cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiographic characterization of prevertebral soft tissue shadow in the cervicothoracic region of normal adults

Abstract Background Many studies have found measurement of prevertebral soft tissue shadow (PVSTS) on a lateral cervical radiograph to be a useful indicator of cervical spine injury. The purpose of this study is to define, measure, and establish a normative set of values for radiographic width of the PVSTS in the cervicothoracic region of the spine (C7–T4), using swimmer's view in subjects with no trauma to the region. Materials and methods Radiographic PVSTS widths were measured at each vertebral level from C7 to T4 on 131 patients who had “normal” radiographic examination (mean age 31.5 y, range 18–58 y). Intra-observer repeatability was assessed on a random subset of 24 subjects. The range, mean, and standard error of these measurements were calculated and documented. Stepwise forward regression analysis was conducted on PVSTS data and those normalized with respect to the C7 vertebral body width (rPVSTS) to study the influences of age, sex, disk level, and tracheal curve shape. Results Regression analysis showed that, in order of influence, the vertebral level, sex, and age were three significant factors that affected PVSTS, whereas tracheal curve shape was not significant. Similar results were obtained using normalized rPVSTS data, with the exception that the influence of sex was not significant in this instance. Conclusions This study provides a reliable normative database of PVSTS in the North American population, and shows that measurement of prevertebral soft tissue shadow on a swimmer's view radiograph can be used as a valuable screening tool in the evaluation of cervicothoracic spine injury.
Substitute Adrenergic Transmitters: A Newly Appreciated Mechanism Of Action Of Antihypertensive Drugs

Substitute, or false, transmitters are compounds which replace norepinephrine (the normal transmitter) in adrenergic nerve endings end which are released by nerve stimulation. Adrenergic function may be depressed by a substitute transmitter if the substitute is less potent than norepinephrine on adrenergic receptors. It is currently believed that methyldopa exerts its antihypertensive effect by this mechanism. Metaraminol may also serve as a substitute transmitter, and the drug can be shown to have antihypertensive properties in man under certain conditions. The antihypertensive effect of monoamine oxidase inhibition may also be mediated by a substitute-transmitter mechanism.
Suitability of tunneling ionization produced plasmas for the plasma beat wave accelerator

Tunneling ionization can be thought of as the high-intensity, low-frequency limit of multi-photon ionization (MPI). Extremely uniform plasmas were produced by the latter process for beat wave excitation experiments using a 0.5- mu m laser. Plasmas with 100% ionization were produced with densities exceeding 10/sup 17/ cm/sup -3/. The experiment described uses a CO/sub 2/ laser (I/sub max/ approximately=5*10/sup 14/ W/cm/sup 2/) which allows the formation of plasmas via the tunneling process. Plasmas with densities in the range of 5 to 10*10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ are required. Thomson scattering was used to explore the density and temperature regime of tunneling-ionization-produced plasmas. It is found that plasmas with densities up to 10/sup 16/ cm/sup -3/ can indeed be produced and that these plasmas are hot. Beyond this density, strong refraction of laser radiation occurs due to the radial profile of the plasma. Implications of this work for the beat wave accelerator program are discussed. >
A Survey of Techniques for Architecting and Managing Asymmetric Multicore Processors

To meet the needs of a diverse range of workloads, asymmetric multicore processors (AMPs) have been proposed, which feature cores of different microarchitecture or ISAs. However, given the diversity inherent in their design and application scenarios, several challenges need to be addressed to effectively architect AMPs and leverage their potential in optimizing both sequential and parallel performance. Several recent techniques address these challenges. In this article, we present a survey of architectural and system-level techniques proposed for designing and managing AMPs. By classifying the techniques on several key characteristics, we underscore their similarities and differences. We clarify the terminology used in this research field and identify challenges that are worthy of future investigation. We hope that more than just synthesizing the existing work on AMPs, the contribution of this survey will be to spark novel ideas for architecting future AMPs that can make a definite impact on the landscape of next-generation computing systems.
Deconstructing race and gender differences in adolescent obesity: Oaxaca-blinder decomposition.

