cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Gender-Specific Pathway to Serious, Violent, and Chronic Offending? Exploring Howell's Risk Factors for Serious Delinquency

In Preventing and Reducing Juvenile Delinquency, Howell proposes a female-specific pathway to serious, violent, and chronic offending. Incorporating ideas from feminist research about risk factors for female delinquency, he proposes five distinct and interrelated risk factors—child abuse victimization, mental health problems, running away, gang involvement, and juvenile justice involvement—as those that lead to serious, violent, and chronic offending for girls. This study is an exploration of Howell's hypothesis, assessing the independent effect of the suggested risk factors on girls' and boys' involvement in serious, violent, and chronic offending. The sample consists of 10,405 youths, one third of whom are females, who were referred to a metropolitan juvenile court in Texas and tracked in official records from 1997 to 2003. This large sample allows for robust statistical analysis of the independent effect of the risk factors on serious, violent, and chronic offending by gender.
Empirical and analytic study of stack versus heap cost for languages with closures

We present a comprehensive analysis of all the components of creation, access and disposal of heap-allocated and stack-allocated activation records. Among our results are:•Although stack frames are known to have a better cache read-miss rate than heap frames, our simple analytical model (backed up by simulation results) shows that the difference is too trivial to matter.•The cache write-miss rate of heap frames is very high; we show that a variety of miss-handling strategies (exemplified by specific modern machines) can give good performance, but not all can.•Stacks restrict the flexibility of closure representations (for higher-order functions) in important (and costly) ways.•The extra load placed on the garbage collector by heap-allocated frames is small.•The demands of modern programming languages make stacks complicated to implement efficiently and correctly.Overall, the execution cost of stack-allocated and heap-allocated frames is similar; but heap frames are simpler to implement and allow very efficient first-class continuations.
Regeneration of carbon containing sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate—cyclic regeneration with steam in fluidized beds

Cyclic regeneration of activated carbon containing adsorbed sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (DBS) was studied in fluidized beds at 1119 K and 101.3 kPa. Optimum restorationof adsorption capacity (97.2% per cycle) resulted when gasification with 21.5% steam was continued for 200 s. At that time, about 85% of the DBS added to the carbon during the adsorption process had been removed. Because of the adsorbed inorganic residue from DBS, these results are somewhat different from earlier studies with the sucrose-carbon system. With sucrose, maximum restoration of adsorption capacity was achieved when a weight equivalent to 100% of the adsorbed sucrose was removed by thermal decomposition and steam gasification.
Correlation between exhaled nitric oxide, sputum eosinophils, and methacholine responsiveness in patients with mild asthma.

steroids 4 and the levels are not modulated by bronchodilatortherapy. 5 However,inasthmatic Background ‐ Eosinophils in induced sputum and exhaled nitric oxide (NO) are subjects receiving inhaled corticosteroids the levels are reduced. 6 This suggests that exhaled currently used as non-invasive markers in the assessment of airway inflammation in NO may be used as a surrogate marker of airway inflammation. asthma. As both sputum eosinophils (%) and exhaled NO are raised in asthmatic The number of sputum eosinophils and the amount of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) subjects not receiving inhaled steroids and decreased following corticosteroid in induced sputum is associated with asthma severity. There are correlations between sputherapy, a relationship between them is plausible. tum eosinophils and sputum ECP levels with FEV1. 7‐9 Also, sputum obtained from asthMethods ‐ Exhaled NO was measured by chemiluminescence analyser, sputum in- matics under exacerbation contain very high numbers of eosinophils 71 0 11 but they are reduction by 3.5% saline inhalation, and bronchial responsiveness was measured as duced following corticosteroid treatment. 12 13
Integrated Surface–Groundwater Model for Storm-Water Harvesting Using Basic Mass Balance Principles

AbstractStorm-water harvesting from a pond for irrigation of adjacent lands is promoted as one way that may reduce pond discharge while supplementing valuable potable water used for irrigation. Reduction of pond discharge reduces the mass of pollutants in the discharge. In this study, a storm water harvesting and assessment for reduction of pollution (SHARP) model was developed to predict operation of a wet pond used for storm-water harvesting at Miramar Lakes, Miramar, FL. The model integrates the interaction of surface water and groundwater in a catchment area. The SHARP model was calibrated and validated for pond-water elevation. Model evaluation showed adequate prediction of pond-water elevation with root mean square error (RMSE) between 0.07 and 0.12 m, mean absolute error (MAE) between 0.018 and 0.07 m, and relative index of agreement (drel) between 0.74 and 0.98 for both calibration and validation periods. The SHARP model is capable of assessing harvest safe yield and discharge from a pond, includi...
Discovery of Cercosporamide, a Known Antifungal Natural Product, as a Selective Pkc1 Kinase Inhibitor through High-Throughput Screening

