cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonunion of extended trochanteric osteotomies in impaction grafting femoral revisions

Extended trochanteric osteotomies have been recommended to facilitate femoral component removal, femoral cement removal, and acetabular exposure in cases of difficult revision hip arthroplasty. Complications due to the osteotomy have been rare and no nonunions have been reported when this osteotomy has been used in conjunction with extensively porous-coated implants. It has been suggested that the osteotomy should also work well with impaction grafting revisions. This is a report of two cases of nonunion of extended trochanteric osteotomies in which the impaction grafting technique was used.
Joint probability-based neuronal spike train classification

Neuronal spike trains are used by the nervous system to encode and transmit information. Euclidean distance-based methods (EDBMs) have been applied to quantify the similarity between temporally-discretized spike trains and model responses. In this study, using the same discretization procedure, we developed and applied a joint probability-based method (JPBM) to classify individual spike trains of slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors (SARs). The activity of individual SARs was recorded in anaesthetized, paralysed adult male rabbits, which were artificially-ventilated at constant rate and one of three different volumes. Two-thirds of the responses to the 600 stimuli presented at each volume were used to construct three response models (one for each stimulus volume) consisting of a series of time bins, each with spike probabilities. The remaining one-third of the responses where used as test responses to be classified into one of the three model responses. This was done by computing the joint probability of observing the same series of events (spikes or no spikes, dictated by the test response) in a given model and determining which probability of the three was highest. The JPBM generally produced better classification accuracy than the EDBM, and both performed well above chance. Both methods were similarly affected by variations in discretization parameters, response epoch duration, and two different response alignment strategies. Increasing bin widths increased classification accuracy, which also improved with increased observation time, but primarily during periods of increasing lung inflation. Thus, the JPBM is a simple and effective method performing spike train classification.
Interpretive Holism and the Structural Method, or How Charles Black Might Have Thought About Campaign Finance Reform and Congressional Timidity

As a constitutional stylist, Charles Black belongs in the pantheon with Justices Marshall, Holmes, Brandeis, and Jackson. His writing was invariably crisp, clear, and elegant. Structure and Relationship in Constitutional Law is certainly no exception to this rule. And yet, the book is easily misread. The signal contribution of Structure and Relationship is its identification of a method of constitutional interpretation in which the reader draws inferences from the relationship among the structures of government-such as Congress, the Presidency, and the states. Nonetheless, as I explain in Part I of this essay, Black is sometimes read simply as a holist, as one who urges attention to the entirety of the Constitution rather than to isolated clauses.Why, given the lucidity of Black's prose, would he be so grossly misread? In Part II, I explain that the structural method that Black advocated places a great deal of power in the hands of those who would employ it. Scholars and judges justifiably worry that the structural method may become nothing more than a mask for judicial usurpation of functions best left to the political process. Interpretive holism hews closer to constitutional text than Black's structural method. Thus, by attributing interpretive holism to Black, judges and scholars who worry about the courts' legitimacy pay Black homage without stirring their anxieties about usurpation.Such anxieties have their place, but Black's work need not necessarily stir them up. Although Black illustrated his structural method with Supreme Court cases, the method was not designed exclusively for judges. Black wrote and cared a great deal about constitutional interpretation outside of the courts, especially in confrontations between Congress and the President. In this political context, the structural method operates without raising the specter of judicial surpation. I argue in Part III that Black's structural method can also be extended and applied to illuminate a puzzle that Black himself remarked upon: Given that Congress has more formal power than the President, why does Congress so rarely stand up to the President? Whereas Black reasoned from the relationships among the institutions the Constitution creates and recognizes, I suggest in Part III that the Constitution sometimes plays a related but distinct role: It calls into existence some institutions. In particular, the Constitution calls into existence political parties and with them the practice of party loyalty that makes members of Congress unlikely to challenge residents of their own party.
Elliptically Contoured Distributions for Anomalous Change Detection in Hyperspectral Imagery

