cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modelling white-tailed deer impacts on forest regeneration to inform deer management options at landscape scales

Abstract Long-term continuity of forest cover in eastern North America may be threatened in part by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), but effectively managing that threat requires greater understanding of the multi-scale nature of deer browsing pressure and other forces affecting forest regeneration. We isolated the effects of white-tailed deer on the regeneration of ten ecologically and commercially important tree species across the state of New York by fitting forest regeneration models with variables representing fine-scale plant competition, stand-scale seed dispersal, and region-wide patterns of climate, land-use, and deer abundance. Deer effects were not consistent across species or space. Increasing deer abundance was associated with declining seedling abundance for six species (Acer rubrum, Picea rubens, Pinus strobus, Tsuga canadensis, Prunus serotina, and Abies balsamea), and nonlinear changes (peaking at intermediate deer abundance) for four species (Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus americana). Models further indicated: (1) in many areas, meaningful increases in tree seedling abundance may not be achievable by reducing deer abundance alone; (2) in some areas, modest reductions in deer abundance may improve forest regeneration—these would be of high deer management priority; and (3) in some areas, the magnitude of deer population reductions required to achieve meaningful improvement in forest regeneration may be too large to be practical. Predicting forest regeneration across heterogeneous landscapes is complex, and isolating the effects of deer requires greater understanding of multiple potentially limiting and interacting factors (e.g., land-use, climate, forest characteristics). Our approach, based on readily available spatial data, may help prioritize areas, define management goals, and lay a foundation for adaptive management of deer to improve forest regeneration.
Monoclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA for the detection of mammalian meats

Abstract In order to (1) reduce the risk of intentional or unintentional contamination of foods, (2) better comply with food regulations, and (3) decrease economic loss to the food industry caused by recall, it is necessary to develop reliable methods for the detection of different food adulterants/contaminants. This study was conducted to characterize two mammalian skeletal troponin (sTn) specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs 6G1 and 8F10), and use them to develop a mAb-based sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of mammalian meats. From our results, both mAbs were positive to porcine sTnI and sTnC but negative to sTnT. The extractability and antigenicity of target analytes in pork were enhanced by the addition of urea and β-mercaptoethanol into the extraction buffer. The optimized sandwich ELISA was specific to heated mammalian meats and was adequate to analyze samples subject to the most severe heat treatment (132 °C/2 bar/120 min). Mammalian fat (10–30%, g/g) did not significantly affect the assay signal. The optimized assay could detect as low as 1% (g/g) of heated mammalian meats adulterated in poultry meats. Overall, this assay has the potential to fight food fraud, comply with food regulations, and decrease food recalls, which may open up new diagnostic methods for the food industry and the food regulatory authorities.
Male Slings for Post-prostatectomy Incontinence.

Stress urinary incontinence following radical prostatectomy can have a significant impact on a man’s quality of life. Male slings offer a perceived minimally invasive treatment option and do not require the manual dexterity necessary to operate an artificial urinary sphincter. In this review, we outline the history of male slings and discuss the various fixed and adjustable slings that are available on the market. It is important for the general urologist to understand the technical differences, outcomes, and common complications of suburethral slings.
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC RIGHT VENTRICULAR DP/DT CHANGE IN RESPONSE TO INOTROPE PREDICTS RIGHT VENTRICULAR FAILURE IN PATIENTS WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE

Right Ventricular failure (RVF) contributes significantly to early mortality after Left Ventricular Assisting Device (LVAD) implantation. At present, there is no good predictor of post-LVAD RV function. Echocardiographic (echo) RV dP/dt is a non-invasive parameter measuring the rate of rise in the
Locally adaptive artificial viscosity strategies for Lagrangian hydrodynamics

Abstract To accurately model inviscid flow with shock waves using staggered-grid Lagrangian hydrodynamics, artificial viscosity is introduced to convert kinetic energy into internal energy, thereby providing a mechanism to generate the required entropy increase across shocks. In this paper, we propose a new method for constructing an adaptive, artificial viscosity in the context of one-dimensional, staggered-grid Lagrangian hydrodynamics. Our adaptive, artificial viscosity is defined in terms of two parameters that depend on density locally in a neighborhood around a shock, and hence, vary cell-by-cell. Our methodology is based on building a reference set of pre-computed optimal, globally constant artificial viscosity coefficients for a family of isolated shock test problems. For arbitrary flows, the evaluation of the unknown coefficients is automated by first estimating shock intensity locally, and second computing the corresponding adaptive parameter value via interpolation over the data from the pre-computed reference set of optimal, globally constant coefficient values. To illustrate the performance of our new approach, we compare our results against two existing methods. The first method is a limiter-based approach, which relies on estimating velocity gradients of the flow, and the second method is utilized in several commercial codes. We demonstrate that our new adaptive methodology produces more accurate results for a variety of tests with propagating shock waves, as well as for the aforementioned family of isolated shock problems.
Countering the Sovereign Citizen Movement