The Pkc1-mediated cell wall integrity-signaling pathway is highly conserved in fungi and is essential for fungal growth. We thus explored the potential of targeting the Pkc1 protein kinase for developing broad-spectrum fungicidal antifungal drugs through a Candida albicans Pkc1-based high-throughput screening. We discovered that cercosporamide, a broad-spectrum natural antifungal compound, but previously with an unknown mode of action, is actually a selective and highly potent fungal Pkc1 kinase inhibitor. This finding provides a molecular explanation for previous observations in which Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall mutants were found to be highly sensitive to cercosporamide. Indeed, S. cerevisiae mutant cells with reduced Pkc1 kinase activity become hypersensitive to cercosporamide, and this sensitivity can be suppressed under high-osmotic growth conditions. Together, the results demonstrate that cercosporamide acts selectively on Pkc1 kinase and, thus, they provide a molecular mechanism for its antifungal activity. Furthermore, cercosporamide and a beta-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitor echinocandin analog, by targeting two different key components of the cell wall biosynthesis pathway, are highly synergistic in their antifungal activities. The synergistic antifungal activity between Pkc1 kinase and beta-1,3-glucan synthase inhibitors points to a potential highly effective combination therapy to treat fungal infections.
Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor gene is induced in the mouse uterus temporally by the blastocyst solely at the site of its apposition: a possible ligand for interaction with blastocyst EGF-receptor in implantation

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a newly discovered member of the EGF family of growth factors. HB-EGF can bind to two loci on cell surfaces, heparan sulphate proteoglycans and EGF-receptor (EGF-R), and either one or both of these interactions could play a role in cell-cell interactions. In the rodent, increased endometrial vascular permeability at the site of blastocyst apposition is considered to be an earliest discernible prerequisite event in the process of implantation and this event coincides with the initial attachment reaction between the blastocyst trophectoderm and uterine luminal epithelium. This investigation demonstrates that the HB-EGF gene is expressed in the mouse uterine luminal epithelium surrounding the blastocyst 6-7 hours before the attachment reaction that occurs at 2200-2300 hours on day 4 of pregnancy. It was further demonstrated that this gene is not expressed in the luminal epithelium at the site of the blastocyst apposition during the progesterone-maintained delayed implantation, but is readily induced in the luminal epithelium surrounding an activated blastocyst after termination of the delay by an estrogen injection. In vitro studies showed that HB-EGF induced blastocyst EGF-R autophosphorylation, and promoted blastocyst growth, zona-hatching and trophoblast outgrowth. These results suggest possible interactions between the uterine HB-EGF and blastocyst EGF-R very early in the process of implantation, earlier than any other embryo-uterine interactions defined to date at the molecular level.
Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs as Inhibitors of Periodontal Disease Progression

Recent interest in the control and modulation of periodontal disease has focused on the potential benefits of blocking the host response mechanisms involved in the progression of the disease. In addition to recent advances in the identification and control of etiologic bacteria, investigators have indicated promising results using nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as inhibitors of the inflammatory destruction in periodontal disease. This article examines research efforts over the last 20 years describing the role of prostaglandins in periodontal disease and the effect of NSAIDs on the progression of gingival inflammation and alveolar bone loss.
Site-specific mutational analysis of a novel cysteine motif proposed to ligate the 4Fe-4S cluster in the iron-sulfur flavoprotein of the thermophilic methanoarchaeon Methanosarcina thermophila.

Isf (iron-sulfur flavoprotein) from Methanosarcina thermophila has been produced in Escherichia coli as a dimer containing two 4Fe-4S clusters and two FMN (flavin mononucleotide) cofactors. The deduced sequence of Isf contains six cysteines (Cys 16, Cys 47, Cys 50, Cys 53, Cys 59, and Cys 180), four of which (Cys 47, Cys 50, Cys 53, and Cys 59) comprise a motif with high identity to a motif (CX2CX2CX4‐7C) present in all homologous Isf sequences available in the databases. The spacing of the motif is highly compact and atypical of motifs coordinating known 4Fe-4S clusters; therefore, all six cysteines in Isf from M. thermophila were altered to either alanine or serine to obtain corroborating biochemical evidence that the motif coordinates the 4Fe-4S cluster and to further characterize properties of the cluster dependent on ligation. All except the C16S variant were produced in inclusion bodies and were void of iron-sulfur clusters and FMN. Reconstitution of the iron-sulfur cluster and FMN was attempted for each variant. The UV-visible spectra of all reconstituted variants indicated the presence of iron-sulfur clusters and FMN. The reduced C16A/S variants showed the same electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra as wild-type Isf, whereas the reduced C180A/S variants showed EPR spectra identical to those of one of the two 4Fe-4S species present in the wild-type Isf spectrum. Conversely, EPR spectra of the oxidized C50A and C59A variants showed g values characteristic of a 3Fe-4S cluster. The spectra of the C47A and C53A variants indicated a 4Fe-4S cluster with g values and linewidths different from those for the wild type. The combined results of this study support a role for the novel CX2CX2CX4‐7C motif in ligating the 4Fe-4S clusters in Isf and Isf homologues. Two-thirds of the biologically produced methane in nature originates from the methyl group of acetate in a pathway where acetate is cleaved and the methyl group is reduced to methane with electrons derived from oxidation of the carbonyl group to carbon dioxide (7). Much is known concerning the cleavage of acetate and one-carbon transfer reactions; however, less is known regarding electron transport. Recently, a novel ironsulfur flavoprotein (Isf) from the acetate-utilizing methanoarchaeon Methanosarcina thermophila was characterized (3, 12). The homodimeric Isf contains two flavin mononucleotide (FMN) molecules and two 4Fe-4S clusters unequivocally iden
Differential binding of 125I-IGF-I preparations to human fibroblast monolayers

