cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traumatic atlantoaxial dislocation with Hangman fracture.

Abstract Background context Traumatic bilateral-atlantoaxial dislocations are rare injuries. Hangman fractures, conversely, represent 4% to 7% of all cervical fractures and frequently involve a combination C1–C2 fracture pattern. Presently, there is no report in the English literature of a traumatic C2-spondylolisthesis associated with a C1–C2 rotatory dislocation. This injury complex cannot be cataloged using current classification schemes and no established treatment recommendations exist. Purpose To report a unique case of a Hangman fracture associated with bilateral C1–C2 rotatory-dislocation, which does not fit into existing classification systems, and discuss our treatment approach. Study design A clinical case report and review of the literature. Methods Chart review and analysis of relevant literature. There were no study-specific conflicts of interest. Results A 26-year-old man sustained a traumatic C2-spondylolisthesis along with C1–C2 rotatory subluxation in an automobile collision. The patient was originally placed in a halo crown and vest and then taken for an open reduction and stabilization through a posterior approach for persistent C1–C2 subluxation. The patient is currently 16 months postoperative and back to work as a plumber. Conclusions The injury complex encountered cannot be described using the available classification systems. Our treatment included initial stabilization with halo placement, followed by a posterior C1, C2, and C3 segmental reduction and fixation resulting in radiographic fusion and a good clinical outcome.
A Shadow Simplex Method for Infinite Linear Programs

We present a simplex-type algorithm---that is, an algorithm that moves from one extreme point of the infinite-dimensional feasible region to another, not necessarily adjacent, extreme point---for solving a class of linear programs with countably infinite variables and constraints. Each iteration of this method can be implemented in finite time, whereas the solution values converge to the optimal value as the number of iterations increases. This simplex-type algorithm moves to an adjacent extreme point and hence reduces to a true infinite-dimensional simplex method for the important special cases of nonstationary infinite-horizon deterministic and stochastic dynamic programs.
Socioeconomic Strain, Family Ties, and Adolescent Health in a Rural Northeastern County

In adolescence, vital sources of support come from family relationships; however, research that considers the health-related impact of ties to both parents and siblings is sparse, and the utility of such ties among at-risk teens is not well understood. Here we use two waves of panel data from the population of 8th and 12th grade students in a geographically isolated, rural, northeastern U.S. county to assess whether socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the effects of parental and sibling attachments on three indicators of adolescent health: obesity, depression, and problem substance use. Our findings indicate that, net of stressful life events, prior health, and sociodemographic controls, increases in parental and sibling attachment correspond with reduced odds of obesity for low-SES adolescents, reduced odds of depression for high-SES adolescents, and reduced odds of problem substance use for low-SES adolescents. Results suggest also that sibling and maternal ties are more influential than paternal ties, at least with regard to the outcomes considered. Overall, the findings highlight the value of strong family ties for the physical, psychological, and behavioral health of socioeconomically strained rural teens, and reveal the explanatory potential of both sibling and parental ties for adolescent health.
Displaying the Nation: A View of Nineteenth-Century Monuments through a Popular Magazine

National identity is a complex political equation that is nevertheless often represented in a single image. Historically, nation-states have erected monuments to display their power and legitimacy in material form. Yet, despite their apparent physical stability, the meaning of such structures is subject to alteration and reinterpretation. Thus they provide the intriguing possibility of exploring the ambiguities that emerge when a multi-dimensional social phenomenon like the nation is given a unified representation.
Neuroplasticity and cellular resilience in bipolar disorder

Manji HK, Zhou R, Chen G. Neuroplasticity and cellular resilience in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord 2002: 4(Suppl. 1): 56–57. © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2002
Design of LDPC codes for two-state fading channel models

We consider a two-state fading channel model and the design of LDPC codes for this model. Under certain assumptions, the model leads us to what we call the burst-erasure channel with AWGN (BuEC-G), in which bits are received in Gaussian noise or as part of an erasure burst. To design codes for this channel, we take a "shortcut" and instead design codes for the burst-erasure channel (BuEC) in which a bit is received correctly or it is received as an erasure, with erasures occurring in bursts. We show that optimal BuEC code ensembles are equal to optimal binary erasure channel (BEC) code ensembles and we design optimal codes for these channels. A given code on the BuEC may be characterized by the maximum resolvable erasure-burst length, L/sub max/, and we present a simple algorithm for computing this parameter. Finally, we present error-rate results which demonstrate the superiority of our codes on the BuEC-G over other codes that appear in the literature.
Editorial response: Let's get started.