Chapter seven describes needed efforts for preventing or countermanding the most prevalent tactics of sovereign citizens. It discusses some of the challenges associated with deterring the movement. It also proposes changes in policy and law to effectively address the problem of the sovereign citizen movement.
Choice of Stents and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Advances in coronary stent technology have led to iterative reductions in the risk of target vessel revascularization (TVR) as well as stent thrombosis (ST) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are characterized by unique risk factors that ought to be considered when selecting a coronary stent. In addition to the systemic risk factors in patients with CKD, atherosclerotic lesions are more calcified, longer, and more vulnerable with a larger necrotic core. Nevertheless, post hoc analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCT) suggest that renal impairment does not augment risk for in-stent late loss. Conversely, renal dysfunction is associated with both an increased risk of thrombotic and bleeding complications following PCI. When comparing stent platforms in patients with CKD, second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) appear more efficacious and safe than bare-metal stents (BMS) with lower risks for TVR, ST, and myocardial infarction (MI). Observational data have questioned the incremental benefit of DES in CKD patients, but it is uncertain how much of the differences are confounded by patient characteristics and study design. RCTs specifically studying post-PCI outcomes in CKD patients are needed along with newer technologies such as polymer-free and antibody-eluting stents to directly address the unique biology and risk factors in CKD patients.
An assessment of current practices in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa: the rise of biologic therapy.

Treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have changed in the last decade. In this context, we studied how management practices have shifted. We analyzed the National Ambulatory Medical Care Sur...
The Carolingians, the Church, & the Medieval Constitution

In the eighth century, Charles Martel confiscated Church property to make distributions of benefices and precaria to his vassals. This project was an investment in state capacity and secularizations of Church property were continued under Charles’ son Pippin III. Many scholars have characterized this development as the expansion of Carolingian (monarchical) authority at the expense of the Church and to the benefit of the lay nobility. I argue that a better characterization is one of constitutional bargains that, taken together, benefited the Church as well as the Carolingians and their noble vassals. This opportunity for mutually beneficial constitutional exchange arose because of a decrease in the importance of trade relative to landed wealth and the increased papal insecurity resulting from Muslim and Lombard threats.
Public perception on opioids & pain management after major surgery.

Abstract Background In the US, opioids are overprescribed after surgery contributing to the opioid epidemic. Patients’ expectations regarding postoperative opioids remains unclear. Methods A representative survey using random-digit dial telephone sampling of English-speaking adults in US was conducted from August 28 to December 11, 2019. Results Of the 1533 eligible persons contacted, 1000 completed the interviews yielding a cooperation rate of 65%. The mean age was 47 (±18) years, half were men, and most were non-Hispanic white (73%). Forty-eight percent expected an opioid prescription after major surgery, 50% worry about addiction, and 61% believe they contribute to the opioid epidemic. Interestingly, 31% assume that opioid-dependent users were first exposed to opioids following surgery. Conclusion Many Americans surveyed expect to receive an opioid containing pain medication after major surgery, but fear the risk of addiction and believe that they are contributing to the opioid epidemic. They do not think that opioid-dependent users were first exposed to opioids after surgery. This discordance may represent an area of policy action and education.
Active maintenance of musical and linguistic information as a function of musical experience

Recent research suggests that linguistic and musical information are processed by shared working memory resources in non-musicians. However, it is still unclear how musical information is actively maintained by those with extensive musical experience. Some evidence suggests that those with musical experience may utilize distinct processing systems for the active maintenance of linguistic and musical information. To explore this possibility, a cross-modal interference paradigm was used in which those with and without musical experience were presented with an initial stimulus (word or chord), followed by intervening stimuli (words, chords, or silence), and then a comparison stimulus (word or chord). The participants' task was to indicate whether the comparison stimulus was the same or different from the initial stimulus. Results revealed a pattern of data that would be expected if the active maintenance of linguistic and musical information was accomplished by distinct systems in those with musical experience and a unitary system in non-musicians.
Modified PCR protocol to increase sensitivity for determination of bacterial community composition.