Specific, high affinity binding of 125I-IGF-I to the type I IGF receptor on human fibroblast monolayers was not altered by varying feeding schedules, serum lots, washing procedures, or incubation times and temperatures. However, markedly different competitive binding curves were obtained when different iodinated IGF-I preparations were used. Five of six radioligands bound preferentially to the type I IGF receptor on human fibroblast monolayers, with 50% displacement at 4-8 micrograms/l unlabelled IGF-I; with one radioligand a paradoxical 20-200% increase in 125I-IGF-I binding was observed at low concentrations of unlabelled IGF-I, while concentrations as high as 100 micrograms/l IGF-I failed to displace this radioligand. The latter binding pattern cannot be accounted for by 125I-IGF-I binding to the type II IGF receptor. These data indicate that various radioligands may have preferential affinities for different IGF-I binding sites on human fibroblast monolayers.
Management of congenital nasal malformations

Abstract With the exception of nasal defects associated with cleft lips and palates, most nasal anomalies are rarely encountered. An understanding of the complicated embryologic basis of congenital nasal anomalies assists in both the diagnosis and management of these unusual problems. The current management of choanal atresia, nasal dermoids, nasal gliomas, nasal encephaloceles, nasal hemangiomas, arhinia, and proboscis lateralis are all discussed. A multidisciplinary, team approach often provides affected children with the best chance for an optimum outcome. Because of the rarity of these anomalies, extensive experience with these lesions is probably limited to larger referral centers.
An Endogenous Ligand for Type II Binding Sites in Normal and Neoplastic Tissues

The rat uterus contains two classes of specific nuclear estrogen binding sites which may be involved in estrogen action. Type I sites represent the classic estrogen receptor (Kd 1 nM) and type II sites (Kd 10–20 nM) are stimulated in the nucleus by estrogen under conditions which cause uterine hyperplasia. Dilution of uterine nuclear fractions from estrogen treated rats prior to quantitation of estrogen binding sites by [3H]-estradiol exchange results in an increase (3–4 fold) in the measurable quantities of the type II site. Estimates of type I sites are not affected by dilution. These increases in type II sites following nuclear dilution occur independently of protein concentration and result from the dilution of a specific endogenous inhibitor of [3H]-estradiol binding to these sites. The inhibitor activity is present in cytosol preparations from rat uterus, spleen, diaphragm, skeletal muscle and serum. Preliminary characterization of the inhibitor activity by Sephadex G-25 chromatography shows two distinct peaks which are similar in molecular weight (300). These components (α and β) can be separated on LH-20 chromatography since the β-peak component is preferentially retained on this lipophilic resin. Partial purification of the LH-20-β inhibitor component by high performance liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatographymass spectrometric analysis suggest the putative inhibitor activity is not steroidal in nature and consists of two very similar phenanthrene-like molecules (molecular weights 302 and 304). Analysis of cytosol preparations on LH-20 chromatography shows that non-neoplastic tissues (uterus, liver, lactating mammary gland) contain both α and β inhibitor components whereas estrogen-induced rat mammary tumors contain very low to non-measurable quantities of the β-peak inhibitor activity.
Agricultural Trade and the GATT/WTO: Does Membership Make a Difference?

Recent empirical studies have estimated the trade flow effect of membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). One important, although largely untested, conclusion from this literature is that the GATT/WTO works well if we ignore trade in agriculture - one of the institutions seemingly apparent failures. This article investigates this conclusion using a large panel of agricultural and non-agricultural trade flows. The results are impressive: the multilateral institution has delivered significant positive effects on members agricultural trade despite its sensitive nature and the reluctance of members to undertake serious reform. These findings are robust to various slices of the data and recent advances in the specification and estimation of the gravity equation to account for sample selection issues and the extensive margin of trade. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.
Long-term biases in geomagnetic K and aa indices