INCISIONAL HERNIAS are common and the practice of most general surgeons includes their repair. 1 Despite a high prevalence and frequency in practice, there have been few data available to assist in decisions about practice guidelines for incisional hernia repair. Few studies have been prospective, adequately powered, or have a sufficient period of postoperative follow-up to determine whether any of the various repair techniques give superior results. In a series of retrospective reports from 16 Veterans Administration hospitals using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, Hawn and her colleagues 3 have provided important observations about the effect of different methods of incisional hernia repair and recurrence. 2-4 In the present report, they have demonstrated that the use of permanent prosthetic mesh for incisional hernia repair resulted in a 2-fold reduction in recurrence. In a another recent publication, Hawn et al 3 demonstrated that the use of an underlay prosthetic mesh technique, either open or laparoscopic, led to a lower incisional hernia recurrence rate in the same Veterans Administration study population. 3 Their results confirm a study by Burger et al, 5 which showed a similar reduction in long-term hernia recurrence with prosthetic mesh underlay repair for primary and first time recurrent incisional hernias. The complication rate is modest and should alert surgeons to the appropriate expectations for the operative risk to discuss with their patients. As the authors state, the relationship between the technique of incisional hernia repair and recurrence is complex and likely involves a variety of patient factors, type and size of hernia, and surgeon experience. Although the data presented were aggregated at a hospital level and individually, the message is clear. Unnecessary variability in the use of mesh was associated with hernia recurrence. There is general consensus that incisional hernias >4―9 cm 2 in diameter should be repaired with permanent prosthetic mesh. It has become increasingly clear that the mesh should be placed beneath the posterior abdominal wall musculature whenever possible and that an overlap of 4—5 cm is optimal. What is not well-defined is the exact contribution that defects in healing, patient morphology, hernia location, method for securing the mesh, and tension on the repair have on the results. These answers require prospective collection of information from a variety of hospitals and surgeons who agree to use standard definitions and techniques for repair. It took much too long for the principles advocated by the early proponents of tension-free inguinal hernia repair to become accepted by the surgical community. Yet, recurrence rates declined, post-operative pain was reduced, and costs of care decreased with adoption of those principles. We should learn from that experience and apply the lessons of appropriate mesh usage to reduce the complication and recurrence rates for incisional hernia repair. This study is a good start.
Fostering selflessness through I-sharing

Abstract Although previous research has shown that perceived objective similarity (Me-sharing) and perceived subjective similarity (I-sharing) both increase liking for strangers, perceived subjective similarity may have a unique effect on selflessness. Study 1 addressed this possibility by focusing on whether I-sharing (but not Me-sharing) promotes greater willingness to share a desired good. After interacting with three ostensible partners (an I-sharer, a Me-sharer, and a Not Similar Other), participants indicated their liking for each of these partners and distributed a desired good between themselves and each partner. Although participants reported higher liking for both the I-sharer and the Me-sharer than for the dissimilar other, when it came to the allocation of the desired good, they showed generosity only to the I-sharer. Study 2 addressed questions lingering from Study 1 by manipulating I-sharing and Me-sharing in a between participants design, by equalizing the importance of the I-sharing and Me-sharing dimensions, and by looking at a separate indicator of selflessness (i.e., helping intentions). Results conceptually replicated those of Study 1, with participants reporting significantly higher helping intentions when they I-shared with their partner than when they Me-shared with their partner (even though participants reported equivalent levels of liking in both partner conditions). Taken, together these findings suggest that subjective similarity contributes uniquely to a person's ability to behave selflessly.
Searching Smarter: Finding Legal Resources on the Invisible Web

A great deal of information available on the Internet is found only on the "invisible web," and is not searchable using a general search engine such as Google. Invisible web content is considered dynamic because it exists as pieces of information within a database until you pull it together. Learn what strategies you can use to efficiently locate this content.
Does Fairness Constrain Profit Maximization? New Evidence from a Dictator Monopoly Experiment

In seminal contributions, Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler (1986a, 1986b) introduce dictator games and questionnaires to investigate whether fairness constrains profit maximization. They find that fairness does matter in dividing monetary gains. This is important because standard microeconomic models do not take fairness into account and therefore are deficient and, as Kahneman et al. (1986, p. S286) put it, embarrassingly so. The question that this paper takes up is whether the standard dictator exchange game is too simple to adequately address the question Kahneman et al. pose. We show that the standard ultimatum/dictator exchange games implicitly assume perfectly inelastic demand, an assumption, we argue, that is far too restrictive to support broad conclusions about profit maximization in general and about the restraint of fairness on profit maximization in particular. We argue that the question at least must be investigated in the context of the simple models of profit maximization that are criticized. This paper introduces a new experimental design based on a more general demand specification defining a dictator monopoly. Results from initial rounds are similar to those of standard dictator games with significant sharing in evidence. As rounds progress, however, dictator monopolists take more, until finally they take it all. This strongly suggests that agents making decisions within a more complex microeconomic setting, even as simple as the one in this paper, respond quite differently than they do when deciding on the simple division of a windfall gain.
Exploring Adult Care Experiences and Barriers to Transition in Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