The objective of this project was to increase the sensitivity of sequence-based bacterial community determination without impacting community composition or interfering with cluster formation during sequencing. Two PCR protocols (standard and modified) were examined in airway samples where we observed a large range in bacterial load (3.1–6.2 log10 16S rRNA gene copies/reaction). Tracheal aspirate (TA) samples (n = 99) were collected from sixteen children requiring mechanical ventilation at a single center. DNA was extracted, and total bacterial load (TBL) was assessed using qPCR. Amplification of 16S rRNA was attempted with both protocols in all samples. PCR product was observed using both protocols in 52 samples and in 24 additional samples only with the modified protocol. TBL, diversity metrics, and prominent taxa were compared for samples in three groups based on success of the two protocols (successful with both, success with modified only, unsuccessful for both). TBL differed significantly across the three groups (p<0.001). Specifically, the modified protocol allowed amplification from samples with intermediate TBL. Shannon diversity was similar between the two protocols, and Morisita-Horn beta diversity index showed high agreement between the two protocols within samples (median value 0.9997, range 0.9947 to 1). We show that both protocols identify similar communities, and the technical variability of both protocols was very low. The use of limited PCR cycles was a key feature to limit impact of background by exclusion of 24% of samples with no evidence of bacterial DNA present in the sample. The modified amplification protocol represents a viable approach that increased sensitivity of bacterial community analysis, which is important for study of the human airway microbiome where bacterial load is highly variable.
Offshoring, Wages, and Employment: Theory and Evidence

Offshoring of US jobs is controversial. Critics fear that offshoring will lead to lost jobs and lower domestic wages at firms that offshore relative to those that do not. This paper develops theory and provides empirical evidence that challenge this story. The theoretical framework combines heterogeneous firms with wage bargaining, in which firms endogenously select into offshoring. Given a shock that lowers offshoring costs, the theory predicts that domestic wages rise at firms that offshore relative to domestic wages at firms that do not. The theory also predicts that domestic employment could rise or fall at firms that offshore, but will fall at firms that fail to offshore. Using the Mexican FDI Law of 1993 and the peso crisis in 1994 as exogenous shocks to the marginal cost of offshoring to Mexico, I proceed to test these implications with firm-level data. The empirical findings confirm the prediction that domestic wages will rise at offshoring firms relative to those that do not. The results also reveal that there is no evidence of greater job loss at firms that offshore relative to those that do not.
Exchange Rate Pass-through and Market Structure in Multi-country World

Micro-estimates of exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) yield elasticities well outside the range of values predicted by theory. We provide a multi-country quadratic utility model that allows us to examine how export prices are aected by movements in own-currency and cross-currency exchange rates. Own-currency appreciations move firms along a linear demand curve while cross-currency appreciations shift the position of that demand curve. Both aect the firm’s elasticity of demand and therefore the degree to which exchange rate movements aect prices. When ownand cross-currency exchange rates are correlated, as when the euro rises in value against both the dollar and the yen, this yields EPRT elasticities that match facts. The model also yields testable predictions for how firms respond to cross-currency exchange rate shocks even when there is no movement in the own exchange rate.
High-Dose Rate Interstitial Spine Brachytherapy Using an Intraoperative Mobile Computed Tomography-Guided Surgical Navigation System.

BACKGROUND Up to 15% of previously irradiated metastatic spine tumors will progress. Re-irradiation of these tumors poses a significant risk of exceeding the radiation tolerance to the spinal cord. High-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a treatment alternative. OBJECTIVE To develop a novel HDR spine brachytherapy technique using an intraoperative computed tomography-guided navigation (iCT navigation). METHODS Patients with progressive metastatic spine tumors were included in the study. HDR brachytherapy catheters were placed under iCT navigation. CT-based planning with magnetic resonance imaging fusion was performed to ensure conformal dose delivery to the target while sparing normal tissue, including the spinal cord. Patients received single fraction radiation treatment. RESULTS Five patients with thoracolumbar tumors were treated with HDR brachytherapy. Four patients previously received radiotherapy to the same spinal level. Preimplant plans demonstrated median clinical target volume (CTV) D90 of 116.5% (110.8%-147.7%), V100 of 95.7% (95.5%-99.6%), and Dmax of 8.08 Gy (7.65-9.8 Gy) to the spinal cord/cauda equina. Postimplant plans provided median CTV D90 of 113.8% (93.6%-120.1%), V100 of 95.9% (87%-99%), and Dmax of 9.48 Gy (6.5-10.3 Gy) to cord/cauda equina. Patients who presented with back pain (n = 3) noted symptomatic improvement at a median follow-up of 22 d after treatment. Four patients demonstrated local tumor control of spinal metastatic tumor at a median follow-up of 92 d after treatment. One patient demonstrated radiographic evidence of local tumor progression 2.7 mo after treatment. CONCLUSION HDR spine brachytherapy with iCT navigation is a promising treatment alternative to induce local tumor control and reduce pain symptoms associated with metastatic spine disease.
Computer-Aided Design of Optoelectronic Integrated Circuits and Systems

From the Publisher: This book addresses the issue of methodology used in design of systems and illustrates the use of several modeling and simulation techniques for optoelectronic circuit and system design analysis.
Maximum Entropy Reconstruction of Low Dose, High Resolution Electron Microscope Images

