cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FDG-PET prediction of head and neck squamous cell cancer outcomes

Objective To confirm that high pretreatment uptake of 2-deoxy-2[ 18 F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) detected by positron emission tomography (PET) measured at the primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and at metastatic nodal disease predicts poor outcomes for HNSCC. Design and Patients We enrolled 63 consecutive patients with a histological diagnosis of HNSCC (including tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx) from September 2000 through June 2003, into a prospective institutional imaging trial. Fifty-four patients (86%) underwent a baseline FDG-PET scan before curative treatment and were eligible for analysis. Results A primary tumor standardized uptake value (SUV) of greater than 9.0 predicted inferior local recurrence-free survival ( P = .02) and disease-free survival ( P = .03). Nodal SUV dichotomized according to the cohort median of 6.1 did not predict for either disease outcome ( P = .71 and P = .98, respectively). On proportional hazards analysis, local recurrence and disease event hazard ratios for a primary tumor SUV of 9.0 or greater remained significant or at borderline significance when adjusted for nodal SUV or other clinical covariates. Conclusions Our findings support an association between baseline primary tumor FDG SUV and HNSCC outcomes. In contrast, nodal FDG SUV was not predictive. Primary tumor FDG SUV is a promising prognostic factor and may establish the need for intensified locoregional therapy in individual patients. Multi-institutional imaging trials and further characterization of the biology responsible for elevated FDG uptake in HNSCC will be necessary to confirm the prognostic utility of FDG-labeled PET.
Healthcare providers’ use of brief clinical interventions for adolescent smokers

Aims: Numerous studies document the effectiveness of intensive clinical interventions to treat tobacco dependence in adult smokers. Empirical studies have provided limited support for the efficacy of such interventions among adolescent smokers, yet participation, retention, and quit rates associated with these interventions tend to be relatively low. Brief clinical interventions may be a promising alternative for promoting smoking cessation in adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy and use of brief clinical interventions for adolescent smokers, healthcare providers’ provision of such treatment, barriers to adoption, and policies to increase brief clinical intervention provision.Methods: Studies were collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Smoking and Health, Medline, Psychinfo, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library. We also examined references identified from pertinent articles and books and elicited suggestions from experts in the field of tobacco c...
Ultrastructural Changes Induced by Chronic Aflatoxicosis in Chickens

Abstract Effects in chickens of a low concentration of aflatoxin in the diet were investigated. After eight weeks, heart, pancreas, and liver tissues were examined by electron microscopy. Most damage was to liver; changes were observed both in individual parenchymal cells and in tissue organization. Proliferation of bile duct epithelial cells was extensive. The pancreas showed little change and was, therefore, a good organ for observation of early and/or mild ultrastructural changes associated with aflatoxicosis. The priority of initial nuclear change over cytoplasmic change was indicated in this organ. In the myocardium, the only significant changes were in mitochondria. Mitochondria of liver and pancreas were not altered. Leukoviruses were observed in the tissues of one aflatoxin-treated bird.
Paucity of splenic germinal centers: a new and unique splenomegaly syndrome including dysfunctional immune system.

Abstract A family is presented with massive splenomegaly in 10 of 22 members throughout three generations in addition to variable abnormal immunologic parameters. Eight underwent splenectomy; spleen weights ranged from 329 to 605 g. Germinal centers were either absent or grossly hypoplastic in all spleens examined. Gamma globulins were abnormal in 5 7 patients. In vitro lymphocyte mitogenesis was abnormal in 5 7 patients. T-Cell suppressor studies were normal in three patients. Two patients had Evan's syndrome (Coombs positive hemolytic anemia and autoimmune thrombocytopenia). These patients have a unique dysfunction of the immune system, remarkably similar to that seen in experimentally bursectomized chickens. This syndrome may represent an inherited deficiency of the human bursal equivalent leading to compensatory splenic hyperplasia.
Flash P2 delay in primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type

Abstract 1. 1. Flash visual evoked responses of 31 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type were compared with 31 healthy controls. 2. 2. PI latency was normal (75 ± 6 msec Alzheimer's; 75 ± 6 msec controls). 3. 3. P2 was significantly delayed (162 ± 32 msec, 147 ± 20 msec, p 4. 4. P1-P2 interpeak latency was significantly increased (87 ± 32 msec, 71 ± 21 msec, p
RESIDUAL STRENGTH OF UNSTIFFENED ALUMINUM PANELS WITH MULTIPLE SITE DAMAGE

