cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Organization and Collection of System’s Data in Fusion

Future fusion power plants and experiments may have low availability due to complexity of equipment employed. This low availability translates into high cost of electricity (COE) for power plants and long mission times for experiments, i.e. low performance. In order to analyze the availability of systems, we have devised a Monte Carlo computer program that simulates plant operations and maintenance.1-3 This enables us to predict the system’s performance, run parametric and sensitivity studies and make recommendations as to the system design and criteria that must be met in reliability and maintenance downtimes. However, data (especially reliability data) is nonexistent for many subsystems of a fusion plant.4 We’ve had to rely on experts’ opinion and estimates published in some reports. With fusion experiments operating around the world, we can obtain some data from real experience. Before collecting this data, we need to know which data we need for our analysis and where that data can be stored, updated and easily accessed. This is accomplished by means of our Fusion Systems’ Data Base (FUSEDATA). To collect raw data in the field, however, it is more convenient to use a component based collecting data base. For example, the CREDO framework, in use in the U.S. advanced reactor facilities has been used to collect data from the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The Role of “Accomplices” in Preventing and Facilitating Change

A neurosis is a powerful and wondrous thing. In the face of plentiful guidelines from reality and from the rough edges of daily experience, the neurotic individual somehow persists in the same self-defeating pattern day after day and year after year. The sheer staying power of neurotic patterns is little short of miraculous, but we are prone to give the neurosis—and the neurotic—too much credit for this prodigious, if unfortunate, tenacity. My contention is that maintaining a neurosis is hard, dirty work, that cannot be successfully achieved alone. To keep a neurosis going, one needs help. Every neurosis requires accomplices.*
Lymphatic tissue changes in lethally irradiated mice given spleen cells intravenously.

ABS>Changes in lymphatic tissue are described which were observed in lethally irradiated mice following the injection of isologous and homologous spleen homogenates. The tissue changes described indicate the transplantation of the immune mechanism. (C.H.)
The Discrete Laguerre Polynomials and Their Use in Exponential Smoothing

Abstract The formulation and methodology of curve fitting polynomials by discounted least squares can be simplified through the use of the discrete Laguerre polynomials, which are mutually orthogonal with respect to an exponential weighting function. One advantage of this formulation is that the first k+ 1 coefficients of a fitting polynomial of degree m > k are the same as those of a fitting polynomial of degree k. The Laguerre polynomials are introduced and their properties are derived. The recursive method for computing coefficients is shown to have a simple structure that is independent of the degree k of the fitting polynomials. In addition, some properties of the method of smoothing and forecasting are discussed.
Land-use change drives abundance and community structure alterations of thaumarchaeal ammonia oxidizers in tropical rainforest soils in Rondônia, Brazil

The Amazon Rainforest plays major roles in global carbon and nitrogen cycling. Despite this region’s immense importance, deforestation and pasture creation are still occurring at alarming rates. In this study, we investigated the effects of land-use change on aerobic ammonia-oxidizers in primary rainforest, young and old pasture, and secondary forest in Rondonia, Brazil. Forest-to-pasture conversion decreased soil nitrate, phosphorus, and exchangeable acidity contents that recovered to pre-disturbance levels as pastures aged or were abandoned and formed secondary forest. The ammonia-oxidizing community, numerically dominated by thaumarchaea, shifted due to land-use change, both in terms of gene abundance and community structure. However, thaumarchaeal ammonia monooxygenase gene abundances did not correlate with any measured soil physicochemial parameters. Phylogenetic analyses showed that community structural changes in ammonia-oxidizing thaumarchaea are driven by a shift away from primary rainforest, old pasture, and secondary forest clusters to separate clusters for young pasture. Additionally, the nearly complete disappearance in young pasture, old pasture, and secondary forest sites of a thaumarchaeal genus, the Nitrosotalea, indicates that land-use change can have long lasting effects on large portions of the thaumarchaeal community. The results of this study can be used as a conceptual foundation for determining how ammonia-oxidizers become altered by land-use change in South American tropical forests.
Sleep in Psychiatric Disorders

Numerous studies support a bidirectional relationship between poor sleep and psychiatric symptoms and disorders. The incidence of psychiatric symptoms and disorders is elevated among sleep-disordered patient populations, and sleep disorders are likewise overrepresented in psychiatric patients. This overlap can complicate both the diagnosis and treatment of sleep and psychiatric disorders.
Organization of Pedicle Trabeculae