Objective To analyze sources of racial and gender disparities in adolescent obesity prevalence in the United States using Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition. Methods Data were obtained from the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study, a 2010 nationally representative study of 9th-12th grade students. Obesity status was determined from objective height and weight data; weight-related behaviors and school, home, and environmental data were collected via questionnaire. Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition was used to independently analyze racial and gender obesity prevalence differences (PD), i.e., comparing Black girls to White girls, and Black girls to Black boys. Results Overall, measured characteristics accounted for 46.8% of the racial PD but only 11.9% of the gender PD. Racial PD was associated with Black girls having less fruit/vegetable access at home, obtaining lunch at school more often, and playing fewer sports than White girls. Gender PD was associated with differential associations between physical activity (PA) measures—including total activities in the past year and days of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in the past week—and obesity. Conclusions School lunch and home food environmental variables accounted for racial disparities, but not gender disparities, in obesity prevalence. Gender differences in mechanisms between PA and obesity should be explored further.
Radioactive Demonstrations of Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) with Hanford Low Activity Wastes

Several supplemental technologies for treating and immobilizing Hanford low activity waste (LAW) are being evaluated. One immobilization technology being considered is Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) which offers a low temperature (700-750?C) continuous method by which wastes high in organics, nitrates, sulfates/sulfides, or other aqueous components may be processed into a crystalline ceramic (mineral) waste form. The granular waste form produced by co-processing the waste with kaolin clay has been shown to be as durable as LAW glass. The FBSR granular product will be monolithed into a final waste form. The granular component is composed of insoluble sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) feldspathoid minerals such as sodalite. Production of the FBSR mineral product has been demonstrated both at the industrial, engineering, pilot, and laboratory scales on simulants. Radioactive testing at SRNL commenced in late 2010 to demonstrate the technology on radioactive LAW streams which is the focus of this study.
The Clinical Value of Esophageal Motor Studies

Significant strides have been made in recent years in the understanding of normal esophageal motor function. With these advances, a number of patterns have been recognized which characterize the motor disturbances of various esophageal diseases. The clinician will find this new diagnostic technic of ever-increasing value in the complete evaluation of the patient when esophageal disease is suspected.
The Networking Manufacturing Resources Modeling and Application Based on OWL and Web Service

It's the kernel question that the definition of manufacturing resources function model and the discovery of resource under the Networking manufacturing environment. Focusing on this problem, this article builds the manufacturing function model after analyzing the information requirement of resources integrating and deploying. Then, combined with current Semantic Web technology, bring forward the manufacturing resource management system based on Web Services architecture.
Direct reprogramming of urine-derived cells with inducible MyoD for modeling human muscle disease

Cellular models of muscle disease are taking on increasing importance with the large number of genes and mutations implicated in causing myopathies and the concomitant need to test personalized therapies. Developing cell models relies on having an easily obtained source of cells, and if the cells are not derived from muscle itself, a robust reprogramming process is needed. Fibroblasts are a human cell source that works well for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells, which can then be differentiated into cardiomyocyte lineages, and with less efficiency, skeletal muscle-like lineages. Alternatively, direct reprogramming with the transcription factor MyoD has been used to generate myotubes from cultured human fibroblasts. Although useful, fibroblasts require a skin biopsy to obtain and this can limit their access, especially from pediatric populations. We now demonstrate that direct reprogramming of urine-derived cells is a highly efficient and reproducible process that can be used to establish human myogenic cells. We show that this method can be applied to urine cells derived from normal individuals as well as those with muscle diseases. Furthermore, we show that urine-derived cells can be edited using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. With progress in understanding the molecular etiology of human muscle diseases, having a readily available, noninvasive source of cells from which to generate muscle-like cells is highly useful.
Abelson Kinase Inhibitors Are Potent Inhibitors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Fusion.

UNLABELLED The highly pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cause significant morbidity and morality. There is currently no approved therapeutic for highly pathogenic coronaviruses, even as MERS-CoV is spreading throughout the Middle East. We previously screened a library of FDA-approved drugs for inhibitors of coronavirus replication in which we identified Abelson (Abl) kinase inhibitors, including the anticancer drug imatinib, as inhibitors of both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV in vitro Here we show that the anti-CoV activity of imatinib occurs at the early stages of infection, after internalization and endosomal trafficking, by inhibiting fusion of the virions at the endosomal membrane. We specifically identified the imatinib target, Abelson tyrosine-protein kinase 2 (Abl2), as required for efficient SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV replication in vitro These data demonstrate that specific approved drugs can be characterized in vitro for their anticoronavirus activity and used to identify host proteins required for coronavirus replication. This type of study is an important step in the repurposing of approved drugs for treatment of emerging coronaviruses. IMPORTANCE Both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are zoonotic infections, with bats as the primary source. The 2003 SARS-CoV outbreak began in Guangdong Province in China and spread to humans via civet cats and raccoon dogs in the wet markets before spreading to 37 countries. The virus caused 8,096 confirmed cases of SARS and 774 deaths (a case fatality rate of ∼10%). The MERS-CoV outbreak began in Saudi Arabia and has spread to 27 countries. MERS-CoV is believed to have emerged from bats and passed into humans via camels. The ongoing outbreak of MERS-CoV has resulted in 1,791 cases of MERS and 640 deaths (a case fatality rate of 36%). The emergence of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV provides evidence that coronaviruses are currently spreading from zoonotic sources and can be highly pathogenic, causing serious morbidity and mortality in humans. Treatment of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infection is limited to providing supportive therapy consistent with any serious lung disease, as no specific drugs have been approved as therapeutics. Highly pathogenic coronaviruses are rare and appear to emerge and disappear within just a few years. Currently, MERS-CoV is still spreading, as new infections continue to be reported. The outbreaks of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV and the continuing diagnosis of new MERS cases highlight the need for finding therapeutics for these diseases and potential future coronavirus outbreaks. Screening FDA-approved drugs streamlines the pipeline for this process, as these drugs have already been tested for safety in humans.
Occipital Seizures V. Migraine Aura

