cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Denosumab in hypercalcemia of malignancy: a case series.

BackgroundDenosumab is a nuclear factor-kappa ligand monoclonal antibody whose FDA-approved indications include treatment of osteoporosis, bone loss with certain anticancer hormonal agents, and pre...
Effect of ketone acids on glucose and fat metabolism in adipose tissue of the rat.

Abstract Salts of the ketone acids, Na-beta-hydroxybutyric acid and Na acetoacetic acid, were injected intravenously into the normal rat and produced a sharp decrease in plasma FFA levels which persisted for one hour. No significant changes in levels of plasma glucose or insulin were observed. In vitro studies were performed using epididymal fat pads. Ketone acids were added to make a final concentration of 10 mmoles each. There was no significant effect on tissue glycogen, incorporation of labeled glucose into glycogen or production of C14O2, but there was an increase in the incorporation of C14 into tissue lipids. The release of FFA and glycerol into medium was decreased. In another group of experiments, ketone acids were injected subcutaneously twice a day for three days. Adipose tissue from these animals reacted with increased glycogen, C14-glycogen, C14O2 and C14-lipids, and decreased release of FFA and glycerol. The impaired reaction of the adipose tissue of alloxan diabetic rats improved after treatment of these animals with ketone acids for three days. From these studies, we conclude that ketone acids have a minimal direct action on glucose metabolism in adipose tissue but a marked effect on fat metabolism with a definite decrease in FFA and glycerol release. Adipose tissue from ketone-acid-treated animals showed an insulin-like response suggesting that these acids in vivo do stimulate the insulin secreting cells of the pancreas. Both effect on fat tissue, direct and by employing insulin, result finally in a decrease of blood FFA levels; this may be of importance in prevention of development of severe ketoacidosis.
An automated technique for statistical characterization of brain tissues in magnetic resonance imaging

A procedure for estimating the joint probability density function (pdf) of T1, T2 and proton spin density (PD) for gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain is presented. The pdf's have numerous applications, including the study of tissue parameter variability in pathology and across populations. The procedure requires a multispectral, spin echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data set of the brain. It consists of five automated steps: (i) preprocess the data to remove extracranial tissue using a sequence of image processing operators; (ii) estimate T1, T2 and PD by fitting the preprocessed data to an imaging equation; (iii) perform a fuzzy c-means clustering on the same preprocessed data to obtain a spatial map representing the membership value of the three tissue classes at each pixel location; (iv) reject estimates which are not from pure tissue or have poor fits in the parameter estimation, and classify the remaining estimates as either GM, WM or CSF; (v) compute statistics on the classified estimates to obtain a probability mass function and a Gaussian joint pdf of the tissue parameters for each tissue class. Some preliminary results are shown comparing computed pdf's of young, elderly and Alzheimer's subjects. Two brief examples applying the joint pdf's to pulse sequence optimization and generation of computational phantoms are also provided.
Fibrogenic Potential of Intratracheally Instilled Quartz, Ferric Oxide, Fibrous Glass, and Hydrated Alumina in Hamsters

As a first step in the development of an animal model for determining the role of pulmonary fibrosis in the etiology and pathogenesis of lung cancer, the fibrogenic potential of quartz, quartz and ferric oxide administered together, fibrous glass, and hydrated alumina were studied by multiple intratracheal instillation in groups of male Lak:LVG Syrian golden hamsters. Dose-related decreases in survival were evident for the groups instilled with the two highest doses of quartz or quartz and ferric oxide. Instillation of quartz or quartz and ferric oxide induced the greatest pulmonary fibrosis in response to the materials tested. However, the dense fibrous tissue present in the lungs in classical human silicosis and in experimental silicosis of rats was not observed in this study. The results of this study indicate that the Syrian golden hamster is not a suitable species for studying the role of quartz-induced pulmonary fibrosis in pulmonary carcinogenesis.
A Case for Hybrid Discrete-Continuous Architectures

Current technology trends indicate that power- and energy efficiency will limit chip throughput in the future. Current solutions to these problems, either in the way of programmable or fixed-function digital accelerators will soon reach their limits as microarchitectural overheads are successively trimmed. A significant departure from current computing methods is required to carry forward computing advances beyond digital accelerators. In this paper we describe how the energy-efficiency of a large class of problems can be improved by employing a hybrid of the discrete and continuous models of computation instead of the ubiquitous, traditional discrete model of computation. We present preliminary analysis of domains and benchmarks that can be accelerated with the new model. Analysis shows that machine learning, physics and up to one-third of SPEC, RMS and Berkeley suite of applications can be accelerated with the new hybrid model.
Error Resilient LZ'77 Data Compression: Algorithms, Analysis, and Experiments

