cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability: Disability Inclusive Development and International Development Cooperation

47 Introduction: On 13 December 2006 in New York, at the 61 session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the "International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" and its "Optional Protocol" were adopted by consensus. All over the world, governments, members of civil society, disabled people’s organizations and self-help groups, human rights lawyers, and academicians who had made significant contributions to the drafting process, witnessed and celebrated this historical moment. Though the fundamental rights stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and seven core United Nations International Human Rights Treaties, shall cover, at least in paper, all people including disabled people, in practice those rights were not fully enjoyed by persons with disabilities. Their socio-economic and civil-political rights are Reviews
O cerrado na caracterização dos personagens de Ricardo Guilherme Dicke

Com base na premissa de que a ecocritica na literatura desenvolve uma analise da relacao entre o humano e o ambiente, propoe- -se a extensao da nocao de literatura sertaneja, nordestina, para um conceito mais abrangente de “literatura do cerrado”. A pesquisa de uma identidade das populacoes que habitam esse bioma maior ainda nao foi dada a conhecer. E Darcy Ribeiro quem, em seu modelo de classificacao rural (1978), delimita a cultura sertaneja entre as regioes do sertao nordestino, do cerrado do centro-oeste e do noroeste de Minas Gerais. Gilberto Freyre, com seu Manifesto Regionalista , argumenta a dissolu- cao das fronteiras em nome de uma cultura brasileira, nacional. Propomos desenvolver uma analise literaria ecocritica de modo a comparar os ecossistemas do cerrado e do sertao, sugerindo que ha certo vies coincidente na identidade cultural literaria desses dois espacos geograficos. O foco deste trabalho sera nos romances do matogrossense Ricardo Guilherme Dicke, Deus de Caim e Os Semelhantes.
Canine pancreatic secretion in response to acceptable and aversive taste stimuli.

SummaryThe present study, with conscious dogs, indicates that both pancreatic flow and pancreatic protein output can be affected by the nature of the taste stimuli. Water and a sucrose solution mixed with a basal diet produced a similar and significantly greater stimulation of flow than did citric acid or quinine, which in turn were similar. Although it appeared that protein secretion was more strongly enhanced by sucrose solution than by water and solutions of citric acid and quinine, it was not clearly established that sucrose solution and water were really different. The flow responses for the four taste stimuli were highly correlated with the readiness with which the various food mixtures were accepted by the dogs.
Muscle Force Distribution Model of Knee Joint

In this study,a muscle force distribution model of knee joint is established.Muscle length and moment arm were determined from the anatomical model of the lower limb.The results of simulations using generic muscle parameters may not be valid since muscle properties vary from subject to subject.In order to solve this problem,the model calibrated muscle stress using mathematical optimisation to match the net flexion/extension muscle moment with those data from literatures.Sensitivity analyses were also performed to assess the effect of optimum muscle length on estimated muscle contraction force.The result of the study showed a good relationship between optimized muscle moment and knee resultant flexion-extension moment.The joint moments were predicted with multiple correlation coefficient 0.95 for quadriceps and 0.92 for hamstrings.The muscle stresses of the quadriceps and hamstrings obtained through the optimization procedure are 52.4 and 53.8 N/cm2 respectively.Our results of sensitivity analysis also suggest it is especially important to use accurate values of optimal muscle length.The data of optimum muscle length from literature is not valid for subject-specific modeling.
Risk assessment of H5N1 human infection after an outbreak of avian influenza in water fowl

Objective To evaluate the risk of human infection after the outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 in animals.and probe the possibility for virus transmission.Methods By means of field epidemiological study,molecular epidemiology,serology and emergency surveillance,persons who had ever closely contacted with sick or dead poultry were observed.While,the RT-PCR and gene sequencing method were used to detect H5 nucleic acid from environmental swabs from 4 epidemic spots,and hemagglutination inhibition assay was also used to detect H5 antibody.Results of 22 environmental swabs detected from 4 epidemic spots,one was positive for H5 nucleic acid,and the homogeneity was 95.9% as compared with H5N1 virus A/China,/GD01/2006 (H5N1) found in Guangzhou in 2006 by gene sequence analysis.62 environmental swabs from live poultry stalls of food markets near epidemic spot were detected negative.Six of 68 blood samples of contacts were positive for H9 antibody,and all were negative for H5 antibodv.68 throat swabs of contacts were detected negative for H5 nucleic acid.No close contact was found abnormal after 7 days medical observation.337 influenza-like cases were reported in emergency surveillance,and no suspicious case was found.Conclusion The current outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in water fowls has not yet caused further transmission,and human avian influenza case has not been observed.It indicates that the ability of H5N1 virus to transmit to human is not strong yet,and the risk of human infection for H5N1 is still low. Key words: Avian influenza; Contact tracing; Disease transmission; Risk assessment
The Economic Effects of Anti‐Tampering Rules in Professional Sports Leagues

