cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implicit LES Simulations of a Flapping Wing in Forward Flight

Computations of an aspect ratio 3.5 flat plate wing in flapping forward flight are performed. A high-order implicit LES approach is employed to compute the mixed laminar/transitional/turbulent flowfields present for the low Reynolds number flows associated with micro air vehicles. The ILES approach is implemented by exploiting the properties of a well validated, robust, sixth-order Navier-Stokes solver. The analyzed kinematics are a flapping motion described by an anti-clockwise 8 cycle. A Reynolds number based on the freestream velocity of 1250 is prescribed. A detailed description of the dynamic vortex system engendered by the unsteady flapping motion is given and related to the development of lift and thrust during the flapping cycle. Effective angle of attack, which results from the wing motion, and its interplay with the aerodynamic angle of attack play a key role in determining the flow structure and forces produced.© 2013 ASME
Do Osteoblastoma and Osteoid Osteoma Represent the Same Pathologic Entity?: A Case Report and Review of the Recent Literature.

Case: We present the case of a fourteen-year-old boy with a benign diaphyseal femoral lesion that initially fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for osteoid osteoma but rapidly progressed and was finally diagnosed as osteoblastoma. Conclusion: Clinical and radiographic criteria provide imperfect and somewhat arbitrary distinguishing features between osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma. Although previous work highlighted the importance of histologic interpretation in this regard, recent comparative histologic and immunohistochemical evaluations failed to differentiate the two. We conclude that consideration should be given to the classification of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma as the same pathologic entity, with treatment based on presentation along a continuum of aggressiveness, and that future directions for study may include identification of factors predictive of progression and/or recurrence.
Recombination and Selection

The role of recombination in bringing together either multiple beneficial or multiple deleterious mutations (in the language of population genetics, the dissolution of negative linkage disequilibrium) lies at the core of modern models of recombination and selection. Two contrasting approaches have been applied to the evolutionary theory of recombination and selection – optimality theory and modifier theory . An understanding of the form and extent of epistasis, as well as the global and local properties of fitness landscapes, is needed to understand the interplay between recombination and selection in real populations.
Interest Calculations; Preliminary Project Evaluation

In previous chapters methods have been developed for estimating the cost of equipment, additions, modifications, and complete plants, and for the expense of manufacturing a product. This chapter will attempt to provide the initial procedures for evaluating the hoped-for profitability of chemical plant investments, and of estimating the relative attractiveness of different projects and capital expenditures. The first step involves three additional pieces of information that are needed: the product sales value, the company income tax requirements, and a knowledge of the effect that compound interest has upon investments. This later subject is not only important for the money that may be borrowed on a project, but even more so to examine how the project investment might compare with an alternate investment (including a purely financial one, such as bonds, CDs, etc.). This topic shall be reviewed first in the following section.
Measuring the Returns to Investments in Education: Overview and Critique

Education is universally recognised both as an end in itself and as a means to achieve many other ends. This is true both from the perspective of the individual and from that of society as a whole. In developed countries, increasing the education levels of the population is seen as essential for raising already high levels of social and economic well-being, while in developing countries, it is seen as a prerequisite for raising standards of living to the level of those already enjoyed in developed countries.
Management of the Most Difficult Perioperative and Technical Challenges in Abdominal Transplantation

Transplant surgery is one of the most challenging surgical subspecialties and requires broad training in a wide array of general, vascular, gastrointestinal, hepato-pancreatico-biliary, and pediatric surgery as well as urology procedures. Despite the surgeons’ comprehensive training, technically extremely difficult situations can arise during transplant procedures that not only require technical mastery but also a high degree of flexibility, creativity, swiftness, and experience. Some of these situations are unexpected challenges, which may include unforeseen conditions that were not present or recognized on previous imaging studies, sudden intraoperative complications or anatomical variants that prevent the execution of a standard procedure. This chapter focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of these types of unusual or unforeseen conditions and technical challenges in abdominal transplantation, which may occur intraoperatively but also immediately pre- or posttransplant. Knowledge of these complications is crucial in preventing poor graft and patient outcome.
Hazardous drinking among young adults seeking outpatient mental health services.