We propose a joint source-channel coding algorithm capable of correcting some errors in the popular Lempel-Ziv'77 (LZ'77) scheme without introducing any measurable degradation in the compression performance. This can be achieved because the LZ'77 encoder does not completely eliminate the redundancy present in the input sequence. One source of redundancy can be observed when an LZ'77 phrase has multiple matches. In this case, LZ'77 can issue a pointer to any of those matches, and a particular choice carries some additional bits of information. We call a scheme with embedded redundant information the LZS'77 algorithm. We analyze the number of longest matches in such a scheme and prove that it follows the logarithmic series distribution with mean 1/h (plus some fluctuations), where h is the source entropy. Thus, the distribution associated with the number of redundant bits is well concentrated around its mean, a highly desirable property for error correction. These analytic results are proved by a combination of combinatorial, probabilistic, and analytic methods (e.g., Mellin transform, depoissonization, combinatorics on words). In fact, we analyze LZS'77 by studying the multiplicity matching parameter in a suffix tree, which in turn is analyzed via comparison to its independent version, called trie. Finally, we present an algorithm in which a channel coder (e.g., Reed-Solomon (RS) coder) succinctly uses the inherent additional redundancy left by the LZS'77 encoder to detect and correct a limited number of errors. We call such a scheme the LZRS'77 algorithm. LZRS'77 is perfectly backward-compatible with LZ'77, that is, a file compressed with our error-resistant LZRS'77 can still be decompressed by a generic LZ'77 decoder
Should beta-blockers be used in the treatment of cocaine-associated acute coronary syndrome?

Objective:To critically evaluate the 30 year debate of β-blocker use in cocaine-induced acute coronary syndrome (CIACS).Data Sources:An Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, and Ovid MEDLINE (1966–August 21, 2007) search of the medical literature was conducted using the key terms cocaine, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, and adrenergic β-antagonists.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All clinical trials, case reports, national cardiovascular guidelines, and reviews published in English were evaluated. Case reports were included based on whether (1) acute coronary syndrome was suspected, (2) a β-blocker was used during the treatment course, and (3) objective and subjective patient-specific information was documented.Data Synthesis:Three case reports and 2 placebo-controlled trials were identified that used 4 β-blockers (atenolol, labetalol, metoprolol, propranolol). Three national guidelines addressed β-blocker use. Although published data are limited,...
Second generation computer control procedures for dial-a-ride

Based on operational experience with initial computer control procedures, more sophisticated procedures have been developed designed to provide a greater variety of services simultaneously and to allow the operator more discretion in the quality of service provided. This paper describes these second generation control procedures and analyses their effectiveness in the light of previous operational experience and in a simulation context.
Characterization of Sp17: a ubiquitous three domain protein that binds heparin

Sp17 is a protein that was originally thought to be expressed exclusively in the testis and whose primary function was binding to the extracellular matrix of the oocyte. Several recent reports have implicated Sp17 as having a role in cell-cell adhesion and/or cell migration in transformed, lymphocytic and haematopoietic cells, possibly through its interaction with extracellular heparan sulphate. In the present study, we report that Sp17's central domain (amino acids 61-117), spanning exon 3, is critical for heparin binding. Sp17 has two additional functional domains, an N-terminal domain similar to the dimer-interaction site in the cAMP-dependent protein kinase IIalpha regulatory subunit and a C-terminal calmodulin-binding domain. The mouse gene for Sp17 is 6.5 kb and contains four exons. Although Sp17 expression is highest in the testis, it is present in all of the mouse somatic tissues examined and is highly conserved throughout all mammalian species. Sp17's central domain, which is necessary for heparin binding, exhibits the greatest sequence divergence of all three domains. The Sp17 gene is induced in metastatic cells and during mucosal immune responses, and the protein appears to play an important role in cell migration and/or adhesion in somatic cells, as well as in male germ cells.
Arrays of silicon cantilevers for detecting high-G rapidly varying acceleration profiles

This work presents the first experimental study on the effectiveness of single-crystal silicon (SCS) cantilever arrays as contact-based high-G sensors in digital MEMS accelerometers. Unlike conventional designs, a digital scheme is employed where detection of a specific acceleration level is associated with a group of silicon cantilevers, which deflect and make solid-to-solid silicon contacts with the substrate. This scheme is especially useful in applications where a high-G rapidly changing acceleration profile needs to be detected with a high confidence level. The proposed designs have been successfully demonstrated up to 45,000 g, which is commonly found in impact and pyroshock phenomena, such as in multistage rocket launches and earth penetrating weapons. The arrays of beams offer high redundancy in the measured data, which is critical when used in events with severe consequences. The fabricated devices were tested using a modified Kolksy bar setup and found to have contact resistances in the order of ∼3.2±3 kΩ. Depending on the applied acceleration profile, contact bouncing is observed during testing.
Generating coefficients for optimization test problems with implicit correlation induction