It is well known in the field that variations in the density and microstructure of trabecular bone can have considerable impact on the resulting ultrasound images (Chaffai et al. 2002; Haiat et al. 2007; Wear 2008). For example, Wear (2000) reported average backscatter coefficient to be 50 % higher in the medial-lateral (ML) direction than in the anterior-posterior (AP) direction (human calcaneus, 500 kHz). Our interest in the trabecular alignment within bone stems from the need to better understand the manner in which it can affect ultrasound propagation, particularly in pedicles. This chapter describes our method for quantitatively determining the directions of the trabeculae within pedicle trabecular bone. It uses micro-CT images and is based on the special properties of the Gabor filter that have been exploited for this purpose. Extensive testing of the method was accomplished using 2D simulated structures and 3D printed bone models. The method has been applied to six human pedicle samples in two orthogonal planes, with results that provide good evidence that the method is well suited for estimating the directionality distribution within smaller bones. In order to gain further understanding of this method and its results, readers are encouraged to refer to Gdyczynski et al. (2014).
Convolutional Neural Network for Reconstruction of 7T-like Images from 3T MRI Using Appearance and Anatomical Features

The advanced 7 Tesla (7T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners provide images with higher resolution anatomy than 3T MRI scanners, thus facilitating early diagnosis of brain diseases. However, 7T MRI scanners are less accessible, compared to the 3T MRI scanners. This motivates us to reconstruct 7T-like images from 3T MRI. We propose a deep architecture for Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which uses the appearance (intensity) and anatomical (labels of brain tissues) features as input to non-linearly map 3T MRI to 7T MRI. In the training step, we train the CNN by feeding it with both appearance and anatomical features of the 3T patch. This outputs the intensity of center voxel in the corresponding 7T patch. In the testing step, we apply the trained CNN to map each input 3T patch to the 7T-like image patch. Our performance is evaluated on 15 subjects, each with both 3T and 7T MR images. Both visual and numerical results show that our method outperforms the comparison methods.
The vertex attack tolerance of complex networks

The purpose of this work is four-fold: (1) We propose a new measure of network resilience in the face of targeted node attacks, vertex attack tolerance , represented mathematically as , and prove that for d -regular graphs τ (G ) = Θ (Φ (G )) where Φ (G ) denotes conductance, yielding spectral bounds as corollaries. (2) We systematically compare τ (G ) to known resilience notions, including integrity, tenacity, and toughness, and evidence the dominant applicability of τ for arbitrary degree graphs. (3) We explore the computability of τ , first by establishing the hardness of approximating unsmoothened vertex attack tolerance under various plausible computational complexity assumptions, and then by presenting empirical results on the performance of a betweenness centrality based heuristic algorithm applied not only to τ but several other hard resilience measures as well. (4) Applying our algorithm, we find that the random scale-free network model is more resilient than the Barabasi−Albert preferential attachment model, with respect to all resilience measures considered.
Girls' Sleep Trajectories Across the Pubertal Transition: Emerging Racial/Ethnic Differences.

Abstract Purpose This study aims to examine the longitudinal association between puberty and sleep in a diverse sample of girls and explore racial/ethnic differences in this association. Methods Using latent growth curve modeling, the present study measured pubertal development (timing and rate) and sleep (wake time and bedtime) in 1,239 socioeconomically and ethnically diverse girls starting when they were 6–8 years old and followed longitudinally for up to 8 years. Pubertal assessment was conducted annually in clinic by physical examination, classified by sexual maturation stage for breast and pubic hair development by trained raters. Results In line with previous research, black girls had the earliest pubertal development, followed by Hispanic, white, and Asian girls. Black girls, on average, reported significantly shorter sleep duration than Hispanic ( β = −.20, p β = −.29, p = .002), and white ( β = −.35, p β = .13, p = .005; pubic hair development: β = .14, p = .012). There was no evidence of any association between pubertal rate and sleep. All models controlled for family socioeconomic status and body mass index. Conclusion Sleep is essential for many aspects of youth development, including emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning. Developmental changes associated with puberty may put some early maturing girls at risk of shorter sleep duration in adolescence and exacerbate racial/ethnic disparities in health and well-being.
Comparison of Methicillin-resistant Versus Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Pediatric Osteomyelitis.

Background The incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pediatric osteomyelitis has risen and been associated with a more severe clinical course than methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections. National databases have been underutilized to describe these trends. We compared demographics, clinical course, and outcomes for patients with MRSA versus MSSA osteomyelitis. Methods We queried the 2009 and 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids Inpatient Database for discharge records with diagnosis codes for osteomyelitis and S. aureus. We explored demographics predicting MRSA and evaluated MRSA versus MSSA as predictors of clinical outcomes including surgery, sepsis, thrombophlebitis, length of stay, and total charges. Results A total of 4214 discharge records were included. Of those, 2602 (61.7%) had MSSA and 1612 (38.3%) had MRSA infections. Patients at Southern and Midwestern hospitals were more likely to have MRSA than those at Northeastern hospitals. Medicaid patients' odds of MRSA were higher than those with private insurance, and black patients were more likely to have MRSA compared with white patients. MRSA patients were more likely to undergo multiple surgeries compared with MSSA patients and were more likely to have complications including severe sepsis, thrombophlebitis, and pulmonary embolism. Patients with MRSA had longer lengths of stay than those with MSSA and higher total charges after controlling for length of stay. Conclusion Review of a national database demonstrates MRSA is more prevalent in the South and Midwest regions and among black patients. MRSA patients have more surgeries, complications, and longer lengths of stay. Level of evidence Level III.
EXISTENCE AND UNIQUENESS OF RIGID-BODY DYNAMICS WITH COULOMB FRICTION