Every major North American professional sports league prohibits its members from ‘tampering' with another member's employees. The prohibitions vary across leagues in content, scope, and enforcement, but at their core forbid clubs from soliciting another club's employees. Critically, the restrictions extend to discussions of employment that would commence only after a current employment contract ends. They therefore inhibit the flow of information about the demand for an employee's services. Professional sports leagues typically have monopsony power in labor markets. A no‐solicitation agreement among league members has the capacity to lower employees' wages. For players, whose contractual rights are traded, such an agreement need not affect the distribution of employees across clubs; for other employees, it may cause a misallocation of employees and therefore a deadweight loss. A no‐solicitation agreement may increase efficiency by enhancing the value of athletic competition, a product produced jointly by a sports league. But the argument that league anti‐tampering rules have this effect is weak. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HYBRID Simulations of Diffraction-Limited Focusing with Kirkpatrick-Baez Mirrors for a Next-Generation In Situ Hard X-ray Nanoprobe

Next-generation hard X-ray nanoprobe beamlines such as the In Situ Nanoprobe (ISN) beamline being planned at the Advanced Photon Source aim at providing very high spatial resolution while also enabling very high focused flux, to study complex materials and devices using fast, multidimensional imaging across many length scales. The ISN will use diffractive optics to focus X-rays with a bandpass of ∆E/E = 10−4 into a focal spot of 20 nm or below. Reflective optics in Kirkpatrick-Baez geometry will be used to focus X-rays with a bandpass as large as ∆E/E = 10−2 into a focal spot of 50 nm. Diffraction-limited focusing with reflective optics is achieved by spatial filtering and use of a very long, vertically focusing mirror. To quantify the performance of the ISN beamline, we have simulated the propagation of both partially and fully coherent wavefronts from the undulator source, through the ISN beamline and into the mirror-based focal spot. Simulations were carried out using the recently developed software “HYBRID.”
Pseudosarcomatous Vaginal Polyp A Benign Mimic of Malignancy

Background. Although rare, pregnant women can present with fibroepithelial polyps of the vagina. Most likely hormonally related, these polyps have been described in various locations of the lower f...
Device-to-device coupon distribution using economic routing utilities

This paper presents a multicast Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) routing protocol that uses an economic gain based routing utility for device-to-device (D2D) commercial coupon dissemination. Majority of the existing DTN routing approaches are not practically applicable to commercial content dissemination since they attempt to individually optimize performance indices such as message delay, forwarding cost, and required storage, but not their combined economic benefits. This paper uses a composite routing performance index, namely economic gain, which combines revenue from delivery and forwarding cost from disseminating commercial content such as coupons. It then develops a new gain-aware DTN multicast routing utility that is designed around the notion of consumption interest and coupon redemption probability. We propose two routing protocols, namely, Predictive Gain Utility Routing Individual (PGUR-I), and a more scalable version, Predictive Gain Utility Routing Aggregated (PGUR-A), to control D2D coupon dissemination with an end goal of maximizing the economic gain for a coupongenerator. Using the DTN simulation software ONE, we run experiments for functional validation and performance evaluation of the proposed protocols with respect to an existing competitive protocol under different protocol constraints and mobility scenarios.
Identifying adults aging with disability using existing data: The case of the Health and Retirement Study.

Abstract Background The population of persons aging with disabilities is growing. Being able to segment aging with disability sub-populations within national data sets is becoming increasingly important in order to understand the relationship of aging with disability to a range of outcomes in later life including health and wellness, economic security, and health and long-term service and support need and use. Objective The purpose of this study was to identify viable sub-samples of adults aging with disabilities within the Health and Retirement Study, one of the most used secondary data sets to study aging and older adults. Method Samples used in this research are drawn from wave 11 (2012) of the HRS. Five operationalizations of disability were used: childhood disability (n = 719), childhood chronic condition (n = 3070), adult chronic condition (n = 13,723), functional limitation in adulthood (n = 4448) and work disability (n = 5632). Results These subsamples are not mutually exclusive. Among respondents that reported having a childhood disability, 87% also report having at least one chronic disease in adulthood, 50% report having functional limitations in adulthood and 38% report interruption in their ability to work due to a disability. Compared to the childhood disability samples, rates of reporting fair/poor health are nearly double among adults with functional limitations or those with work disruptions because of disability. Conclusion Work disability and functional limitation appeared to be the most viable sub-sample options to consider when using the HRS to study experiences of adults aging with disability. Overall, age at onset is unclear.
Modifying optical properties of reduced/graphene oxide with controlled ozone and thermal treatment in aqueous suspensions.