We consider methods for inducing correlation between the objective function and constraint coefficients in 0-1 Knapsack, generalized assignment, capital budgeting, and set covering problems. Each of the methods that we examine is an implicit correlation-induction (ICI) method that has been featured in the literature. However, the correlation levels used in the corresponding computational experiments are typically neither quantified nor systematically controlled. We present closed-form expressions for the population correlation levels induced with the ICI methods to facilitate the quantification and systematic control of the correlation levels in computational experiments. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of ICI methods.
COMPUTER SIMULATION OF CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION: COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF A SIMPLE ELECTRICAL MODEL OF THE CIRCULATION

Extensive research is being conducted to study the mechanism of blood flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Recently, work has been published using a simple electrical model of the circulation to simulate the hemodynamics of CPR. This analog was a hard-wired circuit consisting of the heart and great vessels modeled as a resistive-capacitive network, pressure as voltage, blood flow as current, blood inertia as inductance and vascular valves as diodes. Such a model is useful for examining the physiology of various methods and techniques of CPR administration. In this investigation, a general purpose circuit simulation program, SPICE Version 2G.6, was used to analyze previously published CPR models. With minor modifications, the program was fully able to simulate the hard-wired circuits. The program is very flexible, allowing for easy model modification and a wide range of parameter values. In addition, the program offers the advantages of increased accuracy and low cost. Suggested future applications are for rapid evaluation of new CPR concepts.
Quantifying liquid water in frozen plant tissues by isothermal calorimetry

Abstract An equation to calculate the percentage of water remaining unfrozen at any temperature due to colligative properties of solutions was derived from the freezing point depression equation. The accuracy of the equation was demonstrated with a 0.1 M sucrose solution frozen at temperatures from −0.5 to −6 °C in an isothermal calorimeter. Empirical measurements using latent heat as a measure of the amount of water frozen were within 1% of the expected values calculated from the equation. The extent to which percentages of water freezing in oat crown tissue at varying temperatures follows the expected freezing curve indicates how closely the system follows colligative freezing processes. The freezing curve for non-acclimated crowns followed a colligative freezing pattern more closely than did the curve for crowns from cold-acclimated plants. This suggests that water in crowns from non-acclimated plants may remain unfrozen primarily by colligative means while other mechanisms of keeping water unfrozen are important in cold-acclimated crowns. This may help explain contradictory results of studies that attempt to correlate carbohydrate concentrations with freezing tolerance.
State selection of a bistable SOA ring laser for bit level optical memory applications

In this letter, we demonstrate the selection between two bistable states of a semiconductor fiber ring laser, using bits from a timeslot channel switched out using a terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer. By changing the selected timeslot channel, we were able to change the semiconductor fiber ring laser from a state with a two-peak output at 1570.6 and 1579 nm to a state with one-peak output at 1570.6 nm. This structure has potential application to optical memories.
SEBINI: Software Environment for BIological Network Inference

Summary: The Software Environment for BIological Network Inference (SEBINI) has been created to provide an interactive environment for the deployment and evaluation of algorithms used to reconstruct the structure of biological regulatory and interaction networks. SEBINI can be used to compare and train network inference methods on artificial networks and simulated gene expression perturbation data. It also allows the analysis within the same framework of experimental high-throughput expression data using the suite of (trained) inference methods; hence SEBINI should be useful to software developers wishing to evaluate, compare, refine or combine inference techniques, and to bioinformaticians analyzing experimental data. SEBINI provides a platform that aids in more accurate reconstruction of biological networks, with less effort, in less time. Availability: A demonstration website is located at https://www.emsl.pnl.gov/NIT/NIT.html. The Java source code and PostgreSQL database schema are available freely for non-commercial use. Contact: ronald.taylor@pnl.gov
Predictive factors for neoplasia and malignancy in a neck mass.

Objective To determine clinical factors that are able to predict the likelihood of neoplasia and malignancy of cervical masses. Design Retrospective review of case series. Data were collected for age, sex, a history of alcohol and tobacco use, mass location, number, bilaterality, size, and duration. Logistic regression was performed to determine which clinical variables were significant in a prediction model for neoplasia and malignancy in a cervical mass. Setting An academic general otolaryngology practice. Results Review of 160 open neck biopsies yielded 95 complete cases for regression analysis. Thirty cases of neoplasia (31.6%) and 12 cases of malignancy (12.6%) were noted. For the prediction of neoplasia, logistic regression analysis identified patient age, duration, and size of the mass to be statistically significant. The overall model for neoplasia had positive and negative predictive values of 63.6% and 78.1%, respectively, and an overall accuracy of 74.7%. For the prediction of malignancy, only age was found to be significant. The model for malignancy failed to show any classification utility beyond that of clinical judgment. Conclusions On the basis of clinical factors, a logistic regression model can distinguish patients who have a low chance for neoplasia in a neck mass, and thereby help avoid unnecessary biopsy. It is not as useful in selecting patients for early biopsy. The strict prediction of malignancy on the basis of clinical variables alone is difficult.
Outside Ownership in the Hedge Fund Industry

