cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tritanium Jumbo Cups in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty With Major Acetabular Defects

Introduction: Jumbo cups (58 mm or larger diameter in females and 62 mm or larger diameter in males), theoretically have lowered the percentage of bleeding bone that is required for osseointegration in severe acetabular defects. The purpose of this study was to analyze the safety and efficacy of Tritanium jumbo cups in patients with major acetabular defects (Paprosky type IIIa and IIIb) and assess the extent of osseointegration. Material and Methods: From February 2007 and August 2010, 28 consecutive hips (26 patients, mean age of 69 years) underwent acetabular revision arthroplasty for treatment of Paprosky type IIIa and IIIb defects using Tritanium jumbo cups (Stryker, Mahwah, New Jersey). Results: 14% of the hips had pelvic discontinuity. There was no intra-operative fracture. The initial stability was achieved in all hips, supplemented by screws. No Tantalum augments or bulk bone grafts were used in any of the cases. At mean follow-up of 4 years, there were no failures due to loosening or cup migration. Radiographic assessment showed osseointegration in all cups, ranging from 30% to 75% of the cup surface area as assessed in both anteroposterior and false profile views in Charnley zones I through VI. Discussion and conclusion: In Paprosky type IIIb defect with pelvic discontinuity, jumbo cup can be used safely without the use of any augments. In pelvic dissociation, the fibrous tissue is stretched with jumbo cups in an under-reamed socket to achieve a fixation by distraction, especially in failed cemented sockets.
SWIM consumer implementation

System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is a key transformational information exchange program that is an important element of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). SWIM provides a mechanism for National Airspace System (NAS) and non-NAS consumers to have access to FAA-generated aeronautical, flight, and weather information.
How phlebotomy affects the erythrocyte metabolism of high- and low-glutathione sheep.

Erythrocyte glutathione concentration increases dramatically in low-glutathione sheep of the Finnish-Landrace breed. To determine if this phenomenon occurs in low-glutathione sheep of the Corriedale or Merino type, the packed cell volume was decreased to less than 16 by phlebotomy. Glutathione concentrations increased in high- and low-glutathione sheep. Low-glutathione sheep returned to pre-phlebotomy levels by the 18th day; high-glutathione sheep increased, then decreased below pre-phlebotomy levels for the duration of the experiment. Packed cell volumes increased linearly (1.07 per cent per day) for 19 days. The maximum reticulocyte percentage (11.4) occurred on the eighth day. Some erythrocyte enzymes increased as the mean cell age decreased, but some did not change. Erythrocyte adcnosine-5’-triphosphate and creatine appear to be related to the reticulocyte count.
The Subject and Social Theory: Marx and Lukács on Hegel

It is very difficult to imagine addressing the relation of Marx and Hegel — and, relatedly, the question of the Subject and critical social theory — without considering the towering figure of Georg Lukacs.1 In History and Class Consciousness, written in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and the failure of revolution in central Europe, Lukacs (1971) effects a fundamental theoretical break with Second International Marxism by reasserting the Hegelian dimension of Marx’s thought. On this basis, he fundamentally criticized scienusm and faith in linear historical progress, arguing that such positions were the deep theoretical grounds for the world-historical failures of Social Democracy to prevent war in 1914 and bring about radical historical change in 1918–19.
Radical Nephrectomy With or Without Lymph Node Dissection for Nonmetastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-based Analysis

Abstract Background It is uncertain whether lymph node dissection (LND) provides a therapeutic benefit in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Objective To evaluate the association of LND with oncologic outcomes among patients undergoing radical nephrectomy (RN) for nonmetastatic RCC. Design, setting, and participants A retrospective cohort study of 1797 patients treated with RN for M0 RCC between 1990 and 2010, including 606 (34%) who underwent LND. Intervention RN with or without LND. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis The associations of LND with the development of distant metastases, cancer-specific mortality (CSM), and all-cause mortality (ACM) were evaluated using 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching, adjustment for/stratification by PS quintile, and inverse probability weighting. Cox models were used to evaluate the association of the number of lymph nodes removed with oncologic outcomes. Results and limitations A total of 111 (6.2%) patients were pN1. The median follow-up after surgery was 10.6 yr. Following PS adjustment, there were no significant differences in clinicopathologic features between patients with and without LND. In the overall cohort, LND was not significantly associated with a reduced risk of distant metastases, CSM, or ACM. Moreover, LND was not associated with improved oncologic outcomes even among patients at increased risk of pN1 disease, including those with preoperative radiographic lymphadenopathy, or across increasing threshold probabilities for pN1 disease from 0.05 to 0.50. Among patients who underwent LND, the extent of LND was not significantly associated with the development of distant metastases, CSM, or ACM. Limitations include the retrospective design. Conclusions We did not identify an oncologic benefit to LND in the overall cohort or among patients at increased risk of nodal disease. These findings do not support a therapeutic benefit to LND in patients with M0 RCC. Patient summary Lymph node dissection does not appear to provide a therapeutic benefit in patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma.
Identifying and quantifying environmental thresholds for ecological shifts in a large semi-regulated river