Abstract. Analysis is made of the geomagnetic-activity aa index and its source K-index data from groups of ground-based observatories in Britain, and Australia, 1868.0–2009.0, solar cycles 11–23. The K data show persistent biases, especially for high (low) K-activity levels at British (Australian) observatories. From examination of multiple subsets of the K data we infer that the biases are not predominantly the result of changes in observatory location, localized induced magnetotelluric currents, changes in magnetometer technology, or the modernization of K-value estimation methods. Instead, the biases appear to be artifacts of the latitude-dependent scaling used to assign K values to particular local levels of geomagnetic activity. The biases are not effectively removed by weighting factors used to estimate aa. We show that long-term averages of the aa index, such as annual averages, are dominated by medium-level geomagnetic activity levels having K values of 3 and 4.
Dynamin GTPase regulation is altered by PH domain mutations found in centronuclear myopathy patients

The large GTPase dynamin has an important membrane scission function in receptor-mediated endocytosis and other cellular processes. Self-assembly on phosphoinositide-containing membranes stimulates dynamin GTPase activity, which is crucial for its function. Although the pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain is known to mediate phosphoinositide binding by dynamin, it remains unclear how this promotes activation. Here, we describe studies of dynamin PH domain mutations found in centronuclear myopathy (CNM) that increase dynamin's GTPase activity without altering phosphoinositide binding. CNM mutations in the PH domain C-terminal α-helix appear to cause conformational changes in dynamin that alter control of the GTP hydrolysis cycle. These mutations either ‘sensitize' dynamin to lipid stimulation or elevate basal GTPase rates by promoting self-assembly and thus rendering dynamin no longer lipid responsive. We also describe a low-resolution structure of dimeric dynamin from small-angle X-ray scattering that reveals conformational changes induced by CNM mutations, and defines requirements for domain rearrangement upon dynamin self-assembly at membrane surfaces. Our data suggest that changes in the PH domain may couple lipid binding to dynamin GTPase activation at sites of vesicle invagination.
Bacchae 773–4 And Mimnermus Fr. 1

The messenger who reports the miracles from the mountains in Euripides' Bacchae (677–774) concludes with an injunction to Pentheus that he accept this god into the city (769–74): τoν δαiμον' ούν τoνδ' ἂστισ ἔστ', ῶ δἑσποτα, δἐχον πoλeι τἦδ'-ὰσ τὰ τ' άλλ' ἐστiν μὰγασ, κάκeiνo φασιν αύτoν, ἑγὡ κλύω.
Effects of NIPAm polymer additives on the enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel and pretreated Miscanthus.

There is currently much interest in the economic use of cellulosic biomass as a source of renewable fuels. This process typically involves the enzymatic hydrolysis of plant matter to afford soluble sugars for subsequent fermentation steps. The cost of cellulase enzymes presents a critical barrier to the commercialization of these processes. In this work, we demonstrate that a new family of polymer additives based on NIPAm can increase enzyme performance substantially. When applied to an industrially relevant combination of enzymes and lignin-containing biomass, polymer additives allow a 60% reduction in enzyme loading to achieve the same level of saccharification. Evidence presented herein suggests that these polymers function through multiple mechanisms, including (1) preventing enzyme denaturation through shear and interfacial interactions, (2) preventing non-productive adsorption to lignin, and (3) altering the cellulose structure. An advantage of these polymers over other additives is their thermoresponsive behavior, enabling their recovery and reuse. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1792–1800. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intra-Aortic Balloon Counterpulsation

Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) is sometimes used in critically ill patients with cardiac disease. By increasing diastolic arterial pressure and decreasing systolic pressure, it reduces left ventricular afterload. IABP may be beneficial in subjects with cardiogenic shock, mechanical complications of myocardial infarction, intractable ventricular arrhythmias, or advanced heart failure or those who undergo "high-risk" surgical or percutaneous revascularization, but the evidence to support its use in these patient groups is largely observational. Contraindications to IABP include severe peripheral vascular disease as well as aortic regurgitation, dissection, or aneurysm. The potential benefits of IABP must be weighed against its possible complications (bleeding, systemic thromboembolism, limb ischemia, and, rarely, death).
Planning for noise-induced trajectory bias in nonholonomic robots with uncertainty

In traditional trajectory planning it is usually assumed that the mean path of an ensemble of open-loop trajectories is the same as would be obtained if no noise were present. However, even zero-mean noise tends to cause the mean trajectory to deviate from the nominal one. This paper introduces a stochastic model-based motion planning method to compensate for this bias. An implementation for nonholonomic mobile robots based on the kinematic cart model is provided. The examples show that the proposed method takes full advantage of the results of existing optimal trajectory planning methods, and makes the resulting mean trajectory conform to the pre-selected nominal trajectory. As a result, the average amount of online trajectory correction required of a controller is minimized.
Relationship of Foot Deformity to Ulcer Location in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between type of foot deformity and the location of ulcers in patients with diabetes and insensitive feet. Forty-two ulcerated feet were examined in 40 patients. All patients had severely decreased or absent sensation. Foot deformities were classified according to operational definitions as 1) Charcot's foot, 2) a compensated forefoot varus, or 3) an uncompensated forefoot varus or forefoot valgus. The plantar surface of the midfoot and forefoot was divided into three regions. Six of the 7 patients with a Charcot's foot showed ulceration at the midfoot. Nine of 18 patients with a compensated forefoot varus showed ulceration at the second, third, or fourth metatarsal head. Fifteen of 17 patients with an uncompensated forefoot varus or forefoot valgus showed ulceration at the first or fifth metatarsal. A significant relationship was found between foot deformity and location of ulcer. These results support the hypotheses 1) that insensitivity, coupled with increased, repetitive pressure, is a primary cause of plantar ulcers and 2) that certain foot types are associated with characteristic patterns of pressure distribution and callus formation.
Management of the contralateral breast in women with breast cancer.