For motion planning and verification, as well as for model-based control, it is important to have an accurate dynamic system model. In many cases, friction is a significant component of the model. ...
Brain Trauma Foundation Guideline Compliance: Results of a Multidisciplinary, International Survey

Background Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) guidelines reflect evidence-based best practices in management of traumatic brain injury. The aim of this study was to examine self-reported physician compliance and predictors of compliance related to BTF guidelines. Methods We conducted an international, multidisciplinary survey examining self-reported adherence to BTF guidelines and multiple factors potentially affecting adherence. We also surveyed intracranial pressure monitoring practices. Results Of 154 physician respondents, 15.9% reported their institutions “always” follow BTF guidelines and 72.2% reported that they follow them “most of the time.” Personal volume of traumatic brain injury cases and years in practice were not significantly related to adherence. Reported adherence varied significantly in association with respondent's institutional trauma level (P = 0.0010): 17.3% of practitioners at level I, 13.0% at level II, and 0% at level III trauma centers reported “always” following guidelines. Reported adherence to guidelines also varied significantly in association with provider specialty (P = 0.015) and institutional volume of severe traumatic brain injury cases (P = 0.008). Regarding intracranial pressure monitoring practices, 52% of respondents used external ventricular drains, 21% used intraparenchymal monitors, and 27% had no preference (P Conclusions Few respondents reported their institutions “always” follow BTF guidelines. General surgeons and providers at high-volume level I trauma centers were more likely to comply with guidelines. Differences in survey responses based on provider and institutional characteristics may help target educational efforts.
The Integration of the Genome of a Segmented DNA Virus in the Host Insect’s Genome

Polydnaviruses have a unique relationship with the parasitoids in which they occur naturally. This virus-insect association is novel not only in being constitutive but also in being mutualistic rather than pathogenic. A major component of the normal microflora of the wasps’ oviducts, polydnaviruses appear to play an essential role in the reproductive success of the parasitoids and hence to their survival as a species.
Trends in anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation in the U.S.: an analysis of the national ambulatory medical care survey database.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to track trends in the use of anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (AF) over the past decade and identify predictors of use. Background Atrial fibrillation is common and associated with significant morbidity. Previous studies suggest underuse of anticoagulant therapy in patients with AF. Methods The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey database was queried for all patient visits with a diagnosis of AF between 1994 and 2003. Other diagnoses, other medications, and demographic, visit, geographic, and provider characteristics were compared with the prescription of anticoagulation in predefined age and risk groups. Results The prevalence of the diagnosis of AF and anticoagulation for AF has increased over the last decade. Increased age and use of rate control agents is associated with the use of anticoagulation. There is a trend toward less anticoagulation when a rhythm control agent is used instead of a rate control agent. Anticoagulation might be overused in a group of low-risk patients. Conclusions From 1995 through 2002, an increase has occurred in anticoagulation for AF, especially in those at highest risk for thromboembolic phenomena. A substantial number of patients at risk for thromboembolic events are not anticoagulated, and further studies are needed to determine how many of these patients are candidates for anticoagulation. Anticoagulation use has increased in nontargeted, low-risk groups in whom antiplatelet agents are appropriate. Use of a rhythm control agent might be associated with less use of anticoagulation.
Persistence of Escherichia coli in the soil of an organic mixed crop-livestock farm that integrates sheep grazing within vegetable fields.

Mixed crop-livestock farms (MCLF) integrate livestock and crops using their animals to graze crop residues and/or cover crops. MCLF are considered sustainable because grazing and the manure deposited by livestock enhance soil fertility and recycles farm nutrients. However, livestock manure may introduce enteric foodborne pathogens to the soil, which could contaminate fresh produce. Organic farmers in the United States follow the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards, which require 90 or 120 days between incorporating raw manure into the soil and harvest. Although not specifically addressed in NOP, organic farmers using grazing within production fields may also use this standard. The objectives of this study were to generate preharvest data to assess the die-off of generic Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the soil, after cover crops were grazed by sheep; and assess the genetic relatedness of generic E. coli isolates between soil and sheep faecal samples. We conducted a repeated observational study to evaluate the persistence of generic E. coli, as an indicator of faecal contamination and surrogate for STEC, in the soil of two fields (A and B) on an organic MCLF. Results showed a 3.70 log10 reduction in mean generic E. coli concentration MPN in the soil of field A from the highest of 3.70 log10 MPN/g on 48 day postsheep grazing (DPS) to -0.70 log10 MPN/g on 139 DPS. Field B showed a 3.51 log10 reduction in mean generic E. coli concentration in the soil from the highest mean of 3.51 log10 MPN/g on 14 DPS to the lowest mean -0.35 log10 MPN/g on 112 DPS. STEC prevalence in the sheep flock was 4.17% (1/24). Closely related generic E. coli strains were found between soil and faecal samples. Developing research-based waiting periods between grazing and harvest is important to inform best practices for farmers and food safety regulators.
Misery Loves Company: Presenting Symptom Clusters to Urgent Care by Patients Receiving Antineoplastic Therapy.