We derive a class of algorithms for detecting anomalous changes in hyperspectral image pairs by modeling the data with elliptically contoured (EC) distributions. These algorithms are generalizations of well-known detectors that are obtained when the EC function is Gaussian. The performance of these EC-based anomalous change detectors is assessed on real data using both real and simulated changes. In these experiments, the EC-based detectors substantially outperform their Gaussian counterparts.
Microwave (2.45 GHz)-assisted rapid sintering of SiO2-rich rice husk ash

article i nfo The as-received SiO2-rich material, rice husk ash (RHA), was ground to a specific surface area (Blaine) of 4800 cm 2 /g and then was rapidly sintered by 2.45 GHz microwave energy using a multi-mode system. The sintering temperatures were in a range of 800-1200 °C. The morphology, phase composition, microstructure and reactivity were investigated by SEM, XRD, and hydration heat evolution and strength index. Results show that the sintered ground RHAs (SgRHAs) contain SiO2-cristolbalite and α-SiO2 as major phases. The bulk density is up to 0.98 kg/l, and strength index at 28 days of the 800 °C microwave-sintered RHA paste are up by 30% when comparing to the as-received ground RHA (gRHA).
Spatially varying dynamical properties of turbid media probed with diffusing temporal light correlation

The diffusion of correlation is used to detect, localize, and characterize dynamical and optical spatial inhomogeneities in turbid media and is accurately modeled by a correlation diffusion equation. We demonstrate experimentally and with Monte Carlo simulations that the transport of correlation can be viewed as a correlation wave {analogous to a diffuse photon-density wave [Phys. Today48, 34 (1995)]} that propagates spherically outward from sources and scatters from macroscopic spatial variations in dynamical and/or optical properties. We demonstrate the utility of inverse scattering algorithms for reconstructing images of the spatially varying dynamical properties of turbid media. The biomedical applicability of this diffuse correlation probe is illustrated in studies of the depth of burned tissues.
Examining Passive Flow Control Devices with High Speed Shadowgraph Images around a Mach 1.5 Cavity Flow Field

Abstract : An examination of a rectangular cavity with an L/D of 5.67 was tested at Mach 1.5 with a corresponding Reynolds number of 2.3x106/ft. High speed shadowgraph movies were simultaneously sampled with dynamic pressure sensors at 75 kHz. Fourier analysis was performed on the high speed movies as well as the dynamic pressure data, which resulted in determining the locations of dominant cavity frequencies in the flow field. Four passive flow control devices were tested, two of which have historically preformed well, while two neither reduced the main acoustic tones nor reduced the broadband levels. From the high speed shadowgraph movies, observations are made in the changes in the cavity flow physics when the passive flow control devices are used, and will be discussed.
Accuracy of Fluoroscopic Guided Acetabular Component Positioning During Direct Anterior Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract Acetabular component malposition contributes to increased complications and early revision. Supine positioning during direct anterior approach (DAA) THA facilitates the use of fluoroscopy to improve component positioning. This study evaluated the accuracy of acetabular component orientation using intraoperative fluoroscopy in DAA THA. A total of 780 surgeries by two surgeons were retrospectively reviewed over a 3-year period. Ranges for abduction (30°–50°) and version (5°–250) were employed. Overall, 92% fell within the targeted abduction range, 93% fell within the targeted anteversion range, and 88% met both criteria. The accuracy of component positioning for combined abduction and anteversion improved yearly (79.2%, 2011; 90.9%, 2012; and 95.6%, 2013). Fluoroscopy in DAA THA is a useful tool to improve acetabular component orientation, though a learning curve exists with its interpretation.
Diploids in the Cryptococcus neoformans Serotype A Population Homozygous for the α Mating Type Originate via Unisexual Mating

The ubiquitous environmental human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is traditionally considered a haploid fungus with a bipolar mating system. In nature, the α mating type is overwhelmingly predominant over a. How genetic diversity is generated and maintained by this heterothallic fungus in a largely unisexual α population is unclear. Recently it was discovered that C. neoformans can undergo same-sex mating under laboratory conditions generating both diploid intermediates and haploid recombinant progeny. Same-sex mating (α-α) also occurs in nature as evidenced by the existence of natural diploid αADα hybrids that arose by fusion between two α cells of different serotypes (A and D). How significantly this novel sexual style contributes to genetic diversity of the Cryptococcus population was unknown. In this study, ∼500 natural C. neoformans isolates were tested for ploidy and close to 8% were found to be diploid by fluorescence flow cytometry analysis. The majority of these diploids were serotype A isolates with two copies of the α MAT locus allele. Among those, several are intra-varietal allodiploid hybrids produced by fusion of two genetically distinct α cells through same-sex mating. The majority, however, are autodiploids that harbor two seemingly identical copies of the genome and arose via either endoreplication or clonal mating. The diploids identified were isolated from different geographic locations and varied genotypically and phenotypically, indicating independent non-clonal origins. The present study demonstrates that unisexual mating produces diploid isolates of C. neoformans in nature, giving rise to populations of hybrids and mixed ploidy. Our findings underscore the importance of same-sex mating in shaping the current population structure of this important human pathogenic fungus, with implications for mechanisms of selfing and inbreeding in other microbial pathogens.
Dose-ranging activity of the newly registered antituberculosis drug bedaquiline (TMC207).