ABSTRACTEcological shifts, between a clear macrophyte-dominated state and a turbid state dominated by phytoplankton and high inorganic suspended solids, have been well described in shallow lake ecosystems. While few documented examples exist in rivers, models predict regime shifts, especially in regulated rivers with high water retention time. Here I quantified ecological shifts in a large, semi-regulated floodplain river during a transition from a turbid- to a clear-water state using water quality, aquatic vegetation and fisheries data from a rigorous, standardized long-term data set. My findings indicate that significant changes occurred in total suspended solids concentration, aquatic macrophyte abundance, native and non-native fish biomass, fish functional feeding guild patterns, fish habitat guild assemblages and fish spawning guild assemblage patterns over a nearly 20-year period in Navigation Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River. Transitions in physical and biological indicators were examined to i...
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Tobacco Information Seeking and Information Sources: Findings From the 2015 Health Information National Trends Survey

This article describes sources of health information, types of tobacco information sought, and trust in sources of tobacco information among U.S. racial/ethnic groups (Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Other). Cross-sectional data (N = 3,788) from a nationally representative survey, HINTS-FDA 2015, were analyzed to examine unadjusted and adjusted associations between race/ethnicity and (a) first source of health information, (b) tobacco information seeking, and (c) trust in sources of tobacco information. Adjusted associations controlled for current tobacco product use and sociodemographic variables. Findings indicated that the Internet was the most common first source of health information while health care providers were the second most common source for all racial/ethnic groups. Tobacco-related health information seeking was more prevalent than other tobacco product information seeking. Unadjusted analyses indicated that a higher proportion of Whites sought other tobacco product information compared to Asians and Pacific Islanders. Trust was rated highest for doctors while trust for health organizations was rated second highest. Asians and Pacific Islanders had higher trust in the government compared to all other groups. Blacks had higher trust in religious organizations compared to all other groups besides Hispanics. Blacks had higher trust for tobacco companies compared to Whites and Other. Many of these differences were attenuated in adjusted analyses. This research has implications for tobacco control practice and policymaking by identifying potential dissemination strategies.
The role of sense of belonging in self-stigma among people with serious mental illnesses.

OBJECTIVE Self-stigma significantly impacts people with serious mental illnesses. Evidence from other marginalized groups has indicated that sense of belonging may buffer these impacts. The purpose of this study was to assess the buffering of self-stigma by sense of belonging among this population, including the relationship between these effects and self-identification in other marginalized groups. METHOD In the study, 267 adults with serious mental illnesses completed demographic, self-stigma, exposure to stigma, and sense of belonging measures. Regression analyses were conducted to determine whether sense of belonging buffered self-stigma and, if so, whether those effects vary by race and gender identification. RESULTS Sense of belonging buffered self-stigma. Self-identification with other marginalized groups did not impact the buffering effect. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Sense of belonging can protect against self-stigma. Self-stigma interventions should integrate components that improve sense of belonging, including community integration. These components should be flexible to meet the cultural context of individual consumers. (PsycINFO Database Record
Supported metal catalysts at the single-atom limit – A viewpoint

Abstract An account of recent work on supported single-atom catalyst design is given here for reactions as diverse as the low-temperature water-gas shift, methanol steam reforming, selective ethanol dehydrogenation, and selective hydrogenation of alkynes and dienes. It is of fundamental interest to investigate the intrinsic activity and selectivity of the active metal atom site and compare them to the properties of the corresponding metal nanoparticles and sub-nm clusters. It is also important to understand what constitutes a stable active metal atom site in the various reaction environments, and maximize their loadings to allow us to design robust catalysts for industrial applications. Combined activity and stability studies, ideally following the evolution of the active site as a function of catalyst treatment in real time are recommended. Advanced characterization methods with atomic resolution will play a key role here and will be used to guide the design of new catalysts.
Modeling Effects of Forward Glance Durations on Latent Hazard Detection

Performance of in-vehicle, secondary tasks requires a driver to alternate his or her glances between the inside of the vehicle and the forward roadway. While previous research has shown that thresholds of off-road and durations are critical to latent hazard detection, there has been no research to predict the probability of hazard detection in a time series considering all possible forward glance durations. To determine the minimum forward roadway duration to adequately anticipate hazards, 45 drivers were asked to navigate eight unique virtual scenarios on a driving simulator while alternating their glances inside (2s) and outside (1s, 2s, 3s, or 4s) the vehicle in a uniform sequence (consistent on-road and off-road durations). A microbenchmark approach based on Hidden Markov models is explored to infer the transition probability of hazard detection that changes dynamically between the detection and nondetection stages. The model is cross validated and demonstrated to be accurate and robust. Three charact...
Alginate Processing Routes to Fabricate Bioinspired Platforms for Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery

Alginate is a water-soluble polymer which has gained much attention in the last 20 years as suitable biomaterial for numerous applications in biomedical science and engineering. The strong biocompatibility in cell microenvironment and the possibility to process alginate solution by safe conditions to reach a stable form after polymer gelation – via ionic, chemical, or thermal route – make them useful to design different types of devices (i.e., injectable gels, porous scaffolds, micro-/nanoparticles) which are attractive for wound healing, cell transplantation, drug delivery, and three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.
Against the “Institutional Real”: The Structural and Cultural Foundations of Corporate Higher Education and the Challenge to Developing Politically Engaged Students

The classic investment opportunity involves a company that has a systematic solution to a problem and how successful that company may become depends on how big the problem is and how well the company solves it… The shift we see [in education] is a system going from a government-run monopoly with little accountability and, by definition, no competition, to a market driven system that competes on price and quality. As in health care, the delivery of service and the change in funding sources will be critically interactive as an investment driver. [These shifts] do not occur overnight, but with the increasing discussion, consideration, and implementation of charter schools, school choice, private management of public schools and vouchers, we are certain that the traditional way education and child care have been delivered and funded will continue to change, and there is no going back (Lehman Brothers in Investment opportunity in the education industry. Lehman Brothers, New York, 1996).
Big Jump of Record Warm Global Mean Surface Temperature in 2014-2016 Related to Unusually Large Oceanic Heat Releases

A 0.24°C jump of record warm global mean surface temperature (GMST) over the past three consecutive record-breaking years (2014–2016) was highly unusual and largely a consequence of an El Nino that released unusually large amounts of ocean heat from the subsurface layer of the northwestern tropical Pacific. This heat had built up since the 1990s mainly due to greenhouse-gas (GHG) forcing and possible remote oceanic effects. Model simulations and projections suggest that the fundamental cause, and robust predictor of large record-breaking events of GMST in the 21st century, is GHG forcing rather than internal climate variability alone. Such events will increase in frequency, magnitude, and duration, as well as impact, in the future unless GHG forcing is reduced.
Chapter 85 – Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a frequent cause of neurological disease arising in early to middle adulthood, has a complex etiology involving both genetic and environmental factors. Recent years have witnessed great progress in the dissection of the fundamental genetic etiology underlying MS risk. To date, more than 100 variants that modulate disease susceptibility have been identified. The most important factor genome-wide resides in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region (odds ratio [OR] 3.1); the primary signal maps to the class II DR locus (primarily DRB1*1501) and a secondary signal maps to the A locus in the class 1 region. Other MS-associated variants are widely distributed across the genome and all have small effect (OR = 1.1–1.35); importantly, most cluster nearby genes known to affect immune function although as the MS genetic map expands some contribution of nervous system and vitamin D-associated pathways are also becoming evident. Taken together, a new genetic landscape of MS is now available for the research community that should help clarify the underlying biology of this disease and, hopefully, lead to new methods of treatment, early detection, and perhaps prevention.
Real-time Sources and Distributed Admission Control

In the previous chapters, we have considered only elastic users, i.e., those users that are characterized by concave utility functions. In this chapter, we will consider a specific type of inelastic users: those which require an average bandwidth (say, 1 unit) and a QoS guarantee (e.g., an upper bound on the probability of packet loss or the probability that the delay exceeds some threshold) from the network. In other words, these users would not be willing to use the network if the amount of bandwidth available is less than one unit, and further, will not use any excess bandwidth if more than one unit is provided to them. An example of such sources are voice calls, which generate packets at a rate of 8 kbps to 64 kbps, depending on the codec (coding and decoding algorithm) used, and require the delay, jitter and packet loss in the network to be small to ensure good quality of the audio at the receiver.
Relationships Between Classes

In the previous chapter we studied classes and objects as the two building blocks of objectoriented systems. The structure of a software systemis defined by the way in which these building blocks relate with one another and the behaviour of the system is defined by the manner in which the objects interact with one another. Therefore, in order to construct a software system, we need mechanisms that create connections between these building blocks. In this chapter we introduce the basic types of relationships between classes (and objects) that make the connections.
Semantic Defectiveness: A Dissolution of Semantic Pathology

The Liar Paradox and its kin appear to show that there is something wrong with—something pathological about—certain firmly held principles or beliefs. It is our view that these appearances are deceiving. In this paper, we provide both a diagnosis and a treatment of apparent semantic pathology, explaining these appearances without semantic or logical compromise.
600.26 Usefulness of Skeletal Muscle Area Detected by Computed Tomography to Predict Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Meta-Analysis