I examine the impact of hedge fund managers selling ownership stakes in their firms to outside owners. Fund companies that sell stakes to outside owners open more new funds and attract higher fund flows, suggesting that managers sell stakes to obtain strategic growth partners. The flow impact is greater for funds i) with lower prior flows, ii) with lower assets under management, iii) purchased by more experienced outside owners, and iv) funds purchased by firms with asset management divisions. Although funds with outside owners do not subsequently outperform their peers, fund investors benefit from a reduction in returns management.
Energetics of methanol and formic acid oxidation on Pt(111): Mechanistic insights from adsorption calorimetry

Abstract The catalytic and electrocatalytic oxidation and reforming of methanol and formic acid have received intense interest due to potential use in direct fuel cells and as prototype models for understanding electrocatalysis. Consequently, the reaction energy diagram (energies of all the adsorbed intermediates and activation energies of all the elementary steps) have been estimated for these reactions on Pt(111) by density functional theory (DFT) in several studies. However, no experimental measurement of these energy diagrams have been reported, nor is there a consensus on the mechanisms. Here, we use energies of key intermediates on Pt(111) from single crystal adsorption calorimetry (SCAC) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) to build a combined energy diagram for these reactions. It suggests a new pathway involving monodentate formate as a key intermediate, with bidentate formate only being a spectator species that slows the rate. This helps reconcile conflicting proposed mechanisms.
Humanism: More than a Descriptive Methodology

Humanism. By Tony Davies. The New Critical Idiom (London: Routledge, 2008), vii + 168 pp. $22.95 paper. The present volume, in keeping with the purpose of the series of which it is a part, aims to ...
Customs Unions and Free Trade Areas

This technical note lays out the welfare analysis of free trade areas and customs unions with trade creation and trade diversion. It also discusses some of their advantages and disadvantages.
Multi-Scale Characterization of Pad Role on Material Removal Rate in CMP

A combined experimental and theoretical approach has been devised to understand the mechanical behavior of CMP pad. The pad response is examined at different length scale utilizing a nano-indentation with a conical tip and a flat-punch. The experimentally observed trends showed the competition between the local contact field of the abrasive particle and the global porous pad cell deformation. From the experiments, the local particle-level contact, cell bending, long range pad surface asperity contact as well as the bulk response of the pad can be integrated into mechanism-based models for better understanding the applied force partitioning and to predict the characteristics of the material removal rates.
Family Leisure: An Integrative Review of Research from Select Journals

Understanding the relationship between leisure and families has been and will continue to be an important area of study. The purpose of this study is to review existing family leisure research from...
Subcellular Compartmentalization of Hypothalamic Peptides: Characteristics and Ontogeny

It has been known for many years that the hypothalamus regulates the secretion of pituitary hormones. During the last decade, a number of peptides have been isolated from the hypothalamus which were shown to possess such regulatory functions. For example, the tripeptide thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates the secretion of thyroid stimulating hormone (1,2) and prolactin (3,4), and the decapeptide luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) stimulates the secretion of gonadotropins (1,5). Although these peptides are of neuronal origin, they resemble non-neuronal polypeptide hormones in the fact that the anatomical location of their target tissues is remote from their site of production and storage. Such polypeptide hormones have been shown to be stored within granules which originate from the Golgi apparatus (6–9).
Analysis of Epidemiological Features of Measles in Juancheng Country from 2009 to 2012 in Juancheng

Objective:To understand the epidemic feature of measles in Juancheng country from 2009 to 2012 so as to providing scientific evidence for measles control.Method:Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the epidemiology of measles from 2009 to 2012 based on the data collected from the regular report system of infectious diseases and annual statistics of measles.Result:A total of 80 measles patients were reported in Juancheng country from 2009 to 2012,annual incidence rate was 0.66/100 000,9.31/100 000,0.55/100 000 and 0.There was a difference in the incidence in different years(P0.01).There were cases in every township,the first district of the cases:Juancheng township,Jiucheng township, Zhengying township.Most of the measles were reported in April to August.Males were more than females,there was significant difference(P0.01). most of the cases were under three years old,there was a disease peak in 20-45 year group.Conclusion:The annual incidence rate of measles is very low during 2009 to 2012 except for 2010.But the routine immunization work should not alack to prevent the outbreak in 2013.
Time-varying frequency modes of resting fMRI brain networks reveal significant gender differences