Evaluation of: Diacon AH, Dawson R, Von Groote-Bidlingmaier F et al. Randomized dose-ranging study of the 14-day early bactericidal activity of bedaquiline (TMC207) in patients with sputum microscopy smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 57(5), 2199–2203 (2013).During the past decade considerable efforts have been made to develop and register new anti-TB drugs, making them available for patients in need. Bedaquiline (BDQ), approved by the US FDA in December 2012, is the first new anti-TB drug available for treatment of this disease since rifampicin became available in 1967. BDQ has the peculiarity of being a drug with a very long half-life and potent antimicrobial activity that becomes noticeable only after the first 4 days of treatment. Consequently, Diacon et al. have conducted a 14-day dose-ranging study aimed at assessing the early bactericidal activity of BDQ in TB patients who received loading doses of the drug during the first 2 days of treatment. The loading doses pa...
An effective network-based Intrusion Detection using Conserved Self Pattern Recognition Algorithm augmented with near-deterministic detector generation

The Human Immune System (HIS) employs multilevel defense against harmful and unseen pathogens through innate and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity protects the body from the known invaders whereas adaptive immunity develops a memory of past encounter and has the ability to learn about previously unknown pathogens. These salient features of the HIS are inspiring the researchers in the area of intrusion detection to develop automated and adaptive defensive tools. This paper presents a new variant of Conserved Self Pattern Recognition Algorithm (CSPRA) called CSPRA-ID (CSPRA for Intrusion Detection). The CSPRA-ID is given the capability of effectively identifying known intrusions by utilizing the knowledge of well-known attacks to build a conserved self pattern (APC detector) while it retains the ability to detect novel intrusions because of the nature of one-class classification of the T detectors. Furthermore, the T detectors in the CSPRA-ID are generated with a novel near-deterministic scheme that is proposed in this paper. The near-deterministic generation scheme places the detector with Brute Force method to guarantee the next detector to be very foreign to the existing detector. Moreover, the placement of the variable-sized detector is online determined during the Monte Carlo estimate of detector coverage and thus the detectors with an optimal distribution are generated without any additional optimization step. A comparative study between CSPRA-ID and one-class SVM shows that the CSPRA-ID is promising on DARPA network intrusion data in terms of detection accuracy and computation efficiency.
Regulation of Erk1/2 activation by osteopontin in PC3 human prostate cancer cells

Osteopontin (OPN) has been shown to play many roles in the progression of cancer. We have recently demonstrated the activation of Akt by OPN. Integrin-linked kinase and PI3-kinase are integral proteins in OPN/AKT pathway in PC3 cells. To investigate the role of the extracellular receptors in OPN signaling, we have examined the spatio-temporal regulation of CD44 and integrin αvβ3 receptor in OPN-induced Akt activation in PC3 cells. Here, our studies demonstrate that OPN can activate Akt either through the αVβ3 integrin or the CD44 cell surface receptor. Members of the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) family have been shown to be up-regulated in a variety of human cancers and have been implicated in the metastatic behavior. Our studies have demonstrated an increase in the phosphorylation of c-Raf at Ser259 and Ser338 in PC3 cells over-expressing OPN. This increase matches up with the Erk1/2 phosphorylation at Thr202/204 and activation. However, the inhibition of Akt activity augments the phosphorylation state of ERK1/2 to two to three fold with a concomitant reduction in the phosphorylation state of c-Raf at Ser259. Regulation c-Raf phosphorylation at Ser259 has a role in the anti-apoptotic pathways mediated by Akt or Raf/MEK/ERK proteins. OPN may have dual effects in the activation of Erk1/2. We propose this based on the observations that while OPN activates c-Raf and Erk1/2; it also acts to inhibit c-Raf and Erk1/2 activation through Akt pathway. Our observations suggest that the activation of c-Raf-ERK cascade may promote cell cycle arrest in prostate cancer cells and OPN signaling has a role in the anti-apoptotic mechanism.
The Critical Temperature and Reproducibility of Al/Au Bilayer Thermometers Fabricated with Different Al/Au Thickness Ratios by Vacuum Evaporation Techniques