Low dose, High Resolution Electron Microscope (HREM) images have provided new information about the ultrastructure of polymers and organic solids. Images of grain boundaries, dislocations, and the structure in thin films have all been successfully obtained. However, low dose HREM images are typically quite noisy and problematic to interpret in detail. Therefore, there is a strong interest in image processing techniques which will take full advantage of the limited information content available in low dose HREM images. At the same time, there is a concern about the possibility of introducing artifacts by image processing methods. Here, we critically examine the use of Maximum Entropy (ME) techniques for improving low dose HREM images of polymers. ME approaches are purported to facilitate the reconstruction of incomplete, noisy data in a rigorous manner which is free from user bias and allows for a minimum amount of adjustable parameters. Our success demonstrates that this approach is indeed an area for further investigation, yet we also find that artifacts can be induced and therefore urge caution. Fourier transform analyses of ME reconstructions in which the entropy of the image is defined only in real space reveal frequency artifacts corresponding to harmonics of strong periodicities in the original data. These artifacts apparently relate to the selective enhancement of “position” information with a corresponding loss in the certainty of “frequency” information. ME reconstructions performed solely in the Fourier space domain show an improvement in periodic information, but a loss in the quality of position information, evidenced by “bleeding” of periodicities over previously sharp boundaries. We suggest the use of a more complete entropy definition which takes into account the known spatial or temporal relationship between data points.
Risk modelling in blood safety – review of methods, strengths and limitations

Risk modelling studies in blood safety play an important but occasionally misunderstood role. These studies are intended to quantify and contrast risks and benefits. This information is critical for policy development and intervention decision-making. The limitations of risk modelling should be considered alongside the results obtained. The goal of this manuscript and presentation is to review current risk modelling techniques used in blood safety and to discuss the pros and cons of using this information in the decision-making process. The types of questions that can be answered include the extent of a risk or threat; implications of action or inaction; identification of effective strategies for risk management; or whether to adopt specific interventions. These analyses can be focused on a risk alone but are often combined with economic information to gain an understanding of feasible risk interventions given budgetary or other monetary considerations. Thus, analyses that include risk modelling provide insights along multiple lines. As important, the analyses also provide information on what is not known or uncertain about a potential hazard and how much that uncertainty may influence the decision-making process. Specific examples of the range of risk analyses in which the author has participated will be reviewed and will include ongoing process improvement in testing laboratories such as error identification/eradication, estimation of the risk of malaria exposure based on the specific locations of travel, evaluation of blood supply and demand during an influenza pandemic, cost-utility analyses of screening interventions for infectious diseases in countries with different human development indices, and insurance against emerging pathogen risk. Each of these analyses has a different purpose and seeks to answer different questions, but all rely on similar methods. The tool kit for risk analysis is broad and varied but does have limitations. The chief limitation of risk modelling is that risk analyses are not scientific experiments or otherwise controlled studies. Consequently, the analyses are more apt to be influenced by assumptions. These assumptions may be necessary to structure a problem in a way that will allow the question of interest to be answered or may result from incomplete or missing information. Another potential limitation is that commissioners of such studies, those who undertake them, and the intended audience, such as regulatory agencies, may have distinct and differing interpretations of the results. Risk modelling is a set of techniques that can be used to inform and support decision-making at all levels in transfusion medicine. Advances in risk modelling techniques allow for continued expansion in the scope of possible questions that can be analysed. Expanded use also improves the acceptance of the utility of these studies in blood safety and transfusion medicine.
Energy efficient survivable broadcasting and multicasting in wireless ad hoc networks

Survivability and energy efficiency are two critical issues for broadcast and multicast routing in wireless ad hoc networks. Energy efficient routing has been extensively studied. However, survivability issues have not been well addressed in this field. In this paper, we jointly consider both issues and study energy efficient algorithms for survivable broadcast/multicast routing, which is resilient to single node failure. In particular, we propose the minimax survivable broadcasting/multicasting problems, which seek survivable broadcast/multicast trees in which the maximum node transmit power is minimized; and the minimum survivable broadcasting/multicasting problems, which seek survivable broadcast/multicast trees in which the total node transmit power is minimized. For the minimax problems, we present efficient optimal algorithms. For the minimum problems, we present effective heuristics. Preliminary simulation results are also presented.
The enhancement of the decay ϒ(1D)→ηϒ(1S) by the axial anomaly in QCD

Abstract It is shown that the rates of the decays ϒ(1 3 D 1 )→ηϒ(1S) and ϒ(1 3 D 2 )→ηϒ(1S) should be comparable to and likely exceed that of the recently discussed in the literature two-pion transition ϒ (1 D )→ ππϒ (1 S ). The reason for this behavior is that the discussed η transitions are enhanced by the contribution of the anomaly in the flavor singlet axial current in QCD.
Physical frailty is associated with incident mild cognitive impairment in community-based older persons.

