations, and handling objections of different functional managers within the buying organization.
Neuroprotective Effects of Estrogen Following Neural Injury

In this chapter, we describe the common molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and apoptosis underlying neural injury that results from traumatic brain injury, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. We also discuss the influence of the immune system on neural injury, and how estrogens may modulate apoptotic and neuroprotective pathways, as well as the immune response. Additionally, we review the evidence, from in vitro and in vivo studies, that describes the neuroprotective effects of estrogens against neurodegeneration resulting from neural injury. Finally, we discuss limitations and future directions needed to make estrogens a viable option for use in neural injury.
Presentation and Management of Giant Fibrovascular Polyps of the Hypopharynx and Esophagus.

Objective:Fibrovascular polyps of the hypopharynx and esophagus are rare, with few case reports in the literature. In this article, we present our institutional experience with a focus on airway an...
NITRATES IN PLANTS AND WATERS

High concentrations of nitrates in waters have been linked to methemoglobinemia in infants, and nitrates in waters and roughage have long been recognized as one cause of animal health problems. The reactions and sources of nitrogen in the environment are reviewed, and factors affecting the nitrate content of edible foods examined. The impact of changed fertilization practices and waste disposal methods on the nitrate levels in ground water requires intensive investigation. The effect of high nitrates in vegetables on infant health, and methods to minimize the nitrate content of fresh and processed vegetable products should be examined.
Media Coverage of Ferguson, Missouri: A Normative Approach

This study seeks to examine media coverage of the Ferguson, Missouri racial tensions and police action following the grand jury decision, with a focus on stories which include religious leaders, religious comments, or those that take place in community churches or religious centers. Through a mixed-methods approach of critical discourse analysis and a normative analysis of the coverage, the research attempts to bring understanding of the role religion plays within the media, and provide suggestions as to how the media can cover religion more effectively not only during times of unrest, but on a more regular basis.
INTRACARDIAC PROSTHETIC MATERIALS. II. TRICUSPID PATCHES.

Summary One cm. round defects were created in the tricuspid valve of dogs. These defects were closed with various prosthetic materials. Prostheses fabricated from Dacron, Teflon and terpolymer elastomers were investigated by cardiac catheterization, dye-dilution curves, cinecardiography, gross observation and microscopic examination after various periods of implantation. No material studied was satisfactory.
Sapstreak Disease and Biodeterioration of Sugar Maple

Logs and lumber decrease in value due to fungi that stain wood as well as from fungi that cause decay. Sapwood within a living tree is subject to a number of discoloring or staining processes involved with tree defense and fungal infection (Shortle, 1984). Although the use of color to typify wood tissues can result in confusion (Shigo, 1986), changes in color are indicative of distinct metabolic processes that once located may then be more precisely characterized. Sap stains are sapwood tissues altered in color due to fungal activity and may occur in the standing tree, cut lumber, or manufactured product (Scheffer and Lindgren, 1940). The sapstreak disease of sugar maple results in a sap stain in the tree that persists in the wood product. Although wood strength is not affected by sapstreak, the stain lowers the commercial value of affected lumber (Ohman and Spike, 1966).
Repeated Thermal Stress, Shading, and Directional Selection in the Florida Reef Tract

Over the last three decades reef corals have been subjected to an unprecedented frequency and intensity of thermal-stress events, which have led to extensive coral bleaching, disease, and mortality. Over the next century, the climate is predicted to drive sea-surface water temperatures to even higher levels, consequently increasing the risk of mass bleaching and disease outbreaks. Yet, there is considerable temporal and spatial variation in coral bleaching and in disease prevalence. Using data collected from 2398 sites along the Florida reef tract from 2005 to 2015, this study examined the temporal and spatial patterns of coral bleaching and disease in relation to coral-colony size, depth, temperature, and chlorophyll-a concentrations. The results show that coral bleaching was most prevalent during the warmest years in 2014 and 2015, and disease was also most prevalent in 2010, 2014, and 2015. Although the majority of the corals surveyed, independent of their size, were found in habitats with low chlorophyll-a concentrations, and high irradiance, these same habitats showed the highest prevalence of coral bleaching and disease outbreaks during thermal-stress events. These results suggest that directional selection in a warming ocean may favor corals able to tolerate inshore, shaded environments with high turbidity and productivity.
Surgical Treatment of Papillary and Follicular Thyroid Cancer