Sarcopenia, which is referred to as low muscle mass measured from the readily available preoperative computed tomography (CT) images, has been recently suggested as a predictor of outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). However, results of these studies are
Immune Inhibitory Proteins and Their Pathogenic and Therapeutic Implications in Autoimmunity and Autoimmune Hepatitis

Key inhibitory proteins can blunt immune responses to self-antigens, and deficiencies in this repertoire may promote autoimmunity. The goals of this review are to describe the key immune inhibitory proteins, indicate their possible impact on the development of autoimmune disease, especially autoimmune hepatitis, and encourage studies to clarify their pathogenic role and candidacy as therapeutic targets. English abstracts were identified in PubMed by multiple search terms. Full length articles were selected for review, and secondary and tertiary bibliographies were developed. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 impairs ligation of CD28 to B7 ligands on antigen presenting cells and inhibits the adaptive immune response by increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, generating regulatory T cells, and reducing T cell activation and proliferation. Programed cell death antigen-1 inhibits T cell selection, activation, and proliferation by binding with two ligands at different phases and locations of the immune response. A soluble alternatively spliced variant of this protein can dampen the inhibitory signal. Autoimmune hepatitis has been associated with polymorphisms of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 gene, reduced hepatic expression of a ligand of programed cell death antigen-1, an interfering soluble variant of this key inhibitory protein, and antibodies against it. Findings have been associated with laboratory indices of liver injury and suboptimal treatment response. Abatacept, belatacept, CD28 blockade, and induction of T cell exhaustion are management considerations that require scrutiny. In conclusion, deficiencies in key immune inhibitory proteins may promote the occurrence of autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune hepatitis, and emerging interventions may overcome these deficiencies. Investigations should define the nature, impact and management of these inhibitory disturbances in autoimmune hepatitis.
Risk factors for intraoperative hypoglycemia in children: a retrospective observational cohort study.

Intraoperative hypoglycemia can result in devastating neurologic injury if not promptly diagnosed and treated. Few studies have defined risk factors for intraoperative hypoglycemia. The authors sought to characterize children with intraoperative hypoglycemia and determine independent risk factors. This retrospective observational single-institution study included all patients < 18 yr of age undergoing an anesthetic from January 1 2012 to December 31 2016. The primary outcome was blood glucose < 3.3 mmol·L−1 (60 mg·dl−1). Data collected included patient characteristics, comorbidities, and intraoperative factors. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify independent predictors of intraoperative hypoglycemia. Blood glucose was measured in 7,715 of 73,592 cases with 271 (3.5%) having a glucose < 3.3 mmol·L−1 (60 mg·dl−1). Young age, weight for age < 5th percentile, developmental delay, presence of a gastric or jejunal tube, and abdominal surgery were identified as independent predictors for intraoperative hypoglycemia. Eighty percent of hypoglycemia cases occurred in children < three years of age and in children < 15 kg. Young age, weight for age < 5th percentile, developmental delay, having a gastric or jejunal tube, and abdominal surgery were independent risk factors for intraoperative hypoglycemia in children. Frequent monitoring of blood glucose and judicious isotonic dextrose administration may be warranted in these children.
Structural and antibacterial properties of NSAID-loaded ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene

Abstract Peri-articular delivery of pain medication in joint arthroplasty has the potential to address post-operative pain and decrease the use of systemic opioids. Additionally, the sustained release from a delivery vehicle may be especially impactful in the initial post-operative period when pain is most severe. We recently described a novel approach for the sustained intra-articular delivery of an analgesic (bupivacaine) from an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) bearing surface. A secondary but very significant effect of incorporating bupivacaine in UHMWPE was its antibacterial effect against Staphylococcal species, which are associated with the majority of periprosthetic joint infections. Here, we report on the structure, properties, elution characteristics and antibacterial properties of UHMWPE loaded with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) — tolfenamic acid. We showed that 6 wt% drug loading was optimal for eluting clinically relevant intra-articular and systemic concentrations, for maintaining mechanical properties at a clinically relevant level, and for providing anti-colonization potential against low risk (planktonic) and high risk (biofilm forming) Staphylococcal species. We determined the osteoblast response to the tolfenamic acid-loaded UHMWPE to evaluate the cytotoxicity profile of this novel material. Tolfenamic acid-loaded UHMWPE has the potential to be used as a part of multimodal pain management therapy following arthroplasty and may provide prophylaxis for periprosthetic infection.
Quorum sensing via dynamic cytokine signaling comprehensively explains divergent patterns of effector choice among helper T cells