Purpose:The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identifies suboptimal management of treatment toxicities as a care gap and proposes the measurement of hospital performance on the basis of emergency department visits for 10 common symptoms. Current management strategies do not address symptom co-occurrence.Methods:We evaluated symptom co-occurrence in three patient cohorts that presented to a cancer hospital urgent care center in 2016. We examined both the CMS-identified symptoms and an expanded clinician-identified set defined as symptoms that could be safely managed in the outpatient setting if identified early and managed proactively. The cohorts included patients who presented with a CMS-defined symptom within 30 days of treatment, patients who presented within 30 days of treatment with a symptom from the expanded set, and patients who presented with a symptom from the expanded set within 30 days of treatment start. Symptom co-occurrence was measured by Jaccard index. A community detection a...
On the use of linearized instability analyses to investigate the buckling of nonsymmetrical systems

The problem examined in this paper concerns the use of the procedure encountered in the literature that, in investigating instability phenomena of systems with nontrivial prebuckled equilibrium branches, a linearized prebuckling analysis may be employed provided that “buckling” takes place in the small deflection range. In clarifying this problem it will be shown that, although this procedure has been used with reasonable success on symmetrical systems, such an approach may in fact yieldtotally misleading results when applied to nonsymmetrical systems. The principal tool that will be employed in the investigation of this problem will be the systematic application and analysis of the techniques associated with regular perturbation expansions. Using this approach it will also be shown that there are two possible characteristic equations that one can use to determine critical points of neutral equilibrium; and that by using these two equations, one can immediately determine whether a point of neutral equilibrium is a bifurcation point (generally characterized by sidesway or adjacent path buckling) or a limit point (generally characterized by snap-thru or discontinuous buckling).
Nationwide Analysis of Resource Utilization and In-Hospital Outcomes in the Obese Patients With Lower Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage.

Goals The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of obesity on the outcomes of patients with lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage (LGIH). Background Obesity is considered as an independent risk factor for LGIH. We sought to analyze in-hospital outcomes and characteristics of nonobese and obese patients who presented with LGIH, and further, identify resource utilization during their hospital stay. Materials and methods With the use of National Inpatient Sample from January 2005 through December 2014, LGIH-related hospitalizations (age≥18 y) were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic codes. Patients were stratified into the nonobese and obese groups depending on their body mass index (>30 kg/m). The statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4. Results Of the total 482,711 patients with LGIH-related hospitalizations, 38,592 patients were found to be obese. In a propensity-matched analysis, the in-hospital mortality was higher in the nonobese patients (4.2% vs. 3.8%, P=0.004), however, the mean length of hospital stay and mean cost was higher in the obese group which could be due to a higher number of comorbidities in the obese group. Secondary outcomes such as the need for mechanical ventilation vasopressor use and colonoscopy was significantly higher in the obese group. Conclusions The study results demonstrate that 'obesity paradox' do exist for LGIH-related hospitalizations for mortality. LGIH hospitalizations in the obese patients are associated with higher resource utilization as evidenced by the longer length of stay and higher cost of hospitalizations as compared with the nonobese patients.
Competitive heavy metal adsorption onto new and aged polyethylene under various drinking water conditions.

Abstract The study goal was to identify factors that influence copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) loading on new and aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) under various drinking water conditions. The applied aging procedure increased LDPE surface area, hydrophilicity and the number of oxygen containing functional groups. Aged LDPE adsorbed up to a 5 fold greater metals than the new LDPE: Cu > Pb, Zn > Mn. Water pH (5.5 to 10.5) significantly altered LDPE surface metal loading. The organic carbon leached from plastic pipes inhibited Cu adsorption (−43.8%), but other metals were less impacted (−5.7% to −9.1%). The addition of free chlorine and corrosion inhibitor retarded metal adsorption to suspended LDPE materials. Overall, by changing water conditions total metal loadings (i.e., Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) were altered 20.1 to 35.4%. When Fe was present, Cu (−4.0%) and Pb (−4.5%) loadings were reduced, while lesser impacts were found for Mn and Zn. Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ hydroxides and oxides were identified as the major metal deposit forms on the LDPE surface by XPS. To better predict metal fate in plastic piping systems, plastic surface characteristics, dissolved organics, water pH, hydraulic conditions and microbial growth should be considered.
Regional Wetland Plant Responses to Sulfur and Other Porewater Chemistry in Calcareous Rich Fens