Three children, ages 13 to 17 years, with occipital seizures resembling the visual aura of migraine are reported from St Thomas’ Hospital, London, England.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Morphological Awareness Intervention: A Pilot Study

Researchers have established that morphological awareness is an important skill because it contributes unique variance to word-level reading and reading comprehension; however, few studies include students with reading disorders. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether training morphological awareness would improve morphological awareness skills of students with reading disorders. Ten students were administered four morphological awareness tasks pre and post treatment. Treatment focused on increasing students’ awareness of affixes through oral and written activities. Results revealed a significant group difference on one of the morphological awareness tasks (d = 2.58). Because this was an underpowered pilot study, effect sizes were calculated for all morphological awareness tasks and ranged from 0.28 to 2.58. Although not significant, the effect sizes across tasks offer promise to support a fully powered intervention study. Specific student diagnostic assessment information was included...
Epitope Spreading in EAE

Intramolecular and intermolecular epitope spreading, the development of immune cells with new reactivities different from the original immunodominant response, plays an important role in the relapses and progression of EAE and has been implicated in the progression of MS. This chapter describes the process of epitope spreading in EAE, its impact on the development on tolerance, and the induction of peptide-specific tolerance and other immune intervention modalities that can prevent epitope spreading and its consequences.
Enhancing Graduate and Postdoctoral Education To Create a Sustainable Biomedical Workforce

PhD-trained biomedical scientists are moving into an increasingly diverse variety of careers within the sciences. However, graduate and postdoctoral training programs have historically focused on academic career preparation, and have not sufficiently prepared trainees for transitioning into other scientific careers. Advocates for science have raised the concern that the collective disregard of the broader career-development needs for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees could drive talent away from science in upcoming generations. A shift is occurring, wherein universities are increasingly investing in centralized career development programs to address this need. In this Perspective, I reflect on the movement that brought biomedical PhD career development to the spotlight in recent years, and how this movement has influenced both the academic biomedical community and the field of career development. I offer recommendations for universities looking to establish or strengthen their career development progr...
Canadian Provincial Correctional Officers: Gender Strategies of Achieving and Affirming Masculinities

Prison environments are structured by hierarchical relations of power and real, or perceived, risk. I use data derived from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 44 male correctional officers (C...
MUC1-mediated induction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a critical role in promoting immune tolerance and disease growth. The mechanism by which tumor cells evoke the expansion of MDSCs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not been well described. We have demonstrated that patients with AML exhibit increased presence of MDSCs in their peripheral blood, in comparison with normal controls. Cytogenetic studies demonstrated that MDSCs in patients with AML may be derived from leukemic or apparently normal progenitors. Engraftment of C57BL/6 mice with TIB-49 AML led to an expansion of CD11b+ Gr1+ MDSCs in bone marrow and spleen. Coculture of the AML cell lines MOLM-4, THP-1 or primary AML cells with donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells elicited a cell contact-dependent expansion of MDSCs. MDSCs were suppressive of autologous T-cell responses as evidenced by reduced T-cell proliferation and a switch from a Th1 to a Th2 phenotype. We hypothesized that the expansion of MDSCs in AML is accomplished by tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). Using tracking studies, we demonstrated that AML EVs are taken-up myeloid progenitor cells, resulting in the selective proliferation of MDSCs in comparison with functionally competent antigen-presenting cells. The MUC1 oncoprotein was subsequently identified as the critical driver of EV-mediated MDSC expansion. MUC1 induces increased expression of c-myc in EVs that induces proliferation in the target MDSC population via downstream effects on cell cycle proteins. Moreover, we demonstrate that the microRNA miR34a acts as the regulatory mechanism by which MUC1 drives c-myc expression in AML cells and EVs.
Innovative Approaches to Collaborative Groundwater Governance in the United States: Case Studies from Three High-Growth Regions in the Sun Belt