Graphene possesses a number of advantageous properties, however, does not exhibit optical emission, which limits its use in optoelectronics. Unlike graphene, its functional derivative, graphene oxide (GO) exhibits fluorescence emission throughout the visible. Here, we focus on controlled methods for tuning the optical properties of GO. We introduce ozone treatment of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in order to controllably transform it from non-emissive graphene-like material into GO with a specific fluorescence emission response. Solution-based treatment of RGO for 5–45 min with ~1.2 g l−1 ozone/oxygen gas mixture yields a drastic color change, bleaching of the absorption in the visible and the stepwise increase in fluorescence intensity and lifetime. This is attributed to the introduction of oxygen-containing functional groups to RGO graphitic platform as detected by the infrared spectroscopy. A reverse process: controllable quenching of this fluorescence is achieved by the thermal treatment of GO in aqueous suspension up to 90 °C. This methodology allows for the wide range alteration of GO optical properties starting from the dark-colored non-emissive RGO material up to nearly transparent highly ozone-oxidized GO showing substantial fluorescence emission. The size of the GO flakes is concomitantly altered by oxidation-induced scission. Semi-empirical PM3 theoretical calculations on HyperChem models are utilized to explore the origins of optical response from GO. Two models are considered, attributing the induced emission either to the localized states produced by oxygen-containing addends or the islands of graphitic carbon enclosed by such addends. Band gap values calculated from the models are in the agreement with experimentally observed transition peak maxima. The controllable variation of GO optical properties in aqueous suspension by ozone and thermal treatments shown in this work provides a route to tune its optical response for particular optoelectronics or biomedical applications.
Patterns of Care in Adjuvant Therapy for Resected Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Cancer in Elderly Patients

Purpose To characterize the patterns of care and potential barriers to access to care for elderly patients with oral cavity cancer in the adjuvant setting. Methods and Materials We performed a retrospective cohort study using the National Cancer Data Base and identified patients with resected oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2012, who survived for ≥3 months after surgery. We used logistic regression models to assess the association between age ( Results A total of 25,829 patients were included in the study. Compared with those aged Conclusions In a national hospital-based cohort of patients with oral cavity cancer, elderly patients were less likely to receive adjuvant radiation or chemoradiation therapy. Greater patient distance from reporting facility, in addition to older age, was associated with lower odds of receiving both adjuvant radiation therapy and adjuvant chemoradiation therapy.
Technology Options for Beyond-CMOS

CMOS integrated circuit technology for computation is at an inflexion point. Although this is the technology which has enabled the semiconductor industry to make vast progress over the past 30-plus years, it is expected to see challenges going beyond the ten year horizon, particularly from an energy efficiency point of view. Thus it is extremely important for the semiconductor industry to discover a new integrated circuit technology which can carry us to the beyond CMOS era, so that the power-performance of computing can continue to improve. Currently, researchers are exploring novel device concepts and new information tokens as an alternative for CMOS technology. Examples of areas being actively researched are; quantum electronic devices, such as the tunneling field-effect transistor (TFET), and devices based on electron spin and nano-magnetics (spintronics). It is clear that choices will need to be made in the next 10 years to identify viable alternatives for CMOS by 2025. To prioritize and guide the research exploration in materials, devices and circuits, benchmarking methodology and metrics are being used. This talk will give an overview of the beyond CMOS device research horizon and the benchmarking of these devices for computation. A more detailed investigation of circuits based upon some promising beyond-CMOS devices will follow.
Versatile Methodology for Glycosurfaces: Direct Ligation of Nonderivatized Reducing Saccharides to Poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate) Grafted Surfaces via Hydrazide Conjugation

In this work, we report a convenient and versatile strategy for surface-grafted glycopolymer constructs with the goal of surface modification that controls the chemical presentation and grafting density of carbohydrate side chains. This approach employs a difunctional hydrazine linker, chemically modified to an active ester containing poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate) grafted scaffold, to conjugate a variety of saccharides through the reducing end. The successive conjugation steps are carried out under mild conditions and yield high surface densities of sugars, as high as 4.8 nmol·cm–2, capable of multivalency, with an intact structure and retained bioactivity. We also demonstrate that this glycosylated surface can bind specific lectins according to the structure of its pendant carbohydrate. To demonstrate bioactivity, this surface platform is used to study the binding events of a human respiratory tract pathogen, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, on surfaces conjugated with sialylated sugars.
Metal-binding selectivity and coordination dynamics for cyanobacterial microcystins with Zn, Cu, Fe, Mg, and Ca

Microcystins are toxic cyclic peptides produced worldwide by cyanobacteria in surface caters. The general structure of microcystin is inherently amenable to metal complexation. However, structural characterization of metal–microcystin complexes is lacking. Here we performed molecular dynamics simulations to obtain structures of aqueous complexes of microcystin–leucine–arginine and microcystin–arginine–arginine with Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+. Results show that complexes with Cu2+ and Zn2+ were the most stable. Shorter metal-O atom distances result in more favorable complexes. For instance, the relatively stronger Zn–microcystin complexes have metal-Ocarboxyl distances of 1.78 A, whereas the weaker Ca–microcystin complexes have this distance greater than 2.0 A. Favorable metal complexation is attributed to the conformation of the microcystin peptide cavity that facilitated a specific coordination geometry of carboxyl and keto O atoms around the metal cation. Our findings imply that the cellular and extracellular roles of microcystin with respect to metal chelation are controlled both by the metal species and by the population of microcystin variants.
Hospice utilization in patients with malignant gliomas.