Background Young adults with sickle cell anemia are at high risk for increased hospitalization and death at the time of transition to adult care. This may be related to failure of the transition system to prepare young adults for the adult healthcare system. This qualitative study was designed to identify factors related to transition that may affect the health of adults with sickle cell anemia. Procedure Ten patients currently treated in an adult hematology clinic participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews to describe their experience transitioning from pediatric to adult care and differences in adult and pediatric healthcare systems. Results Participants were generally unprepared for the adult healthcare system. Negative issues experienced by participants included physician mistrust, difficulty with employers, keeping insurance, and stress in personal relationships. Positive issues experienced by participants included improved self efficacy with improved self care and autonomy. Conclusions In the absence of a formalized transition program, adults with sickle cell anemia experience significant barriers to adult care. In addition to medical history review and identification of an adult provider, transition programs should incorporate strategies to navigate the adult medical system, insurance and relationships as well as encouraging self efficacy.
‘The classroom is a place where I’m alive:’ one teacher’s reflection on learning and life in the classroom

AbstractThis qualitative case study of one teacher’s learning life describes how affective considerations influenced her learning and teaching. Classroom observations, interviews, and inquiry conversations informed the learning considerations that infused her first-grade classroom. The resulting descriptive vignettes showcase the various ways this experienced teacher trusted the significance of affect for her teaching and learning life together with children. This allowed her to co-construct a ‘life curriculum’ alongside students, demonstrating sensitivity to her students’ academic, social, and emotional needs.
Fractionation of serum lactic dehydrogenase by salt concentration gradient elution and paper electrophoresis.

SummarySerum lactic dehydrogenase from leukemic and non-leukemic individuals has been separated into a number of components by ammonium sulfate concentration gradient elution and by paper electrophoresis. The effect of glutathione and of other proteins upon the fractionation patterns obtained by these two technics is described.
Valve Replacement in Active Bacterial Endocarditis

ALTHOUGH the immediate mortality in patients with infective endocarditis has been dramatically reduced in the past two decades by the introduction of a number of antibiotics,1 valvular damage develops in a significant number of patients, who die within a few weeks of cardiac failure secondary to severe valvular insufficiency.2 In recent years the incidence of valvular perforations appears to have increased according to a review of autopsy findings by Robinson and Ruedy3 that showed an increase in the perforation rate in endocarditis from 15 per cent in the 1930's to 44 per cent in the 1950's. In their series 70 . . .
Seeing Silver Linings After Catastrophic Loss: Personal Growth, Positive Adaption, and Relationships that Matter

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused catastrophic destruction to neighborhoods, communities, and businesses along the US Gulf Coast in 2005. In this chapter, we examine perceived silver linings (defined as benefits and blessings) and potentially positive outcomes associated with the treacherous 2005 storms among those who were directly affected by them. Participants in the present research were former and current residents of two coastal parishes in south Louisiana who experienced significant property damage and lengthy displacement in 2005. They provided narrative data in structured interviews conducted at least 5 years after the storms. Content analyses of these primary data yielded three emergent themes: (1) Personal Growth and Change in Perspective, (2) Appreciation for a New, Positive Social Environment, (3) and Relationships with Family and Friends are What Matter Most. These data indicate that traumatic and life-changing events sometimes elicit benefit finding and may lead to positive outcomes for some people.
Osseous malformations associated with chromosome abnormalities.

SUMMARY The normal human karyotype consists of 44 autosomes and two sex chromosomes. Chromosome abnormalities can result in abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy, multiple congenital malformations, mental retardation, or abnormalities of sexual development. There are three recognizable autosomal trisomic syndromes (trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and trisomy 21). Each of these syndromes can be recognized by its clinical and radiographic characteristics and the diagnosis confirmed by chromosome analysis. Deletion of a portion of an autosome results in mental retardation and multiple congenital anomalies (e.g., cat cry syndrome, Wolf's syndrome). The somatic manifestations of sex chromosome abnormalities are not as severe as those of the autosomal abnormalities. Patients with Turner's syndrome (45,X) have short stature and primary amenorrhea and may have somatic and radiographic abnormalities. Klinefelter's syndrome (47.XXY) causes azospermia and may be the cause of moderate mental retardation. The XYY males are taller than average and have a higher than normal incidence of aberrant behavior.
Neonatal phenobarbital-induced defects in age- and sex-specific growth hormone profiles regulating monooxygenases.