Alcohol use can have a significant negative impact on young adults in mental health treatment. This cross-sectional study examined prevalence and factors associated with hazardous drinking among young adults seeking outpatient mental health services, rate of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), and the relationship between hazardous drinking and other types of substance use. Participants were 487 young adults ages 18–25 who completed self-administered computerized screening questions for alcohol and drug use. Alcohol use patterns were assessed and predictors of hazardous drinking (≥5 drinks on one or more occasions in the past year) were identified using logistic regression. Of the 487 participants, 79.8 % endorsed prior-year alcohol use, 52.3 % reported one or more episodes of hazardous drinking in the prior year and 8.2 % were diagnosed with an AUD. Rates of recent and lifetime alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use were significantly greater in those with prior-year hazardous drinking. In logistic regression, prior-year hazardous drinking was associated with lifetime marijuana use (OR 3.30, p < 0.001; 95 % CI 2.05, 5.28), lifetime tobacco use (OR 1.88, p = 0.004; 95 % CI 1.22, 2.90) and older age (OR 1.18 per year, p < 0.001; 95 % CI 1.08, 1.29). In an outpatient mental health setting, high rates of hazardous drinking were identified, and drinking was associated with history of other substance use. Results highlight patient characteristics associated with hazardous drinking that mental health providers should be aware of in treating young adults, especially older age and greater use of tobacco and marijuana.
Percutaneous image-guided pelvic procedures in women with gynecologic cancers: utilization, complications, and impact on patient management.

Image-guided percutaneous pelvic procedures often play an important role in the management of women with gynecologic cancers. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utilization of and indications for these procedures, and quantify their impact on patient management. IRB-approved retrospective record review of percutaneous pelvic procedures requested by gynecologic oncology, 2005 to 2015. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were performed. 392 pelvic procedures, including fluid aspiration, core biopsy, and fine needle aspiration, were performed in 225 women. Procedures were performed under sonographic guidance (303/392, 77.30%), CT guidance (87/392, 22.19%), or both (2/392, 0.51%). Pathology results included: no specimen sent (157/392, 40.05%), new cancer diagnosis (55/392, 14.03%), recurrence or metastasis of known primary cancer (107/392, 27.30%), benign tissue (67/392, 17.09%), and nondiagnostic (6/392, 1.53%). In terms of management, some procedures led to oncologic surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy (158/392, 40.31%), cessation of oncologic treatment (36/392, 9.18%), or treatment of infection (10/392, 2.55%). Many procedures were therapeutic (178/392, 45.41%), while a minority were performed for genomics (1/392, 0.26%) or did not impact clinical management (9/392, 2.30%). The number of procedures per year increased over time during the period of data collection. Date of service was a significant positive predictor of a purely therapeutic procedure (OR 1.69 [95 % CI 1.44–1.98], p < 0.0001) and a significant negative predictor of a malignant diagnosis (OR 0.72 [95 % CI 0.64–0.81], p < 0.0001), for each year later in the 10-year cycle. In this single institution study, we identified a trend toward increased utilization of image-guided percutaneous pelvic interventions in women with gynecologic cancers. The case mix has shifted over the past 10 years, with procedures for symptom management constituting a larger proportion and diagnostic procedures constituting a smaller proportion of procedures over time.
A Comparison of Three Online Recruitment Strategies for Engaging Parents

Family scientists can face the challenge of effectively and efficiently recruiting normative samples of parents and families. Utilizing the Internet to recruit parents is a strategic way to find participants where they already are, enabling researchers to overcome many of the barriers to in-person recruitment. The present study was designed to compare three online recruitment strategies for recruiting parents: e-mail Listservs, Facebook, and Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Analyses revealed differences in the effectiveness and efficiency of data collection. In particular, MTurk resulted in the most demographically diverse sample, in a short period of time, with little cost. Listservs reached a large number of participants and resulted in a comparatively homogeneous sample. Facebook was not successful in recruiting a general sample of parents. Findings provide information that can help family researchers and practitioners be intentional about recruitment strategies and study design.
Association of Pre‐Chemotherapy Peripheral Blood Pro‐Inflammatory and Coagulation Factors with Physical Function in Women with Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND Pro-inflammatory and coagulation factors serve as biomarkers of aging and functional reserve. The purpose of this study was to determine if pro-inflammatory (interleukin-6 [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP]), and coagulation (D-dimer) factors were associated with pre-chemotherapy functional status in women with stage I-III breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Prior to chemotherapy initiation in patients with stage I-III breast cancer, the following was captured: IL-6, CRP, D-dimer blood levels, and physical function measures including activities of daily living (ADL, subscale of Medical Outcomes Study Physical Health); instrumental activities of daily living (IADL, subscale of the Older Americans Resources and Services Program); Timed Up and Go (TUG); physician-rated Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS); and self-rated KPS. The association of these biomarkers with physical function measures was evaluated. RESULTS One hundred sixty patients (mean age 58.3 years, range 30-81 years) with stage I-III breast cancer (stages I [n = 34; 21.5%], II [n = 88; 55.7%], III [n = 36; 22.8%]) were enrolled. The group with poorest physical function (defined by ADL <70, IADL <14, and TUG ≥10 seconds) had higher levels of IL-6 (p = .05), D-dimer (p = .0004), and CRP (p = .05). There was no significant association between these biomarkers and KPS. Patients with at least two biomarkers in the highest quartile were more likely to have poorer physical function (odds ration [OR] 18.75, p < .001). In multivariate analysis adjusting for age, stage, number of comorbidities, and body mass index, the association remained (OR 14.6, p = .002). CONCLUSION Pre-chemotherapy biomarkers of aging are associated with poorer physical function among patients with breast cancer across the aging spectrum. The Oncologist 2017;22:1189-1196 IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Commonly used physical function assessment tools may not reflect the diverse nature of physical function and risk for chemotherapy toxicity, particularly in older adults. No laboratory test reflects functional reserve. Pro-inflammatory and coagulation factors, such as IL-6, CRP, and D-dimer, can serve as biomarkers of aging and physical function; however, few studies have evaluated their utility in patients with cancer. This study was designed to understand the association between pre-chemotherapy biomarkers and physical function in women with early stage breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. Results indicate that elevated pre-chemotherapy levels in two of the three peripheral biomarkers are associated with the poorest physical function among patients with breast cancer across the aging spectrum.
Stepless solid-state controls for battery-powered dc electric vehicles