In the animal kingdom, various forms of swarming enable groups of autonomous individuals to transform uncertain information into unified decisions which are probabilistically beneficial. Crossing scales from individual to group decisions requires dynamically accumulating signals among individuals. In striking parallel, the mammalian immune system is also a group of decentralized autonomous units (i.e. cells) which collectively navigate uncertainty with the help of dynamically accumulating signals (i.e. cytokines). Therefore, we apply techniques of understanding swarm behavior to a decision-making problem in the mammalian immune system, namely effector choice among CD4+ T helper (Th) cells. We find that incorporating dynamic cytokine signaling into a simple model of Th differentiation comprehensively explains divergent observations of this process. The plasticity and heterogeneity of individual Th cells, the tunable mixtures of effector types that can be generated in vitro, and the polarized yet updateable group effector commitment often observed in vivo are all explained by the same set of underlying molecular rules. These rules reveal that Th cells harness dynamic cytokine signaling to implement a system of quorum sensing. Quorum sensing, in turn, may confer adaptive advantages on the mammalian immune system, especially during coinfection and during coevolution with manipulative parasites. This highlights a new way of understanding the mammalian immune system as a cellular swarm, and it underscores the power of collectives throughout nature.
Abstract A27: Increasing proximity triggers Mst2 autophosphorylation

The Hippo pathway limits cell number and differentiation by blocking the transcriptional activity of YAP. The fidelity of signal transduction relies on the coordinated activity of a core kinase cassette that includes the kinases Mst1/2 and Lats1/2 and the accessory proteins Mob1 and hSalvador. Mst1/2 contains a kinase domain, linker region, and a C-terminal coiled-coil domain termed SARAH and is responsible for the phosphorylation of downstream components. Activation of Mst1/2 requires phosphorylation of the activation loop, a process believed to be a consequence of trans-autophosphorylation that is promoted by SARAH-domain mediated homodimerization. We aimed to understand what mechanistically triggers Mst1/2 autophosphorylation. Using purified proteins, we show that the kinase domain of Mst2 is sufficient for autophosphorylation but full-length Mst2 undergoes autophosphorylation faster than variants lacking the SARAH domain. This increased autophosphorylation could arise from either a specific contribution of a SARAH-domain mediated homodimer (allostery) or the increased proximity of kinase domains following homodimerization (effective local concentration). We investigated both possibilities using a series of biochemical assays and revealed that autophosphorylation of Mst2 variants lacking a SARAH domain could be stimulated by either chemically induced dimerization or increased localization following recruitment to the surface of a lipid-vesicle. Our results suggest that SARAH-domain mediated homodimerization is not the only event that promotes autophosphorylation of Mst1/2 and, instead, supports a more inclusive model that relies on colocalization. Any cellular event that increases the proximity of Mst1/2 could activate the kinase such as SARAH-domain mediated homodimerization, higher-order complex formation with hSalvador, or membrane recruitment. Citation Format: Thao Tran, Jennifer M. Kavran. Increasing proximity triggers Mst2 autophosphorylation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Hippo Pathway: Signaling, Cancer, and Beyond; 2019 May 8-11; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(8_Suppl):Abstract nr A27.
Envisioning Cybersecurity Analytics for the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things represents a rethinking of how we currently envision networks. It involves increases in scale of an order of magnitude over the next decade, increasingly distributed and virtualized architectures, and an ever-changing perimeter. Cybersecurity analytic capability will need to adapt to meet the demands of this evolving environment. In this paper the authors assess the ways in which cybersecurity analytics will need to evolve and identify the potential role of Government in promoting needed changes. This paper provides a brief summary of that effort.
A Time-Approximation Filter for Direct RF Transmitter

This article presents a highly programmable time-approximation filter (TAF) that can be embedded in a direct RF transmitter architecture. The proposed filter technique approximates the impulse response of a finite impulse response (FIR) filter with a modulated LO waveform, leading to an equivalent RF bandpass filtering during the frequency up-conversion process. The silicon prototype in 65-nm CMOS achieves an error vector magnitude (EVM) performance of −42 dB for a 20-MHz, 256-QAM signal and −43 dB for a 10-MHz, 1024-QAM signal at 2.4 GHz. Due to TAF, the out-of-band noise floor achieves −158 dBc/Hz at a 100-MHz frequency offset.
Large spin pumping effect in antisymmetric precession of Ni79Fe21/Ru/Ni79Fe21

In magnetic trilayer structures, a contribution to the Gilbert damping of ferromagnetic resonance arises from spin currents pumped from one layer to another. This contribution has been demonstrated for layers with weakly coupled, separated resonances, where magnetization dynamics are excited predominantly in one layer and the other layer acts as a spin sink. Here, we show that trilayer structures in which magnetizations are excited simultaneously, antisymmetrically, show a spin-pumping effect roughly twice as large. The antisymmetric (optical) mode of antiferromagnetically coupled Ni79Fe21(8 nm)/Ru/Ni79Fe21(8 nm) trilayers shows a Gilbert damping constant greater than that of the symmetric (acoustic) mode by an amount as large as the intrinsic damping of Py ( Δα≃0.006). The effect is shown equally in field-normal and field-parallel to film plane geometries over 3–25 GHz. The results confirm a prediction of the spin pumping model and have implications for the use of synthetic antiferromagnets (SAF)-structu...
Inertial forces in the Maxey-Riley equation in nonuniform flows