Abstract This study investigated the residual strength of unstiffened aluminum panels with widths of 381 mm and 229 mm containing multiple site damage (MSD). The MSD usually occurs at rivet holes, or other stress concentration locations within an aircraft structure. This study simulated rivet holes with MSD, by using holes of constant diameter with small cracks, evenly spaced across the midspan of specimens. The panels were prepared by either fatiguing MSD damage at rivet holes or simulating fatigue damage by saw cuts at each hole. Each specimen was subjected to a monotonically increasing tensile load until failure occurred across the midspan of the gauge section. Five different failure criteria which do not model the stable crack extension were evaluated to predict the residual strength (failure load) for each specimen geometry. These criteria provided a wide range of residual strength predictions for wide and narrow panels with MSD. A failure criterion which involved the plastic zone (yielding) of the lead and MSD cracks gave the most accurate prediction of failure load for panels with MSD damage. The width of the specimens did not affect, in general, the trends in the prediction of failure loads from the five failure criteria.
Effects of Tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) Phosphate as a Flame-Retarding Cosolvent on Physicochemical Properties of Electrolytes of LiPF6 in EC-PC-EMC of 3:3:4 Weight Ratios

We synthesized tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphate (TFP) as a flame-retarding solvent, measured its properties, and studied its effects on the physicochemical properties of the electrolytes LiPF 6 in ethylene carbonate-propylene carbonate-ethyl methyl carbonate (EC-PC-EMC) of 3:3:4 weight ratios. These properties included dielectric constant of the solvent, flammability and conductivity of the electrolytes, and viscosity of the solvent and the electrolytes. The viscosity was studied indirectly through measuring glass transition (T g ) and boiling temperatures of the solvents and electrolytes. We found that TFP reduced the flammability and vapor pressure of the carbonate-based electrolytes, but lowered their conductivity by raising their viscosities and by lowering the dielectric constant of their solvents. Furthermore, this fall of conductivity with TFP content was almost linear, the rate of fall being higher at lower temperatures and higher LiPF 6 concentrations. We compared the conductivity of this system with that of LiPF 6 in EMC-EC, and found a number of important similarities and differences. We also calculated vanishing mobility temperature T 0 from fitting the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher equation to the conductivity/temperature data and found it changed the same way as T g did: it rose with TFP content and LiPF 6 concentration.
Fluorescent in situ Detection of Encephalitozoon hellem Spores with a 6‐Carboxyfluorescein‐Labeled Ribosomal RNA‐Targeted Oligonucleotide Probe

Abstract A fluorescent in situ hybridization assay has been developed for the detection of the human-pathogenic microsporidian, Encephalitozoon hellem in water samples using epifluorescence microscopy. The assay employs a 19-nucleotide species-specific 6-carboxyfluorescein-labeled oligonucleotide probe, HEL878F, designed to be complementary to the nucleic acid sequence 878–896, a highly variable segment of the 16S ribosomal RNA of E. hellem spores. The specificity of this probe for its ribosomal RNA target site was confirmed using RNA degradation, ribosomal RNA target site competition, and nucleotide base mismatch control probe assays. Furthermore, the specificity of the HEL878F oligonucleotide probe for E. hellem spores was established when it was evaluated on spores from all three species of the genus Encephalitozoon that had been seeded in reagent water and environmental water concentrates. The specificity of the HEL878F oligonucleotide probe was further corroborated when tested on algae, bacteria, and...
Pharmacoeconomics of Thrombosis Management

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the cause of significant morbidity and mortality and may lead to other complications, including recurrent VTE and long-term postthrombotic syndrome. Venous thromboembolism represents a huge health economic burden of nearly 500 million dollars/year in the United States. Without adequate prophylaxis, patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery are at high risk of developing VTE. Prophylaxis with either unfractionated heparin or warfarin not only substantially reduces the risk of VTE after orthopedic surgery, but also is more cost-effective than no prophylaxis. Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) have been shown to be superior to unfractionated heparin or warfarin, and despite the fact that they are more expensive, they are cost-effective. Large-scale clinical trials have shown that fondaparinux further reduces the likelihood of VTE complications after major orthopedic surgery. A review of the pharmacoeconomic evaluations of fondaparinux leads to the conclusion that fondaparinux is a cost-effective alternative to LMWHs in VTE prophylaxis.
The Urban Emergency Department: A Potential Increased Occupational Hazard for Sharps-related Injuries

Objectives Health care workers are at risk for sharps-related injuries while working in the clinical arena. The authors sought to quantify and compare the frequency of these injuries for all health care personnel between the urban and community emergency department (ED). Methods A retrospective review was performed on the institutional human resources database of all self- or supervisor-reported sharps-related injuries that occurred to ED personnel in a single health system from January 2010 through September 2014. The health system was composed of a single urban academic Level I trauma center and seven community EDs, two of which were academic Level III trauma centers. Each sharps-related injury was reviewed for site of injury, job class, and type of instrument causing the injury. Results There were 171 sharps-related injuries reported during 447,986 urban and 1,350,623 community patient visits. Of the 171 injuries, 44.4% occurred to physicians, 39.2% to nurses, 12.9% to support staff, and 3.5% to physician assistants. Injuries occurred more frequently at the urban academic medical center when compared to the pooled community sites: 20.3 per 100,000 patient visits (n = 91) versus 5.9 per 100,000 patient visits (n = 80), respectively (odds ratio = 3.43, 95% confidence interval = 2.54 to 4.63, p < 0.001). They also occurred more frequently at the urban site when individually compared to each community site. Conclusions Physicians accounted for the largest proportion of health care workers reporting sharps-related injuries. These injuries occurred more frequently in the urban ED than in the community EDs.
Ultraviolet irradiation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) naphthalene in H2O. Implications for meteorites and biogenesis