The treatment of differentiated follicular-derived thyroid cancer (papillary and follicular thyroid cancer) generally includes thyroidectomy with or without lymph node excision followed by adjuvant treatment with radioiodine for selected cases. Thyroidectomy requires knowledge of anatomy, avoidance of blood loss, identification and preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerves, and preservation of viable parathyroid glands. The extent of surgery is dependent on the extent of disease as dictated by the primary tumor and the presence of metastatic cervical lymph nodes. This is tempered by demands of safety and avoidance of surgical complications. Accurate preoperative staging, including preoperative imaging with ultrasound which includes the lateral neck compartments to determine extent of disease, is paramount to performing the appropriate extent of surgery to reduce the risk of persistent disease. In experienced hands thyroidectomy has low complication rates which primarily include hypoparathyroidism related to devascularization of parathyroid tissue and voice dysfunction related to injury of the superior or recurrent laryngeal nerves. Postoperative hypoparathyroidism presents with symptoms of hypocalcemia which are typically transient and can be treated with calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy related to neurapraxia will typically resolve over several months; however anatomic disruption of the nerve will result in permanent voice dysfunction. This chapter discusses the preoperative assessment, operative approach, and postoperative management of papillary and follicular thyroid cancer.
Isospecific, Chain Shuttling Polymerization of Propylene Oxide Using a Bimetallic Chromium Catalyst: A New Route to Semicrystalline Polyols

Hydroxy-telechelic poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) is widely used industrially as a midsegment in polyurethane synthesis. These atactic polymers are produced from racemic propylene oxide using chain shuttling agents and double-metal cyanide catalysts. Unlike atactic PPO, isotactic PPO is semicrystalline with a melting temperature of approximately 67 °C. Currently there is no practical route to hydroxy-telechelic isotactic PPO using racemic propylene oxide as the monomer. In this paper, hydroxy-telechelic isotactic PPO is synthesized from racemic propylene oxide with control of molecular weight using enantioselective and isoselective bimetallic catalysts in conjunction with chain shuttling agents. The discovery of an easily accessible bimetallic chromium catalyst is reported for this transformation. Diol, triol, and polymeric chain shuttling agents are used to give hydroxy-telechelic isotactic PPO of varying functionality and structure. Detailed quantum chemical studies are used to reveal the polymerization me...
Paper test card for detection of adulterated milk

In developing countries, milk is adulterated to meet demand and increase profit. Often the milk is diluted with water, and sugar, urea, and starch are added to mimic the color, consistency, and nitrogen content of the real thing. Since laboratory tests for detecting these adulterants are difficult to perform in a field setting, we developed an inexpensive, paper analytical device (MilkPAD) to detect these analytes in milk. All of the reagents, buffers, and enzymes needed to perform each test are stored in dry form in the paper. The user just needs to pipette several drops of the milk onto each reaction area, wait 40 minutes, and take a cell phone photo of the test card. The test card can colorimetrically detect a variety of starches (0.005% w/v), urea (in excess of 70 mg dL−1), and the sugars glucose and sucrose (in excess of 0.1 mM). The sensitivity and specificity of the MilkPAD is greater than 90% for detection of any of these adulterants at concentrations that are typically found in adulterated milk.
Considering resource demand misalignments to reduce resource over-provisioning in cloud datacenters

Previous resource provisioning strategies in cloud datacenters allocate physical resources to virtual machines (VMs) based on the predicted resource utilization pattern of VMs. The pattern for VMs of a job is usually derived from historical utilizations of multiple VMs of the job. We observed that these utilization curves are usually misaligned in time, which would lead to resource over-prediction and hence over-provisioning. Since this resource utilization misalignment problem has not been revealed and studied before, in this paper, we study the VM resource utilization from public datacenter traces to verify the existence of the utilization misalignments. Then, to reduce resource over-provisioning, we propose three VM resource utilization pattern refinement algorithms to improve the original generated pattern by lowering the cap of the pattern, reducing cap provision duration and varying the minimum value of the pattern. These algorithms can be used in any resource provisioning strategy that considers predicted resource utilizations of VMs of a job. We then adopt these refinement algorithms in an initial VM allocation mechanism and test them in trace-driven experiments and real-world cluster experiments. The experimental results show that each improved mechanism can increase resource efficiency up to 74%, and reduce the number of PMs needed to satisfy tenant requests up to 47% while conforming the SLO requirement.
The Role of Evaluation in Building Evidence-Based Policy:

Growing recognition that many government programs may be ineffective, or at best of unproven effectiveness, has led to the evidence-based policy movement—an effort to ensure that proposed and exist...
Techniques of Ultrafast Spectroscopy

This chapter begins with a general introduction to ultrafast spectroscopy, considers the limits of time and frequency resolution, and reviews the linear and nonlinear propagation of light pulses in a dispersive medium. Next, the basic elements of ultrashort laser pulse generation are described, including gain medium requirements, mode-locking mechanisms, compensation for group velocity dispersion, and pulse amplification. The last section deals with the measurement of ultrashort pulses, including joint time-frequency techniques, and also describes pulse-shaping in the frequency domain.
Pulmonary artery banding: an analysis of current risks, results, and indications.

A series of 25 patients who underwent either pulmonary artery banding or debanding and repair of the underlying defect between 1974 and 1979 were analyzed to determine the current risks, results, and indications for this procedure. No patient underwent banding for isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD). Two (15%) of 13 patients who received pulmonary artery bands died. One had a single ventricle and the other, truncus arteriosus. One (8%) of 12 patients undergoing debanding and complete repair died. That patient had truncus arteriosus. Results for all patients who underwent VSD closure and debanding were excellent except for one who required reoperation for a residual VSD. There were no pulmonary artery problems related to the band in those patients with VSD but the band did create several technical problems in those patients with truncus arteriosus. Pulmonary artery banding can be performed in complex anomalies at relatively little risk of death and is recommended for symptomatic infants with tricuspid atresia or single ventricle and increased pulmonary blood flow. It is also the preferred initial method of management for infants with double-outlet right ventricle or transposition of the great arteries with VSD. Primary repair is recommended for isolated VSD, for complete endocardial cushion defect, and, with less enthusiasm, for truncus arteriosus.
Regulation of Extrarenal Erythropoietin Production

In 1953, Erslev1 discovered that the plasma of severely anemic rabbits containes a factor that is capable of increasing the rate of erythropoiesis of normal rabbits. Three years later, Jacobson et al2 reported that nephrectomy prevented the appearance of this factor (erythropoietin) in the plasma of anemic rats, and hypothesized that erythropoietin (Epo) is produced in the kidneys. The results of numerous studies, subsequently performed to test this hypothesis, provided substantial support for the concept that the kidneys are the primary organ of Epo production, but didn't negate the possibility that other organs could also produce Epo. Reports of detectable levels of bioactive Epo in the plasma of anephric neonatal rats3 and of intensly hypoxic anephric adult rats4,5 and rabbits6 indicated that extrarenal sites of Epo exist. The significance of extra-renally-produced Epo in humans was subsequently evidenced by the observations that erythropoiesis doesn't cease in anephric patients7 and that the plasma of extremely anemic, anephric, persons contain detectable amounts of Epo8,9.
Concepts on Quantitative Risk Assessment of Neurotoxicants

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the concepts on quantitative risk assessment of neurotoxicants. In this chapter, a quantitative risk assessment procedure originally illustrated with a serotonergic neurotoxicant, MDMA, is applied to another neurotoxicant, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-l,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), that primarily affects the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system. MPTP was selected as the agent for assessment because its neurotoxicity is well described in the literature and is comprised of behavioral, neurohistological, and neurochemical effects. The results of this assessment are systematically compared to those obtained with the currently used safety factor approach with and without the use of a benchmark dose (BMD) adjustment. The results obtained in this study show that average dopamine concentration in control animals is very consistent across studies. The monkey dopamine values varied considerably. The mean abnormal concentrations of dopamine are very similar in the two mouse studies. The average abnormal dopamine concentration for the monkey is lower because of the greater variability of the data from control monkeys. Because the experimental monkeys exhibited similar variability as compared to the control monkeys and greater sensitivity as compared to the mice, the overall risk estimation for MPTP in the monkey was more conservative.
Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors About the Foot and Ankle

The foot and ankle delicately balance the need for support of the weight of the human body, with the need for flexibility. Palpable masses about the foot and ankle, therefore, are most commonly related to trauma or mechanical instability. Non-neoplastic causes, such as ganglion cysts and callus, therefore, predominate. However, the radiologist must be aware of the imaging appearance of less common benign and malignant neoplasms that can involve the foot and ankle.
Understanding the use of diverted buprenorphine.