Groundwater is an increasingly important source of freshwater, especially where surface water resources are fully or over-allocated or becoming less reliable due to climate change. Groundwater reliance has created new challenges for sustainable management. This article examines how regional groundwater users coordinate and collaborate to manage shared groundwater resources, including attention to what drives collaboration. To identify and illustrate these facets, this article examines three geographically diverse cases of groundwater governance and management from the United States Sun Belt: Orange County Water District in southern California; Prescott Active Management Area in north-central Arizona; and the Central Florida Water Initiative in central Florida. These regions have different surface water laws, groundwater allocation and management laws and regulations, demographics, economics, topographies, and climate. These cases were selected because the Sun Belt faces similar pressures on groundwater due to historical and projected population growth and limited availability of usable surface water supplies. Collectively, they demonstrate groundwater governance trends in the United States, and illustrate distinctive features of regional groundwater management strategies. Our research shows how geophysical realities and state-level legislation have enabled and/or stimulated regions to develop groundwater management plans and strategies to address the specific issues associated with their groundwater resources. We find that litigation involvement and avoidance, along with the need to finance projects, are additional drivers of regional collaboration to manage groundwater. This case study underscores the importance of regionally coordinated and sustained efforts to address serious groundwater utilization challenges faced by the regions studied and around the world.
Comprehensive and quantitative mapping of RNA-protein interactions across a transcribed eukaryotic genome.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) control the fate of nearly every transcript in a cell. However, no existing approach for studying these posttranscriptional gene regulators combines transcriptome-wide throughput and biophysical precision. Here, we describe an assay that accomplishes this. Using commonly available hardware, we built a customizable, open-source platform that leverages the inherent throughput of Illumina technology for direct biophysical measurements. We used the platform to quantitatively measure the binding affinity of the prototypical RBP Vts1 for every transcript in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. The scale and precision of these measurements revealed many previously unknown features of this well-studied RBP. Our transcribed genome array (TGA) assayed both rare and abundant transcripts with equivalent proficiency, revealing hundreds of low-abundance targets missed by previous approaches. These targets regulated diverse biological processes including nutrient sensing and the DNA damage response, and implicated Vts1 in de novo gene “birth.” TGA provided single-nucleotide resolution for each binding site and delineated a highly specific sequence and structure motif for Vts1 binding. Changes in transcript levels in vts1 Δ cells established the regulatory function of these binding sites. The impact of Vts1 on transcript abundance was largely independent of where it bound within an mRNA, challenging prevailing assumptions about how this RBP drives RNA degradation. TGA thus enables a quantitative description of the relationship between variant RNA structures, affinity, and in vivo phenotype on a transcriptome-wide scale. We anticipate that TGA will provide similarly comprehensive and quantitative insights into the function of virtually any RBP.
Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus transcriptomes reveal consequences of chemical pretreatment and genetic modification of lignocellulose.

Summary Recalcitrance of plant biomass is a major barrier for commercially feasible cellulosic biofuel production. Chemical and enzymatic assays have been developed to measure recalcitrance and carbohydrate composition; however, none of these assays can directly report which polysaccharides a candidate microbe will sense during growth on these substrates. Here, we propose using the transcriptomic response of the plant biomass-deconstructing microbe, Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, as a direct measure of how suitable a sample of plant biomass may be for fermentation based on the bioavailability of polysaccharides. Key genes were identified using the global gene response of the microbe to model plant polysaccharides and various types of unpretreated, chemically pretreated and genetically modified plant biomass. While the majority of C. saccharolyticus genes responding were similar between plant biomasses; subtle differences were discernable, most importantly between chemically pretreated or genetically modified biomass that both exhibit similar levels of solubilization by the microbe. Furthermore, the results here present a new paradigm for assessing plant–microbe interactions that can be deployed as a biological assay to report on the complexity and recalcitrance of plant biomass.
What Facilitates and Supports Political Activism by, and for, Undocumented Students?

Historically, undocumented students have been unable to attend public and private institutions of higher education in the United States. Lack of citizenship and/or financial aid precludes many from ever applying to college or other post-secondary institutions. This can create feelings of oppression, stigmatization, and/or inferiority for undocumented youth, who had no say in their ever coming to the United States. In the absence of a sustainable federal law that facilitates higher education attainment for this population, some states have enacted their own permissive policies. The present study utilizes a critical consciousness framework and a constant comparative approach to explore one permissive policy in a focal state. To this end, the authors attempt to answer the question of what motivates undocumented students, through the lens of critical consciousness, to engage in political activism, and what is the role of adult-allies? Findings support and extend our understanding of critical consciousness dimensions, vis-a-vis the revelation of ten themes and subthemes unique to this sample. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are also discussed.
Pharmacotherapy of Anal Cancer