Background Despite recommendations from professional organizations supporting early hospice enrollment for patients with cancer, little research exists regarding end-of-life (EOL) practices for patients with malignant glioma (MG). We evaluated rates and correlates of hospice enrollment and hospice length of stay (LOS) among patients with MG. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare-linked database, we identified adult patients who were diagnosed with MG from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2011 and who died before December 31, 2012. We extracted sociodemographic and clinical data and used univariate logistic regression analyses to compare characteristics of hospice recipients versus nonrecipients. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine predictors of hospice enrollment >3 or >7 days prior to death. Results We identified 12437 eligible patients (46% female), of whom 7849 (63%) were enrolled in hospice before death. On multivariable regression analysis, older age, female sex, higher level of education, white race, and lower median household income predicted hospice enrollment. Of those enrolled in hospice, 6996 (89%) were enrolled for >3 days, and 6047 (77%) were enrolled for >7 days. Older age, female sex, and urban residence were predictors of longer LOS (3- or 7-day minimum) on multivariable analysis. Median LOS on hospice for all enrolled patients was 21 days (interquartile range, 8-45 days). Conclusions We identified important disparities in hospice utilization among patients with MG, with differences by race, sex, age, level of education, and rural versus urban residence. Further investigation of these barriers to earlier and more widespread hospice utilization is needed.
Origin of the 2016 QBO Disruption and Its Relationship to Extreme El Niño Events

The descent of the westerly phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in equatorial stratospheric zonal wind was interrupted by the development of easterlies near 40 hPa (~23 km altitude) in early 2016. We use tropical meteorological analyses of wind and temperature to describe in detail the special circumstances by which equatorward-propagating planetary waves produced this unprecedented disruption in the QBO. Our findings show that the subtropical easterly jet in the winter lower stratosphere during the 2015-2016 winter was anomalously weak owing to (1) the timing of the QBO relative to the annual cycle and (2) an extreme El Nino event. The weak jet allowed an unusually large flux of westward momentum to propagate from the extratropical Northern Hemisphere to the equator near the 40 hPa level. Consequently, the QBO westerlies at that level experienced sustained easterly acceleration from extratropical wave breaking, leading to the observed wind reversal.
Emergent Cesarean Section

This case highlights common fetal tracing elements and various declaration patterns. Also a thorough understanding of the OB difficult airway algorithm is essential to safe practice.
Dynamic Mode Decomposition Based Epileptic Seizure Detection from Scalp EEG

Reliable detection of the onset of epileptic seizures has seen renewed interest over the past few years, owing to several factors including, the global push toward digital health-care, the advancements in signal processing techniques, and the increased computational power of machines. A reliable automatic system could result in tremendous improvement in the quality of life of epilepsy patients. This paper presents dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), a data-driven dimensionality reduction technique, originally used in fluid mechanics, as an instrument for epileptic seizure detection from scalp electroencephalograph (EEG) data. DMD is employed in this paper to measure power of signals in different frequency bands. These subband-powers, along with signal curve lengths, are used as features for training random under-sampling boost decision-tree classifier. Post-processing measures ensure an acceptable balance between false positives and true positives. The proposed algorithm has been tested over a thousand hours of EEG data from two different data sets, the CHB-MIT data set and the KU Leuven data set, giving sensitivity values of 0.87 and 0.88, respectively, and specificity values of 0.99 for both the data sets.
UNIT 1.4 Unnatural Nucleosides with Unusual Base Pairing Properties

Synthetic modified nucleosides designed to pair in unusual ways with natural nucleobases have many potential applications in biology and biotechnology. This overview lays the foundation for future protocol units on synthesis and application of unnatural bases, with particular emphasis on unnatural base analogs that mimic natural bases in size, shape, and biochemical processing. Topics covered include base pairs with alternative H-bonding schemes, dimensionally expanded base pairs, hydrophobic base pairs, metal-ligated bases, degenerate bases, universal nucleosides, and triplex constituents. Curr. Protoc. Nucleic Acid Chem. 37:1.4.1-1.4.32. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: nucleoside; mimetic; nonpolar; degenerate; universal
Deterministically coupled quantum emitters in a hexagonal Boron Nitride hybrid microcavity system