Here, inertial forces on particles in nonuniform ambient flows, previously missing from the Maxey---Riley formulation of inertial particle dynamics, are identified. These forces involve both local and convective fluid inertia and depend on the curvature of the ambient flow. These new terms provide quantitative corrections and qualitative additions to the Maxey---Riley equation and are relevant when the particle size is appreciable relative to the characteristic length scale of the ambient flow.
Love thy neighbors? Beneficial and pest arthropod populations in a pear and cherry orchard landscape

Abstract Neighboring vegetation in an agricultural landscape can impact pest and beneficial arthropod populations in tree fruit orchards. In a pear monocrop region (such as Wenatchee WA, northwestern United States), the concern is that specialist pests can migrate from orchard to orchard and maintain an area-wide high population. In a mixed landscape region (such as Hood River OR, NW USA), the concern is that chemical control measures against invasive pests in nearby cherry orchards can disrupt biological control in pear orchards by killing beneficial arthropods. Specifically, we asked whether surrounding pear and cherry area cover (% in 1 km2), presence of adjacent cherry orchards, and pesticide impact scores influenced the abundance and richness of common pests (pear psylla and two-spotted spider TSS mites) and beneficial arthropods (the parasitoid wasp Trechnites insidiosus and generalist predators) in pear orchards in OR and WA. Pests and beneficial arthropods were collected in pear plots in OR and WA in 2016–2018 using a combination of methods (sticky cards, beat trays, leaf samples). A generalized linear mixed model revealed that surrounding pear cover area did not affect any of the outcome variables. Surrounding cherry cover had variable effects on pest and beneficial abundance in different regions and years, such as a negative correlation with predator abundance (OR 2016), a positive correlation with parasitoid abundance (WA 2017), and higher pear psylla abundance in cherry-adjacent pear plots (OR 2018). Furthermore, a quantile regression showed that pear orchards with low surrounding cherry cover had high variance in parasitoid abundance, while pear orchards with high surrounding cherry cover had consistently low parasitoid abundance. Pesticide impact scores negatively influenced predator and parasitoid abundance and beneficial richness in WA, but not in OR. Pear plots with higher pesticide impact scores had higher TSS mite abundance (in both OR and WA 2018), but did not affect pear psylla abundance. A redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that beneficial population assemblages tended to cluster away from pear plots with high pesticide impact scores. This study shows how landscape and chemical control practices can have variable impacts on pear orchards located in different regions.
Rare and Serious Adverse Effects of Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) Agents in Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's disease patients experience a higher rate of postoperative complications than do general surgical patients. The use of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) therapy in the treatment of severe Crohn's disease and other autoimmune inflammatory conditions is increasing and expanding. We describe the case of a 47-year-old female Crohn's patient who experienced two rare and serious adverse effects of anti-TNF-α therapy following laparoscopic ileocectomy for obstructive Crohn's disease. On the first postoperative day, the patient developed intra-abdominal hemorrhage requiring transfusion and emergency abdominal exploration. Findings were consistent with a rare hemorrhagic complication of her anti-TNF-α medication. She recovered and was ultimately discharged from the hospital without further complications. Less than 24 hours following discharge, the patient suffered two grand mal seizures. Imaging demonstrated white matter demyelination of the brain. The patient recovered, again, with no clinical sequelae. These two dangerous events are known to rarely be associated with the use of such biologic agents. We review both the therapeutic actions of these medications and the theorized etiologies for these two rare adverse events. Ultimately, this patient's complications should serve as a cautionary tale in the use of such therapeutics, as well as a reminder of the risks associated with anti-TNF-α use.
Sequential IT Investment: Can the Risk of IT Implementation Failure Be Your Friend?