Objectives The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that physical frailty is associated with an increased risk of MCI.
TYZZER'S DISEASE IN A RED PANDA (AILURUS FULGENS FULGENS)

A debilitated 9-yr-old female red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) with a recent history of corticosteroid administration displayed anorexia, depression, and diarrhea for 2 days. Blood work revealed a moderate nonregenerative anemia, leukocytosis, hypokalemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. Serology was negative for occult heartworm, Toxoplasma gondii, feline leukemia virus, feline infectious peritonitis, feline immunodeficiency virus, and canine distemper virus. Electron microscopy of the feces demonstrated corona-like virus particles. The panda died 3 days after initial presentation. Histologic findings included multifocal, acute, hepatic necrosis and diffuse, necrotizing colitis. Liver and colon lesions contained intracellular, curved, spore-forming, gram-negative, silver-positive rods morphologically consistent with Clostridium piliforme. This panda most likely contracted Tyzzer's disease subsequent to having a compromised immune system after corticosteroid administration and concurrent disease.
Quantum mechanical estimation of Abraham hydrogen bond parameters using 1:1 donor–acceptor complexes

Hydrogen bond donor strength () and acceptor strength () have been successfully used in models of many environmental and chemical systems, and a number of computational methods have been developed to predict them. In this work, a quantum chemical Moller–Plesset perturbation (MP2) method is applied to estimate the binding free energies (ΔGhbond) of several 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complexes. A correlation between the binding free energies and hydrogen bond strength is established. This relationship can be used to develop an accurate computational model for predicting and using binding free energies. The accuracy of the method in predicting Abraham (root mean squared deviation (RMSD) = 0.0693) and (RMSD = 0.0677) are comparable to the empirical, fragment-based ABSOLV method (RMSD = 0.1144 and 0.1281 for and , respectively). The binding free energy has been decomposed into its thermodynamic components, and it is demonstrated that the linear relationships in the dataset and the existence of magic point can be attributed to a constant entropy of reaction. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transient and stable transfection in the protozoan parasite Entamoeba invadens

Entamoeba histolytica is an important human pathogen and a major health problem worldwide. Many aspects of parasite biology can be studied with the exception of stage conversion, which cannot be reproduced adequately in E. histolytica. The reptile parasite Entamoeba invadens is a vital model system for studying stage conversion since it can be induced to undergo both encystation and excystation with high efficiency in vitro. However, functional studies using E. invadens have been limited by the lack of genetic tools in this species. Here, we report a new method for both transient and stable transfection of E. invadens. These new tools will greatly enhance research into Entamoeba development.
Discrepancy and the affective processes a critique of professor Stagner's theory of motivation

Motivation is a process of energy mobilization that occurs in varying degrees and that becomes integrated into specific goal-directed patterns called motives. Physiological homeostasis is a process of maintaining steady states within the body fluids. If there is a departure from a relatively stable state, behavior becomes directed toward a goal that restores stability. The concept of homeostasis can be extended to include the maintaining of equilibria within the dynamic relations between organism and environment. This extension makes it possible to describe social motives and motivations within personality as the removal of discrepancies to restore O-E equilibria. A limitation of the discrepancy theory, however, is that it does not adequately take account of the role of affective processes in motivation and development. Affective arousals are both activating and regulating. They are basic factors in reinforcement and the organization of goal-oriented behavior. Therefore, two dimensions of energy mobilization are required to give an adequate account of motivation and development: activation and the hedonic dimension. The distinction between cognitive and affective processes has an objective neuropsychological basis.
Beaded elastic rods to simulate the diffusive dynamics of biofilament deformations

The twisting and bending dynamics of bio-filaments such as DNA are crucial to their biological functions. The nature and time-scales of these deformations are not only influenced by the structural elasticity of the bio-filament but also by their diffusion mechanics. While the elastic rod theory is still evolving to model the structural elasticity with rigorous descriptions of contituive laws, beaded chain models have been very successful to simulate the diffusion mechanics. This paper presents a framework that merges the strengths of beaded chain models with an elastic rod model to simulate the diffusive deformations (twisting and bending) of stiff bio-filemants.
Investigation of possible cognitive, behavioral, and emotional heterogeneity in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract This study sought to examine whether subtypes of patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) existed as measured by seven scales of the Cognitive Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS). Wards' method of cluster analysis was used to group 104 AD patients into subgroups. Three clusters were identified: (a) Moderately Impaired, (b) Severely Impaired, and (c) Emotionally Intact. These clusters displayed more differences in symptom severity than type of symptom. Clusters could be partially defined by the amount of time since diagnosis, while differences in the clusters' profile of scores had little or no descriptive utility. Results failed to support the existence of AD subtypes and yet did not follow the traditional “stage” descriptions of AD progression either. Findings are discussed within a modified “phase” description of AD progression
Ascorbate-2-phosphate inhibition of ascorbate-2-sulfate sulfohydrolase from bovine liver