We demonstrate a hybrid microphotonic device by integrating a thin film of hexagonal Boron Nitride containing quantum emitters with Si 3 N 4 microdisk resonators. We deterministicallyactive these emitters via strain within a microdisk's evanescent field. © 2019 The Author(s)
Global Megaflood Paleohydrology

After centuries of geological controversy, it is now well-established that the last major deglaciation of planet Earth involved huge fluxes of water from the wasting continental ice sheets, and that much of this water was delivered as floods of immense magnitude and relatively short duration. These late Quaternary megafloods had short-term peak flows comparable in discharge to the more prolonged fluxes of ocean currents. The discharges for both ocean currents and megafloods generally exceed a flow of one Sverdrup (Sv), or one million cubic meters per second, hence the prefix “mega.” A global inventory of these phenomena includes more than 40 examples from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Iceland. Though there have been many advances in understanding the physical processes and geochronology of megaflooding, important controversies remain, including the nature of subglacial megaflooding, the details of the immense network of megaflood landscape features in Asia, and the causes of huge megaflood channels on the planet Mars. However, it is becoming increasing clear that immense outburst floods likely induced very rapid, short-term effects on the planetary environments on both Earth and Mars, greatly altering climates, drainage evolution, and the planetary patterns of water and sediment movement to lakes, seas, and oceans.
Experimental Microbiomes: Models Not to Scale.

ABSTRACT Low-cost, high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing ushered the field of microbial ecology into a new era in which the microbial composition of nearly every conceivable environment on the planet is under examination. However, static “screenshots” derived from sequence-only approaches belie the underlying complexity of the microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions occurring within these systems. Reductionist experimental models are essential to identify the microbes involved in interactions and to characterize the molecular mechanisms that manifest as complex host and environmental phenomena. Herein, we focus on three models (Bacillus-Streptomyces, Aliivibrio fischeri-Hawaiian bobtail squid, and gnotobiotic mice) at various levels of taxonomic complexity and experimental control used to gain molecular insight into microbe-mediated interactions. We argue that when studying microbial communities, it is crucial to consider the scope of questions that experimental systems are suited to address, especially for researchers beginning new projects. Therefore, we highlight practical applications, limitations, and tradeoffs inherent to each model.
Current advances in research in treatment and recovery: Nicotine addiction

The health harms of combusted tobacco use are undeniable. With market and regulatory pressures to reduce the harms of nicotine delivery by combustion, the tobacco product landscape has diversified to include smokeless, heated, and electronic nicotine vaping products. Products of tobacco combustion are the main cause of smoking-induced disease, and nicotine addiction sustains tobacco use. An understanding of the biology and clinical features of nicotine addiction and the conditioning of behavior that occurs via stimuli paired with frequent nicotine dosing, as with a smoked cigarette, is important for informing pharmacologic and behavioral treatment targets. We review current advances in research on nicotine addiction treatment and recovery, with a focus on conventional combustible cigarette use. Our review covers evidence-based methods to treat smoking in adults and policy approaches to prevent nicotine product initiation in youth. In closing, we discuss emerging areas of evidence and consider new directions for advancing the field.
Thermal performance and flow characteristics of two-phase loop thermosyphons

A detailed 2-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model simulating two-phase flow and heat transfer in a two-phase loop thermosyphon (TPLTS) is presented. The CFD simulation was built to represent ...
Surface and subsurface radar equations for radar sounders

This work is a collection of radar equations for low-frequency radar sounding and radar in general that emphasize the form of the radar equation for different target and source geometries. This is meant as a handbook for scientists and engineers that work with or analyze radar sounder systems and interpret radar sounding echoes. Lookup tables summarize the results and derivations are provided for each equation.
Exact Fermi coordinates for a class of space-times

We find exact Fermi coordinates for timelike geodesic observers for a class of space-times that includes anti-de Sitter space-time, de Sitter space-time, the constant density interior Schwarzschild space-time with positive, zero, and negative cosmological constant, and the Einstein static universe. Maximal charts for Fermi coordinates are discussed.
Correlation of Voice Hoarseness and Vocal Cord Palsy: A Prospective Assessment of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