Growth hormone was secreted in sexually dimorphic patterns in both 65- and 150-day-old rats (i.e., "on-off" pulsatile for males and "continuous" pulsatile for females), but as a result of a 200-400% increase in pulse levels the mean concentration of hormone in the circulation was about two times as great in the younger animals. Neonatal exposure to phenobarbital at anticonvulsant therapeutic doses for the rat reduced the pulse amplitudes of circulating growth hormone in both the 65- and 150-day-old males but only in the 65-day-old females. As expected, neonatal administration of the barbiturate produced an almost immediate increase in the activities of the hepatic monooxygenases, as measured by hexobarbital metabolism, which declined to noninduction levels after treatment ceased. Contrary to the well-known transient effects of phenobarbital, at around the time of sexual maturity when gender-dependent differences in hepatic monooxygenases appear (males > females), we observed a second "round" of enzyme induction that persisted in both sexes for the remainder of the study (180 days). Because growth hormone is the primary regulator of sex-dependent hepatic monooxygenases, we have proposed that the abnormal plasma growth hormone profiles produced by neonatal phenobarbital are responsible for the permanent induction of hepatic monooxygenases.
Effects of acute alcohol intoxication on executive functions controlling self-regulated behavior.

Alcohol consumption may lead to deficits in the executive functions that govern self-regulation. These deficits could lead to risk-taking behaviors; therefore, it is important to determine the magnitude of these deficits on executive functioning. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the acute effects of alcohol on three of the executive functions that are hypothesized to affect self-regulation, which are inhibition, set shifting, and working memory, using a mixed-methods study design. The participants were 75 moderate or heavy drinkers between the ages of 21 and 35 who were randomized into one of three beverage conditions (control, placebo, or 0.65-g alcohol dose/kg body weight). Performance on working memory, set shifting, and inhibition were measured pre- and post-beverage consumption. The results showed only a significant interaction in the working memory data, as there was an increase in performance post-beverage relative to pre-beverage for the control participants as compared to the alcohol and placebo participants. It was concluded that the dose of alcohol (BAC = 0.063%) given to moderate to heavy drinkers was not sufficient to cause significant impairment in the executive functions tested. The results were further discussed and methodological concerns were considered, such as the low BAC achieved, practice effects, and insensitivity of tasks.
Dependability and Treatment Sensitivity of Multi-Item Direct Behavior Rating Scales for Interpersonal Peer Conflict:

Direct behavior rating (DBR) represents a feasible method for monitoring student behavior in the classroom; however, limited work to date has focused on the use of multi-item scales. The purposes o...
Hereditary Kidney Cancer Syndromes and Surgical Management of the Small Renal Mass

The management of patients with hereditary kidney cancers presents unique challenges to clinicians. In addition to an earlier age of onset compared with patients with sporadic kidney cancer, those with hereditary kidney cancer syndromes often present with bilateral and/or multifocal renal tumors and are at risk for multiple de novo lesions. This population of patients may also present with extrarenal manifestations, which adds an additional layer of complexity. Physicians who manage these patients should be familiar with the underlying clinical characteristics of each hereditary kidney cancer syndrome and the suggested surgical approaches and recommendations of genetic testing for at-risk individuals.
Complementary and Integrative Treatments: Rhinosinusitis

Rhinosinusitis is characterized by inflammation of the mucosa involving the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity and is one of the most common health care problems, with significant impairment of quality of life. There is a growing amount of interest in the use of complementary and integrative medicine for the treatment of rhinosinusitis. This article focuses on an integrative approach to rhinosinusitis.
A Spectral Graph Sparsification Approach to Scalable Vectorless Power Grid Integrity Verification

Vectorless integrity verification is becoming increasingly critical to robust design of nanoscale power delivery networks (PDNs). To dramatically improve efficiency and capability of vectorless integrity verifications, this paper introduces a scalable multilevel integrity verification framework by leveraging a hierarchy of almost linear-sized spectral power grid sparsifiers that can well retain effective resistances between nodes, as well as a recent graph-theoretic algebraic multigrid (AMG) algorithmic framework. As a result, vectorless integrity verification solution obtained on coarse level problems can effectively help find the solution of the original problem. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed vectorless verification framework can always efficiently and accurately obtain worst-case scenarios in even very large power grid designs.
Bayesian Graphical Regression

We consider the problem of modeling conditional independence structures in heterogenous data in the presence of additional subject-level covariates—termed graphical regression. We propose a novel s...
Bilateral Ductus Arteriosus and Discontinuity of the Pulmonary Branches and Pulmonary Atresia: An Unusual Anatomy Diagnosed by Echocardiography.