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) naphthalene was exposed to ultraviolet radiation in H,O ice under astrophysical conditions, and the products were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. As we found in our earlier studies on the photoprocessing of coronene in H,O ice, aromatic alcohols and ketones (quinones) were formed. The regiochemistry reported here leads to specific predictions of the relative abundances of oxidized naphthalenes that should exist in meteorites. Since oxidized PAHs are present in meteorites and interplanetary dust particles, and ubiquitous in and fundamental to biochemistry, the delivery of such extraterrestrial molecules to the early Earth may have played a role in the origin and evolution of life. 0 2002 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All
Networking the Parties: A Comparative Study of Democratic and Republican National Convention Delegates in 2008

Parties-as-networks is an emerging approach to understanding American political parties as decentralized, nonhierarchical, fluid systems with porous boundaries among a wide array of actors. Parties-as-networks include interest groups, social movements, media, political consultants, and advocacy organizations, in additional to the usual suspects of elected officials, party officials, and citizen- activists. This approach ameliorates several deficits of the traditional, tripartite view of parties in government, in elections, and as organizations. The authors apply the parties-as-networks approach using data from surveys of delegates at the 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions. Analysis of delegates' memberships in a wide variety of organizations demonstrates that Democrats have larger networks than do Republicans; Republican networks tend more toward hierarchy than do Democratic networks; and the content of Democratic networks is tilted toward labor and identity organizations, while Republican networks are more populated by civic, religious, and professional organizations. The parties-as-networks view is a potentially revealing source of insight on the dynamic evolution of party coalitions. Theoretically, approaching parties as networks deepens the understanding of how intermediary institutions matter to the functioning of democratic politics.
Different Methods of Forming Cold Fronts in Nonmerging Clusters

Sharp edges in X-ray surface brightness with continuous gas pressure called cold fronts have often been found in relaxed galaxy clusters such as Abell 496. Models that explain cold fronts as surviving cores of head-on subcluster mergers do not work well for these clusters, and competing models involving gas sloshing have been recently proposed. Here, we test some concrete predictions of these models in a combined analysis of density, temperature, metal abundances, and abundance ratios in a deep Chandra exposure of Abell 496. We confirm that the chemical discontinuities found in this cluster are not consistent with a core merger remnant scenario. However, we find chemical gradients across a spiral "arm" discovered at 73 kpc north of the cluster center and coincident with the sharp edge of the main cold front in the cluster. Despite the overall SN Ia iron mass fraction dominance found within the cooling radius of this cluster, the metal enrichment along the arm, determined from silicon and iron abundances, is consistent with a lower SN Ia iron mass fraction (51% ± 14%) than that measured in the surrounding regions (85% ± 14%). The "arm" is also significantly colder than the surroundings by 0.5-1.6 keV. The arm extends from a boxy colder region surrounding the center of the cluster, where two other cold fronts are found. This cold arm is a prediction of current high resolution numerical simulations as a result of an off-center encounter with a less massive pure dark matter halo, and we suggest that the cold fronts in A496 provide the first clear corroboration of such model, where the closest encounter happened ~0.5 Gyr ago. We also argue for a possible candidate dark matter halo responsible for the cold fronts in the outskirts of A496.
Self-powered CMOS impact-rate monitors for biomechanical implants

We have previously reported a novel self-powered piezo-floating-gate sensor that can be used for long-term monitoring of strain levels in biomechanical implants. In this paper, we extend this work to monitor impact-rates (rate of change of strain levels) which is important for predicting mechanical fatigue. We augment the piezo-floating-gate sensor with a filtering and triggering circuit that activates the ionized-hot-electron-injection (IHEI) only when the impactrates exceed predetermined threshold levels. Using multiple prototypes fabricated in a 0.5-mum standard CMOS process we characterize the performance of the sensor for mismatch and for its variability under different biasing conditions. Experimental results obtained using the prototypes demonstrate that the sensor can record different impact-rate levels over a duration of 105 cycles.
Lycopene and lutein inhibit proliferation in rat prostate carcinoma cells.