ABSTRACT Background: Injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) has been implicated as a common complication following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery. The purpose of this study is to determine the true incidence of voice hoarseness and RLN palsy following ACDF surgery, to determine the reliability of symptoms in the diagnosis of RLN injury, and to evaluate factors related to the development of these symptoms. Methods: All patients undergoing elective (primary or secondary) ACDF surgery at a single institution consented to and enrolled in the present study. All approaches were through the left side. Enrolled patients received both preoperative and postoperative (within 1 month following surgery) laryngoscopy by a fellowship-trained ENT physician for evaluation of RLN function. Patients also responded as to whether they were experiencing postoperative symptoms of dysphagia, aspiration, and voice changes. Results: In total, 108 patients were included in this study. Mean age of the population was 59.2 ± 10.7 years and mean body mass index was 31.2 ± 7.1 kg/m2. Three patients had previously undergone a thyroidectomy, whereas 20 patients had undergone a previous ACDF. Average intubation time for ACDF surgery was 121.6 ± 38.5 minutes. After surgery and excluding patients who were experiencing preoperative symptoms, 19 patients (20.4%) complained of dysphagia, 2 patients (1.9%) complained of aspiration symptoms, and 5 patients (4.6%) complained of voice hoarseness. There was no incidence of vocal cord palsy from postoperative laryngoscopy. From multivariate analysis, endotracheal cuff pressure after retractor placement was correlated to postoperative voice hoarseness, dysphagia, and aspiration symptoms. Conclusions: From the results of this prospective study, the RLN remained functional even a month after surgery despite several cases of postoperative dysphagia, aspiration, and voice changes. Endotracheal cuff pressure, number of vertebral levels, body mass index, and intubation time were important variables related to postoperative symptoms. Clinical Relevance: Voice hoarseness does not necessarily indicate recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after ACDF but may be caused by compressive forces on laryngeal tissue during retraction or intubation. Laryngoscopy should be performed in cases with high clinical suspicion. Level of Evidence: 2.
Bilateral empyema secondary to Hemophilus influenzae epiglottitis.

Abstract An empyema is a collection of pus in the pleural space, often due to aerobic bacteria, that requires drainage typically done with a small bore chest tube and fibrinolytics. The large majority of empyemas are unilateral. Bilateral empyemas are rare, usually non-infectious and typically require surgical management. We report a case of Hemophilus influenzae epiglottitis complicated by bilateral culture proven empyema successfully managed without surgery. The aim of this report is to present a rare complication of epiglottitis and discuss the theoretical issues with management of multiple infected pleural spaces requiring fibrinolytics.
Identifying the Catalytic Active Site for Propylene Metathesis by Supported ReOx Catalysts

A series of supported ReOx catalysts were investigated that allowed identifying the unique surface anchoring sites on oxide supports responsible for activating the surface ReO4 sites for propylene ...
Enhancing Precision in Bioprinting Utilizing Fuzzy Systems

Bioprinting facilitates the generation of complex, three-dimensional (3D), cell-based constructs for a variety of applications. Although multiple bioprinting technologies have been developed, extrusion-based systems have become the dominant technology due to the diversity of substrate materials (bioinks) that can be accommodated, either individually or in combination. However, each bioink has unique material properties and extrusion characteristics that limit bioprinting precision, particularly when generating constructs from different bioinks. Here, we aimed to achieve high precision (i.e. repeatability) across samples by generating bioink-specific printing parameters using a systematic approach. We hypothesized that a fuzzy system could be used as a ″black box″ method to tackle the inherent vagueness and imprecision in 3D bioprinting data and uncover the optimal printing parameters for a specific bioink that would result in high accuracy and precision. Our fuzzy model was used to approximate and quantify the precision and ease of printability for two common bioinks - type I collagen and Pluronic F127, with or without dilution in αMEM culture media. The model consisted of three inputs (pressure, speed, and dilution percent of bioink) and a single output (layer width). Using this system, we introduce the Bioink Precision Index (BPI), a metric that can be used to quantify and compare the precision of any bioink. Here, we show that printing with parameters optimized using BPI increases the precision for collagen (+15%) and Pluronic F127 (+29%) as compared to the manufacturer′s recommended printing parameters.
Thermomechanical investigations of polyurea microspheres

Polyurea is a thermoset elastomer with a wide range of implementations in industrial and biomechanical applications. In the past two decades, bulk polyurea was heavily investigated under different environmental, operating, and loading conditions. The further exploitation of the superior thermomechanical properties of polyurea necessitates the exploration of smaller length scales, e.g., microscales and nanoscales. Thus, the objective of this research was to fabricate cross-linked polyurea microspheres, which was hypothesized to inherit some of the properties of the bulk polyurea. While the production yield was found to be low, the resulting polyurea microspheres exhibit the hallmark characteristics of their bulk counterpart. The microspheres, fabricated by a modified precipitation polymerization process, were examined with a scanning electron microscope showing the microspheres to have a highly textured surface morphology and an average diameter of 2.4 ± 2.9 µm. Using FTIR spectroscopy and a thermogravimetric analyzer, the microspheres were found to have inherited the overall chemical structure and hygrothermal properties of bulk polyurea. Using an atomic force microscope, the elastic modulus of the microspheres was found to be 114.75 ± 40.71 MPa, four times stiffer than that of bulk polyurea. With such disparity of the elastic modulus, the polyurea microspheres can be used as a reinforcement phase in future polymer–polymer composites.
Classical Statistical Mechanics of Lattice Dynamic Model Systems: Transfer Integral and Molecular-Dynamics Studies