This case report describes a neonate that was found to have complex intracardiac anatomy in addition to discontinuous pulmonary arteries that were supplied by bilateral patent ducti. Initial treatment was bilateral transcatheter stenting of the ducti to allow for growth prior to complete repair. To our knowledge, this case is the first reported bilateral ducti transcatheter stenting via the femoral approach with expected results and demonstrates the vital role echocardiograms play in the diagnosis and management of these patients.
Constant volume spray ignition of C9-C10 biodiesel surrogates: Methyl decanoate, ethyl nonanoate, and methyl decenoates

Abstract Ignition delay times were measured in a constant volume spray combustion chamber for four compounds considered as surrogates for fatty-acid methyl/ethyl ester biodiesel fuels. Experiments were performed for methyl decanoate, ethyl nonanoate, methyl 9-decenoate, and methyl 5-decenoate for characterization of the derived cetane number (DCN) and temperature-dependent spray ignition delay of these compounds under conditions relevant to low-temperature combustion engines (625–820 K and 2.14 and 4.0 MPa). The low-temperature reactivity of these compounds, from least reactive to most reactive at the DCN condition (818 K and 2.14 MPa), was determined to be: methyl 5-deceonate (DCN = 33.6), methyl 9-decenoate (DCN = 40.0), ethyl nonanoate (DCN = 50.2), and methyl decanoate (DCN = 52.5). Experimental results for temperature dependent ignition delay are compared to prior shock tube results and show the same order of reactivity with quantitatively similar differences in ignition delay for the C10 methyl esters, illustrating that spray ignition delay and DCN correlate to homogenous chemical kinetic reactivity for fuels with similar physical properties. Comparisons of measured DCNs with the statistical group contribution model of Dahmen and Marquardt (Energy and Fuels 2015, 29, 5781–5801) show good agreement for the influence of double bonds on reactivity for the C10 methyl esters studied.
Localized Plasmonic Structured Illumination Microscopy

Localized plasmonic structured illumination microscopy (LPSIM) has tremendous ability to improve resolution of fluorescent microscopy. We analyzed and tested new approach to push resolution limit significantly below 50nm for wide-field of view high-speed biological imaging.
Inter-firm relations in the age of instant access: Case of the U.S. logistics industry

The logistics industry includes firms that provide a wide range of services, from asset-based activities, such as trucking and warehousing, to increasingly strategic and integrated functions, such as supply chain optimization. In the U.S., the logistics industry was roughly equivalent to 10 percent of the GDP in 2000, and while that share has been declining due to improved efficiency, it remains an important industry of significant size, scope and effect. Past studies in economic geography and related disciplines have implicated the critical role of logistics functions in the contemporary economy. Various emerging production forms, such as flexible specialization, just-in-time production, increased outsourcing and off-shoring all necessitated logistical sophistication. Whereas research on industrial organization and industrial districts have uncovered the types and characteristics of inter-firm relations as important sources of innovation, industrial competitiveness and regional transformation (Piore and Sabel, 1984; Best, 1990; Markusen et al., 1991; Castells, 2000), few studies exist to date that analyze the logistics industry using the knowledge, tools and expertise that have been developed in economic geography (Dicken, 2003). The logistics industry is rapidly changing, as far greater sophistication is demanded of the industry due to a number of pressures such as: global outsourcing, higher efficiency in interfirm coordination, new technologies that provide supply-chain solutions, and new opportunities in the use of business-to-business (B-to-B) electronic commerce (Ecommerce), among others. A few economic geographers are beginning to advocate for the importance of this industry (see, for example, Dicken, 2003; Bowen et al., 2002; Leinbach and Bowen, 2004). In this chapter we focus on the organizational and geographic of the logistics industry. We do so using evidence collected through secondary materials: published literature and data, preliminary results from a nation-wide online survey of logistics providers that we conducted, as well as
Do age and ethnicity predict breast cancer treatment received? A cross-sectional urban population based study: Breast cancer treatment: Age and ethnicity

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the treatment patterns of women aged 55 years or older with newly diagnosed breast cancer and to examine the association between age and ethnicity/race on treatment selection. Methods A cross-sectional survey between January 1 and June 30, 2001 of 401 women was performed of Hispanic, black and non-Hispanic white women in Los Angeles County, aged 55 years or older with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Regression analysis examined the association between: (a) age and treatment selection and (b) ethnicity/race and treatment selection, adjusting for the effect of possible confounders. Results In this study of urban breast cancer patients (64.1% response rate), blacks were less likely to receive hormone (OR = 0.36) or chemotherapy therapy (OR = 0.50) while older patients were less likely to receive lymph node dissection after lumpectomy (OR = 0.48) and chemotherapy (OR = 0.22). Conclusion Although there are racial and age disparities in breast cancer treatment, other factors such as education, income status, insurance plan, functional status, and comorbidity also play an important role.
Comparativists and cosmopolitans on cross cultural conversations