Abstract The hydrolysis of ascorbate-2-sulfate by the enzyme, ascorbate-2-sulfate sulfohydrolase, purified from bovine liver has been shown to be powerfully inhibited by ascorbate-2-phosphate. The inhibition by ascorbate phosphate is competitive with a KI of 0.3 μM. Na2HPO4 also inhibits by an apparent non-competitive process. The Na2HPO4 concentration at 50% inhibition is 7.7 μM. A possible control role for ascorbate phosphate in ascorbate biochemistry is suggested.
Risk factors for post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the ankle: an eighteen year follow-up study

Purpose Long-term studies evaluating risk factors for development of ankle osteoarthritis (OA) following malleolar fractures are sparse.
Agarose gels stabilize isolated molluscan neurons for long-term recording

Isolated neurons from Aplysia can be embedded in an agarose gel which sets at low temperature. The gel is permeable to common ions, chemicals, and tissue culture nutrients, and it provides a stable support for intracellular recording from the neurons for extended periods of time.
A shell-model calculation with reaction matrix elements

Abstract A simple shell-model calculations of 18 F 18 O with no core polarization is performed using reaction matrix elements of the Hamada-Johnston potential. The matrix elements are calculated using harmonic oscillator intermediate states and the matrix inversion technique of Kohler and McCarthy. Results are presented for a variety of choices of the intermediate state spectrum, and its found that the T = 0 levels are sensitive to this; the T = 1 levels fairly insensitive. The results are compared with experiment and with the calculated values of Kuo. The difference between using the usual Brueckner Q and a more accurate shell-model Q is shown to be significant. Results are presented in which energies used in the reaction matrices are consistent with the resultant energy of each level.
Predictors of 5-year survival and curability in small cell lung cancer

A retrospective analysis of various characteristics in 81 small cell lung cancer patients treated at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, from 1974 to 1982 was carried out to identify factors which had prognostic significance for long-term survival, defined as actual disease-free survival for at least 5 years from initiation of therapy. Six patients, five female patients (16.7%) and one male patient (2%), including four limited disease (9.7%) and two extensive disease patients (5%) were long-term survivors (73 to 96+ months from onset of therapy), and among them three remain alive and disease-free at 84, 84, and 96 months from first treatment, respectively. Although several factors, including sex, stage of disease (limited versus extensive), and occurrence of herpes zoster predicted overall survival duration, female sex and an occurrence of herpes zoster were the only variables which were statistically significantly related to 5-year survival. Herpes zoster was a relatively late occurrence whereas female sex was an independent positive prognostic factor.
Teriparatide and denosumab, alone or combined, in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis: the DATA study randomised trial

Summary Background Osteoporosis medications increase bone-mineral density (BMD) and lower but do not eliminate fracture risk. The combining of anabolic agents with bisphosphonates has not improved efficacy. We compared combined teriparatide and denosumab with both agents alone. Methods From September, 2009, to January, 2011, we enrolled postmenopausal women with osteoporosis into this randomised, controlled trial. Patients were assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive 20 μg teriparatide daily, 60 mg denosumab every 6 months, or both. BMD was measured at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months. Women who completed at least one study visit after baseline were assessed in a modified intention-to-treat analysis. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00926380. Findings 94 (94%) of 100 eligible women completed at least one study visit after baseline. At 12 months, posterior-anterior lumbar spine BMD increased more in the combination group (9·1%, [SD 3·9]) than in the teriparatide (6·2% [4·6], p=0·0139) or denosumab (5·5% [3·3], p=0·0005) groups. Femoral-neck BMD also increased more in the combination group (4·2% [3·0]) than in the teriparatide (0·8% [4·1], p=0·0007) and denosumab (2·1% [3·8], p=0·0238) groups, as did total-hip BMD (combination, 4·9% [2·9]; teriparatide, 0·7% [2·7], p Interpretation Combined teriparatide and denosumab increased BMD more than either agent alone and more than has been reported with approved therapies. Combination treatment might, therefore, be useful to treat patients at high risk of fracture. Funding Amgen, Eli Lilly, National Center for Research Resources.
Piezoelectric Actuators for Distributed Vibration Excitation of Thin Plates: A Comparison Between Theory and Experiment

Results demonstrate that modes can be selectively excited depending on the chosen phasing of the voltage supplied to each actuator. In addition, experimental results indicate that the analytical model can be accurately used to predict the forcing function associated with the piezoceramic patch
An energy cost minimizing strategy for fermentation dissolved oxygen control

A cost-minimizing mathematical model for on-line control of dissolved oxygen using agitation speed and aeration rate was developed. In pilot scale monensin fermentation using Streptomyces cinnamonensis, this algortihm provided stable control of dissolved oxygen at 40%, reducing energy usage 27.8%. The agitation and aeration profiles provided by the algorithm respresent the pathway of least energy cost for control at the desired dissolved oxygen level. Other observed advantages of bivariable control were reduction of foaming, evaporation, and gas holdup. Reduced maintenance of compressors and agitator motors could also be expected due to decreased load. Monensin productivity equivalent to fermentation with constant agitation and aeration was not obtained, however, with potency reduced 14.8% with the dissolved oxygen control strategy.
Purification of recombinant aprotinin from transgenic corn germ fraction using ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography.