Summary The operating principle of stepless dc controllers of the chopper type is described, with application to control series dc motors in either the motoring or braking mode. Such systems are suitable for driving battery powered vehicles. Methods of adjusting the time ratio of the chopper to regulate its output are discussed. While transistor choppers are suitable for low-power drives, thyristor choppers are employed for higher power. Auxiliary circuit branches required for commutation in a thyristor chopper are analyzed by their function. Many of the different circuit arrangements that have been devised are reviewed and compared.
Uterus Didelphys with Unilateral Imperforate Vagina: A Rare Cause of Acute Urinary Retention

Abstract The first case is reported of acute urinary retention caused by hematocolpos owing to uterus didelphys with a unilateral imperforate vagina. A brief description of this rare anomaly and its usual presenting signs and symptoms is presented. Finally, a synopsis of the embryologic defects responsible for the development of the anomaly and the recommended management of the disorder are outlined.
Monitoring and measurement of carbon activity in sodium systems

An equilibration method has been developed to measure accurately the activity of carbon in liquid sodium. Foils of Fe – 8 wt% Ni, Fe – 16 wt% Ni, and Fe – 18 wt% Cr – 8 wt% Ni alloys can be exposed...
Racial disparities in kidney transplant waitlist appearance in Chicago: Is it race or place?

BACKGROUND Prior work has demonstrated how neighborhood poverty and racial composition impact racial disparities in access to the deceased donor kidney transplant waitlist, both nationally and regionally. We examined the association between neighborhood characteristics and racial disparities in time to transplant waitlist in Chicago, a diverse city with continued neighborhood segregation. METHODS Using data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) and the US Census, we investigated time from dialysis initiation to kidney transplant waitlisting for African American and white patients in Chicago using cause-specific proportional hazards analyses, adjusting for individual sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, as well as neighborhood poverty and racial composition. RESULTS In Chicago, African Americans are significantly less likely than whites to appear on the renal transplant waitlist (HR 0.73, P < .05). Compared to whites in nonpoor neighborhoods, African Americans in poor neighborhoods are significantly less likely to appear on the transplant waitlist (HR 0.61, P < .05). Over 69% of African Americans with ESRD live in these neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with national data, African Americans in Chicago have a lower likelihood of waitlisting than whites. This disparity is explained in part by neighborhood poverty, which impacts the majority of African American ESRD patients in Chicago.
"Le nouveau-gentilhomme" de Mme d'Aulnoy: factores trans-culturales en la calibración de la salud mental de don Quijote