Spectral analysis of brain activation in different regions, either in the form of network time-courses or regions of interest (ROI) time-series, has been a topic of interest in recent studies. Such studies hypothesize that observed brain fluctuations are due to different underlying sources of neurophysiological activation. Among these studies, brain fluctuations during the resting-state, as an unconstrained condition, have been a subject of interest. Some clinical studies have employed spectral analysis to locate differences between diagnostic groups such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Other studies have argued that resting-state brain fluctuations are in fact dynamic, and that activation and connectivity of brain regions develops and evolves spontaneously. In this study, we combine both approaches and focus on capturing dynamics of the spectral properties of network time-courses estimated from independent components analysis (ICA) and categorizing spontaneous frequency profiles of network time-courses into three major profiles, which we call "frequency modes". We show that brain networks have distinct time-varying frequency domain characteristics, differing from one another in their occupancy rates of the frequency modes. Additionally, we identify some networks in which the occurrence rates of the different modes are significantly different based on the gender of the subjects.
Martinez v. DuPont: A Look at the Future of Forum Non Conveniens in Delaware Commercial Litigation

For over fifty years, foreign plaintiffs found Delaware to be a safe forum when brining a lawsuit against a Delaware entity, in part because of the State's strict forum non conveniens doctrine. But, as a result of the Delaware Supreme Court's decision in Martinez v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., the burden placed on defendants under the doctrine has been eased. The Supreme Court used Martinez as an opportunity to adjust the overwhelming-hardship standard in a way that will arguably lead to a more practical application of the forum non conveniens doctrine. In light of the case history and prior decisions, however, it is equally likely that this case will produce discord in the application of the doctrine by allowing trial courts to retain jurisdiction over corporate and commercial disputes while clearing their dockets of "less desirable" suits. The judiciary may be able to resolve this discord, should it arise, by turning to public interest factors.
Linked neutronics and hydrodynamics calculations for the Z pinch driven target of X-1

Linked neutronics and hydrodynamics calculations have been performed for X-1 targets using the radiation hydrodynamics computer code BUCKY and the neutronics code ONEDANT. Target neutronics calculations were performed taking into account the varying configuration during the burn as well as the distributed material densities and fusion neutron source profile. The energy spectrum of neutrons emitted from the target varies during the burn with a softer spectrum produced in early time intervals. Neutrons emitted from the target carry 69.22% of the fusion energy with 28.3% carried by the x-rays and debris. A small fraction of 0.03% is carried by gamma photons and 2.45% is lost in endoergic reactions. Full coupling of the neutronics and hydrodynamics calculations is essential for making consistent predictions of the partitioning of the target energy between x-rays, ion debris, neutrons, and gamma photons and an accurate estimate of the net target yield by accurately accounting for the endoergic energy losses and energy deposited by neutrons.
Using Qualitative Data to Identify Student Learning Barriers and Alleviate Instructor Burnout in an Online Information Literacy Course

For-credit, online information literacy instruction is gaining momentum in academic libraries. It provides library outreach to a broader spectrum of students, and reinforces information literacy sk...
Behavioral Characterization of κ Opioid Receptor Agonist Spiradoline and Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist CP55940 Mixtures in Rats

Pain is a significant clinical problem, and there is a need for more effective treatments with reduced adverse effects that currently limit the use of μ opioid receptor agonists. Synthetic κ opioid receptor agonists have no abuse liability and well-documented antinociceptive effects; however, adverse effects (diuresis, dysphoria) preclude their use in the clinic. Combining κ opioids with nonopioid drugs (cannabinoid receptor agonists) allows for smaller doses of each drug to produce antinociception. This study tested whether a potentially useful effect of the κ opioid receptor agonist 2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-[(5R,7S,8S)-7-pyrrolidin-1-yl-1-oxaspiro[4.5]decan-8-yl] (spiradoline; antinociception) is selectively enhanced by the cannabinoid receptor agonist 2-[(1R,2R,5R)-5-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxypropyl) cyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyloctan-2-yl)phenol (CP55940). Cumulative dose-response functions were determined in eight male Sprague-Dawley rats for spiradoline (0.032-32.0 mg/kg, i.p.) and CP55940 (0.0032-1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) for antinociception, hypothermia, food-maintained responding, and diuresis. Alone, each drug dose dependently increased tail withdrawal latencies from 50°C water, decreased body temperature by ∼4°C, and eliminated food-maintained responding. Spiradoline, but not CP55940, significantly increased urine output at doses that eliminated responding. Smaller doses of spiradoline and CP55940 in mixtures (3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 spiradoline:CP55940) had effects comparable to those observed with larger doses of either drug administered alone: the interaction was additive for antinociception and additive or greater than additive for hypothermia and food-maintained responding. Collectively, these data fail to provide support for the use of these mixtures for treating acute pain; however, κ opioid/cannabinoid mixtures might be useful for treating pain under other conditions (e.g., chronic pain), but only if the adverse effects of both drugs are not enhanced in mixtures.
Extending the Utility of the Parabolic Approximation in Medical Ultrasound Using Wide-Angle Diffraction Modeling