Plants have attracted interest as hosts for protein expression because of the promise of a large production capacity and a low production cost. However, recovery costs remain a challenge as illustrated for recovery of recombinant aprotinin, a trypsin inhibitor, with removal of native corn trypsin inhibitor from transgenic corn (Azzoni et al. in Biotechnol Bioeng 80:268–276, 2002). When expression is targeted to corn grain fractions, dry milling can separate germ and endosperm fractions. Hence, only the product-containing fraction needs to be extracted, reducing the cost of extraction and the impurity level of the extract. Selective extraction conditions can reduce impurity levels to the point that low-cost adsorbents can result in relatively high purity levels. In this work, we attempted to achieve comparable purity with these lower cost methods. We replaced whole grain extraction and purification of recombinant aprotinin with sequential trypsin affinity and IMAC steps with an alternative of germ fraction extraction and purification with ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). Using germ extraction at acidic pH supplemented with heat precipitation to remove additional host proteins resulted in a higher specific activity feed to the chromatographic steps. The cation exchange step provided 7.6× purification with 76.4% yield and no sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis detectable native corn trypsin inhibitor. After the HIC step (2.7× step purification with 44.0% yield), the final product had a specific activity that was 75.3% of that of the affinity-purified aprotinin.
Prospects for Bismuth Nanowires as Thermoelectrics

The small effective mass of Bi, high anisotropy of its Fermi surface, and the high aspect ratio (length/diameter) of Bi nanowires make this an excellent system for studying quantum confinement effects of a one-dimensional (ID) electron gas in relation to electrical conductivity, thermoelectric power, and thermal conductivity. A theoretical model based on the basic electronic band structure of bulk Bi is suitably modified to describe 1D bismuth nanowires and is used to predict the dependence of these transport properties on nanowire diameter, temperature and crystalline orientation of the bismuth nanowires. Experiments have been carried out on ultra-fine single crystal Bi nanowires (10–120 nm diameter) with a packing density as high as 7 × 1010 wires/cm2 to test the quantum confinement assumptions of the model and the occurrence of a quantum confinement-induced semimetal-to-semiconductor transition as the wire diameter becomes less than 100 nm. Prospects for the use of bismuth nanowires for thermoelectric applications are discussed.
Mercury concentrations in deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) tissues from Isle Royale National Park.

We used deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) to investigate variation in mercury exposure across the terrestrial ecosystem of Isle Royale National Park (Michigan, USA). Although previous work suggested that mercury (Hg) levels may be higher inside the Sargent Lake watershed of Isle Royale than outside the watershed, Hg concentrations in livers were higher outside the Sargent Lake watershed (100.13 ng Hg/g dry tissue) than inside the watershed (35.50 ng Hg/g dry tissue; P=0.06). Mercury levels in kidneys did not differ significantly (P=0.57) between samples collected outside (443.23 ng Hg/g dry tissue) and inside (360.62 ng Hg/g dry tissue) the Sargent Lake watershed. Mean Hg concentrations in the livers of mice at some sites in Isle Royale are not significantly lower (P=0.62) than Hg concentrations considered by some government agencies to be unhealthy for human consumption. Although Hg concentrations in mouse tissues were not remarkably high (compared to heavily polluted sites), concern is warranted because: (1) Isle Royale National park is a protected area in a remote location; (2) any exposure in deer mice represents a path for biomagnification in the terrestrial food web; and (3) the source of this mercury remains unidentified.
Progressive fracture of polymer matrix composite structures

Abstract An approach independent of stress intensity factors and fracture toughness parameters has been developed and is described for the computational simulation of progressive fracture of polymer matrix composite structures. The damage stages are quantified based on physics via composite mechanics while the degran of the structural behavior is quantified via the finite element method. The approach accounts for all types of composite behavior, structures, load conditions, and fracture processes starting from damage initiation, to unstable propagation and to global structural collapse. Results of structural fracture in composite beams, panels, plates, and shells are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and versatility of this new approach. Parameters and guidelines are identified which can be used as criteria for structural fracture, inspection intervals and retirement for cause. Generalization to structures made of monolithic metallic materials are outlined and lesson learned in undertaking the development of new approaches, in general, are summarized.
Manifold microchannel heat sink design using optimization under uncertainty