La interpretacion pan-europea de la personalidad de don Quijote empezo y siguio por todo el XVII enfocada en la comicidad de su locura, pero con el paso de los siglos ha vivido distintas etapas que reflejan las preocupaciones de las culturas que lo consideran hijo suyo. Los existencialistas del XX, herederos de la exaltacion romantica del rebelde individualista, lo veian cuerdo, un modelo moral para imitar en una sociedad corrupta, a pesar de que Cervantes, y con el la critica historicista, ponia hincapie en la resequedad de su cerebro. En el XXI el posmodernismo, inmerso en rapidos cambios mundiales, lo considera un actor que astutamente transforma su personalidad segun las circunstancias. Madame d’Aulnoy, aristocrata de la corte de Louis XIV, conocia bien el Quijote y vivio un tiempo en Espana, pero empezo a escribir una historia de marco para una coleccion de sus cuentos de hadas con el tipico desprecio de su clase por un burgues de suenos caballerescos que ambiciona colarse entre los ‘bien nacidos’. Sin embargo, ella no pudo dejar de percibir las similitudes entre este y su propia situacion como forjadora de historias fantasticas, y decide que su protagonista va a triunfar. Dando fin a la novela desde una autentica perspectiva cervantina de haz y enves, se deja llevar, si bien a reganadientes, por el sonador que se imagina un mundo menos exigente. The pan-European interpretation of Don Quixote’s personality began, and continued to be throughout the 17th century, focused on his comical madness, but with the passing of the centuries that view has shifted to various alternatives that reflect the concerns of the cultures that consider him theirs. 20th-century existentialists, heirs to the Romantic exaltation of individualist rebels, saw him as sane, a moral model to be imitated in a corrupt society, in spite of the fact that Cervantes, and with him historicist criticism, stressed that his brain had dried up. In the 21st century postmodernism, caught up in rapid worldwide changes, consider him an actor who cleverly transforms his personality to fit the circumstances. Madame d’Aulnoy, an aristocrat at the court of Louis XIV, knew Don Quixote well and lived for a time in Spain, but still she began to write a frame story for a collection of her fairytales with typically upper-class scorn for a bourgeois with chivalric dreams whose ambition is to be accepted among the ‘well born,’ and so she decides to have her main character win out. Writing an end to the novel from an authentically Cervantine perspective of seeing both sides of the coin, she lets herself be carried away, even though she fights against it, by the dreamer who imagines a less demanding world.
Provider Perspectives on the Application of Patient Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Clinical Care: A Qualitative Study.

The federal government and other organizations have recommended that healthcare institutions collect and document patient sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) information in order to advance the understanding of the health of sexual and gender minority populations and to combat existing health disparities. Little is known, however, about provider perception of the clinical relevance of, or how they might use, patient SO/GI information in individual care. To explore providers’ perspectives on and experiences with collection of patient SO/GI information and how the knowledge of this information may impact clinical care. Qualitative study using in-depth individual interviews of healthcare providers. Twenty-five healthcare providers, including physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, from the fields of family medicine, internal medicine, gynecology, and urology within a single healthcare system in an east coast city. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using principles of grounded theory and thematic analysis to identify themes emerging from the data. Providers recognized the importance of collecting patient SO/GI information for understanding population-level public health concerns and disparities, as well as understanding and respecting the context of patients’ lives. However, providers also emphasized the importance of knowing patients’ sexual behaviors and physical anatomy for addressing health risk and preventive care needs—and noted the distinction between these characteristics and patient SO/GI. Providers cautioned that assumptions based on knowledge of patient SO/GI may unintentionally obscure accurate profiles of patient behavior and anatomy. Along with the potential benefits of routine collection of patient SO/GI, it is important that providers continue to inquire about patient behaviors and anatomy to inform individual risk and needs assessments. Findings from this study can inform the development of guidelines, trainings, and practices for incorporation of patient SO/GI along with existing assessment practices to improve individual and population health.
Surgical Management of the Patient with a Giant Cerebral Aneurysm

This chapter describes the surgical management of patients with giant cerebral aneurysm. Giant cerebral aneurysms are 2.5 cm or greater in diameter. Approximately 5% of intracranial aneurysms reaches giant size at the time of diagnosis and are likely the result of relentless enlargement of a small aneurysm. Complete proximal and distal vascular control is mandatory to treat appropriately a giant aneurysm surgically and may necessitate cervical carotid exposure, resection of the anterior or posterior clinoid process, opening of the cavernous sinus, or resection of brain tissue. Maximizing every opportunity for surgical flexibility, thoughtful preoperative planning, and rigid adherence to basic principles or aneurysm surgery can produce satisfying results in this group of patients with particularly hazardous vascular pathology. Aneurysm surgery includes sharp microdissection, vascular control, aneurysm mobilization and decompression, and minimal iatrogenic ischemia. Continued advances in brain protection agents, hypothermia, and cerebral revascularization will likely decrease the seemingly obligatory high morbidity associated with the surgical treatment of giant aneurysms.
Polychlorinated biphenyl serum levels in subjects with hepatocellular carcinoma as compared with the general population

Background. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been recognized as human carcinogens and cause liver cancer in animal experimental studies. However, no study investigated their association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) so far. This study aimed to evaluate the serum PCB concentration in HCC patients and in healthy subjects of the general population living in Brescia, North Italy, a highly industrialized area with heavy PCB environmental pollution due to the presence of a PCB producing factory. Methods. Lipid-adjusted PCB concentrations, computed as the sum of 24 congeners, were measured in the serum of 101 HCC patients and in 101 healthy subjects of the same age and gender. Results. Hepatitis B and C virus infection and history of heavy alcohol intake were found, alone and combined, in 87% of HCC patients. No difference was found in PCB serum concentration of HCC patients with and without, and according to, the major risk factors for liver disease. No significant difference was observed in serum total PCB concentration between HCC patients (median: 1081; range: 287.0-3182.0 ng/g lipid) and healthy subjects (median: 1199.3; range: 225.7-22825 ng/g lipid). PCB congeners 118, 138, 153, 156, 180 and 194 were the only ones found over the detection limit in at least 30% of HCC patients. The serum level of PCB 118, but not that of other congeners, was higher in HCC patients than in healthy subjects. Conclusion. These findings do not support the hypothesis that PCBs play an important role in HCC development, although a contribution by some specific congeners cannot be ruled out.
Poster 94: Percutaneous neuromodulation therapy for treatment of cervical spine pain patients with radiating shoulder and arm pain1