We present further results from a study of Al/Au bilayer thermometers constructed for third sound detection. Here we report the transition temperature of such thermometers as a function of the Al/Au thickness ratio. We also report on the reproducibility of fabrication.
GENETIC CONTROL OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN VITRO : II. CELLULAR REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIMARY PLAQUE-FORMING CELL RESPONSES TO THE RANDOM TERPOLYMER L-GLUTAMIC ACID60-L-ALANINE30-L-TYROSINE10 (GAT) BY MOUSE SPLEEN CELLS IN VITRO

The cellular requirements for the development of primary IgG GAT-specific PFC responses in cultures of spleen cells from responder, C57Bl/6, mice stimulated with GAT and GAT-MBSA and in cultures of spleen cells from nonresponder, SJL and B10.S, mice stimulated with GAT-MBSA were investigated. Macrophages were required for development of responses to GAT and GAT-MBSA in cultures of spleen cells from responder mice and for responses to GAT-MBSA in cultures of spleen cells from nonresponder mice. Macrophages from nonresponder mice supported the development of responses to GAT by nonadherent responder spleen cells, indicating that the failure of nonresponder mice to respond to GAT is not due to a macrophage defect. Furthermore, responder macrophages supported the responses of nonadherent, nonresponder spleen cells to SRBC and GAT-MBSA, but not to GAT. This indicates that the capacity to respond to GAT is a function of the nonadherent population which is composed of thymus-derived (T) helper cells and precursors of antibody-producing cells. Treatment of spleen cells with anti-theta serum and complement before culture initiation abolished PFC responses to GAT and GAT-MBSA thus establishing the requirement for T cells in the development of PFC responses to these antigens. Since precursors of antibody-producing cells in nonresponder mice are capable of synthesizing antibody specific for GAT after stimulation with GAT-MBSA and since the response to GAT is thymus-dependent, it appears that nonresponder mice lack GAT-specific helper T cell function.
Solving the linear matroid parity problem as a sequence of matroid intersection problems

In this paper, we present an O(r 4 n) algorithm for the linear matroid parity problem. Our solution technique is to introduce a modest generalization, the non-simple parity problem, and identify an important subclass of non-simple parity problems called ‘easy’ parity problems which can be solved as matroid intersection problems. We then show how to solve any linear matroid parity problem parametrically as a sequence of ‘easy’ parity problems. In contrast to other algorithmic work on this problem, we focus on general structural properties of dual solutions rather than on local primal structures. In a companion paper, we develop these ideas into a duality theory for the parity problem.
Progress on yttria-stabilized zirconia sensors for hydrothermal pH measurements

Electrochemical cells are reviewed and a new design is evaluated for potentiometric pH measurements to above 300 jC. The new design system minimizes the effects of metal corrosion on measured pH. In addition, a recently developed [Zhou, X.Y., Lvov, S.N., Ulyanov, S.M., 2003. Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Membrane Electrode, US Patent #6, S17, 694] flow-through, yttriastabilized zirconia (YSZ) pH sensor has been further tested. The Nernstian behavior and precision of the YSZ electrode were evaluated by measuring the potentials vs. H2–Pt electrode at 320 and 350 jC. Also, using the YSZ electrode, the association constants of HCl(aq) at 320 and 350 jC have been determined from the potentials of a HCl(aq) solutions at 0.01 to 0.001 mol kg � 1 . The results, pK320= � 1.46F0.46 and pK350= � 2.35F0.25, in good agreement with literature data, both demonstrate the effective use of the cell and YSZ electrode for pH measurements to about F0.05 pH units, and confirm the Nernstian behavior of the YSZ electrode in acidic HCl solutions up to 350 jC. Commercial YSZ tubes available for high-temperature pH sensing are, however, far from ideal because of irregular compositions, phase structures, and interstitial materials. A consequence is the premature structural decay of YSZ tubes in acidic solutions at elevated temperatures. In spite of the longterm decay, YSZ sensors respond rapidly to changes in pH, apparently limited only by the rate of mixing of solutions within the cell. This system makes the measurement feasible above 300 jC of mineral hydrolysis equilibrium constants and their free energy changes within uncertainties of about F1.0 kJ. D 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Analysis of light extraction efficiency for gallium nitride-based coaxial microwall light-emitting diodes