Abstract #MS1-2 Patients with unilateral breast cancer are at increased risk for developing a second cancer in the contralateral breast. The annual risk of clinically detected metachronous contralateral breast cancer is about 0.7% Some women choose contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) to prevent cancer in the contralateral breast. A recently published study found that the use of CPM increased by 150% from 1998 to 2003 in the United States. Several studies have demonstrated that CPM significantly decreases the occurrence of contralateral breast cancer; the risk reduction is about 97%. Since the risk of systemic metastases often exceeds the risk of contralateral breast cancer, most patients will not experience any survival benefit from CPM. Moreover, CPM is not risk free, and patients may need to undergo additional surgical procedures, especially if reconstruction is performed. Nevertheless, most patients are satisfied with their decision to undergo CPM. Alternatives to CPM include close surveillance with clinical breast examination, mammography, and possibly breast magnetic resonance imaging. Endocrine therapy with tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors significantly reduces the risk of contralateral breast cancer and may be more acceptable than CPM for some patients. Ovarian ablation and cytotoxic chemotherapy also reduce the risk of contralateral breast cancer. For women with unilateral breast cancer, management of the normal contralateral breast is complex. Future prospective studies are critically needed to evaluate the decision-making processes leading to CPM. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr MS1-2.
Trajectory of Vladimir Nabokov’s Literary Translation Practices

Vladimir Nabokov a debute sa carriere de traducteur en rendant des textes accessibles a ses lecteurs, modifiant, par exemple, le cadre et les noms des personnages. Plus tard, il exigea de sa part et d’autres traducteurs des traductions « fideles » et litterales. Ensuite, Nabokov dispensa de cette exigence les auteurs, lui-meme inclus, qui traduisent leurs propres oeuvres. En tant qu’auteur de Lolita en anglais et comme traducteur de ce roman en russe, Nabokov, d’une part, accomplit une traduction « fidele » du roman, tandis que, d’autre part, il apportait des modifications d’auteur qu’il estimait necessaires.Cet essai demontre que la theorie et la pratique de la traduction chez Nabokov ont evolue au cours de trois phases distinctes mais qui finalement se recoupent. Certains critiques ont appele la troisieme et derniere phase « contradictoire ». Cependant, en considerant les trois phases comme trois etapes differentes du developpement de Nabokov traducteur, l’auteur de cet essai propose que, au lieu d’etre « contradictoire » ou antithetique, cette phase peut etre percue comme evolutive, correspondant ainsi au developpement de Nabokov traducteur et ecrivain.
Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Water Supply,Drainage and Sewage Systems in New Orleans

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Storm surge and subsequent failure of the New Orleans levee system flooded over 80% of the city of New Orleans. The impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans’ drainage, water supply and sewage systems and the remedial actions taken to restore these systems in the wake of the hurricane were introduced emphatically. The water quality problems associated with floodwater, such as surface water, drinking water and bottled water, and the implications of these problems with respect to future disaster preparedness and relief operations were discussed. The measures to cope with urban runoff, groundwater seepage, and sanitary sewage in the weeks and months following Hurricane Katrina were provided.
A numerical simulation of the effect of using porous superelastic Nitinol and stiff Titanium fixation hardware on the bone remodeling

The aim of this article is to investigate the effect of two different fixation hardware materials on bone remodeling after a mandibular reconstruction surgery and to restore the mandible’s function, healthy appearance, mastication, swallowing, breathing, and speech. The hypothesis is that using fixation hardware with stiffness close to that of the surrounding bone will result in a more successful healing process in the mandible bone. The finite element model includes the material properties and forces of the cancellous bone, cortical bone, ligaments, muscles, and teeth. The reconstruction surgery is modeled by including the fixation hardware and the grafted bone. In the sectioned mandible, to best mimic the geometry of the mandible, two single barrel grafts are placed at the top of each other to form a double barrel graft set. Two different materials were used as the mandibular fixation parts, stiff Ti-6Al-4V, and porous superelastic Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) alloys. A comparison of these two alloys demonstrates that using porous NiTi alloy as the fixation part results in a faster healing pace. Furthermore, the density distribution in the mandibular bone after the healing process is more similar to the normal mandible density distribution. The simulations results indicate that the porous superelastic NiTi fixation hardware transfers and distributes the existing forces on the mandible bone more favorably. The probability of stress shielding and/or stress concentration decrease. This type of fixation hardware, therefore, is more appropriate for mandible bone reconstruction surgery. These predictions are in agreement with the clinical observations.
Novel use of porcine urinary bladder matrix for pediatric pilonidal wound care: preliminary experience