Abstract Objective: To assess the efficacy of percutaneous neuromodulation therapy (PNT) for neck and upper-extremity pain. Design: Randomized controlled study. Setting: 7 outpatient pain treatment centers. Participants: 94 patients randomized to 2 treatment groups: PNT or no electric current PNT (NC-PNT). Subjects were further classified based on the presence or absence of persistent structural pathology: recurrent pain due to prominent structural and mechanical problems leading to nociceptive pain (eg, protrusion) or time-limited nonrecurrent injuries leading to centrally facilitated pain (eg, myofascial pain). Interventions: Patients received up to 8 weekly treatments, with 1-week and 1-month follow-ups after completion of the last treatment. Main Outcome Measures: 10-cm pain visual analog scale (VAS). Results: A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that a decrease in pain VAS scores was dependent on treatment received and type of pain ( P =.01). Within the PNT group, subjects with centrally facilitated pain experienced greater decreases ( P =.02) in VAS ratings compared with subjects with structural pathology (baseline, 6.3±1.9cm vs 6.3±1.4cm; 1wk post, 3.3±1.9cm vs 5.0±2.3cm; 1mo post, 4.0±2.0cm vs 5.6±2.0cm). Differences in VAS scores, within the NC-PNT group, were not related to diagnostic classification but to change from baseline ( P Conclusions: Central facilitation is an underlying mechanism for intractable pain in the cervical spine causing neck and upper-extremity pain. Results support the proposal that PNT reverses neuroplastic changes leading to centralization of pain. In the case of structural problems, persistent nociceptive input potentially limits analgesia obtained by modulation of the neural circuitry.
Infrared Molecular Absorption Features

Spectra of infrared sources associated with molecular clouds have shown absorption features at wavelengths of 6.0 and 6.8 microns. It is suggested that the 6.0 micron feature can be identified with the stretching vibration of C = 0 and the 6.8 micron feature with the bending vibrations of CH2 and CH3. The amount of carbon in the form of hydrocarbon molecules may be comparable to the amount in CO. This abundance of hydrocarbons is probably too large to be consistent with radio observations if the molecules are gaseous, but large abundances of hydrocarbons on the surfaces of grains may explain the infrared features, and yet be unobservable in the radio.
Signs for the Future of Civil Justice Research

The chapters in the present volume provide a number of signs for the future of civil justice research. Many of the signs are favorable and point to continued fruitful collaborations between legal and psychological researchers on pressing topics in the justice arena with important policy implications; yet the contributions also highlight several gaps in the literature, data limitations, and false steps. In other words, some of the signs are not-so-favorable, and there is still much work to be done. In this concluding commentary, I identify the major portents for the future, both good and bad.
Crowdfunding Images of Colombia and Ecuador: International Collaborations and Transnational Circulation in a Neoliberal Context

In the early 2000s, Colombia and Ecuador passed laws to protect their film industries, but access to funding is still challenging for some film directors. Relying on Jyotsna Kapur’s and Keith Wagner’s assertion that any and all films convey local responses to a worldwide phenomenon of integration, in this chapter, Rocha looks at The Firefly (Ana Maria Hermida, 2013), Dirty Hands (Josef Wladyka, 2014) and An Unknown Country (Eva Zelig, 2016). These films were made possible by crowdfunding, a practice that allows multiple investors to support the development of an artistic project. By examining the political economy of raising funds in the United States for films set in Colombia and Ecuador, respectively, Rocha argues that these transnational projects resist the neoliberal commodification and disappearance of national cultures.
The Advent of Permanent Human Settlements

In the second of three chapters about the origins of human settlements in deep history, Bowen and Gleeson summarize new insights about human origins that are emerging from transdisciplinary research. One insight is that agriculture was begun by hunter-gatherer cultures, often thousands of years before permanent settlements. Another is that permanent settlements emerged independently in multiples places throughout the world through a process of convergent evolution during the early Holocene. The rise of a new settled mentality among ancient people extended the rudimentary sources of authority that existed within hunter-gatherer cultures and gave rise to a more complex settled lifeway that characterized hamlet and village cultures.
Predictors of reoperation and noninfectious complications following craniotomy for cerebral abscess