An extensive literature has studied the benefits for a firm to be the first to invest in innovative technologies such as Information Technologies (ITs). However, investment in innovative technologies often faces high levels of uncertainty. How would such uncertainty affect a pioneering firm’s incentive to invest? Do late adopters benefit from information about the pioneer’s investment? In this paper, we investigate these questions in a context where firms engage in sequential investment in an innovative IT. This paper differs from prior literature in two main aspects: First, IT adoption is nonexclusive and available to all client firms. Second, IT implementation can fail. Moreover, we focus on IT implementation failure caused by client firms’ organization-specific factors (e.g., organizational processes and people) such that a late adopter faces a similar risk of implementation failure as an early adopter. Such uncertainty has led to persistently high IT implementation failure rates that are well documented in prior literature. We use a standard Hotelling model with two competing firms to examine firms’ incentive to sequentially invest in IT given the risk of IT implementation failure. One firm (the Leader) makes his IT investment decision before his competitor (the Follower). Our results show that the probability of IT implementation failure impacts firms’ payoff through three distinct effects: the uncertainty-driven cost-based differentiation effect, first-mover advantage mitigation effect and competition mitigation effect, although these three effects may drive the firms’ investment and profit in opposite directions. The follower enjoys an information advantage as a second mover since he can make his investment decision contingent on knowledge of the Leader’s IT investment strategy and implementation outcome. However, having more information can benefit or hurt the follower, depending on the nature of the IT being adopted and the extent of market competition. Finally, we find that a spaced-out IT investment schedule in which the follower makes his investment decision after the Leader’s investment strategy and implementation outcome are known leads to the highest industry-wide IT investment and social surplus.
Scheduling with Service-Time Information: The Power of Two Priority Classes.

Utilizing customers' service-time information, we study an easy-to-implement scheduling policy with two priority classes. By carefully designing the classes, the two-class priority rule achieves near-optimal performance. In particular, for a single-server queue, as the traffic intensity approaches 1, the policy achieves a scaling for the queue length processes that is similar to the shortest remaining processing time first policy. Our analysis quantifies how the tail of the service time distribution affects the benefits one can gain from service-time-based scheduling policies. When the service times are misspecified, we further quantify how imperfect observation of the service time affects the performance of the two-class priority rule through both theoretical and numerical analysis. Our results demonstrate the robustness of the two-class priority rule. Specifically, even with imperfect service-time information, the two-class priority rules can still achieve substantial performance improvement over the first come first served.
Visceral adipose tissue imparts peripheral macrophage influx into the hypothalamus.

Author(s): Chen, Kuan-Hui Ethan; Lainez, Nancy M; Nair, Meera G; Coss, Djurdjica | Abstract: BackgroundObesity is characterized by a systemic inflammation and hypothalamic neuroinflammation. Systemic inflammation is caused by macrophages that infiltrate obese adipose tissues. We previously demonstrated that high-fat diet (HFD)-fed male mice exhibited peripheral macrophage infiltration into the hypothalamus, in addition to activation of resident microglia. Since this infiltration contributes to neuroinflammation and neuronal impairment, herein we characterize the phenotype and origin of these hypothalamic macrophages in HFD mice.MethodsC57BL/6J mice were fed HFD (60% kcal from fat) or control diet with matching sucrose levels, for 12-16 weeks. Males and females were analyzed separately to determine sex-specific responses to HFD. Differences in hypothalamic gene expression in HFD-fed male and female mice, compared to their lean controls, in two different areas of the hypothalamus, were determined using the NanoString neuroinflammation panel. Phenotypic changes in macrophages that infiltrated the hypothalamus in HFD-fed mice were determined by analyzing cell surface markers using flow cytometry and compared to changes in macrophages from the adipose tissue and peritoneal cavity. Adipose tissue transplantation was performed to determine the source of hypothalamic macrophages.ResultsWe determined that hypothalamic gene expression profiles demonstrate sex-specific and region-specific diet-induced changes. Sex-specific changes included larger changes in males, while region-specific changes included larger changes in the area surrounding the median eminence. Several genes were identified that may provide partial protection to female mice. We also identified diet-induced changes in macrophage migration into the hypothalamus, adipose tissue, and peritoneal cavity, specifically in males. Further, we determined that hypothalamus-infiltrating macrophages express pro-inflammatory markers and markers of metabolically activated macrophages that were identical to markers of adipose tissue macrophages in HFD-fed mice. Employing adipose tissue transplant, we demonstrate that hypothalamic macrophages can originate from the visceral adipose tissue.ConclusionHFD-fed males experience higher neuroinflammation than females, likely because they accumulate more visceral fat, which provides a source of pro-inflammatory macrophages that migrate to other tissues, including the hypothalamus. Our findings may explain the male bias for neuroinflammation and the metabolic syndrome. Together, our results demonstrate a new connection between the adipose tissue and the hypothalamus in obesity that contributes to neuroinflammation and hypothalamic pathologies.
Primary and Metastatic Bone Tumors of the Patella: Literature Review and Institutional Experience