Extracellular matrix is used in various applications. We present our preliminary experience using a new device that consists of a porcine extracellular matrix with an epithelial basement membrane (MatriStem®, ACell, Inc. Columbia, MD, USA) for adolescent pilonidal disease. A retrospective review of four patients with pilonidal disease was undertaken. Three occurred in the gluteal cleft, and the fourth in the umbilicus. In the first patient, the wound deficit was filled with lyophilized MicroMatrix powder and a sheet of Multilayer Wound Matrix was placed to cover the wound. In the second patient, two sinus tracts were debrided, packed with MicroMatrix, and a sheet of fenestrated Burn Matrix was applied. In the third patient, MicroMatrix and Surgical Matrix PSMX (six-layer) was applied as a roll filling the dead space. In the last patient, an umbilical sinus 3 cm deep was packed with MicroMatrix powder followed by a rolled sheet of 2-ply Surgical Matrix RS. Patients were evaluated weekly post-operatively, and more MicroMatrix and sheet material was added if a wound deficit was still present. Measurements were taken in two dimensions, diameter and depth, to characterize wounds. Resolution of wound deficit was graphed versus time. Pain was assessed by scoring 0–10. Rapid wound closure was achieved. Two of the patients had failed wound healing with saline dressing changes prior to MatriStem application. These two patients in particular were highly satisfied with the comfort of the MatriStem approach relative to their time with saline dressings. Most had no pain after 1 week when bolster sutures were removed. In the treatment of open pilonidal wounds in adolescents, porcine urinary bladder matrix wound care devices offer closure times and cost similar to well-established methods while offering a substantial advantage in terms of patient comfort and convenience. This preliminary experience supports a prospective study.
Chapter VII Task Performance

A mathematical model of an end effector grip on a cylindrical peg has been applied in a control algorithm in the first paper for fine tuning the position of the end effector. The paper states that successful implementation of this approach increases facilitation of high precision assembly tasks. In the second paper, the effect of errors in link length, joint misalignment, and joint encoder offset on the accuracy of a closed-loop robot is numerically computed. The effect due to link/joint parameter errors on the dynamic performance of a robot is presented in the third paper in terms of the deviations in robot manipulator torque for several link/joint parameter errors. An analytical assessment of the positioning error of a robot end effector caused by kinematic errors in the link/joint parameters has been performed in the fourth paper for several point-to-point end effector tasks. In the fifth paper a lump sum calibration approach is described that corrects for the tolerance buildup within a manipulator arm and the location of the tooling fixtures by utilizing a patented infra-red sensory device mounted on the end of the manipulator to locate tooling balls within the work area. In the sixth paper, an essential component for quality control is stated to be a low cost recalibration system that can be applied online during the production cycle. An expert system has been developed in the seventh paper to aid the designer in evaluating the most appropriate robot-hand kinematic structural concept from a large number of possible alternatives. The applicability of existing expert system techniques such as rule-based systems to the conceptual design automation of mechanisms is shown. In the eighth paper, the pose estimation problem, i.e., to determine the position and orientation of an object based on sensor data, is solved using simplified sensor and object models and an algorithm developed on the basis of a triangulation scheme. Such a grasping strategy will ensure grasping, increase the stability of the grasp, and provide a grasp that will either not require further manipulation of the object or will make manipulation of the object easier.
Age-associated vulval integrity is an important marker of nematode healthspan

Improving healthspan, defined as the period where organisms live without frailty and/or disease, is a major goal of biomedical research. While healthspan measures in people are relatively easy to identify, developing robust markers of healthspan in model organisms has proven challenging. Studies using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have provided vital information on the basic mechanisms of aging; however, worm health is difficult to define, and the impact of interventions that increase lifespan on worm healthspan has been controversial. Here, we describe a marker of population healthspan in C. elegans that we term age-associated vulval integrity defects, or Avid, frequently described elsewhere as rupture or exploding. We connect the presence of this phenotype with temperature, reproduction, diet, and longevity. Our results show that Avid occurs in post-reproductive worms under common laboratory conditions at a frequency that correlates negatively with temperature; Avid is rare in worms kept at 25 °C and more frequent in worms kept at 15 °C. We describe the kinetics of Avid, link the phenotype to oocyte production, and describe how Avid involves the ejection of worm proteins and/or internal organ(s) from the vulva. Finally, we find that Avid is preventable by removing worms from food, suggesting that Avid results from the intake, digestion, and/or absorption of food. Our results show that Avid is a significant cause of death in worm populations maintained under laboratory conditions and that its prevention often correlates with worm longevity. We propose that Avid is a powerful marker of worm healthspan whose underlying molecular mechanisms may be conserved.
Erythropoietin and Its Derivatives: Mechanisms of Neuroprotection and Challenges in Clinical Translation