Abstract Objectives There is a paucity of literature that examines predictors of reoperation and noninfectious complications following treatment of cerebral abscess with craniotomy. The goal of the present study is to identify predictors for each of these outcomes. Patients and methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database 2012–2016 file was the data source. Patients were identified using a combination of CPT and ICD-9/10 codes. Exclusions included missing age/gender, secondary surgery, and absent length of stay information. Univariate followed by multivariable analysis using logistic regression was used to identify significant predictors of reoperation and noninfectious postoperative complications (p Results 166 patients met the above criteria. Median age was 56 (IQR 44–65) and 68.1% of patients were men. The 30-day reoperation rate was 18.1% and increasing white blood cell count (WBC) was identified as a significant risk factor for reoperation (odds ratio [OR] 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19, p = 0.013). Noninfectious complications occurred at a rate of 20.5% at 30 days. Significant predictors were ASA classification ≥4 (OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.74–9.81, p = 0.001), smoking (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.18–7.78, p = 0.020), and increasing WBC count (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.20, p = 0.007). Emergency case status, abscess location (supratentorial versus infratentorial), nor chronic steroid use demonstrated a significant relationship with the studied outcomes. Conclusion Increasing preoperative WBC count predicts both reoperation and noninfectious complications following craniotomy for cerebral abscess. Less modifiable predictors for noninfectious complications which may help anticipate operative risk are smoking and high ASA classification.
Pervious concrete under flexural fatigue loading: Performance evaluation and model development

Abstract Pervious concrete (PC) is used for parking lots and streets that are subjected to repeated wheel loading, therefore it is necessary to characterize the fatigue life (N) of PC for pavement design. This research investigates the behavior of PC beams made with two aggregates (angular and round) and three porosity levels (20%, 25% and 30%) under flexural fatigue loading in three stress ratios (SR:) 0.75, 0.8, and 0.85. The results showed that N is controlled by SR, while porosity showed no statistically significant effect on flexural fatigue. Two-parameter Weibull distribution was fitted to the test data to generate fatigue models at different reliability levels. Using the existing model for portland cement concrete (PCC) for PC results in an overestimation of N for SR > 0.75 due to the highly porous and brittle macrostructure of PC. Existing PCC model agrees with the proposed PC model in predicting N at 0.5
Teens in the Somali Diaspora: An Evaluative Program Study

Program evaluation is a critical part of program sustainability because evaluation can inform improvements and document impact. Here, 2 Minnesota organizations came together in partnership with the Somali American community to work toward a shared vision, which was to develop a new sustainable program that prepared refugee and immigrant youth for their educational and workforce futures while supporting their cultural way of being. This article shares the evaluative study of this program, which reached teens in the Somali diaspora living in Minnesota. The program team had a long-term interest in developing an evidence-based model to suit this special population; this evaluation study was viewed as a step toward becoming evidence-based. The Somali American community supported the study because they valued the program and saw its cultural relevance. The evaluation used pre- and post-program surveys to capture program impacts in 2 outcome areas: workforce preparation and higher education preparation. Results showed that youth participants made gains in their perceptions of both outcome areas. However, gains displayed were unrelated to program attendance. Limitations and recommendations for future evaluation plans are provided.
Guest Introduction: More-than-human contact zones:

Mary Louise Pratt used the term “contact zones” to describe those spaces where “cultures, meet, clash and grapple with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power, such ...
Biology and Treatment Paradigms in T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Older Adolescents and Adults

T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) occurs in approximately 25–30% of adult ALL diagnoses. Historically, B cell ALL (B-ALL) and T-ALL have been treated in the same fashion despite differences in the biology of disease. Outcomes in the adolescent/young adult (AYA) population have improved significantly with the utilization of pediatric-based regimens. In addition, there may now be a role for the addition of nelarabine to frontline treatment in the AYA population. In older adults, choices in which regimen to pursue should account for the potential toxicities associated with pediatric-based regimens. Measurable residual disease (MRD) has taken on increasing prognostic value in T-ALL and may help to identify which patients should receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant. T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) has traditionally been treated similarly to T-ALL, but additional management questions must be considered. Mediastinal irradiation does not seem to clearly improve outcomes, and there is considerable heterogeneity in the central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis strategy used in prospective trials. CNS prophylaxis in AYA patients with T-ALL, on the other hand, can be safely achieved with intrathecal chemotherapy alone. Prospective data regarding CNS prophylaxis strategies in older adults are currently not available. Nelarabine-based regimens currently remain the standard in relapsed/refractory T-ALL; however, novel therapies targeting molecular aberrations in T-ALL are actively being investigated.
Urban Heat Implications from Parking, Roads, and Cars: a Case Study of Metro Phoenix

To understand the transportation sector’s role on influencing and mitigating heat in cities, this research quantifies added heat from pavement infrastructure and vehicle travel in the hot and autom...
U.S. Efforts to Curb Antibiotic Resistance - Are We Saving Lives?