Background: Patellar tumors are rare but certainly must be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with knee pain. Diagnosis can be challenging as often patellar neoplasms are confused with benign conditions and their clinical presentation is usually not specific. We performed an institutional and a literature review to determine what are the most common tumors affecting the patella and what is the best management. Methods: This is a case series from our institution including all patients with benign, malignant, and metastatic patellar neoplasms. Charts were reviewed for patient demographics, clinical presentation, pathology characteristics, radiographic classification, and oncologic and functional outcomes. Results: Twenty-four patients were identified; twelve patients had benign lesions, 10 metastatic and 2 primary malignant tumors. Chondroblastoma and Giant Cell Tumor were the most common tumors. Management of benign lesions with intralesional curettage and packing with bone graft or cement demonstrated excellent results with no local recurrence. In terms of malignant tumors, the spectrum of treatment is variable; it could range from medical management alone or in combination with surgical procedures to total patellectomy with reconstruction of the extensor mechanism. Conclusions: Patellar tumors should be part of the differential in patients with chronic knee pain that does not respond to initial conservative interventions. Recurrence rate with intralesional curettage and bone grafting or cement packing is very low and therefore should be the treatment of choice for benign intraosseous neoplasms. Resection with negative margins in malignant neoplasms or bone metastasis decreases local recurrence but only in the former group there is a potential impact in survival.
A perturbation-based acceleration for Monte Carlo – Thermal Hydraulics Picard iterations. Part I: Theory and application to extruded BWR unit-cell.

Abstract A novel acceleration scheme for coupled Monte Carlo (MC)- sub-channel Thermal Hydraulics (TH) Picard iterations (PI) is here presented. This scheme, named GTF-based acceleration, uses a deterministic, perturbation-based prediction step that produces an improved initial guess of the power, and the corresponding temperature and density profiles. The improved temperature and density profiles are used within the next MC calculation, therefore accelerating the convergence of the whole algorithm. The prediction step relies on the use of the generalized transfer functions (GTF) method for the calculation of the cross sections’ spatial distribution. The GTF allows to capture non-local effects arising in 3D cross sections generation. In this paper, the GTF-based acceleration is applied to an extruded Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) unit-cell with axial reflectors. A speedup factor between 2.1 and 12.4 was observed with respect to the standard PI. Application of the scheme to three-dimensional problems is presented in Part II of this article.
10 - Accelerator-Based Atomic Physics

This chapter reviews that the understanding of the structure of matter has progressed in large part, using the beams of rapidly moving particles, to probe the various states of matter being explored. High-energy charged particles have been employed as fundamentally important tools in studies of atomic scale objects. The chapter discusses some of the particular advantages afforded, using high-energy heavy projectiles in studies of atomic collisions. It also discusses several kinds of accelerators used in accelerator-based atomic physics (ABAP), general principles of operation for each, and attributes that make each especially suited for particular areas of ABAP research. It is especially important to recognize these unique advantages. Low-energy ion sources, such as electron beam ion traps (EBIT) and electron beam ion sources (EBIS), are now capable of producing high-charge states of virtually all atoms. These new sources are viewed as competing technology for some measurements historically accomplished, using beams accelerated to high energies. The availability of these relatively low-energy sources of highly charged ions has, in fact, opened new areas of research and has absorbed an important fraction of ABAP work at arguably significant cost savings, both in initial capital outlay and in expense of normal operation.
Oligo- and polythiophene/ZnO hybrid nanowire solar cells

We demonstrate the basic operation of an organic/inorganic hybrid single nanowire solar cell. End-functionalized oligo- and polythiophenes were grafted onto ZnO nanowires to produce p−n heterojunction nanowires. The hybrid nanostructures were characterized via absorption and electron microscopy to determine the optoelectronic properties and to probe the morphology at the organic/inorganic interface. Individual nanowire solar cell devices exhibited well-resolved characteristics with efficiencies as high as 0.036%, Jsc = 0.32 mA/cm2, Voc = 0.4 V, and a FF = 0.28 under AM 1.5 illumination with 100 mW/cm2 light intensity. These individual test structures will enable detailed analysis to be carried out in areas that have been difficult to study in bulk heterojunction devices.
Feedback Inhibition of Cholecystokinin Secretion by Bile Acids and Pancreatic Proteases

Feedback inhibition of CCK release by bile acids and pancreatic proteases is well established in the rat. The question of whether these mechanisms are important in humans has not been completely resolved, but current evidence strongly suggests that feedback regulation of CCK release by bile acids is present in humans and is physiologically significant, whereas the existence and importance of feedback regulation of CCK release by pancreatic proteases in humans are still highly controversial.
On a Newton-Like Method for Solving Algebraic Riccati Equations

An exact line search method has been introduced by Benner and Byers [IEEE Trans. Automat. Control, 43 (1998), pp. 101--107] for solving continuous algebraic Riccati equations. The method is a modification of Newton's method. A convergence theory is established in that paper for the Newton-like method under the strong hypothesis of controllability, while the original Newton's method needs only the weaker hypothesis of stabilizability for its convergence theory. It is conjectured there that the controllability condition can be weakened to the stabilizability condition. In this article we prove that conjecture.