This article offers a critical analysis of Charles Taylor's "Comparison, History, Truth". I suggest that for all its emphasis on conversation, Taylor's depiction of the comparativist's enterprise is ultimately one-sided, depicting those who are interpreted as hermeneutic patients rather than hermeneutic agents. I raise some problems with the language of distortion employed throughout the essay. I then identify a number of ways in which Taylor's thought on cross-cultural understanding dovetails with that of Anthony Kwame Appiah in his recent book Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, I conclude, however, that Taylor at least addresses the question of how western comparativists, who are supposed to proceed from some belief the equal validity of all cultures, engage cultures that do not share this belief. This issue is crucial for, but neglected by, Appiah.
Does charitable giving crowd out support for government spending

Abstract Government spending has been shown to crowd out charitable giving. This article uses survey experiments to demonstrate that charitable giving can reciprocally crowd out support for government spending. Moreover, this crowding-out effect in public opinion varies by political ideology and by issue. In Study 1, survey respondents who were randomly assigned to read about charitable giving in a particular area were less likely to support additional taxation and government spending in that domain. This result was driven by liberals in the arts domain and moderates and conservatives in the human services domain. Study 2 leveraged data from the “Ice Bucket Challenge” to replicate this effect among very liberal respondents and show that crowding-out was attenuated when respondents perceived donations to have greater impact.
Determination of voids in the mineral aggregate and aggregate skeleton characteristics of asphalt mixtures using a linear-mixture packing model

Abstract Voids in the mineral aggregate (VMA), as a main design parameter in the Superpave mixture design method, is an important factor to ensure asphalt mixture durability and rutting performance. Moreover, an asphalt mixture’s aggregate skeleton, related to VMA, is another important factor that affects critical asphalt mixture properties such as durability, workability, permeability, rutting, and cracking resistance. The main objectives of this research are to propose an analytical approach for estimating changes in VMA due to gradation variation and determining the relevant aggregate skeleton characteristics of asphalt mixtures using the linear-mixture packing model, an analytical packing model that considers the mechanisms of particle packing, filling and occupation. Application of the linear-mixture packing model to estimate the VMA of asphalt mixtures shows there is a high correlation between laboratory measured and model estimated values. Additionally, the model defines a new variable, the central particle size of asphalt mixtures that characterizes an asphalt mixture’s aggregate skeleton. Finally, the proposed analytical model shows a significant potential to be used in the early stages of asphalt mixture design to determine the effect of aggregate gradation changes on VMA and to predict mixture rutting performance.
Recollection of participating in a trial: A qualitative study of patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background Despite having similar palliative needs to patients with lung cancer, advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are less likely to receive palliative care. To evaluate the effect of introducing specialized palliative care with severe to very severe COPD patients, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in Switzerland. Aim To explore COPD patients’ recollection of the trial, their needs and the usefulness of the palliative care interventions. Design and setting Qualitative study with advanced COPD patients who participated in a specialized palliative care intervention, conducted in a general hospital. Method Eighteen patients with severe to very severe COPD were interviewed about their experiences. Interviews were transcribed and thematic content analysis was performed. Results Patients had poor recollection of the trial and difficulties understanding the palliative care intervention. No major differences were observed between patients who received the specialized intervention and those who did not. Content analysis emphasized that although they experienced disabling symptoms, participants tended to attribute their limitations to problems other than COPD and some declared that they were not sick. Patients reported restrictions due to oxygen therapy, and the burden of becoming dependent on it. This dependence resulted in intense anxiety, leading participants to focus on the present only. A strong feeling of perceived helplessness emerged from the patients’ interviews. Conclusions Our findings suggest that poor recollection and understanding of the palliative care intervention act as barriers to the conduct of clinical trials with severe and very severe COPD patients. Their cognitive difficulties, perception of COPD, functional limitations, overwhelming anxiety, focus on the present and perceived helplessness also seem to hinder the implementation of such care.
Sparse Tableau Approach for Power System Analysis and Design

Textbook treatments of the power flow and related problems are almost universally based on the bus admittance matrix Y bus , representing a choice of nodal analysis for the circuit equations. Many texts further simplify their presentation by insisting that all network components be represented in equivalents that are interconnections of two-terminal circuit elements; e.g., the pi-equivalent for transmission lines, the star-equivalent for three-winding transformers. The combined restrictions of nodal analysis and two-terminal elements disallow more general ideal circuit elements that could serve as useful modeling building blocks. This work will argue that these are unnecessary limitations that have outlived their usefulness in modern power system pedagogy. While research literature has often overcome these limitations with Modified Nodal Analysis, here we instead advocate Sparse Tableau Analysis (STA) as a general tool for power system instruction, with particular value in facilitating node-breaker models. Illustrative examples show that these concepts are easily accessible, and allow more systematic formulations to facilitate graduate research. As an application benefiting from this approach, STA is applied to Optimal Power Flow, with numerical examples to demonstrate that STA provides computational speed comparable to nodal analysis Y bus based formulations.
Partonic angular momentum in the nucleon's chiral periphery