Abstract Consumption of lycopene, a carotenoid without provitamin A activity, has been associated with a lower risk of prostate and breast cancer. Lutein is another carotenoid that may be associated with a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older. Bioactive compounds such as lycopene and lutein, derived from natural plant sources, have been shown to act at low substrate levels through the action of intrinsic cytokines and growth factors and their receptors within tissues, particularly those of the fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor β families. The effects of grapefruit-derived and commercial lycopene and lutein preparations on androgen independent cultured malignant type II tumor cells [Dunning R3327AT3 or AT3 cells (androgen-responsive, slow-growing tumor cells with well developed epithelium and stroma)] were compared to their benign parent type I tumor epithelial cells (DTE). Results demonstrated that both l...
Hybrid use of early and quasi-continuous wave photons in time-domain tomographic imaging for improved resolution and quantitative accuracy

Measurement of early-photons (EPs) from a pulsed laser source has been shown to improve imaging resolution versus continuous wave (CW) systems in diffuse optical tomography (DOT) and fluorescence mediated tomography (FMT). However, EP systems also have reduced noise performance versus CW systems since EP measurements require temporal rejection of large numbers of transmitted photons. In this work, we describe a ‘hybrid data set’ (HDS) image reconstruction approach, the goal of which was to produce a final image that retained the resolution and noise advantages of EP and CW data sets, respectively. Here, CW data was first reconstructed to produce a quantitatively accurate ‘initial guess’ intermediate image, and then this was refined with EP data to yield a higher resolution final image. We performed a series of studies with simulated data to test the resolution, quantitative accuracy and detection sensitivity of the approach. We showed that in principle it was possible to produce final images that retained the bulk of the resolution and quantitative accuracy of EP and CW images, respectively, but the HDS approach did not improve the instrument sensitivity compared to EP data alone.
Transient response and feed-forward control of a distillation tower subject to a sequence of upsets

A mathematical model of dynamic distillation was verified experimentally for transients resulting from a sequence of upsets in operating conditions, that is, for upsets occurring in the unsteady state before the effects of previous upsets died out. The equations for feed-forward control of the top product composition by reflux ratio control action were derived and a computer program was written in FORTRAN for solution on a digital computer. This control model was employed in the feed-forward control of an experimental distillation column when subjected to an upset in feed composition. Experimental data were obtained from a twelve-plate, 10-in. diameter distillation column with a methanol-tertiary butyl alcohol system. The numerical technique employed is a completely general divided difference method which can be utilized in the solution of any system of first-order differential equations.
Systematic Risk & Chapter 11

We are in the midst of the most significant financial crisis since the New Deal, yet chapter 11 is notable mostly for its absence. Chapter 11 is thing that wrecked Lehman Brothers, and perhaps the credit markets. And the thing that the Federal Reserve and Treasury worked so hard to keep AIG and Bear Stearns away from. The thing that General Motors and Chrysler were working so hard to avoid. In this short paper I examine the role of chapter 11 in a time of widespread financial distress. I argue that Lehman’s chapter 11 filing did not cause the current credit crisis, but rather Lehman’s failure caused the crisis. That failure was likely to occur with or without chapter 11, unless the government prevented it or mitigated its consequences, as in the case of AIG. Chapter 11 has a role to play in a systemic crisis, by providing a framework for government intervention that avoids the need for the kind of intervention we have recently been seeing on an ad hoc basis. But I also argue that the growth of exceptions to chapter 11 -- like the safe harbor provisions for derivatives -- have reduced chapter 11's efficacy. It is time to reconsider the piecemeal erosion of chapter 11, and return to the more inclusive bankruptcy process that Congress enacted in 1978.
A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Trial of a School Intervention for Children with Sickle Cell Anemia

Objective To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of a randomized clinical pilot trial comparing routine services (RS) with a school intervention program (SIP) for children with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Method Twenty-four children (ages 8-12 years) with SCA were randomized to RS or SIP. General disease knowledge, consumer satisfaction, self-concept, and school absences were evaluated. Results Compared with children receiving RS, children and teachers receiving SIP evidenced more accurate information about their disease, and children with SCA had significantly fewer absences. Teachers receiving SIP reported higher consumer satisfaction. Conclusions A modest educational curriculum can increase knowledge of SCA, is associated with lower absence rates, and yields high consumer satisfaction ratings.
Computing confidence intervals on solution costs for stochastic grid generation expansion problems.

A range of core operations and planning problems for the national electrical grid are naturally formulated and solved as stochastic programming problems, which minimize expected costs subject to a range of uncertain outcomes relating to, for example, uncertain demands or generator output. A critical decision issue relating to such stochastic programs is: How many scenarios are required to ensure a specific error bound on the solution cost? Scenarios are the key mechanism used to sample from the uncertainty space, and the number of scenarios drives computational difficultly. We explore this question in the context of a long-term grid generation expansion problem, using a bounding procedure introduced by Mak, Morton, and Wood. We discuss experimental results using problem formulations independently minimizing expected cost and down-side risk. Our results indicate that we can use a surprisingly small number of scenarios to yield tight error bounds in the case of expected cost minimization, which has key practical implications. In contrast, error bounds in the case of risk minimization are significantly larger, suggesting more research is required in this area in order to achieve rigorous solutions for decision makers.
Population Health Considerations for Pediatric Asthma: Findings from the 2011–2012 California Health Interview Survey