Erythropoietin (EPO) was first identified as a regulator of erythropoiesis. Additional studies have demonstrated a myriad of pleotropic effects (eg, an ability to decrease inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis). Further, EPO facilitates both angiogenesis and neurogenesis and modulates core components of primary and secondary brain injury. Animal models have confirmed the therapeutic potential of EPO in both experimental ischemic and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Unfortunately, clinical studies in stroke, TBI, and other related neurological injuries/disorders have thus far failed to demonstrate meaningful improvements after interventions with EPO. The surprising failure of EPO in clinical trials may be linked to inadequate dosing regimens, incorrect timing of treatments, duration of the therapy, and/or to inability (eg, lack of sensitivity) to detect outcomes reflective of clinical improvement. As such, optimized administration of EPO or EPO derivatives may provide a novel therapeutic approach for treatment of currently intractable brain injuries and illnesses.
The Brief Case: Bacteremia Caused by Helicobacter cinaedi.

A 61-year-old male with relapsed multiple myeloma presented to clinic with fatigue and chills. The patient had undergone two rounds of autologous stem cell transplantation in 2012 and was undergoing chemotherapy with pomalidomide, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone. He was admitted for neutropenic
Probabilistic Biomedical Knowledge

This chapter introduces basic ideas of probability and statistics and then shows how they can be applied to build probabilistic reasoning systems. Utility theory and decision modeling such as uncertainty and nondeterministic processes modeling add considerably to one's ability to make biomedical knowledge computable. Although the mathematics of probabilistic reasoning is quite different from that of logic, the themes are similar, that is, one can build predictive models, compute their entailments, and verify or reject hypotheses by comparing with experimental or observed data. It discusses MYCIN experiments noteworthy for the fact that MYCIN combined a probability-like representation of medical knowledge with a rule-based system. In MYCIN, as the rules were applied, the degree of certainty of a list of working hypotheses would increase or decrease. This is an example of a rule-based production system, in which the action of a rule can be any operation, not just the addition of an assertion to a set of propositions. Another example of work combining probabilistic and logic-based systems is Daphne Koller's work combining frames and Bayes nets. It concludes with a brief introduction to information theory. Brief mention is made of some ideas from statistics, but the emphasis here is on the mathematics of graphical relationships among variables using conditional probabilities. Such graphs can compactly and meaningfully represent causal relationships in very complex systems with many variables. They are particularly suited to modeling pathology and treatment of disease.
Preventing Weight Gain Improves Sleep Quality Among Black Women: Results from a RCT

Obesity and poor sleep are highly prevalent among Black women. We examined whether a weight gain prevention intervention improved sleep among Black women. We conducted a randomized trial comparing a 12-month weight gain prevention intervention that included self-monitoring through mobile technologies and phone coaching to usual care in community health centers. We measured sleep using the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale at baseline, 12 months, and 18 months. The scale examines quantity of sleep, sleep disturbance, sleep adequacy, daytime somnolence, snoring, shortness of breath, and global sleep problems (sleep problem indices I and II). Participants (n = 184) were on average 35.4 years and obese (BMI 30.2 kg/m2); 74% made <$30,000/year. At baseline, average sleep duration was 6.4 (1.5) hours. Controlling for weight change and sleep medication, the intervention group reported greater improvements in sleep disturbance [−8.35 (−16.24, −0.45)] and sleep problems at 12 months: sleep problem index I [−8.35 (−16.24, −0.45)]; sleep problem index II [−8.35 (−16.24, −0.45)]. However, these findings did not persist at 18 months. Preventing weight gain may afford clinical benefit on improving sleep quality. The trial was registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov database (NCT00938535)
Delivery of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) to veterans with resected colon cancer

e16557 Background: Patients (pts) with incomplete administration of AC for colon cancer (CC) likely experience inferior survival while oxaliplatin- and capecitabine-containing AC may not improve su...
The effect of roasting temperature applied to whole soybeans on site of digestion by steers: I. Organic matter, energy, fiber, and fatty acid digestion.