U.S. Efforts to Curb Antibiotic Resistance Demonstrating that large-scale efforts to control antibiotic resistance have saved lives would help secure ongoing and expanded funding and support in thi...
Taking stock of taking equity

Introduction ceived a patent for the insulin-making process in Many major US research universities now accept 1922 and assigned it before issue to the univerownership shares (shares of stock) in companies sity. The University of Toronto, in turn, gave the seeking rights to university-owned intellectual process away without restrictions, and entered property. However, only a few of these universiinto several cooperative arrangements for the ties have written policies governing the 'taking of equity'. The ownership of stock in licensing companies, particularly start-up companies, presents important new issues for universities, requiring the development of new policies and procedures to protect institutional integrity and traditional university values. This paper summarizes the issues, describes emerging patterns of dealing with these issues, describes and compares the equity ownership policies of six representative universities, and predicts future developments . Equity ownership related to technology transfer is shown to be the farthest extension of university efforts to support regional economic development, and the most strenuous test of the university's efforts to fulfil simultaneously the competing public demands of economic development and commercially unaffected teaching and research.
In Vivo Intravascular Pacing Using a Wireless Microscale Stimulator

Millions of patients worldwide are implanted with permanent pacemakers for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disorders. The increased use of these devices has established a growing clinical need to mitigate associated complications. Pacemaker leads, in particular, present the primary risks in most implants. While wireless power transfer holds great promise in eliminating implantable device leads, anatomical constraints limit efficient wireless transmission over the necessary operational range. We thereby developed a transmitter-centered control system for wireless power transfer with sufficient power for continuous cardiac pacing. Device safety was validated using a computational model of the system within an MRI-based anatomical model. The pacer was then fabricated to meet the acute constraints of the anterior cardiac vein (ACV) to enable intravascular deployment while maintaining power efficiency. Our computational model revealed the wireless system to operate at > 50 times below the tissue energy absorption safety criteria. We further demonstrated the capacity for ex vivo pacing of pig hearts at 60 beats per minute (BPM) and in vivo pacing at 120 BPM following pacer deployment in the ACV. This work thus established the capacity for wireless intravascular pacing with the potential to eliminate complications associated with current lead-based deep tissue implants.
The Aśokan Empire

This chapter introduces the first case study that serves as empirical referent for a Buddhist approach to statecraft in ancient times by considering the early kingdom of Aśoka. This chapter and the one that follows offer “proofs of concept” for the possibility of applying Buddhist ideas in the practice of politics and statecraft. Aśoka governed according to the dharma, meaning principles and policies that reflect Buddha’s teachings, although Aśoka expressed his principles and policies in edicts written in nonreligious, nonexclusive language. Aśoka’s rule was characterized by the promotion of nonviolence; social welfare; environmental protection; religious tolerance; political pluralism; the fair and compassionate administration of justice; and sound and responsive public administration meaning transparency, accessibility, impartiality, and accountability. His foreign policy was founded on principles of nonviolence, nonaggression, conciliation, stability, and improved understanding among international actors through diplomacy and mutually beneficial commerce. Aśoka even practiced the exercise of “soft power” by establishing medical facilities in foreign lands, sharing beneficial plants, and installing infrastructure beyond his immediate borders as acts of goodwill toward neighboring countries. While these governing principles and policies may be commonplace today, Aśoka, it should be remembered, governed in Asia in the third century B.C.E.
Music Compared with Auditory Books: A Randomized Controlled Study Among Long-Term Care Residents with Alzheimer's Disease or Related Dementia.

Abstract Background Over 5 million Americans age 65 years and older were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and/or related dementia (ADRD), a majority of whom exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms leading to placement in long-term care settings. These facilities need nonmedical interventions, and music-based programs have received supportive evidence. Setting Thirteen long-term care facilities were among a wave of facilities that volunteered to be trained and to administer a music-based intervention. The residents within were randomized into intervention or control groups (intervention/music, n = 103; control/audiobook, n = 55). Design This team used a pragmatic trial to randomly embed music and control (audiobooks) into 13 long-term care facilities to compare the effects on agitation in people with ADRD. Methods Measures included a demographic survey; the Mini-Mental Status Examination, used to assess cognitive status; and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory with 4 subscales, used to measure agitation. These measures were implemented at baseline and every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate change in agitation measures while addressing dependencies of scores within participants and facility. Results Decreases in agitation were attributable to both music and audiobooks in 3 of 4 agitation subscales. In the fourth, physical agitation, which was not directed toward staff, initially, it decreased given music, and increased thereafter; and generally, it increased with the audiobooks. Conclusion and Implications Both music and control audiobooks delivered by headphones after personalized selection reduced some aspects of agitation in residents diagnosed with ADRD. The effects of music were greater initially then diminished.
Measurement of the Th 230 ( p , 2 n ) Pa 229 and Th 230 ( p , 3 n ) Pa 228 reaction cross sections from 14.1 to 16.9 MeV