Childhood asthma is a prevalent and costly chronic condition. Optimal management enables secondary and tertiary prevention. The goal was to identify population health considerations for pediatric asthma in California to inform the development of quality improvement interventions. California Health Interview Survey 2011-2012 is a random-digit dial telephone survey conducted in 5 languages. It includes 44,000 households from all 58 counties in California. This study assessed factors related to symptom control and health care use in children ages 2-11 years with asthma. An estimated 492,385 (9.6%) of children in California currently have asthma. Urban and rural residents face comparable asthma disease burdens. School-age male children as well as Asian and African American children are disproportionately affected. Asthma causes significant morbidity, with poorer health status, high utilization of emergency care, and the need for daily medication use. Only 38% of children with asthma have a recent asthma management plan. Half of all children with asthma did not receive influenza immunization in the past year, although this reflects the overall low rate of influenza vaccination. Parents of children with asthma frequently utilize the Internet for health information and communication with their child's health care provider. Children with asthma in California face several population-level challenges, including poor health status, low influenza vaccination rates, high use of emergency care, and suboptimal use of health literacy tools. Focusing on improved care coordination and preventive care for high-risk groups is especially urgent given the expansion of public health insurance and impending shortages in the primary care workforce. (Population Health Management 2016;19:145-151).
Phenylalanine-binding RNAs and genetic code evolution.

We isolated RNAs by selection–amplification, selecting for affinity to Phe–Sepharose and elution with free l-phenylalanine. Constant sequences did not contain Phe condons or anticodons, to avoid any possible confounding influence on initially randomized sequences. We examined the eight most frequent Phe-binding RNAs for inclusion of coding triplets. Binding sites were defined by nucleotide conservation, protection, and interference data. Together these RNAs comprise 70% of the 105 sequenced RNAs. The KD for the strongest sites is ≈50 μM free amino acid, with strong stereoselectivity. One site strongly distinguishes free Phe from Trp and Tyr, a specificity not observed previously. In these eight Phe-binding RNAs, Phe codons are not significantly associated with Phe binding sites. However, among 21 characterized RNAs binding Phe, Tyr, Arg, and Ile, containing 1342 total nucleotides, codons are 2.7-fold more frequent within binding sites than in surrounding sequences in the same molecules. If triplets were not specifically related to binding sites, the probability of this distribution would be 4.8 × 10−11. Therefore, triplet concentration within amino acid binding sites taken together is highly likely. In binding sites for Arg, Tyr, and Ile cognate codons are overrepresented. Thus Arg, Tyr, and Ile may be amino acids whose codons were assigned during an era of direct RNA–amino acid affinity. In contrast, Phe codons arguably were assigned by another criterion, perhaps during later code evolution.
Determination of Tellurium by Instrumental Photon Activation Analysis

Abstract Tellurium has been determined at milligram and submilligram levels in the presence of uranium by a strictly instrumental photon activation 121 analysis procedure. The 575 keV gamma ray of Te was measured. At a decay time of three weeks, this gamma ray peak was interference-free. As little as 0.4 mg of tellurium was determined and the method evidences that sensitivity would increase with irradiation time.
Cyclo­propyl m‐nitro­phenyl ketone

The title compound, C10H9NO3, exhibits near coplanarity of the phenyl ring with the C=O bond and the nitro group. Through the O atoms of the carbonyl and nitro groups and the H atoms of the phenyl rings, a network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds involves each mol­ecule with four other mol­ecules. The result is a structure composed of discrete two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded molecular layers.
Time-sensitive recommendation from recurrent user activities

By making personalized suggestions, a recommender system is playing a crucial role in improving the engagement of users in modern web-services. However, most recommendation algorithms do not explicitly take into account the temporal behavior and the recurrent activities of users. Two central but less explored questions are how to recommend the most desirable item at the right moment, and how to predict the next returning time of a user to a service. To address these questions, we propose a novel framework which connects self-exciting point processes and low-rank models to capture the recurrent temporal patterns in a large collection of user-item consumption pairs. We show that the parameters of the model can be estimated via a convex optimization, and furthermore, we develop an efficient algorithm that maintains O(1/∊) convergence rate, scales up to problems with millions of user-item pairs and hundreds of millions of temporal events. Compared to other state-of-the-arts in both synthetic and real datasets, our model achieves superb predictive performance in the two time-sensitive recommendation tasks. Finally, we point out that our formulation can incorporate other extra context information of users, such as profile, textual and spatial features.
Failure of an Implant after Total Shoulder Arthroplasty. A Case Report