In this work, the light extraction efficiency (LEE) of gallium nitride-based coaxial microwall LEDs is examined as a function of microwall length, cross-section geometry, aspect ratio, and number. Commercial ray tracing software is used to model the structures. We demonstrate that the LEE significantly decreases as the microwall length increases. To reduce this effect, we suggest the use of surface roughening and a tapered cross-section geometry. The dependence of LEE on microwall aspect ratio is also studied and reveals that a trade-off exists between LEE and effective active region area. Finally, we examine arrays of adjacent microwalls and show that the light extraction efficiency decreases as the number of microwalls increases due to reabsorption. Microwall LEDs may approach state-of-the-art LEEs but only for limited geometries and with the addition of surface roughing. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Vestibular signals in the parasolitary nucleus.

Vestibular primary afferents project to secondary vestibular neurons located in the vestibular complex. Vestibular primary afferents also project to the uvula-nodulus of the cerebellum where they t...
The effects of a partially purified fraction of an ant venom in rheumatoid arthritis

A partially purified extract of an ant venom from the South American tree ant Pseudomyrmex sp. was tested in a double-blind, controlled study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Venom treated patients demonstrated an improvement in global efficacy and a decrease in the number of tender/painful joints and swollen joints. Swollen joint index improved in 60% of venom treated patients. Other parameters did not demonstrate significant change. Reduction of joint swelling was followed by symptomatic improvement that was sometimes delayed by weeks. Reactions were limited to erythema at the injection site (all patients), local pruritus (two-thirds of the patients), and fever with malaise (one-third of the patients). Further study of this venom in rheumatoid arthritis appears warranted in view of its apparent favorable efficacy-to-toxicity ratio.
Block copolymers as photonic bandgap materials

Block copolymers self-assemble into one-, two-, and three-dimensional periodic equilibrium structures, which can exhibit photonic bandgaps. This paper outlines a methodology for producing photonic crystals at optical length scales from block copolymers. Techniques for enhancing the intrinsic dielectric contrast between the block copolymer domains, as well as increasing the characteristic microdomain distances, and controlling defects are presented. To demonstrate the applicability of this methodology, a self-assembled one-dimensional periodic structure has been fabricated that reflects visible light. The wealth of structures into which block copolymers can assemble and the multiple degrees of freedom that can be built into these materials on the molecular level offer a large parameter space for tailoring new types of photonic crystals at optical length scales.
Childhood depression and suicide.

Recent years have witnessed accumulating evidence that the disorders subsumed under the heading of childhood depression are much more prevalent than used to be believed; that these conditions in prepubertal youngsters are more similar to those disorders occurring in adolescents and adults than was previously believed; that childhood depression can co-exist with many other childhood conditions; and that, although a rare occurrence, suicide is committed by older children. To quote a professional in the child mental health field: It is difficult to see how depression could not be involved in almost every form of psychopathology. The various theories of personality speculate on the existence of unhappy and depressing feelings and cognitions at the core of human development, with ineffective means of dealing with these concerns expressed by abnormalities. . . . Thus it becomes reasonable to argue that depression is everywhere in childhood and adulthood and hence we must be careful to specify under what conditions it is to be regarded as pathological.
Primary care physicians, acupuncture and chiropractic clinicians, and chronic pain patients: a qualitative analysis of communication and care coordination patterns

A variety of people, with multiple perspectives, make up the system comprising chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) treatment. While there are frequently problems in communication and coordination of care within conventional health systems, more opportunities for communicative disruptions seem possible when providers use different explanatory models and are not within the same health management system. We sought to describe the communication system surrounding the management of chronic pain from the perspectives of allopathic providers, acupuncture and chiropractor (A/C) providers, and CMP patients. We collected qualitative data from CMP patients (n = 90) and primary care physicians (PCPs) (n = 25) in a managed care system, and community acupuncture and chiropractic care providers (n = 14) who received high levels of referrals from the system, in the context of a longitudinal study of CMP patients’ experience. Multiple points of divergence and communicative barriers were identified among the main stakeholders in the system. Those that were most frequently mentioned included issues surrounding the referral process (requesting, approving) and lack of consistent information flow back to providers that impairs overall management of patient care. We found that because of these problems, CMP patients were frequently tasked and sometimes overwhelmed with integrating and coordinating their own care, with little help from the system. Patients, PCPs, and A/C providers desire more communication; thus systems need to be created to facilitate more open communication which could positively benefit patient outcomes.
Creating Masculine Identities: Harassment and Bullying 'Because of Sex'