Many wetland environmental gradients structure plant community composition, yet controls of plant community composition within rich fens, botanically diverse groundwater-fed wetlands, are still incompletely understood. Porewater chemistry and plant community composition were recorded for eight calcareous rich fens encompassing both calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate geological inputs in the Central New York State region. As expected, porewater sulfate and sulfide concentrations were, on average, higher for wetlands overlying calcium sulfate than for wetlands overlying calcium carbonate. However, within-wetland heterogeneity in porewater chemistry was high. Moss species density, moss cover, and total plant cover decreased with increased sulfide. Moss, dicot, and total cover also had a negative relationship with calcium. There were a number of species-level responses to calcium, sulfide, phosphorus, and ferrous iron. Plant height had a positive relationship with nitrogen. The strength and relative importance of some plant responses to sulfide and calcium in the current regional study differed from a previous sub-hectare scale study. The observed decrease in some metrics of site-level plant diversity with increased sulfide variability across fens highlighted the need to characterize species-environment relationships across spatial scales.
Evaluation of Charcot Triad, Reynolds Pentad, and Tokyo Guidelines for Diagnosis of Cholangitis Secondary to Choledocholithiasis Across Patient Age Groups.

Abstract Objective To determine the prevalence of Charcot triad, Reynolds pentad, and Tokyo Guidelines criteria and clinical outcomes among patients with cholangitis across different age groups. Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 257 consecutive hospitalized adult patients with acute cholangitis due to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography–confirmed choledocholithiasis between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. Patients were divided into 3 age groups: less than 65 years, 65 to 79 years, and 80 years or older. Symptoms, vital signs, and laboratory data on admission were collected. Outcomes included length of hospitalization, intensive care unit stay, and 3-month mortality. Nominal variables were tested with the Pearson χ2 test, and continuous variables were tested with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results Charcot triad decreased with older ages. In the group that was age 80 years or older, malaise was the most common symptom; 33.6% (37 of 110) presented with altered sensorium, 9.1% (10 of 110) had no pain, fever, or jaundice, and positive blood culture results were more frequent. Tokyo cholestasis criterion was present in 96.0% (247 of 257), while inflammation (considered essential for diagnosis) was present in 75.9% (195 of 257). Patients 80 years or older had significantly higher mean length of hospital stay (P Conclusion Compared with patients in younger age groups, patients with cholangitis who are 80 years or older are less likely to have Charcot triad, are more likely to have features of Reynolds pentad, or present with unexplained malaise. Within the Tokyo Guidelines, cholestasis should replace inflammation as an essential diagnostic criterion.
Development of ACE2 autoantibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: Activation of the immune system is implicated in the Post-Acute Sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) but the mechanisms remain unknown. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) cleaves angiotensin II (Ang II) resulting in decreased activation of the AT1 receptor and decreased immune system activation. We hypothesized that autoantibodies against ACE2 may develop after SARS-CoV-2 infection, as anti-idiotypic antibodies to anti-spike protein antibodies. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We tested plasma or serum for ACE2 antibodies in 67 patients with known SARS-CoV-2 infection and 13 with no history of infection. None of the 13 patients without history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 1 of the 20 outpatients that had a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 had levels of ACE2 antibodies above the cutoff threshold. In contrast, 26/32 (81%) in the convalescent group and 14/15 (93%) of patients acutely hospitalized had detectable ACE2 antibodies. Plasma from patients with antibodies against ACE2 had less soluble ACE2 activity in plasma but similar amounts of ACE2 protein compared to patients without ACE2 antibodies. We measured the capacity of the samples to inhibit ACE2 enzyme activity. Addition of plasma from patients with ACE2 antibodies led to decreased activity of an exogenous preparation of ACE2 compared to patients that did not have antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection have antibodies specific for ACE2. Patients with ACE2 antibodies have lower activity of soluble ACE2 in plasma. Plasma from these patients also inhibits exogenous ACE2 activity. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ACE2 antibodies develop after SARS-CoV-2 infection and decrease ACE2 activity. This could lead to an increase in the abundance of Ang II, which causes a proinflammatory state that triggers symptoms of PASC.
Postoperative Use of Ketorolac Improves Pain Management and Decreases Narcotic Use Following Primary Cleft Palate Surgery.