A 4 x 5 Youden square design was used to determine the effects of form of oil and roasting temperature of soybeans on site and extent of OM, fiber, energy, lipid, and fatty acid digestion and the degree of ruminal biohydrogenation of C18 unsaturated fatty acids. Four steers (373 kg +/- 30.7) with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas were fed each of five diets during five periods. Diets contained (percentage of DM) corn silage (50%), alfalfa hay (24%), and a corn-urea concentrate (6%). Cornstarch grits (4%) and whole full-fat soybeans (16% of diet DM), raw or roasted to an exit temperature of 141 degrees, 149 degrees, or 157 degrees C in a commercial roaster, constituted the remainder of the RAW, 141, 149, and 157 treatments. Soybean oil equivalent to the quantity in the whole soybeans (3.4% of diet DM) and corn starch grits (16.6% of diet DM) constituted the basal treatment. Diets provided 6.0% ether extract (EE) and 4.6 Mcal of GE/kg of DM. Flows of nutrients were determined by reference to Cr2O3 as an external marker. Ruminal pH, molar proportions of acetate and butyrate, and total ruminal VFA (mM) were not affected by treatment. Ruminal digestibilities of OM, GE, EE, NDF, and ADF were not different among treatments (average 49.5, 41.7, -3.6, 47.4, and 50.1%, respectively). Small intestinal disappearances of OM, GE, and EE were not different among treatments (average 18.4, 24.8, and 61.6% of intake, respectively). Overall, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3 acids averaged 4.4, 25.3, 60.6, and 8.5% of total C18 fatty acids in the diet, respectively; digesta at the duodenum contained 79.0, 16.5, 4.4, and .2%, respectively. The unsaturated C18 fatty acids of soybean oil from whole soybeans, regardless of roasting temperature, were hydrogenated to a similar degree as free soybean oil in the basal diet (average 78.0%). Small intestinal digestibility of total fatty acids was greater (P = .04) for roasted than for raw soybeans (70.9 vs 60.4%). Total tract digestibilities of total C18 fatty acids and total fatty acids were greater (P = .01) for roasted soybeans than for raw soybeans (88.0 vs 82.4 and 86.3 vs 81.0%, respectively). Total tract apparent digestibility of energy was lower (P = .07) for the basal diet than for soybean-containing diets (69.2 vs 70.0%, respectively). Diets containing whole soybeans, regardless of roasting temperature, or free SB oil had similar effects on ruminal characteristics and nutrient digestion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Clinical PET/CT in the community: Experience from interpretation of outside PET/CT exams in referred patients: Methods and quantitation

1179 Objectives Tertiary care institutions often care for patients who have had a baseline PET/CT scan performed at another center. Payor rules frequently will not allow for performance of a new baseline study after the patient has a PET/CT exam at another center. Little data exists regarding the quality of PET/CT scans obtained in the community and whether they are suitable for qualitative or quantitative interpretation. We evaluated outside PET/CT scans from cancer patients referred to JHH in late 2009 and compared them to PET/CT scans acquired locally. Methods 48 outside PET/CT outside exams from many performance sites which could be digitally imported into our radiology imaging system were reviewed for key quality metrics including time from injection until imaging, availability of patient height/weight information. SUV and SUV lean in the liver were measured. These were compared to 48 studies performed locally in late 2009 at JHH. Results Outside time from injection to scan: 72 ± 28 min (range 21 to 143), Weight recorded and provided for 36 out of the 48 studies, Height recorded and provided for 20 out of the 48 studies, FDG liver Average: 6.7 ± 5.8. By contrast, studies performed internally at JHH had a mean injection to scan time of 62 ± 11 min, weight and height recorded in all patients, and a mean liver SUV lean of 1.5 ± 0.3. Conclusions Many of the outside PET studies submitted for analysis lacked key information required to secure quantitative imaging, were acquired outside of NIH recommended timing guidelines, and had markedly higher and more variable normal liver SUV values than patients performed at a single academic center. These observations suggest that a large fraction of PET studies performed in the community cannot be relied upon to provide meaningful quantitative image data which can be applied in a different center. Opportunities for greater standardization among centers abounds
Dynamical initial-state model for relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We present a fully three-dimensional model providing initial conditions for energy and net-baryon density distributions in heavy-ion collisions at arbitrary collision energy. The model includes the dynamical deceleration of participating nucleons or valence quarks, depending on the implementation. The duration of the deceleration continues until the string spanned between colliding participants is assumed to thermalize, which is either after a fixed proper time, or a fluctuating time depending on sampled final rapidities. Energy is deposited in space time along the string, which in general will span a range of space-time rapidities and proper times. We study various observables obtained directly from the initial-state model, including net-baryon rapidity distributions, two-particle rapidity correlations, as well as the rapidity decorrelation of the transverse geometry. Their dependence on the model implementation and parameter values is investigated. We also present the implementation of the model with 3+1-dimensional hydrodynamics, which involves the addition of source terms that deposit energy and net-baryon densities produced by the initial-state model at proper times greater than the initial time for the hydrodynamic simulation.
A transmission line model with non-uniformly distributed line impedance

This paper discusses an extension of the conventional single-phase transmission line model with uniformly distributed parameters. The derived model can additionally account for non-uniformities of line impedance along the transmission line which may be due to non-uniformities in external conditions along the line (e.g. wind) affecting electrical parameters. In order to provide understanding of the resulting equations, the model derivation is briefly described. The results are validated by mathematical proof against the case of uniformly distributed line impedance. As the results are available in a non-closed form solution, a possible procedure of application is proposed. The equations are applied to study cases with non-uniform line impedance caused by conductor temperature gradients along the line, demonstrating the impact of considering parameter non-uniformities.