Abstract Background Buprenorphine is approved in many countries for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), but problems with diversion and abuse exist. There is a need to understand how and why patients use diverted buprenorphine, and whether barriers to access contribute to illicit use. Methods Adults >18 years with DSM-IV criteria for substance use disorder and primarily using an opioid completed the online Survey of Key Informants’ Patients (SKIP) between August and September 2016. The survey included closed- and open-ended questions regarding reasons for buprenorphine use with and without a prescription, sources of buprenorphine, route of administration, and barriers to treatment. Results Of 303 respondents, 175 (58%) reported a history of diverted buprenorphine use, 65 (37%) of whom reported never receiving a prescription. The most common reasons for illicit buprenorphine use were consistent with therapeutic use: to prevent withdrawal (79%), maintain abstinence (67%), or self-wean off drugs (53%). Approximately one-half (52%) reported using buprenorphine to get high or alter mood, but few (4%) indicated that it was their drug of choice. Among respondents who had used diverted buprenorphine, 33% reported that they had issues finding a doctor or obtaining buprenorphine on their own. Most (81%) of these participants indicated they would prefer using prescribed buprenorphine, if available. Conclusions Although 58% of survey respondents reported a history of using diverted buprenorphine, the most frequently cited reasons for non-prescription use were consistent with therapeutic use. Diversion was partially driven by barriers to access, and an unmet need for OUD treatment persists.
Forensic Odontology in Digital Era

A major purpose of forensic odontology is the medicolegal establishment of human identification. The focus is often for cases of unidentified human remains or for bitemark investigations of criminal activity. With advanced technologies, forensic odontology is able to efficiently accomplish these tasks with accuracy. The cost and limited accessibility of advanced equipment sometimes hinders widespread utilization. Still, a basic understanding of what exists and is available can support structured growth. This chapter will link modern technologies to the way odontologists collect, organize, interpret, and document evidence in their professional practice to offer a basic understanding of how teledentistry is being applied in forensic odontology.
Differential Diagnosis of Large Cell Infiltrate

Atypical cutaneous lymphoid infiltrates composed of large cells are uncommon. The differential diagnosis for this pattern includes predominantly aggressive lymphomas; however, indolent conditions such as CD30-positive lymphoproliferative disorders should also be considered.
Audit Committee Directors’ Characteristics: Implications for Reducing Financial Corruption

Financial corruption in organizations results in substantial adverse impact on a multitude of organizational stakeholders, while effective remedies for financial corruption remain elusive. By synth...
ICMP datagrams in traceroute algorithms (student paper)

One of the most commonly used utilities in network debugging is traceroute. Traceroute is a utility that will display the route a packet takes to a given destination. However as technology improves, it is sometimes necessary to examine the algorithm to ensure that we cannot make performance enhancements
Investigation of chloride induced corrosion of bridge pier and life-cycle repair cost analysis using fiber reinforced polymer composites

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v TABLE OF CONTENT vi LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix CHAPTER
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) inhibition results in mucus accumulation in human airway epithelia Calu-3 cells: Experimental and Machine Learning Studies

Porosomes are cup-shaped lipoprotein structures at the cell plasma membrane involved in fractional release of intra-vesicular contents during secretion. At the base of the porosome facing the cell cytoplasm, secretory vesicles dock, fuse and swell, to release intra-vesicular content during secretion. Earlier studies demonstrate the cystic fibrosis trans-membrane conductance regulator (CFTR) associated with the porosome in human airways epithelial Calu-3 mucous-secreting cells, suggesting its possible involvement in porosome-mediated mucus secretion. The current study was undertaken to test this hypothesis. Electron microscopy followed by morphometric analysis using manual and computational machine learning approaches were used to assess changes in secretory vesicle size and content, following stimulation of secretion in the absence and presence of CFTR inhibitors. Results from the study demonstrate that stimulated Calu-3 cells pre-exposed to CFTR inhibitors, demonstrate attenuation of secretory vesicle swelling and the release of mucin. Consequently, accumulation of intracellular mucin is observed in cells exposed to CFTR inhibitors. These results further suggest that mucin secretion from Calu-3 cells involve CFTR both at the secretory vesicle membrane to regulate vesicle volume and hydration, and at the porosome to facilitate mucin hydration and secretion. These new findings progress our understanding of the involvement of CFTR on mucus hydration and secretion, providing critical insights into the etiology of CF disease.