Objective To study the efficacy and safety profile of ketorolac in cleft palate surgery. Design Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent primary cleft palate surgery and received either postoperative ketorolac or opioids. Setting Tertiary care children's hospital. Patients, participants Eighty-nine patients enrolled who were all younger than 36 months of age, not dependent on a gastrostomy tube, with no history of bleeding disorders, and had undergone their primary cleft palate procedure by one specific surgeon between January 2010 and June 2019. Interventions n/a. Main outcome measure Morphine equivalent dose (MED), Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) score, length of stay (LOS), total oral intake (mL), total oral intake/LOS, and postoperative adverse events between ketorolac and no ketorolac groups. Results MED, FLACC score, and LOS were significantly lower in the ketorolac group compared to the no ketorolac group. One patient in the ketorolac group had a bleeding event. Conclusions Use of ketorolac significantly decreased narcotic usage and pain scores as reported by the FLACC score. Moreover, postoperative bleeding was rare in both ketorolac and no ketorolac groups.
Does OIRA Review Improve the Quality of Regulatory Impact Analysis? Evidence from the Final Year of the Bush II Administration

Since 1974, executive orders have required executive branch regulatory agencies to produce some form of economic analysis when promulgating significant regulations. However, both case study research and regulatory analysis “scorecards” find that the quality of regulatory analysis varies considerably across and within agencies. Executive Order 12,866 gives the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) authority to review agency regulations and the accompanying analysis, and OIRA can return regulations to agencies if the analysis is insufficient. Using data from the Mercatus Center’s Regulatory Report Card project and statistics on OIRA review time from reginfo.gov, we examine whether the quality and use of regulatory analysis vary consistently with OIRA actions. Our findings suggest that there is a critical relationship between political pressure, and deadlines, and the quality of regulatory analysis that warrants further investigation.
On-line Parameter Estimation and Adaptation in Nonlinear Model-Based Control

The objective of this research is to demonstrate that improved control of nonlinear systems can be achieved in highly nonlinear operability regions when a periodically adapted nonlinear model is used in a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) strategy. In this paper, we develop a robust and efficient on-line parameter estimation scheme capable of adapting the nonlinear model for implementation in the nonlinear controller. We discuss the ramifications of nonlinear control in the absence of estimation, and we consider how the choice of parameters to be estimated impacts controller performance.
Nk cells induce tumor cell resistance to Nk cell cytolysis (TUM2P.918)

Live cell microscopy of murine NK cells co-cultured with tumor cells revealed substantial lysis of tumor cells by NK cells that diminished dramatically within the first few hours. The kinetics of conjugate formation and NK cell cycling between targets remained unchanged. When NK cells were re-isolated and placed in co-culture with fresh tumor cells, substantial lysis ensued, indicating that the reduction in killing was not due to exhaustion of the NK cells. When tumor cells were isolated from co-cultures and re-mixed with fresh NK cells, normal cycling and conjugate-formation with tumor cells was observed, but this rarely resulted in cytolysis. Tumor cells lost plastic-adherence and underwent replicative senescence. When removed from co-culture, most of the still viable tumor cells regained their normal adherent morphology, growth rate, and sensitivity to NK-mediated lysis. Pre-incubation of tumor cells with cell-free supernatants from NK cell or NK+tumor cell cultures reduced the killing by 60-90% compared to that of non-preincubated tumor cells. The changes in MHC expression correlated poorly with the observed changes in tumor cell resistance to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Pre-incubation of tumor cells with NK cells from IFNγ-KO donors or supernatants of IFNγ-deficient NK cells did not cause MHC upregulation, but induced almost complete resistance in tumor cells to NK cell-mediated cytolysis. Both IFNγ and MHC upregulation are dispensable for the observed protection.
Kardiovasculäre Regulations-Mechanismen

Mensch und Saugetiere verfugen uber vielfaltige kardiovasculare Regulationsmechanismen; diese fordern die Durchblutung aktiver Gewebe, variieren die Warmeabgabe des Organismus durch Umverteilung des Blutes und sichern in Notfallsituationen (z. B. Blutverlust) die Durchblutung von Gehirn und Herz u. U. auf Kosten der Blutzufuhr zum ubrigen Korper.
An effective Bayesian model for lithofacies estimation using geophysical data

[1] A Bayesian model coupled with a fuzzy neural network (BFNN) is developed to enhance the use of geophysical data in lithofacies estimation. Prior estimates are inferred from borehole lithofacies measurements using indicator kriging, and posterior estimates are obtained by updating the prior using geophysical data. The novelty of this study lies in the use of the fuzzy neural network for the inference of the likelihood function. This allows spatial correlation of lithofacies as well as nonlinear cross correlation between lithofacies and geophysical attributes to be incorporated into lithofacies estimation. The effectiveness of BFNN is demonstrated using synthetic data emulating measurements at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Site.
What International Advice Do Universities Need

The latest accouterment of world-class universities, or those aspiring to world-class status, is an international advisory group. Heidelberg University, in Germany, has one headed by a former Oxford vice chancellor; the Higher School of Economics committee, in Moscow, is chaired by a Nobel Prize–winning American economist; and several prominent Saudi Arabian universities have committees composed of top-ranking academics and a few business executives.
A Genome-Wide Scenario of Terpene Pathways in Self-pollinated Artemisia annua