Abstract We study the nucleon's partonic angular momentum (AM) content at peripheral transverse distances b = O ( M π − 1 ) , where the structure is governed by chiral dynamics. We compute the nucleon form factors of the energy-momentum tensor in chiral effective field theory (ChEFT) and construct the transverse densities of AM at fixed light-front time. In the periphery the spin density is suppressed, and the AM is predominantly orbital. In the first-quantized representation of ChEFT in light-front form, the field-theoretical AM density coincides with the quantum-mechanical orbital AM density of the soft pions in the nucleon's periphery.
Generating Selective Filters for Access Method and Physical Design Evaluation

It is a challenge for researchers and system developers to evaluate the impacts of new access methods and physical designs on query performance. One can evaluate these by executing selective filters over differing data distributions. For example, an index lookup may give better performance than a full table scan for a highly selective query [4]. However, generating a filter workload on nonsynthetic datasets to evaluate new techniques currently involves manually coming up with workloads of varying selectivities, which can be cumbersome. Automatically generating workloads with given selectivities over any dataset can facilitate a systematic study of performance of data storage and query optimization methods that also allows researchers to leverage interesting datasets. Toward this goal, this paper describes a new query generation method that, given a table T in a database D, and a selectivity constraint (L, R), where ≤ L
Role of Amino Acids in Biological Control of ErwiniaAmylovora by ErwiniaHerbicola

Previous studies have indicated that fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, can be controlled by spraying apple blossoms with suspensions of E. herbicola. The most acceptable hypothesis to explain the mechanism of suppression involves depletion of organic nitrogen compounds in plant tissue by E. herbicola. To explore this hypothesis further, utilization of single amino acids by 8 strains of E. amylovora and 7 strains of E. herbicola was determined in vitro. In general, strains of both species utilized L-alanine, α-aminobutyric acid, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid, L-citrulline, L-glutamic acid, L-glutamine, and L-histidine. L-arginine, L-cysteine, L-ornithine, L-phenylalanine, L-proline, L-serine, and L-tryptophane were used by some or all of the E. herbicola strains. None of the strains tested utilized β-alanine, glycine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lysine, L-methionine, L-threonine, L-valine, DL-pipecolic acid or amino-cyclopropane. Thus, E. herbicola utilizes a wider range of amino acids than E. amylovora.
Enhancement of Thermal Performance of Wickless Heat Pipe Solar Collector with Surfactant Added Nanofluid

There are various sources of renewable energy and solar energy is one of the most cleaner forms of the available resources. The solar collector is a well-established technology having few limitations. The solar collector has various applications like water heating, space heating and cooling, etc. However, thermal efficiency of these type of collectors is limited by working fluid absorption properties. The main limitations of conventional solar collectors are the pump and its power requirement, night cooling due to reverse flow of cooled water, space required is more for obtaining the natural circulation of working fluid, limited heat carrying capacity of working fluid, and pipe corrosion. An alternative solution to the above problems is the Heat pipes. Currently, the usage of nanofluid, which is basically liquid- nanoparticles colloidal dispersion as a working fluid in wickless heat pipe has been found to enhance solar collector efficiency. An experimental study has been performed for investigating the thermal performance of heat pipe solar collector which uses the circular heat pipes with working fluid as TiO2-H2O nanofluid in addition with surfactant (Olic acid). The effect of volume concentration of TiO2-H2O nanofluid in wickless heat pipe and mass flow rate of water on performance of flat plate solar collector has also been investigated.
Global Climate Change: A Norwegian Perspective

Nowhere in the world is the impact of global warming more visible than in the polar regions. It is well known that the ice in these regions is melting at an accelerated pace each year. As a result, some animals are unable to survive. There are many indicators showing that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the use of fossil fuels is the main culprit contributing to this global warming. With recent advances in technology and renewable sources, it has been demonstrated that power electronics can play an important role in efficiently substituting fossil-fuel-based electrical power production and electrification of transport, thereby substantially cutting CO2 emissions. Consequently, to fully grasp the meaning of climate change, the 10th IEEE Future of Electronic Power Processing and Conversion (FEPPCON X) workshop was held in Tromso, Norway, close to the polar region. Here, at the Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromso, a group of international experts, led by the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) Technical Committee (TC) chairs gathered to discuss future directions in power electronics and energy transition for reducing CO2 emissions, thus forecasting the advances needed across different areas of electronic power processing and conversion technologies to achieve this goal.
Facing What’s Next, Together