Wide-angle parabolic models are commonly used in geophysics and underwater acoustics but have seen little application in medical ultrasound. Here, a wide-angle model for continuous-wave high-intensity ultrasound beams is derived, which approximates the diffraction process more accurately than the commonly used Khokhlov–Zabolotskaya–Kuznetsov (KZK) equation without increasing implementation complexity or computing time. A method for preventing the high spatial frequencies often present in source boundary conditions from corrupting the solution is presented. Simulations of shallowly focused axisymmetric beams using both the wide-angle and standard parabolic models are compared to assess the accuracy with which they model diffraction effects. The wide-angle model proposed here offers improved focusing accuracy and less error throughout the computational domain than the standard parabolic model, offering a facile method for extending the utility of existing KZK codes.
Implantable Doppler monitoring of buried free flaps during vascularized lymph node transfer.

Background and Objectives Reliable flap monitoring is crucial to the success of free tissue transfer, including vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT). However, no large-scale study has examined implantable Doppler monitoring in VLNT. We aimed to determine whether an implantable Doppler system can reliably monitor flap perfusion during VLNT and also to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of this system for detecting compromise in the monitored vessel. Methods An analysis of prospectively collected data of patients who underwent buried VLNT with implantable Doppler monitoring between 2014 and 2015 was performed. Results A consecutive series of 100 patients underwent VLNT with implantable Doppler monitoring. Five cases required return to the operating room for flap exploration due to a change in Doppler signal quality. All compromised flaps were salvaged. The sensitivity of the implantable Doppler system for flap monitoring was 100%, the specificity was 97.9%, the positive predictive value was 60%, and the negative predictive value was 100%. The false-positive rate was 2%. Conclusions This is the largest reported series of implantable Doppler monitoring of free flap perfusion during VLNT. Our experience suggests that this is a safe and effective technique for postoperative monitoring of VLNT.
Innovation in Agriculture: Incentives for Adoption and Supply Chain Development for Energy Crops

The literature on technology adoption provides key insights that can explain the incentives and barriers to the adoption of new energy crops for producing biofuels to displace fossil fuels. Energy crops are perennials with high upfront costs and establishment lags. They also differ from conventional crops in their riskiness. Their production involves foregoing returns from existing uses of the land. These features differ spatially and across farmers due to difference in farmer risk and time preferences. Understanding patterns of adoption is important for designing farming systems, supply chains, and policies. The literature investigates the influence on the adoption decision of many sources of heterogeneity across time and location including differences in the characteristics of technologies, farmers, market conditions, and policy incentives. Factors likely to influence adoption are explained using the example of two high-yielding and promising energy crops: miscanthus and switchgrass. Energy crop adoption decision is shown to be based on monetary factors (profit and costs) and the composition of mechanisms to address risk and uncertainty available to a region, as well as the risk and time preferences, attitudes, and beliefs of farmers. The paper ends with a discussion of market mechanisms and policy incentives to induce adoption and create supply chains needed to engender this industry.
Acute Success of Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty in the Current Era: A National Cardiovascular Data Registry Study.

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate practice patterns and outcomes of a contemporary group of patients undergoing balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) for congenital aortic stenosis (AS). Background BAV is the most common treatment for isolated congenital AS. Methods Within the IMPACT (Improving Pediatric and Adult Congenital Treatments) Registry, all BAV procedures performed between January 2011 and March 2015 were identified. Procedures were separated into those performed for critical versus noncritical AS. Outcomes were stratified into optimal, adequate, and inadequate, with optimal and adequate outcomes defining “successful” procedures. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify patient and procedural characteristics associated with unsuccessful BAV. Mortality and adverse events rates were compared across patient cohorts. Results Of the 1,026 isolated BAV procedures captured in IMPACT, 718 (70%) were “successful.” Success rates were 70.9% for noncritical AS (n = 916) and 62.7% for critical AS (n = 110). Multivariate analysis revealed that prior cardiac catheterization, mixed valve disease, baseline aortic valve gradient >60 mm Hg, baseline aortic insufficiency greater than mild, presence of a trainee, and multiple balloon inflations were associated with unsuccessful BAV in the noncritical AS cohort. There were no factors associated with unsuccessful procedures in the critical AS group. No procedural deaths occurred, but 2.4% of patients did not survive to hospital discharge. Adverse events occurred in 15.8% of all cases and were more frequent in procedures performed for critical AS (30.0% vs. 14.1%; p Conclusions BAV is an effective treatment for congenital AS with low rates of mortality and adverse events. Patients with critical AS have a higher risk for procedure-related adverse events.
Earth science: The mantle's lava lamp