Scenarios of genes to metabolites in Artemisia annua remain uninvestigated. Here, we report the use of an integrated approach combining metabolomics, transcriptomics, and gene function analyses to characterize gene-to-terpene and terpene pathway scenarios in a self-pollinating variety of this species. Eighty-eight metabolites including 22 sesquiterpenes (e.g., artemisinin), 26 monoterpenes, two triterpenes, one diterpene and 38 other non-polar metabolites were identified from 14 tissues. These metabolites were differentially produced by leaves and flowers at lower to higher positions. Sequences from cDNA libraries of six tissues were assembled into 18 871 contigs and genome-wide gene expression profiles in tissues were strongly associated with developmental stages and spatial specificities. Sequence mining identified 47 genes that mapped to the artemisinin, non-amorphadiene sesquiterpene, monoterpene, triterpene, 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate and mevalonate pathways. Pearson correlation analysis resulted in network integration that characterized significant correlations of gene-to-gene expression patterns and gene expression-to-metabolite levels in six tissues simultaneously. More importantly, manipulations of amorpha-4,11-diene synthase gene expression not only affected the activity of this pathway toward artemisinin, artemisinic acid, and arteannuin b but also altered non-amorphadiene sesquiterpene and genome-wide volatile profiles. Such gene-to-terpene landscapes associated with different tissues are fundamental to the metabolic engineering of artemisinin.
The Ridgely House Venture: Triple Net Commercial Lease/Purchase Case

This case examines the tax, financial accounting, and governmental reporting consequences of a private Developer's actual purchase, renovation, and transfer of Ridgely House—an historical building in Ridgely, Maryland—to the Town of Ridgely. In short, the Developer purchases the building for $110,000 and incurs $190,000 in renovation costs to convert the property to a Town Hall and Police Station. He then “leases” the property back to the Town under terms and conditions outlined in a lease/purchase agreement (which can be viewed on the Web at http://faculty.ssu.edu/∼kjsmith/ridgely.htm). The case is constructed from the background information and actual lease/purchase agreement provided by the Developer. The terms of the agreement raise several questions regarding the proper tax and financial accounting treatment of various aspects of the transaction. The Developer (lessor) questions whether the transaction is to be reported for tax and financial‐reporting purposes as a rental or a sale, if the property q...
Influence of the concentration dependence of the mass transfer properties on chromatographic band profiles: II. Accuracy of the determination of isotherm data by frontal analysis

Using known relationships between the apparent axial dispersion coefficient and the concentration, the process of isotherm determination by frontal analysis is modeled by calculating numerical solutions of the equilibrium-dispersive model and processing these simulated experimental data using classical methods of frontal analysis. The results show that significant systematic errors can take place when the apparent axial dispersion coefficient depends strongly on the concentration in the range investigated.
Electrochemical behavior of methyl viologen in zeolite particle films

Abstract Zeolites NaA and NaY were coated onto platinum electrodes. The effects of channel diameter in the zeolites, size of electrolyte cation, solvent, and solubility of methyl viologen on electron transfer and ion-exchange behavior were studied. When exposed to electrolyte solutions containing methyl viologen (N,N′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridyl dichloride), ion-exchange of the viologen occured into zeolite Y (large pores) but not into zeolite A (small pores). In water, electrochemistry of methyl viologen in NaY zeolite on the electrode surface resembled that of methyl viologen at clean platinum. When the zeolite-coated electrode was used in acetonitrile, however, cyclic voltammetric peak shapes changed dramatically. Generation of the neutral viologen species by subsequent reduction of the methyl viologen cation radical appeared to lead to a comproportionation reaction of the neutral species with the dication remaining in the zeolite, to regenerate the cation radical. The electrochemical behavior of methyl viologen exchanged into NaY zeolite in acetonitrile depended on the size of electrolyte cations. Electron transfer and loss of methyl viologen vy leaching were fast in the presence of lithium perchlorate solution and slow in tetraethylammonium and tetrabutylyammonium perchlorate solutions. A mixed electrolyte (tetraheptylammonium bromide + lithium perchlorate) solution prevented solubility of methyl viologen while (facilitating charge transfer.
Appearance in Slow Muscle Sarcolemma of Specializations Characteristic of Fast Muscle after Reinnervation by a Fast Muscle Nerve

Abstract We utilized quantitative freeze-fracture electron microscopy to study the plasticity of orthogonal clusters of 60-A particles (the “square array”) found in the sarcolemma of fast-twitch muscle. The membrane macromolecular composition of normally slow-twitch rat soleus muscle was examined 1 year after surgical reinnervation by the nerve from fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus muscles. The isometric contraction times and histochemical profiles were monitored and it was confirmed that conversion of fiber types had occurred. The sarcolemma of the switched “fast” soleus developed square arrays of 60-A particles characteristic of fast-twitch muscle whereas the sarcolemma of the contralateral control, the “slow” soleus, contained only random particles. Square array density per square micrometer in cross-reinnervated fast soleus fibers resembled that of normal fast extensor digitorum longus muscles and varied as a function of distance from the neuromuscular junction. This experiment demonstrates that the appearance of these unusual clusters of 60-A particles is neuronally regulated. We further suggest that these macromolecules are under the influence of the same subtle aspects of innervation that regulate the differentiation of myosin adenosine triphosphatase and thereby the contractile behaviors of fast- and slow-twitch muscle. The function of the sarcolemmal square array is unknown; however, a correlation with a membrane property that is more highly developed in fast-twitch muscle is to be expected.
Bad acts, blameworthy agents, and intentional actions: Some problems for juror impartiality