This article focuses on four fact patterns that confuse courts, scholars and employment lawyers in hostile work environment law. It employs masculinities theory and new research on the gendered nature of bullying to explain why the harassment in these fact patterns occurs because of sex. In the first scenario, men harass women in traditionally male jobs, but the harassment is not directed specifically at the women. In the second, men harass other men who apparently do not conform to socially-accepted gender norms of masculinity. In the third, men harass other men, apparently hazing newcomers or engaging in "horseplay" with established workers. In the fourth, men harass women using means that are not sexual or gendered.
Technical Considerations of Biomass Conversion Processes

Material balances are a restatement of the law of conservation of mass, “mass is neither created nor destroyed,” as applied to processes involving chemical and physical changes. A material balance is a balance on mass not on volume nor on moles. It is an accounting of all the material entering and leaving a system. The balance is made with respect to clearly defined, but often arbitrarily chosen, system boundaries. The boundaries of the system must be stated precisely in order for the balance to be useful. The material balance becomes essential in process evaluations because it permits the engineer to (1) determine the flow rates or amounts of unknown streams, (2) recognize incomplete or incorrect data and subsequently obtain usable data from additional measurements or accurate estimates, and (3) design equipment for the process.
Antibiotic and Duration of Perioperative Prophylaxis Predicts Surgical Site Infection in Head and Neck Surgery.

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of giving antibiotics on the day of surgery (DOS) vs DOS and first postoperative day (DOS+1) for prophylaxis against surgical site infection (SSI) in clean-contaminated head and neck surgery (CCHNS).Study DesignRetrospective multi-institution analysis using University HealthSystem Consortium data.MethodsA multivariate logistic regression model of 8836 discharge records from patients undergoing CCHNS was used to determine the odds of SSI for antibiotic agent/duration combinations.SettingNinety-two academic and affiliated medical centers from 2008 to 2011.ResultsAmpicillin/sulbactam, clindamycin, cefazolin + metronidazole, and cefazolin alone were the most common antibiotics. For patients receiving antibiotics only on DOS, there was no significant difference in odds of SSI based on antibiotic choice. When given on the DOS and DOS+1, patients receiving ampicillin/sulbactam had a reduction in odds of SSI by over two-thirds (odds ratio [OR], 0.28 [95% confidence interval, 0.13-0....
Wireless scheduling

Scheduling algorithms have been extensively studied in wireless network design. We first present a comprehensive taxonomy of this research area, including optimality and robustness issues in the frameworks of Layering as Optimization Decomposition and Stochastic NUM. Then we discuss the stability-delay-complexity tradeoff, as well as delay characterizations, in networks with non-saturated traffic. We conclude with reverse and forward engineering of random access protocols in networks with saturated traffic, including convergence and short-term fairness of utility-optimal CSMA with no message passing.
A Versatile Murine Model of Subcortical White Matter Stroke for the Study of Axonal Degeneration and White Matter Neurobiology

Stroke affecting white matter accounts for up to 25% of clinical stroke presentations, occurs silently at rates that may be 5-10 fold greater, and contributes significantly to the development of vascular dementia. Few models of focal white matter stroke exist and this lack of appropriate models has hampered understanding of the neurobiologic mechanisms involved in injury response and repair after this type of stroke. The main limitation of other subcortical stroke models is that they do not focally restrict the infarct to the white matter or have primarily been validated in non-murine species. This limits the ability to apply the wide variety of murine research tools to study the neurobiology of white matter stroke. Here we present a methodology for the reliable production of a focal stroke in murine white matter using a local injection of an irreversible eNOS inhibitor. We also present several variations on the general protocol including two unique stereotactic variations, retrograde neuronal tracing, as well as fresh tissue labeling and dissection that greatly expand the potential applications of this technique. These variations allow for multiple approaches to analyze the neurobiologic effects of this common and understudied form of stroke.
Optimized Si-on-LiNbO3 Waveguide Reflectors with Low Loss and Record-High Reflectance

While high-reflectance gratings in ferroelectrics, such as LiNbO3 and the like, are desired, for example, for waveguide laser applications [1], the inherent difficulties of making efficient gratings in these high-index, etching resistant, materials has long hindered progress.
Face Fly Control Experiments on Quarter Horses—1962–64