Background: Actinium-225 is of interest for medical isotope production and there is on-going research into methods of producing $^{225}\mathrm{Ac}$, either directly or via the decay of its parent isotopes ($^{229}\mathrm{Th}, ^{229}\mathrm{Pa}$, and $^{225}\mathrm{Ra}$). One method that has been suggested is the $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,2n)^{229}\mathrm{Pa}$ reaction. However, there is no available cross-section data for this reaction in the literature.Purpose: Measure the $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,2n)$ and $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,3n)$ reaction cross sections in the energy range where the $(p,2n)$ reaction is predicted to peak to determine the feasibility of $^{225}\mathrm{Ac}$ production via the $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,2n)$ reaction.Methods: Targets naturally enriched in $^{230}\mathrm{Th}$ were irradiated at the Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with energies ranging from 14.1 to 16.9 MeV. Chemical processing was used to separate the protactinium activation products, followed by $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectroscopy to measure the activities of $^{228,229,230,232}\mathrm{Pa}$ produced in the irradiation.Results: Excitation functions are reported for the first time in the literature for the $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,2n)$ and $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,3n)$ reactions in this energy range. The peak measured value of the $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,2n)$ reaction was found to be $182\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}12$ mb at $14.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ MeV. The $^{232}\mathrm{Th}(p,n)^{232}\mathrm{Pa}$ reaction was used to verify the experimental conditions, the measured values are reported and are comparable to the existing literature values. From the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectrometry data, the half-life of $^{229}\mathrm{Pa}$ was measured as $1.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ days, which is within the error of the half-life reported in the evaluated nuclear data as well as in the recent measurements, and the half-life of $^{228}\mathrm{Pa}$ was measured as $19.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4$ hours.Conclusions: The $^{230}\mathrm{Th}(p,2n)^{229}\mathrm{Pa}$ reaction could reasonably be used for $^{225}\mathrm{Ac}$ isotope production, although significant amounts of relatively isotopically pure $^{230}\mathrm{Th}$ would be needed for significant production because the low alpha-decay branching ratio of $^{229}\mathrm{Pa}$ and long half-life of $^{229}\mathrm{Th}$ inhibit the in-growth of significant amounts of $^{225}\mathrm{Ac}$.
Proteome Damage Inflicted by Ionizing Radiation: Advancing a Theme in the Research of Miroslav Radman.

Oxidative proteome damage has been implicated as a major contributor to cell death and aging. Protein damage and aging has been a particular theme of the recent research of Miroslav Radman. However, the study of how cellular proteins are damaged by oxidative processes is still in its infancy. Here we examine oxidative changes in the proteomes of four bacterial populations—wild type E. coli, two isolates from E. coli populations evolved for high levels of ionizing radiation (IR) resistance, and D. radiodurans—immediately following exposure to 3000 Gy of ionizing radiation. By a substantial margin, the most prominent intracellular oxidation events involve hydroxylation of methionine residues. Significant but much less frequent are carbonylation events on tyrosine and dioxidation events on tryptophan. A few proteins are exquisitely sensitive to targeted oxidation events, notably the active site of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in E. coli. Extensive experimental evolution of E. coli for IR resistance has decreased overall proteome sensitivity to oxidation but not to the level seen in D. radiodurans. Many observed oxidation events may reflect aspects of protein structure and/or exposure of protein surfaces to water. Proteins such as GAPDH and possibly Ef-Tu may have an evolved sensitivity to oxidation by H2O2.
David Oliver: Valuing the medical take.

Last month Richard Smith, former editor of The BMJ , wrote an opinion piece1 praising The Ministry of Bodies ,2 a book by the Irish gastroenterologist Seamus O’Mahony about his experience as a hospital doctor and his wider observations on the state of medicine. O’Mahony describes himself as a “medical apostate,” admitting that he wasn’t temperamentally suited to much of the work but still devoted a long career to it. What drew my eye and my ire in Smith’s review was O’Mahony’s description of adult general internal acute medicine and geriatrics, often referred to as “the medical take.” He conceived this as low status, unglamorous, and unrewarding work that most doctors tried to escape if they could. He was also scathing about the perceived worth of expert generalist disciplines, or “icians” as …