Total shoulder arthroplasty has become an accepted treatment for advanced arthritic conditions of the glenohumeral joint1,3. Loosening of the glenoid component has been a complication of the procedure3,5 and, in an attempt to prevent it, a modular glenoid component has been developed. It consists of a polyethylene articular component that snaps into a metal shell that is secured to the glenoid with screws. Although similar designs of modular components have proved to be effective for total joint arthroplasty in the lower extremity, disassembly of the components after implementation has been reported2,6-8,10. We report the case of a patient who had disassembly of the glenoid component after a total shoulder arthroplasty. A sixty-eight-year-old retired man had a total arthroplasty of the right shoulder for treatment of disabling osteoarthrosis at another institution. The arthroplasty consisted of insertion of a humeral component and a metal-backed two-piece glenoid component without cement. The metal shell of the glenoid component was porous-coated and was secured to the glenoid with two screws. The operative procedure was uncomplicated and resulted in substantial relief of pain and improvement of function. Three months postoperatively, the patient had an acute onset of pain with an audible pop that occurred when the shoulder was abducted and …
Current knowledge, threats, and future efforts to sustain populations ofPityopsis ruthii(Asteraceae), an endangered southern Appalachian species1

Abstract Pityopsis ruthii is a federally endangered plant, endemic to riparian areas of the Hiwassee and Ocoee rivers in southeastern Tennessee. The population size and spatial distribution of this species along the Ocoee River has been documented since 1985, yet about 90% of P. ruthii plants are recorded within a portion of the Hiwassee River. Our ongoing population census of these localities delineates 57 discrete site occurrences and constitutes the first population baseline for P. ruthii along the Hiwassee River. Evidence indicates that P. ruthii populations are either stable or increasing along the Ocoee River. Augmentation of natural flow and subsequent invasion of competing vegetation are frequently cited as a threat to the species; however, historical aerial photography suggests significant portions of P. ruthii habitat are resistant to succession. We discuss recent evidence that a number of natural and anthropogenic stressors are challenging population sustainability, including: invasive plants, ...
Polymeric Sequence Probe for Single DNA Detection

A polynucleotide probe, polymeric sequence probe (PSP), was developed for single molecular detections. PSP is a single-stranded DNA molecule with ∼2000 tandem repeat target-binding sequences and label-binding sequences. A single PSP can bind to multiple fluorescent complementary oligos to generate a strong fluorescence signal. Single target molecules bound to PSPs can be clearly visualized by a conventional fluorescence microscope. An ultrasensitive PSP-based assay for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was demonstrated.
Self-assembly of a donor-acceptor nanotube. A strategy to create bicontinuous arrays.

The self-assembly of bolaamphiphile 1 into nanotubes containing a nanostructured electron donor/acceptor heterojunction is reported. In 10% MeOH/H2O, the tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) and 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid diimide chromophores engage in strong J-type π–π interactions within monolayer rings that further stack into the nanotube assemblies. In 10% MeOH/H2O at pH 1 or 11 or in pure MeOH, assembly is driven exclusively by the TPP ring, leading to the formation of nonspecific, unstructured aggregates. Steady-state, time-resolved fluorescence and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy revealed a strong dependence of the fluorescence decay and electron-transfer/charge-recombination time constants on the nature of the assemblies. These studies highlight the importance of local nanostructure in determining the photophysical properties of optoelectronic materials.
Influence of Insecticides and Reflective Mulch on Watermelon Vine Decline Caused by Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV)

ABSTRACT Watermelon vine decline (WVD) caused by the whitefly-transmitted Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV) has been a serious limiting factor in watermelon production in southwest and west-centr...
Sequence Distribution in Copolymers Physical Property Studies

Abstract The physical properties of copolymers are determined by their compositions and by the distribution of monomeric sequences in their chains. In some cases, sequence distributions can be determined from or correlated with physical properties observed for copolymers. Such determinations or correlations are relatively simple when calculations are based on run numbers.
Tracheobronchopathia Osteochondroplastica: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature:

Abstract Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica is characterized by osseocartilaginous submucosal nodules projecting into the lumen of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Its etiology is unknown. Most cases are asymptomatic and frequently diagnosed incidentally during intubation or endoscopy. The diagnosis is made on the basis of endoscopy, CT scan, and histopathology. Fragments of adipose tissue, deposits of calcification and ossification often with foci of bone marrow and active hemopoiesis are present in the submucosa. Surgical treatment is indicated for airway obstruction and recurrent infections.
Characterization of Off-Axis Sputtered La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 Films and La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/YBa2Cu3O7-δ Bilayers

Thin films of the colossal magnetoresistive material La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) have been grown by off-axis sputtering from a single target of the LCMO material onto various substrates and studied by electrical transport, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The LCMO films typically grow with the (002) direction oriented normal to the film. We find magnetoresistances at 6 T of ≈ 90%. We observe a scaling between the temperature of the resistivity peak (Tp) and the relative change in resistivity between room temperature and the resistance peak for Tp varying from 90 to 270 K. This scaling is consistent with an activated resistivity above the peak, with an activation temperature of ≈ 940 K. Films of LCMO grown on cubic zirconia exhibit an upturn in resistivity at low temperatures. Bilayers of LCMO and the superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-δ have been grown and compared to see the effects of having either the magnetic or superconducting layer first in the sequence.
Hypertension and Emotional Disorder

Emotional disorders like anxiety and depression can be an induction factor for hypertension,and can impact both the development and prognosis of hypertension.This article summarizes recent studies on hypertensive patients suffering from emotional disorders.
Mixed mesodermal tumors; a report of 11 cases.