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA), among other malignancies, is associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its incidence continues to rise. Anal SCCA will likely remain an existing healthcare concern given compliance issues with the HPV vaccination seen in the US. Localized disease is predominantly treated with standard of care (SOC) definitive chemoradiation that has remained unchanged for decades. Clinical and molecular prognostic factors have emerged to characterize patients unresponsive to SOC, revealing the need for an alternate approach. Metastatic disease is an extremely small subset and understudied population due to its rarity. Recent prospective trials and mutational analysis have opened treatment options for this subset in need. Our review details the pharmacotherapeutic treatment in localized and metastatic anal SCCA chronologically, while also describing future outlooks.
On a Robust, Sensitive Cell-Free Method for Pseudomonas Sensing and Quantification

Cell-free lysates have found a utility in performing cellular functions and providing biologically-relevant metabolic products without the optimal biological conditions for growth and proliferation. By teasing out the biological components and constructing artificial conditions that enable for biological transcription and translation processes to occur, specific cell-like functions can be reconstituted in vitro without requiring the entire cell and milieu of cellular organelles. This enables for optimization of biological circuits, either by concentration or on/off switches, simply through the addition or removal of genetic components (plasmids, inducers, or repressors) of regulatory elements. Here, we demonstrate an application of cell-free process that is robust and portable, independent of a substrate, to apply for sensing and reporting functions of a quorum sensing molecule N-3-oxododecanoyl homoserine lactone (3OC12HSL) found crucial for pathological Pseudomonas infections. Using droplet microfluidics to integrate cell-free related functions into hydrogel scaffolds, we show that these cell-free circuits can be encapsulated, delivered, and activated in most environments; even in conditions with very little hydration.
Deterministic-Like Model Reduction for a Class of Multiscale Stochastic Differential Equations With Application to Biomolecular Systems

We consider a class of singularly perturbed stochastic differential equations with linear drift terms, and present a reduced-order model that approximates both the slow and fast variable dynamics when the time-scale separation is large. We show that, on a finite time interval, moments of all orders of the slow variables for the original system become closer to those of the reduced-order model as time-scale separation is increased. A similar result holds for the first and second moments of the fast variable approximation. Biomolecular systems with linear propensity functions, modeled by the chemical Langevin equation fit the class of systems considered in this paper. Thus, as an application example, we analyze the tradeoffs between noise and information transmission in a typical gene regulatory network motif, for which both the slow and fast variables are required. 1
Contemporary Computing Technologies for Processing Big Spatiotemporal Data

Geographic phenomena evolve in a four-dimensional spatiotemporal world. To capture the geographical phenomena at different scales, large amount of data (big data) are produced with specific spatiotemporal patterns. Phenomena evolution and the principles driving the evolution provide pathways for developing methodological solutions to process the big spatiotemporal data. Based on experiences gained from several projects, such as climate studies and cloud computing, we introduce in this chapter modern computing technologies required for processing big data, including (1) sensor web, Earth observations, and model simulations for collecting and generating big data, (2) flexible and standard-based systems for managing big data for easy discovery and access, (3) multidimensional visual analytics for exploring and analyzing big spatiotemporal data, and (4) grid, cloud, and GPU computing for addressing the computing intensive challenges. We discuss through exemplar projects how these cutting-edge computing technologies are utilized to handle big spatiotemporal data. We expect this chapter to set a computing research context for future big data handling at different spatiotemporal granules.
EEG ALTERATIONS INDUCED IN RATS BY ETHYLKETOCYCLAZOCINE, CYCLAZOCINE, AND MORPHINE: THE DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF NALOXONE

Intraperitoneal administration of ethylketocyclazocine, cyclazocine, and morphine each produced alterations in the spontaneous EEG and behavior of the rat characterized by high-voltage, slow-frequency waves associated with behavioral stupor during wakefulness. The initial effect of ethylketocyclazocine was an immediate high-voltage, slow-frequency EEG associated with an intense behavioral stupor. In contrast, the earliest EEG response to cyclazocine and morphine administration was the appearance of intermittent slow-wave bursts associated with a light behavioral stupor. The effects of the three agonists were antagonized in a dose-related manner by pretreatment with naloxone. Ethylketocyclazocine was the most sensitive to naloxone challenge (AD50 = 0.035 mg/kg of naloxone, s.c.) and cyclazocine, the least sensitive (AD50 = 2.1 mg/kg). Antagonism of the drug-induced, increased latency to slow-wave sleep was dose-related for ethylketocyclazocine and morphine. There was a weak, but not dose-related, antagonism of cyclazocine-induced suppression of slow-wave sleep in the rat. Although ethylketocyclazocine, cyclazocine, and morphine produced similar EEG changes, the compounds could be clearly distinguished on the basis of their differential sensitivities towards naloxone. This latter finding is, therefore, consistent with current theories of multiple receptors mediating certain effects of opioids.
The Transaxillary Approach