Face fly, Musca autumnalis De Geer, control experiments on quarter horses involved the use of (1) 2 kinds of smear-type insecticide formulations (mineral oil and corn syrup) applied with a paint brush to the facial area and (2) specially designed halters with frontal, protective, dichlorvos (20.0%) treated plastic strands. The mineral oil smear mixtures included dichlorvos 0.5% plus Tabatrex® (dibutyl succinate) 2.0%; Imidan® ( O, O -dimethyl S -phthalimidomethyl phosphorodithioate) 1.0%; diazinon 1.0%; azinphosmethyl 1.0%; trichlorfon 2.0%. The corn syrup smear mixtures included dichlorvos 0.5% in water plus 50.0% corn syrup; and dichlorvos (20.0%) resingranules plus undiluted corn syrup. The smear-type treatments were impractical and ineffective. The dichlorvos-plastic strand halters, when correctly installed, adjusted, and maintained, provided good to excellent control of face flies without any observable toxicity to the horses.
DDW 2013: ERCP

Die technische Entwicklung der ERCP hat ein Plateau erreicht. Dennoch waren bestimmte Gebiete im Bereich ERCP auf der diesjahrigen „Digestive Disease Week (DDW)“ gut vertreten. Sie werden differenziert und detailliert diskutiert. Wie erwartet findet die Pravention der Post-ERCP-Pankreatitis (PEP) weiterhin Beachtung. Die Einlage von Pankreasgangstents scheint fur den Endoskopiker unverandert die primare Masnahme zu bleiben, obwohl die pharmakologische Behandlung mit nichtsteroidalen Antirheumatika eine alternative oder komplementare Therapie ist. Andere Themen waren der Einsatz der Cholangioskopie, die Diagnostik biliarer Strikturen, die Behandlung der Strikturen durch Stents und die Radiofrequenz-Ablation.
Implementation of next generation sequencing in clinical molecular diagnostic laboratories: advantages, challenges and potential

ABSTRACTNext generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have the capacity to perform massively parallel sequencing of the genome. This capacity simultaneously facilitates sequencing large areas of the genome in multiple samples and has revolutionized clinical genomics, both for discovery and diagnostic screening of genomic aberrations. The implementation of these powerful technologies in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment certified and College of American Pathologists accredited clinical laboratory presents a unique challenge due to their complexity, volume and medico-legal implications of the data generated. Here, with a focus on routine clinical cancer diagnostics, we review recent progress in the implementation of NGS, associated recommendations and guidelines, and the advantages and challenges of implementing NGS. In the light of rapidly increasing acceptance of NGS to replace the classical first generation technologies in the clinical environment, we also discuss the potential of NGS to be the...
Apatite fission track evidence for two phases Mesozoic-Cenozoic thrust faulting in eastern Qaidam Basin

In eastern Qaidam Basin, the metamorphic and sedimentary Pre-Mesozoic basement had been uplifted due to faulting of the East Qaidam Thrust System and then was separated from the Gonghe Basin due to dextral strike-slip faulting of Wenquan Fault. Apatite fission track analyses and thermochronology of eastern Qaidam Basin show two phases of exhumation and thrusting since Mesozoic. Phase I spanned from 108 Ma to 61 Ma, showing a reduction of AFT cooling ages from south to north, and could be interpreted as the tilting exhumation of the Qaidam basement and thrusting before and at the beginning of Cenozoic. Phase II occurred during 26.6～17.8 Ma between Paleogene and Neogene, which is expressed as the out-of-sequence Cenozoic thrusting of East Qaidam Thrust System.
Urological Aspects of Intra-Abdominal Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor of Childhood: A Preliminary Report

AbstractTo our knowledge intra-abdominal desmoplastic round cell tumor has not previously been described in the pediatric urological literature. This lesion has only recently been recognized as a clinicopathological entity with predilection for adolescent boys. We report on 2 patients who presented with urological symptoms and a large abdominal or pelvic tumor that was biopsied at exploratory laparotomy. Complete surgical excision was impossible in both patients, who subsequently underwent multiagent chemotherapy. Histological and immunohistochemical staining are distinctive in this condition. The tumor is associated with a poor prognosis, despite multidisciplinary, multimodal therapy.
Review and Recommendations for Integrating Mediation and Moderation