Studies of phenomena called hotspots and superswells, evident at Earth's surface, offer the best clues as to the dynamic state of the underlying mantle. Their essential features have for the first time been reproduced in laboratory simulations of mantle convection scaled to Earth-like conditions.
Breakdown of synthetic-clay-filled nanocomposite polypropylene

A study on the breakdown of polypropylene filled with synthetic nano-clay is presented. The synthetic clay contents were 0 %, 2 %, 4% and 6 % by weight in host polypropylene. After preparing each specimen a power-frequency, sinusoidal voltage was applied to the specimen with a well-defined ramp-rate up to a level at which a breakdown occurred. The breakdown voltage of the specimen was considered as the measured rms voltage at the breakdown. The mean breakdown strength seems to improve about 13.5% for the nanocomposite with 2% synthetic clay as compared to the plain polypropylene. Although improvements were observed on the breakdown strength of nanocomposites with higher contents of synthetic clay the improvement was not as dramatic as was the case between the 0% and 2% contents in polypropylene. Thus, it can be concluded that the nanocomposite with 2% synthetic clay content is the optimum. Moreover, an overall improvement was determined on the breakdown strength of the nanocomposites with the increase of the voltage ramp-rate.
Pedagogies of Space

Nagorno-Karabakh is caught in a terse tug-of-war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. South Ossetia, also in the south Caucasus, is a fuse for conflict between Georgia and Russia. Transdniester, on the eastern border of Moldova, likewise remains an unrecognized breakaway state. Clearly, battles over borders and disputes about space—who it belongs to and who belongs to it—continue to rage in the vast territory of the former Soviet Union. Since the collapse of the socialist bloc in 1991¸ a host of new states have asserted manifold, sometimes explosive, claims to their territory, their home. Such claims have been central to geopolitical disputes and scholarly research.
Starch Deficiency Enhances Lipid Biosynthesis and Turnover in Leaves

Starch and lipids represent two major forms of carbon and energy storage in plants and play central roles in diverse cellular processes. However, whether and how starch and lipid metabolic pathways interact to regulate metabolism and growth are poorly understood. Here, we show that lipids can partially compensate for the lack of function of transient starch during normal growth and development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Disruption of starch synthesis resulted in a significant increase in fatty acid synthesis via posttranslational regulation of the plastidic acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase and a concurrent increase in the synthesis and turnover of membrane lipids and triacylglycerol. Genetic analysis showed that blocking fatty acid peroxisomal β-oxidation, the sole pathway for metabolic breakdown of fatty acids in plants, significantly compromised or stunted the growth and development of mutants defective in starch synthesis under long days or short days, respectively. We also found that the combined disruption of starch synthesis and fatty acid turnover resulted in increased accumulation of membrane lipids, triacylglycerol, and soluble sugars and altered fatty acid flux between the two lipid biosynthetic pathways compartmentalized in either the chloroplast or the endoplasmic reticulum. Collectively, our findings provide insight into the role of fatty acid β-oxidation and the regulatory network controlling fatty acid synthesis, and they reveal the mechanistic basis by which starch and lipid metabolic pathways interact and undergo cross talk to modulate carbon allocation, energy homeostasis, and plant growth.
Semantic processing of adjectives and nouns in American Sign Language: effects of reference ambiguity and word order across development

When processing spoken language sentences, listeners continuously make and revise predictions about the upcoming linguistic signal. In contrast, during comprehension of American Sign Language (ASL), signers must simultaneously attend to the unfolding linguistic signal and the surrounding scene via the visual modality. This may affect how signers activate potential lexical candidates and allocate visual attention as a sentence unfolds. To determine how signers resolve referential ambiguity during real-time comprehension of ASL adjectives and nouns, we presented deaf adults (n = 18, 19-61 years) and deaf children (n = 20, 4-8 years) with videos of ASL sentences in a visual world paradigm. Sentences had either an adjective-noun ("SEE YELLOW WHAT? FLOWER") or a noun-adjective ("SEE FLOWER WHICH? YELLOW") structure. The degree of ambiguity in the visual scene was manipulated at the adjective and noun levels (i.e., including one or more yellow items and one or more flowers in the visual array). We investigated effects of ambiguity and word order on target looking at early and late points in the sentence. Analysis revealed that adults and children made anticipatory looks to a target when it could be identified early in the sentence. Further, signers looked more to potential lexical candidates than to unrelated competitors in the early window, and more to matched than unrelated competitors in the late window. Children's gaze patterns largely aligned with those of adults with some divergence. Together, these findings suggest that signers allocate referential attention strategically based on the amount and type of ambiguity at different points in the sentence when processing adjectives and nouns in ASL.
The Successful Treatment of Insomnia in a Patient With a Complex Neurological History

Insomnia is one of the more common sleep–wake disorders from which people suffer. This is particularly true among individuals who have experienced neurological insult via conditions such as multipl...
Active Fault Management for Networked Microgrids