Many reports have been published using the transaxillary route to treat patients with Paget–Schroetter syndrome with various degrees of success. However, the objectivity of the results has been mostly based on symptomatic relief of those patients [1]. Some of the publications which have assessed the patency of the subclavian vein following this operation have shown a significant failure rate [2–6] (Fig. 22.1). We cannot recommend this type of approach based on those reports and also on our own experience seen patients weeks or even months after such intervention who have persisted showing signs of subclavian vein obstruction confirmed upon venography evaluation. The reason why this approach alone is not acceptable is because using the transaxillary route does not allow the surgeon to remove the subclavius muscle, the costoclavicular ligament nor the most anterior portion of the first rib at the sternal level (Fig. 22.2). These problems are seen more often in muscular individuals in which the retraction of the pectoralis major muscle is not sufficient to expose the cartilaginous portion of the first rib where the subclavius tendon and the costoclavicular ligament insert. Therefore often enough the surgeon after dividing the anterior scalene muscle resects the first rib but leaving part of the obstructive mechanism intact.
Assessment of environmental and surgical mask contamination at a student health center — 2012–2013 influenza season

Increased understanding of influenza transmission is critical for pandemic planning and selecting appropriate controls for healthcare personnel safety and health. The goals of this pilot study were...
Extremal Almost-Kähler Metrics and Seiberg–Witten Theory

We show that there exist compact non-Kahler almost-Kahler4-manifolds whose metrics minimize L2-norm of(2/3) s + 2w among all metrics compatible with a fixeddecomposition H2(M, ℝ= H+ ⊕ H−, where s is the scalar curvature and w is the lowest eigenvalue of self-dual Weyl curvature at each point. In particular, the moduli space of such metrics modulo diffeomorphisms is infinite dimensional. This example also shows that LeBrun's estimate of L2-norm of (1 − δ)s + δ · 6won a compact oriented Riemannian4-manifold with a nontrivial Seiberg–Witten invariant cannot beextended over δ = 1/3.
Organizational Design Strategy - A Case Study on Nevada State College

This paper presents a proposal of re-design strategy for a higher education institution located in the Southwest. The first section of the document will provide the theoretical background about organizational design archetypes (Overholt, 2003), organizational structure (Galbraith, 1974) and strategic planning (Hambrick & Fredrickson, 2005). The second section presents a background of the organization and the rationale of selection of the archetype that best fits its organizational structure. The third and fourth sections elaborates on seven sub-systems that configure NSC characteristic of flexible organization (Overholt, 2003) addressing mission, genetic core, philosophy, organizational culture, internal and external environment, and people systems and rewards. This document attempts to bridge theory and practice with the application of models that are significant, valid, and useful for strategic design.
Possible chiral topological superconductivity in CrO 2 bilayers

We address the possible emergence of spin triplet superconductivity in ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ bilayers, which are half-metals with fully spin-polarized conducting bands. Starting from a lattice model, we show that chiral $p+ip$ states compete with nonchiral $p$-wave ones. At large doping, the $p+ip$ channel has a sequence of topological phase transitions that can be tuned by gating effects and interaction strength. Among several phases, we find chiral topological phases having a single Majorana mode at the edge. We show that different topological superconducting phases could spontaneously emerge in the vicinity of the van Hove singularities of the band.
Numerical Prediction of Oscillation Behaviors of a Multiphase Core-Shell Droplet During Interfacial Tension Measurement

Interfacial tension between molten high-temperature materials is to be measured using the electrostatic levitation furnace (ELF) and the electromagnetic levitator (ISS-EML) aboard the International Space Station. A levitated compound droplet of a concentric core–shell structure is excited either by an impulsive electromagnetic field or by a superimposed electrostatic field. The oscillation behavior of the compound droplet is analyzed to measure interfacial tension at the interface of the two phases. In support of the space experiments, a computational fluid dynamic model was developed to characterize the oscillation behavior of multiphase core–shell droplet. The developed model predicted the interfacial tension between molten copper-rich and cobalt-rich phases with a difference of 3.3 pct compared to the values reported in literature. The developed model is being utilized to investigate the influence of various test parameters on measured surface tension and also being extended for molten steel–molten slag systems.
Approaches to the Study of Spatial and Temporal Changes in the Structure and Chemistry of Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the study of spatial and temporal changes in the structure and chemistry of cells. The chapter also presents requirements of multiple spectral parameter imaging. It is evident that most cellular functions involve the temporal and spatial integration of changes in ionic parameters, metabolites, macromolecules, and organelles. Therefore, a method has been developed to correlate the temporal and spatial variations in up to five separate parameters based on the spectral isolation of distinct fluorescent probes. This method allows the integration of results from distinct measurements of parameters such as pH, free calcium concentration, membrane potential, specific fluorescent analogs, and whole organelles. The chapter explains the structural and chemical changes in quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells during the polarized spreading and the movement following activation by creating a wound.
Measurement of OH(X) in the Microwave Plasma- Assisted Ignition of Methane/Air Mixture by Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy

Cavity ringdown spectroscopy is employed to measure the absolute concentration of the ground state OH(X) radical at the ignition region in the microwave plasma-assisted combustion (PAC) of a premixed methane/air mixture. A 2.45-GHz solid-state microwave source was used to generate the plasma used in this article. The PAC platform consisted of a triple-layered coaxial cylindrical quartz combustor with the argon plasma conducted in the innermost cylinder and the premixed methane/air as the coflow. This configuration allowed for the coupling of the plasma and reactants outside the combustor making the plasma-assisted ignition region accessible to the cavity ringdown beam. Optical emission spectroscopy and visual imaging were used to obtain information about the excited state species along with plasma and flame geometries, respectively. Increasing the plasma power at a constant fuel equivalence ratio resulted in a blue inverted cone-shaped flame anchored to the tip of the plasma. A single peak was observed in the excited state OH(A) emission profile in the hybrid zone, whereas no OH(X) peak was observed in the hybrid zone. The OH(X) number density was measured at $0.12\times 10^{15}$ molecules/cm3 at ${z}\,\,= 2$ mm before increasing to a peak of $1.85\times 10^{15}$ molecules/cm3 at ${z}\,\,= 8$ mm, then subsequently dropping off. The representation of both OH(A) and OH(X) provides a complete picture of the role played by the OH radical, an important intermediate specie in the microwave generated argon PAC of a methane/air mixture. The ability to track the evolution of both states of the OH radical in the ignition zone further sheds light on the role played by this important species in influencing the plasma enhancements of a premixed methane/air combustion. The results obtained further confirmed the hypothesis that OH(X) is more involved in the stabilization reactions, whereas OH (A) is more prevalent in the ignition process.
Increasing the clinical utility of exercise training as a modality in the oncology setting—What we learned in 2019

For the past several years’ oncology focused programing presented at the Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has included a session entitled “Oncolog...
SparkLeBLAST: Scalable Parallelization of BLAST Sequence Alignment Using Spark

The exponential growth of genomic data presents challenges in analyzing and computing on such biological data at scale. While NCBI’s BLAST is a widely used pairwise sequence alignment tool, it does not scale to large datasets that are hundreds of gigabytes (GB) in size. To address this scalability problem, mpiBLAST emerged and became widely used, enabling scaling to 65,536 processes. However, mpiBLAST suffers from being tightly coupled with a specific implementation of BLAST, rendering it difficult to upgrade with the ever-evolving NCBI BLAST code. To address this shortcoming, recent parallel BLAST tools, such as SparkBLAST, consist of wrappers that are decoupled from the BLAST code but suffer from poor scalability with large sequence databases. Thus, there does not exist any parallel BLAST tool that can simultaneously address the issues of performance, scalability, programmability, and upgradability. To address this void, we propose SparkLeBLAST, a parallel BLAST tool that leverages our performance modeling and the Spark framework to deliver the performance and scalability of mpiBLAST and the ease of programming and upgradability of SparkBLAST, respectively. Ultimately, SparkLeBLAST delivers a 10x speedup relative to the state-of-the-art SparkBLAST and nearly a 2x speedup relative to the latest version of mpiBLAST.
Patterns of Inpatient Opioid Use and Related Adverse Events Among Patients With Cirrhosis: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

Pain is common among patients with cirrhosis, yet managing pain in this population is challenging. Opioid analgesics are thought to be particularly high risk in patients with cirrhosis, and their use has been discouraged. We sought to understand patterns of opioid use among inpatients with cirrhosis and the risks of serious opioid-related adverse events in this population. We used the Vizient Clinical Database/Resource Manager, which includes clinical and billing data from hospitalizations at more than 500 academic medical centers. We identified all nonsurgical patients with cirrhosis hospitalized in 2017-2018 as well as a propensity score-matched cohort of patients without cirrhosis. Inpatient prescription records defined patterns of inpatient opioid use. Conditional logistic regression compared rates of use and serious opioid-related adverse events between patients with and without cirrhosis. Of 116,146 nonsurgical inpatients with cirrhosis, 62% received at least one dose of opioids and 34% had regular inpatient opioid use (more than half of hospital days), rates that were significantly higher than in patients without cirrhosis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] for any use, 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.21; P < 0.001; AOR for regular use, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11; P = 0.002). Compared with patients without cirrhosis, patients with cirrhosis more often received tramadol (P < 0.001) and less commonly received opioid/acetaminophen combinations (P < 0.001). Rates of serious opioid-related adverse events were similar in patients with and without cirrhosis (1.6% vs. 1.9%; AOR, 0.96; P = 0.63). Conclusion: Over half of patients with cirrhosis have pain managed with opioids during hospitalization. Patterns of opioid use differ in patients with cirrhosis compared with patients without cirrhosis, although rates of serious adverse events are similar. Future studies should further explore the safety and efficacy of opioids in patients with cirrhosis, with the goal of improving pain management and quality of life in this population.
Against the Need for Greed