LITA President's message reflecting on the Core vote and COVID-19 related changes in libraries.
Autoimmunity to neuroretina in the concurrent absence of IFN-γ and IL-17A is mediated by a GM-CSF-driven eosinophilic inflammation

IFN-γ and IL-17A can each elicit ocular autoimmunity independently of the other. Since absence of IFN-γ or IL-17A individually failed to abolish pathology of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), we examined EAU development in the absence of both these cytokines. Ifng-/-Il17a-/- mice were fully susceptible to EAU with a characteristic eosinophilic ocular infiltrate, as opposed to a mononuclear infiltrate in WT mice. Retinal pathology in double-deficient mice was ameliorated when eosinophils were genetically absent or their migration was blocked, supporting a pathogenic role for eosinophils in EAU in the concurrent absence of IFN-γ and IL-17A. In EAU-challenged Ifng-/-Il17a-/- mice, ocular infiltrates contained increased GM-CSF-producing CD4+ T cells, and supernatants of retinal antigen-stimulated splenocytes contained enhanced levels of GM-CSF that contributed to activation and migration of eosinophils in vitro. Systemic or local blockade of GM-CSF ameliorated EAU in Ifng-/-Il17a-/- mice, reduced eosinophil peroxidase levels in the eye and in the serum and decreased eosinophil infiltration to the eye. These results support the interpretation that, in the concurrent absence of IFN-γ and IL-17A, GM-CSF takes on a major role as an inflammatory effector cytokine and drives an eosinophil-dominant pathology. Our findings may impact therapeutic strategies aiming to target IFN-γ and IL-17A in autoimmune uveitis.
Systems for local, sustained release of zoledronic acid as a potential treatment for metastatic bone disease.

Abstract Bone pain is the leading cause of morbidity in patients with metastatic cancer. Systemic administration of zoledronic acid (ZA) decreases skeletally-related events in bone cancer patients but is associated with major side effects. This project investigated two biomaterials, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), for local ZA delivery. Compressive properties of PMMA samples were tested with increased drug loading, and in vitro ZA release profiles from PMMA cylinders and PLGA films were measured over 8 weeks. The activity of ZA eluted from both materials was evaluated on the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. PMMA samples released up to only 17% of incorporated drug, whereas PLGA films released over 95%. A burst profile was observed for PMMA, while ZA release from PLGA exhibited a typical triphasic profile. Drug bioactivity remained above 50% for both materials. Local ZA delivery from these materials may be useful in the treatment of metastatic bone cancer.
Hypermobility Assessment in 1,004 Adult Patients Presenting with Hip Pain: Correlation with Diagnoses and Demographics.

BACKGROUND The strength of the association between hypermobility and developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in adults is unknown. We sought to analyze this relationship in a prospective, blinded, institutional review board-approved, observational study. The hypothesis was that the prevalence of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) would be significantly higher in patients with hip dysplasia than in those with other hip diagnoses on the basis of clinical observations of joint laxity. METHODS One thousand and four consecutive new patients (390 males and 614 females) seen over a 4-year period were evaluated for hypermobility of the hip using 2 criteria: the Beighton 9-point physical examination criteria and the Hakim-Grahame 5-item history questionnaire. Diagnosis, age, sex, and race were tested as predictors of hypermobility. Patient-reported outcome scores from the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12) and the modified Harris hip score (mHHS) were also assessed. RESULTS DDH was the primary diagnosis in 33.2% of the patient population. Patients who had dysplasia without osteoarthritis (OA) had a significantly elevated prevalence of GJH (77.9%) compared with those with nondysplastic hips (32.8%; p < 0.0001) or with patients who had dysplasia and OA (35.7%; p < 0.0001) according to either method. The odds ratio (OR) for patients with DDH versus those with other diagnoses was 7.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.1 to 10.0). The prevalence of hypermobility was significantly greater in females than in males (OR = 4.2 [95% CI: 3.2 to 5.5]; p < 0.0001). The prevalence of GJH was inversely proportional to age. There was a significantly reduced prevalence of GJH observed in Hispanic patients (p < 0.05) compared with other races. GJH was not a predictor of patient-reported outcome scores (p = 0.51 for iHOT-12 and p = 0.44 for mHHS). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this study is the first to establish a strong association between hypermobility and DDH in adults, confirming the hypothesis. We recommend utilizing both the Beighton and Hakim-Grahame scoring systems together as routine components of the history and physical examination for patients with hip dysplasia. Further research is warranted to explore the genetic basis and potential causal relationships between soft-tissue laxity and skeletal dysplasia, as well as improvements in assessment tools. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.