This paper presents Active Fault Management for Networked Microgrids (AFM-NM) to manage microgrids during faults. Two challenges remain in NMs' fault management. The first one is a lack of panoramic management schemes that allow easy change of objectives and constraints as needed rather than fixed on certain objectives and constraints. The second challenge is the implementation of distributed management for NWs under fault conditions instead of normal conditions. The two challenges are addressed in the presented AFM-NM. First, AFM-NM is formulated as an online optimization problem so that customized objectives and constraints can be conveniently added to the formulation, e.g., power ripples and balance, and fault current levels and contribution. Second, the coordination of each microgrid' AFM is enabled by the Surrogate Lagrangian Relaxation (SLR) method to allow distributed computation with guaranteed convergence. Comparison results with a conventional ride-through method show AFM-NM achieves desirable tradeoffs between different objectives. Comparison with centralized AFM demonstrates distributed AFM-NM ensures convergence and accuracy.
Sex and Emotion Regulation Difficulties Contribute to Depression in Young Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Many young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for depression. Yet, questions remain about factors associated with the development of depression in young adults ...
The impact of state legalization on rates of marijuana use in pregnancy in a universal drug screening population

Objective: To evaluate the effect of state legalization of rate on marijuana use in pregnancy in a population with universal drug screening.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study from July 2...
Changes in Alcohol Consumption Among College Students Due to COVID-19: Effects of Campus Closure and Residential Change.

Objective:It is well established that college students increase their drinking when they leave home. This study examined changes in drinking as a result of campus closure due to coronavirus disease...
Advancing lightweight mirror design: a paradigm shift in mirror preforms by utilizing design for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing is a disruptive technology that can be leveraged by the redesign of components in most engineering fields. Fundamental engineering resources for lightweight mirrors were developed more than 30 years ago with a main design limitation, state of the art manufacturing. Here, we present two design methodologies for the design of lightweight mirrors. The first method utilizes analytical expressions to design a traditional isogrid mirror, which provided the foundation for most lightweight mirrors to date. The second method employs a combination of topology optimization, lattice infill, and analytical estimation to develop an advanced lightweight mirror designed for additive manufacturing. The advanced mirror design outperforms the traditional design for each functional requirement, including a 94% reduction in predicted surface quilting and a higher specific stiffness. The manufacturing of the advanced mirror is only possible with an additive manufacturing process.
To Stay or to Leave: Factors Shaping Early Childhood Teachers’ Turnover and Retention Decisions

This qualitative study sought to understand whether there were difference in how early childhood education (ECE) teachers who stayed in or left their jobs interpreted their job demands and resource...
The P2X1 receptor, an adenosine triphosphate-gated cation channel, is expressed in human platelets but not in human blood leukocytes

Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) activate multiple types of P2-nucleotide receptors expressed in platelets or leukocytes. Electrophysiological and biochemical studies have indicated expression of the P2X1 receptor, an ATP-gated cation channel, in human and rat platelets, rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells, and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-differentiated HL-60 myeloid cells. Although these findings suggest that P2X1 receptors are present in both blood leukocytes and blood platelets, the relative levels of P2X1 receptor expression and function in human blood leukocytes and platelets have not been directly characterized. On the basis of both immunoblot analysis and functional assays of P2X1 receptor-mediated ionic fluxes, we report that there is significant expression of P2X1 receptors in human platelets, but not in neutrophils, monocytes, or blood lymphocytes. Thus, unlike platelets and myeloid progenitor cell lines, fully differentiated human blood leukocytes do not express functionally significant numbers of P2X1 receptors, suggesting the downregulation of P2X1 receptor gene expression during the differentiation of phagocytic leukocytes. By contrast, P2X1 receptor expression is strongly maintained during megakaryocytic differentiation and platelet release. Immunoblot analysis indicated that the platelet P2X1 receptor migrates as an approximately 60-kD protein during SDS-electrophoresis under reducing or nonreducing conditions. Treatment of platelet membranes with endoglycosidase-F causes the P2X1 receptor band to migrate as a 46-kD protein, verifying the highly glycosylated nature of the mature receptor protein. Additional studies of nucleotide-induced changes in Ca2+ influx/mobilization demonstrated that the platelet P2X1 receptors are pharmacologically distinct from the well-characterized ADP receptors of these cells. This finding suggests a unique role for these ATP-gated ion channels during hemostasis or thrombosis.
Extension of safe-operating-area by optimizing body-current in submicron LDMOS transistors

We present the extension of Hot-Electron-Limited SOA and Electrical SOA by optimising the two peaks of body current in 20 V LDMOS Transistors. The LDMOS has two peaks of body current and the origin of two peaks can be explained through hot carrier injection phenomenon. The first peak shows the appearance of weakly impact ionization related to the device degradation and the second peak shows the occurrence of snap-back phenomenon predicting device destruction, respectively.