Prominent and influential figures of the last century have made the case that greed powers our world. In effect, it is claimed that greed is necessary for prosperity. I argue that societal prosperity is standardly regarded as a conjunction of security, material abundance, and technological advancement. I also make the case that acquisitive and exclusionary behavior towards goods others need or desire is an essential property of greed. Finally, I argue that such behavior is not necessary for prosperity. If such behavior is unnecessary for prosperity, then greed is unnecessary for prosperity.
Black-White Differences in Financial Risk Tolerance

Given the increasingly diverse world, financial service providers must be aware of a variety of consumers’ needs. This study investigated differences in financial risk tolerance between households with white and black respondents. Financial literacy was positively associated with high and some (versus no) financial risk tolerance for white households, but this relationship was not found for black households. The relationship between net worth and high financial risk tolerance differed significantly for black and white households. The current findings show that the frameworks used to explain the financial behaviors of white households may not be appropriate for all groups.
How new languages emerge

New languages are constantly emerging, as existing languages diverge into different forms. To explain this fascinating process, we need to understand how languages change and how they emerge in children. In this pioneering study, David Lightfoot explains how languages come into being, arguing that children are the driving force. He explores how new systems arise, how they are acquired by children, and how adults and children play different, complementary roles in language change. Lightfoot makes an important distinction between 'external language' (language as it exists in the world), and 'internal language' (language as represented in an individual's brain). By examining the interplay between the two, he shows how children are 'cue-based' learners, who scan their external linguistic environment for new structures, making sense of the world outside in order to build their internal language. Engaging and original, this book offers an interesting account of language acquisition, variation and change.
Measurement Error in the Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT): Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on the reliability of the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). DESIGN: Systematic review of the relevant literature in PubMed, CINAHL, and PSYCHINFO. Studies were evaluated using the STROBE instrument and custom developed items. RESULTS: Search yielded 5 943 articles. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. With the exception of processing speed, all composite scores consistently exhibited poor to moderate reliability (ie, intraclass correlation coefficient CONCLUSIONS: The Pearson r correlation coefficient and average measures intraclass correlation coefficient may be inappropriately utilized to examine the reliability of ImPACT scores. Given the poor to moderate reliability of most ImPACT scores, clinicians should be cautious when ImPACT is used as a criterion for medical clearance to return to play after concussion. Because of its widespread use in concussion-related clinical research, researchers must exercise due diligence when utilizing ImPACT to evaluate outcomes after concussion or to validate other outcome measures. Language: en
Institutional theory and international market selection for direct selling

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use a theoretical framework (institutional theory) to predict international market selection (IMS) for the direct selling industry. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use independent variables taken from institutional theory to predict IMS for the direct selling industry, allowing the authors to show the relationship between institutional theory – defined independent variables and the relative attractiveness of international markets. The model is applied to a broad sample of 51 developed and emerging nations that comprise 91 percent of worldwide GDP. Findings – The authors found that the hypotheses were confirmed. Institutional theory – defined independent variables did a good job of predicting the relative attractiveness of international markets. Research limitations/implications – The authors used cross sectional country level data to validate their model. One major implication: institutional theory appears to do an excellent job of predicting IMS in cont...
Verification of component-based software application families

We present a novel approach which facilitates formal verification of component-based software application families using model checking. This approach enables effective compositional reasoning by facilitating formulation of component properties and their environment assumptions. This approach integrates bottom-up component verification and top-down system verification based on the concept of application family architectures (AFA). The core elements of an AFA are architectural styles and reusable components. Reusable components of a family are defined in the context of its architectural styles and their correctness properties are verified in bottom-up component compositions. Top-down system verification utilizes architectural styles to guide decomposition of properties of a system into properties of its components and formulation of assumptions for the component properties. The component properties are reused if already verified; otherwise, they are verified top-down recursively. Architectural style guided property decomposition facilitates reuse of verified component properties. Preliminary case studies have shown that our approach achieves order-of-magnitude reduction on verification complexities and realizes major verification reuse.