We review the status of classical statistical mechanics for some l-d lattice-dynamic models, which are known to exhibit soliton or solitary-wave solutions. Much of the recent activity is attributable to the motivating impact of molecular-dynamics results on discrete φ4 [1–6] and sine-Gordon (sG) systems [5–10] and the Toda lattice Eii-13], which revealed the need to include nonlinear features in a statistical description, including the dynamic properties.
A combined 16-bit binary and dual Galois field multiplier

Galois field arithmetic is commonly used in Reed-Solomon encoding and decoding. This paper presents the design of a combined 16-bit binary and dual Galois field (GF) multiplier. This multiplier is capable of performing either a 16-bit two's complement or unsigned multiplication, or two independent 8-bit GF(2/sup 8/) multiplications in SIMD fashion. The combined multiplier is designed by modifying a conventional binary tree multiplier. It uses a novel wiring methodology to provide two simultaneous GF(2/sup 8/) multiplies with a minor impact on area and delay. Two alternatives for the multiplier design are presented. Area and delay estimates indicate that compared to a conventional binary tree multiplier, the combined multiplier has roughly 6% more delay and 23% more area.
Design and implement an AC LED light engine with smart phone control

In this paper, a prototype of AC LED light engine is implemented. This light engine is highly designed and integrated with different fields, including optical, mechanical, electrical part, control system, and safety requirement. Our light engine can directly install in different lighting fixtures like down light or spot light, which is very convenient and cost-saving for luminaries manufactures. It also can offer customized solutions about CCT, beam angle, even involved intelligent control system in the future. The specification of light engine is that the CCT is 4601K, CRI is 81, and the lm/W is 102 at 10W input power.
Kentish town project [power cable laying]

During the 1990s, NGC (UK) found that some of the 275 kV cable network was nearing the end of its economic life due to the onset of reinforcing tape corrosion. Initially, it was found that one circuit in Liverpool needed to be replaced in its entirety, then in 1996, investigations concluded that several sections of the St Johns Wood-Tottenham 275 kV cable circuits would need to be replaced within 5 years. Some sections of St Johns Wood-Tottenham circuits have subsequently been replaced along the existing route where it runs in the Regents Canal towpath, however, over 2 km of cable route which needs to be replaced runs through the streets of the Kentish Town area of north London. It was clear from the outset that replacing this cable along the existing route would prove difficult and that all alternatives would need to be considered. A feasibility study was commissioned which identified four potential direct burial routes and three possible tunnel routes. The options were costed and it was judged the tunnel option offered the best long term solution. It was decided to replace one of the circuits in a 2.5 m diameter tunnel that could accommodate the second circuit if required in the future.
When Battlefields become Marketplaces: Migrant Workers and the Role of Civil Society and NGO Activism in Thailand

The vast majority of migrant workers in Thailand are employed predominantly in low-paying occupations commonly described as “3-D jobs” (dangerous, dirty, and difficult). Currently, there are nearly two million documented and undocumented migrant workers, mostly from neighbouring Burma, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Cambodia, employed in various industries, including domestic service, throughout the country. While over half a million migrants are officially registered to work in the country, both documented and undocumented migrant workers remain unprotected primarily due to the lack of concrete measures to monitor, implement and enforce laws regarding working and living conditions. Regardless of where they are employed, migrant workers face common problems: low wages; harmful working conditions, poor living conditions; discrimination and harassment, the threat of arrest and deportation; and lack of access to basic resources such as medical care and legal assistance. Based on preliminary research conducted in the summer of 2005, this article looks at the situation of migrant factory and domestic workers in Thailand and explores the ways in which local activists, NGOs, community-based organisations, and international bodies have been looking to assist and protect migrant workers. Successful migrant workers’ struggles and ongoing efforts of mobilization have been made possible with the help of these support groups, and raise the possibility that union and NGO activity have the potential to improve the situation of migrants in Thailand. This also raises the question of whether advocacy groups should be acting in lieu of the state rather than alongside the state, especially when it appears that they are fulfilling their civic duty as enforcer and monitor of migrant workers’ problems.
Effects of magnetic atoms on the properties of ternary superconductors

It is noteworthy that while only two classes of systems (the Chevrel phases and the rare-earth rhodium borides) have so far received extensive study, nonetheless a great many new phenomena have been encountered. This, however, should only be considered the beginning of a new and potentially very rich field, especially if one considers the vast number of possibilities of ternary compounds that can be produced. To take only one other example, recent work has shown that the compound Sc2Fe3Si5 is superconducting with a superconducting transition of 4.5 K (29). This at first may appear surprising since ever in the Chevrel phase materials, the addition of Fe atoms is detrimental to superconductivity. However, recent Mossbauer effect experiments (29) have shown that the Fe in this material is not magnetic, having a magnetic moment of less than 0.03 µB. These silicides have also been made with rare-earth ions in place of the Sc(28). The compounds show magnetic transitions and are currently under investigation. Several other interesting systems have been synthesized, and it appears that many more will be coming in the near future. The results reported above have shown the utility of hyperfine data in clarifying many of the new phenomena that occur, and it should be expected that as this new field grouws, these kinds of measurements will continue to play an active role (30).
A generalized approach to sampling backbone conformations with RosettaDock for CAPRI rounds 13-19.