A three-dimensional numerical model is developed and validated to study the effect of geometric parameters such as microchannel depth and width, manifold depth, and manifold inlet and outlet lengths on the performance of a manifold microchannel (MMC) heat sink. The manifold arrangement used to distribute the flow through alternating inlet and outlet pairs greatly reduces the pressure drop incurred in conventional fluid supply arrangements due to its shorter flow paths, while simultaneously enhancing the heat transfer coefficient by limiting the growth of thermal boundary layers. The computational analysis is performed on a simple unit-cell model to obtain an optimized design for uniform thermal boundary conditions, as well as on a porous-medium model to obtain a complete system-level analysis of multiple microchannels across one manifold. The porous-medium approach can be further modified to analyze the performance under asymmetrical heating conditions. Along with conventional deterministic optimization, a probabilistic optimization study is performed to identify the optimal geometric design parameters that maximize heat transfer coefficient while minimizing pressure drop for an MMC heat sink. In the presence of uncertainties in the geometric and operating parameters of the system, this probabilistic optimization approach yields a design that is robust and reliable, in addition to being optimal. Such an optimization analysis provides a quantitative estimate of the allowable uncertainty in input parameters for acceptable uncertainties in the relevant output parameters. The approach also yields information such as the local and global sensitivities which are used to identify microchannel width and manifold inlet length as the critical input parameters to which the outputs are most sensitive. The deterministic analysis shows that the heat transfer performance of the MMC heat sink is optimal at a manifold inlet to outlet length ratio of 3. A comparison between the deterministic and probabilistic optimization approaches is presented for the unit-cell model. A probabilistic optimization study is performed for the porous-medium model and the results thus obtained are compared with those of the unit-cell model for a uniform heat flux distribution.
The role of pragmatics in Japanese relative clause constructions

Abstract Japanese relative clause constructions (RCCs) are of ‘gap-type’ (in Comrie's (1981) term), yet they cannot be explained solely in terms of a reference-binding relationship between the head noun and a syntactic gap in the RC. Examination of a wide range of RCCs indicates the necessity for more pragmatic considerations in the interpretation of the participant role of the head noun with respect to the relative clause. A fixed accessibility hierarchy of syntactic/semantic roles, motivated by that of Keenan and Comrie (1977), has generally been assumed. This paper (1) demonstrates the dependence of interpretation on context, thus illustrating the limitations of such a hierarchy, and (2) suggests that a more semantically/pragmatically based principle which utilizes both the notion of frame (in which participant roles comprise an unordered set) and the Griccan maxims can better predict acceptability judgements of relative clause constructions with particular intended meanings. I also address the significant role played by pragmatics in the generation and construal of relative clauses in Japanese.
Revisiting ethnic entrepreneurship: Convergencies, controversies, and conceptual advancements

In the past thirty years, many concepts and theories on ethnic entrepreneurship have been developed, challenged, and revised to provide a fuller account of the phenomenon. This article revisits the existing literature to address some of the conceptual and methodological issues and the controversies that have lin ered around them and to highlight important advancements that have koken through conventional frameworks of this lasting sub’ect matter. It first reexamines the meaning and nority, ethnic economy, and enclave economy, arguing that ethnic social structures in which entrepreneurs are embedded must be stressed in the understanding of these concepts. It then draws attention to the convergencies and controversies in research on the causes and consequences of entrepreneurship. Finally, it highlights two interrelated conceptual advancements in the study of ethnic entrepreneurship - transnational entrepreneurship and the synergy of entrepreneurship in community building. analytical distinction o f‘ such relevant concepts as the middleman mi
Large anaplastic spinal B-cell lymphoma in a cat

A 5-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented for evaluation of tetraparesis. The neurologic lesion was localized to the cervical spinal segment (C1-C6). A left axillary mass was identified, and the results of fine needle aspiration cytology indicated malignant round cell neoplasia of possible histiocytic origin. The cells were large, had marked anisocytosis and anisokaryosis, occasional bi- and multinucleation, and cytoplasmic vacuolation. Euthanasia was performed due to the poor prognosis associated with severe, progressive neurologic signs and a malignant neoplasm. Postmortem examination revealed spinal cord compression and an extradural mass at the C1-C2 spinal segment, with neoplastic cells in the adjacent vertebral bodies, surrounding skeletal muscle, left axillary lymph node, and bone marrow from the right femur. The initial histologic diagnosis was anaplastic sarcoma, but immunohistochemical results indicated the cells were CD20+ and CD45R+ and CD3-, compatible with a diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma. CD79a staining was nonspecific and uninterpretable. Weak to moderate CD18 positivity and E-cadherin positivity were also observed. Clonality of the B-cell population could not be demonstrated using PCR testing for antigen receptor gene rearrangement. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of a feline spinal anaplastic B-cell lymphoma exhibiting bi- and multinucleated cells. The prognostic significance of this cell morphology and immunophenotype is unknown.