Abstract Eleven cases of mixed mesodermal tumor of the female genital tract were presented, with a review of the recent literature. Two cases of special interest were presented in detail; Case 1 because it is one of a relatively few reported 5 year survivals, and Case 2 because of the origin of this tumor in the ovary.
[Decomposition of life expectancy at birth by age and causes of death among residents of Liaoning province, 1975 - 2005].

Objective To analyze the impact of mortality by age and causes of death on life expectancy at birth among residents of Liaoning province.Methods The study included mortality data of urban and rural residents in two periods (1973-1975 and 2004-2005).Both Abridged Life Table and Arriaga method were used to calculate and to decompose life expectancy changes by age and causes of death.Results From 1975-2005,the life expectancy increased by 4.68 years in urban residents and 4.91 for rural residents with a higher increment among females than males.Most part of the increase (76.27% and 82.81% for urban and rural male,58.76% and 62.13% for urban and rural female) in life expectancy within the last 30 years could be explained by the decrease of mortality in the populations at age 0-4 and 55-74.Diseases related to respiratory system and infectious disease were contributing the most to the gap in life expectancy between the two periods.Mortality of heart disease was a negative contributor to the changes in life expectancy among both rural and urban residents while the mortalities of cerebro-vascular diseases and malignant tumors were the negative contributors for rural residents.Conclusion The increase of life expectancy in the last 30 years was mainly resulted from the decrease of mortality on both respiratory and infectious diseases.Control of chronic diseases is the key point to increase the life expectancy among the residents of Liaoning province. Key words: Life expectancy at birth; Mortality; Decomposition of life expectancy
NB MRD RIT & RID

499 Objectives The prognosis for patients with metastatic neuroblastoma (NB) is poor, primarily because micrometastases survive initial therapy and this minimal residual disease (MRD) returns in the form of wide-spread tumors. There is, therefore, a need for more effective NB treatment in the MRD setting. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 177Lu radioimmunotherapy (RIT) for the treatment of MRD in NB. Methods An intraheptic model of MRD was established by the injection of human NB cells (IMR32) into nude mice. After 2 weeks of tumor growth, animals were treated with 177Lu-labeled hu14.18K322A, an anti-GD2 antibody, in two doses, either 1.3 or 5.9 MBq, and imaged with 89Zr-labeled hu14.18K322A at 2 and 4 weeks post-treatment to monitor tumor growth. Results In this orthotopic model, RIT was effective, significantly extending survival of the low-dose group to a mean of 74.5 days and of the high-dose group to a mean of 73 days compared with controls (mean of 49 days, log rank analysis (Mantel-Cox) p=0.015). The results of the 89Zr-hu14.18K322A radioimmunodetection (RID) studies correlated with survival. For example, at 2 weeks post-therapy, PET images of control and treated animals were similar, but by 4 weeks liver metastases were observed in the control mice but not in the treated animals. Ex vivo biodistribution and autoradiography confirmed high uptake of radiolabeled antibody in sub-millimeter tumors compared with surrounding liver with tumor-to-liver count ratios of 10-20:1. Conclusions These data suggest that 177Lu-labeled hu14.18K322A may be effective for use in RIT treatment of MRD in NB and that 89Zr-labeled hu14.18K322A may be effective for monitoring therapeutic response to RIT treatment of MRD in NB.
Assessing the impacts of sea-level rise and precipitation change on the surficial aquifer in the low-lying coastal alluvial plains and barrier islands, east-central Florida (USA)

A three-dimensional variable-density groundwater flow and salinity transport model is implemented using the SEAWAT code to quantify the spatial variation of water-table depth and salinity of the surficial aquifer in Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral Island in east-central Florida (USA) under steady-state 2010 hydrologic and hydrogeologic conditions. The developed model is referred to as the ‘reference’ model and calibrated against field-measured groundwater levels and a map of land use and land cover. Then, five prediction/projection models are developed based on modification of the boundary conditions of the calibrated ‘reference’ model to quantify climate change impacts under various scenarios of sea-level rise and precipitation change projected to 2050. Model results indicate that west Merritt Island will encounter lowland inundation and saltwater intrusion due to its low elevation and flat topography, while climate change impacts on Cape Canaveral Island and east Merritt Island are not significant. The SEAWAT models developed for this study are useful and effective tools for water resources management, land use planning, and climate-change adaptation decision-making in these and other low-lying coastal alluvial plains and barrier island systems.
Matthias Schwartz and Heike Winkel, Eastern European youth cultures in a global context