In CAPRI rounds 13-19, the most native-like structure predicted by RosettaDock resulted in two high, one medium, and one acceptable accuracy model out of 13 targets. The current rounds of CAPRI were especially challenging with many unbound and homology modeled starting structures. Novel docking methods, including EnsembleDock and SnugDock, allowed backbone conformational sampling during docking and enabled the creation of more accurate models. For Target 32, α-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor-subtilisin savinase, we sampled different backbone conformations at an interfacial loop to produce five high-quality models including the most accurate structure submitted in the challenge (2.1 A ligand rmsd, 0.52 A interface rmsd). For Target 41, colicin-immunity protein, we used EnsembleDock to sample the ensemble of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) models of the immunity protein to generate a medium accuracy structure. Experimental data identifying the catalytic residues at the binding interface for Target 40 (trypsin-inhibitor) were used to filter RosettaDock global rigid body docking decoys to determine high accuracy predictions for the two distinct binding sites in which the inhibitor interacts with trypsin. We discuss our generalized approach to selecting appropriate methods for different types of docking problems. The current toolset provides some robustness to errors in homology models, but significant challenges remain in accommodating larger backbone uncertainties and in sampling adequately for global searches.
Ion irradiation-induced amorphization in the Al2O3-SiO2 system: A comparison with glass formation

The ion beam-induced crystalline-to-amorphous transition has been investigated for crystalline phases in the Al2O3–SiO2 system: Al2O3, SiO2 (quartz), Al2SiO5 (kyanite, andalusite, sillimanite), and 3Al2O3⋅2SiO2 (mullite). Xe+ 1.5 MeV was used to irradiate samples at temperatures from 15 to 1023 K in situ in a transmission electron microscope to determine the critical amorphization doses. The susceptibility to amorphization is (highest to lowest): quartz, sillimanite, kyanite, andalusite, mullite, and alumina. These data are compared to viscosities and activation energies for viscous flow of melts in this system. The doses required for amorphization by ion irradiation are related to the viscosities of the melts. The activation energies for irradiation-enhanced annealing are qualitatively correlated with the activation energies of viscous flow. These results suggest a parallel between ion beam irradiation-induced amorphization and glass formation. Glass-forming “ability’’ correlates with susceptibility to r...
Theory of multiphoton ionization of atoms by intense laser fields

We review some basic elements of the theory of multiphoton ionization of atoms by intense fields. Our emphasis is on physical interpretation, but we also give considerable attention to mathematical details.
Acrolein is increased in Alzheimer’s disease brain and is toxic to primary hippocampal cultures

Accumulating evidence implicates oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased lipid peroxidation, decreased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and increased levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), F(2)-isoprostanes, and F(4)-neuroprostanes are present in the brain in AD. Acrolein, an alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydic product of lipid peroxidation, is approximately 100 times more reactive than HNE and recently was demonstrated in neurofibrillary tangles in the brain in AD. In three brain regions of 10 AD patients compared with 8 age-matched control subjects, we found increased mean extractable acrolein, with the increases reaching statistical significance in the amygdala and hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus. In hippocampal neuron cultures, acrolein was neurotoxic in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and more toxic than HNE at 5 microM concentrations of each. Acrolein exposure led to a significant concentration-dependent increase in intracellular calcium concentrations. Collectively, these data show that acrolein is increased in the brain in AD and demonstrate neurotoxicity mechanisms that might be important in the pathogenesis of neuron degeneration in AD.
The profit equivalence of mill and uniform pricing policies

Abstract In this note we point out a simple fact that seems to have been overlooked in the voluminous literature on mill pricing and uniform delivered pricing in location theory — the profit maximization problems involved are mathematically equivalent when the demand functions are linear.
Reduction of Large Dynamical Systems by Minimization of Evolution Rate

Reduction of a large system of equations to a lower-dimensional system of similar dynamics is investigated. For dynamical systems with disparate timescales, a criterion for determining redundant dimensions and a general reduction method based on the minimization of evolution rate are proposed.
Leukocyte counts in urine reflect the risk of concomitant sepsis in bacteriuric infants: A retrospective cohort study

Background When urine infections are missed in febrile young infants with normal urinalysis, clinicians may worry about the risk – hitherto unverified – of concomitant invasion of blood and cerebrospinal fluid by uropathogens. In this study, we determine the extent of this risk.