In this paper, I first review some of the recent empirical work on the biasing effect that moral considerations have on folk ascriptions of intentional action. Then, I use Mark Alicke's affective model of blame attribution to explain this biasing effect. Finally, I discuss the relevance of this research—both philosophical and psychological—to the problem of the partiality of jury deliberation. After all, if the immorality of an action does affect folk ascriptions of intentionality, and all serious criminal offenses—e.g., murder and rape—are immoral in addition to being illegal, then a juror's ability to determine the relevant mens rea (i.e., guilty mind) of a defendant in an unbiased way may be seriously undermined.
Abundance and variety of birds associated with point sources of water in southwestern New Mexico, U. S. A.

Abstract Developed waters may improve arid landscapes for birds, but their efficacy requires further study. I counted birds along five 300-m transects originating at point sources of water in a New Mexico grassland, and compared results with those from transects without water. Total birds were nearly three times more abundant on transects with water, but differences were greater in spring and winter than during the wet summer period. Twenty-two of 25 common species trended toward greater abundance on transects with water, eight of these at statistically significant levels, including Gambel's Quail, Mourning Dove, House Finch, and a variety of wintering sparrows. Sixty-four percent of detections along transects with water occurred
Parotidectomy and neck dissection in the management of conjunctival melanoma: are they necessary?

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objectives of this study were to review traditional techniques for the management of conjunctival melanoma and assess the need for parotidectomy and neck dissection in the management of conjunctival melanoma. Study Design: Retrospective review. Methods: This study was a retrospective review conducted in a tertiary academic medical center of patients diagnosed with conjunctival melanoma over a 20-year period Results: There were 39 patients diagnosed with conjunctival melanoma identified from January 1990 to December 2010. Follow-up varied from 2 to 201 months (median, 25 months). Of the patients, 16 (41%) had local recurrences at the primary site, two (13%) of whom later presented with parotid disease. One patient with parotid recurrence had a subsequent neck dissection for confirmed metastatic spread. No patient in this series had metastatic cervical disease without initial spread to the parotid. The probability of disease-free survival at 1, 2, and 5 years was 77%, 68%, and 50%, respectively. The probability of parotid free progression at 1, 2, and 5 years was 100%, 96%, and 90%, respectively. Conclusions: Conjunctival melanoma is a rare malignancy traditionally managed with aggressive treatment to optimize local control. The role for staging parotidectomy with or without neck dissection has been heavily debated. Based on our review, parotidectomy only needs to be undertaken when high suspicion for metastatic spread is present, such as a palpable or radiographically evident mass. In addition, without documented parotid disease, neck dissection is not required.
Epic or philosophic, homeric or heraclitean? The anonymous philosopher in Charles Frazier’sCold Mountain

1997’s surprise best-seller,Cold Mountain, is the first novel of North Carolina native and travel writer, Charles Frazier. Two ancient Greek authors shape and drive the novel, set in the post-war Southern Appalachians of 1865. Homer'sOdyssey frames the novel: the hero Inman undergoes epic adventures after the war, has his own Penelope waiting, and travels back to a land as remote as any island, Cold Mountain, North Carolina. But fragments of an anonymous philosopher who can be identified as Heraclitus alienate Inman from the Homeric world around him and determine his fate. Ada, his Penelope, also casts off her shroud of tradition: impatient with the ‘glorious war,’ no longer content to wait, Ada plunges into the new business of living. And just as the archaic, post-Homeric Greek world produced new ways of living and thought, as exemplified by Heraclitus, so too does the post-bellum world ofCold Mountain, as exemplified by Inman and Ada; their struggle, and the novel's tension, speak to and about all those caught between two worlds, epic and philosophic, whether driven by love or strife.
Sodium influx and efflux in the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias

Abstract 1. 1. With the use of Na 22 , measurements were made of the influx of Na via the anterior end and both the total and renal efflux of Na in the spiny dogfish. 2. 2. In two experiments with unfed animals, anterior end influxes were 1·0 and 0·89 mMoles/kg-hr while total effluxes were 0·92 and 0·86 mMoles/kg-hr respectively. 3. 3. Renal effluxes in these two fish were 0·10 and 0·20 mMoles/kg-hr. 4. 4. These results show that Na is taken up by the anterior end of the dogfish at a rate about equal to the total body efflux of this ion. 5. 5. Since only 10–30 per cent of the total Na efflux is mediated by the kidney, substantial extra-renal loss of Na must occur. 6. 6. The implications of these results for salt and water metabolism in elasmobranchs is discussed.