The collapse of communism and the acceleration of globalization provided a backdrop for youth development in Eastern Europe. Compared to older citizens, young people have grown up in a freer and mo...
Accelerating Discrete Fourier Transforms with dot-product engine

Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFT) are extremely useful in signal processing. Usually they are computed with the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method as it reduces the computing complexity from O(N2) to O(Nlog(N)). However, FFT is still not powerful enough for many real-time tasks which have stringent requirements on throughput, energy efficiency and cost, such as Internet of Things (IoT). In this paper, we present a solution of computing DFT using the dot-product engine (DPE) - a one transistor one memristor (1T1M) crossbar array with hybrid peripheral circuit support. With this solution, the computing complexity is further reduced to a constant O(λ) independent of the input data size, where λ is the timing ratio of one DPE operation comparing to one real multiplication operation in digital systems.
Combinatorial Gene Regulation through Kinetic Control of the Transcription Cycle

Cells decide when, where, and to what level to express their genes by "computing" information from transcription factors (TFs) binding to regulatory DNA. How is the information contained in multiple TF-binding sites integrated to dictate the rate of transcription? The dominant conceptual and quantitative model is that TFs combinatorially recruit one another and RNA polymerase to the promoter by direct physical interactions. Here, we develop a quantitative framework to explore kinetic control, an alternative model in which combinatorial gene regulation can result from TFs working on different kinetic steps of the transcription cycle. Kinetic control can generate a wide range of analog and Boolean computations without requiring the input TFs to be simultaneously bound to regulatory DNA. We propose experiments that will illuminate the role of kinetic control in transcription and discuss implications for deciphering the cis-regulatory "code."
The Place of Subjectivity in the Academic Study of Religion: A Response to Craig Martin

This paper responds to post-structuralist criticisms of my book, Philosophy and the Study of Religions: A Manifesto , made by Craig Martin. In particular, it defends my realist accounts of human beliefs and of religions as structures that operate, respectively, in human subjectivity and in history, even when they are not named.
Torrefied-biomass-filled polyamide biocomposites

Little work has been accomplished in the area of engineered thermoplastic biocomposites due to the increased processing temperatures of high-temperature thermoplastics, which induce degradation of biomass. Torrefaction has been identified as an effective means of preparing biomass for introduction into engineered thermoplastics such as polyamide 6,6; however, it is an energy- and time-intensive process. This work looks to microwave-induced heating to reduce the required energy costs by 70% over a conventional torrefaction heating methods while producing a more homogeneous higher degree of torrefied biomass. The effects of torrefaction conditions on the surface porosity and chemical makeup of torrefied biomass were studied. Torrefied biomass exhibited lower moisture uptake than as-received biomass. The effects of the addition of torrefied flax shive, hemp hurd, and sunflower hulls to polyamide 6,6 revealed increases in heat deflection temperature and some mechanical properties.
Abstract 251: The Rate of Myocyte Turnover in the Mouse Heart

The accuracy of the estimations of cell turnover in the myocardium is restricted by the difficulty to obtain from histologic samples the information regarding the rate of cell proliferation, i.e., number of cells generated per unit of time. It is easy to identify the fraction of cycling cells, but this value cannot be directly converted into the number of cells generated per day. As a result, the published estimates of cell turnover in the mammalian heart vary dramatically. Here, we propose to use the cell cycle as an internal clock to introduce the time factor in the analysis of population dynamics of cardiac cells. In this novel approach the cells are exposed to two pulses of distinct thymidine analogs, separated by time T. The first pulse is performed with 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and the second pulse with 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU). With this protocol, the number of cells that exit the S phase during time T is equal to the number of cells positive for BrdU but negative for EdU. It can be shown that, in non-synchronous population, the number of cells exiting the S phase is equal to the number of cells entering the cell cycle. Importantly, this approach does not require knowledge of the length of the cell cycle. To measure the rate of formation of cells in the myocardium, 2 month-old mice were injected with the nucleotides at 4 hour intervals and sacrified 4 hour later. The hearts were formalin-fixed and histologic sections obtained. The first nucleotide, BrdU, by was detected by immunocytochemistry, and the second, EdU, by the “click” chemistry. Myocytes and non-myocytes were distinguished by α-sarcomeric actin and cardiac troponin I staining and analyzed by confocal microscopy. Spectral analysis was employed to ensure specificity of the detected signals. The enumeration of double positive nuclei, nuclei positive for one nucleotide only, and nuclei negative for both nucleotides indicated that in the entire left ventricle (LV) ~1,250 myocytes are generated per hour. Since the mouse LV contains ~3 x 106 parenchymal cells, these data demonstrate that the entire population of myocytes can be replaced in ~180 days. Thus, our results are consistent with a relatively high turnover rate of myocytes in the mouse heart.