Usage of models integrating mediation and moderation is on the rise in the organizational sciences. While moderation and mediation are fairly well understood by themselves, additional complexities emerge when combining them. Some guidance exists regarding the empirical testing of such models, but this guidance is widely misunderstood. Furthermore, very little guidance exists regarding the theoretical justification of such models. This article offers a checklist of recommendations for the presentation, justification, and testing of models integrating mediation and moderation and compares these to what is actually being done via a review of empirical papers in top-tier journals.
Relationship Between Six Years of Corn Yields and Terrain Attributes

Crop yield, soil properties, and erosion are strongly related to terrain attributes. The objectives of our study were to examine the relationship between six years of corn (Zea mays L.) yield data and relative elevation, slope, and curvature, and to develop a linear regression model to describe the spatial patterns of corn yield for a 16 ha field in central Iowa, USA. Corn grain yield was measured in six crop years, and relative elevation was measured using a kinematic global positioning system. Slope and curvature were then determined using digital terrain analysis. Our data showed that in the four years with less than normal growing season precipitation, corn yield was negatively correlated with relative elevation, slope, and curvature. In the two years with greater than normal precipitation, yield was positively correlated with relative elevation and slope. A multiple linear regression model based on relative elevation, slope, and curvature was developed that predicted 78% of the spatial variability of the average yield of the transect plots for the four dry years. This model also adequately identified the spatial patterns within the entire field for yield monitor data from 1997, which was one of the dry years. The relationship between terrain attributes and corn yield spatial patterns may provide opportunities for implementing site-specific management.
Minds Within Minds: An Infinite Descent of Mentality in a Physical World

Physicalism is frequently understood as the thesis that everything depends upon a fundamental physical level. This standard formulation of physicalism has a rarely noted and arguably unacceptable consequence—it makes physicalism come out false in worlds which have no fundamental level, for instance worlds containing things which can infinitely decompose into smaller and smaller parts. If physicalism is false, it should not be for this reason. Thus far, there is only one proposed solution to this problem, and it comes from the so-called via negativa account of physicalism. Via negativa physicalism identifies the physical with the non-mental, such that if everything in the world ultimately depends only on non-mental things, then physicalism is true. To deal with the possibility of worlds without a fundamental level, this account says that physicalism is false in worlds with either a fundamental mental level or an infinite descent of mental levels. Here I argue that there could be a world with an infinite descent of all-mental levels, yet in which physicalism might plausibly be true—thus contradicting the sufficient-for-false condition meant to save physicalism from the threat of infinitely decomposable worlds. This leaves the need for a new dependence-based account of physicalism.
Dietary Nitrate (NO3−)-Induced Increases in Skeletal Muscle Contractile Function: High vs. Low Responders

We have recently reported that acute ingestion of dietary NO3−, an important source of nitric oxide (NO) via the enterosalivary pathway, increases the maximal speed and power of skeletal muscle in healthy individuals, in athletes, and in patients with systolic heart failure. This ergogenic effect is hypothesized to be the result of NO-mediated stimulation of soluble guanyl cyclase and hence production of cyclic GMP. However, consistent with studies of the effects of dietary NO3− on blood pressure or aerobic exercise performance, not all of the subjects we studied previously demonstrated comparable improvements in muscle speed and/or power. In the present investigation we sought to identify factors contributing to this interindividual variability. Eighteen healthy subjects (12 men and 6 women) ranging in age from 22 to 79 (mean 48±20) y were studied used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. On one occasion, subjects were tested 2 h after ingesting a concentrated beetroot juice ...
The acute effect of maximal aerobic and isometric exercise on arterial stiffness parameters in boys and men

Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether the acute effects of aerobic or isometric exercise on arterial stiffness parameters differ between boys and men. Methods Fourteen boys (10 ± 2 years, BMI 17.8 ± 1.9 kg/m 2 ) and nine men (26 ± 3 years, BMI 24.4 ± 3.3 kg/m 2 ) completed maximal aerobic and isometric exercise testing. Blood pressure and arterial stiffness parameters [β-stiffness index, central pulse wave velocity (PWV)] were measured at rest, 5- and 20-min post-exercise. Results Systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased at 5 min and returned to resting values at 20 min in both groups for aerobic exercise (time p p p p p p = 0.01); this interaction approached significance ( p = 0.051). Conclusion Boys show a differential arterial stiffness response following both aerobic and isometric exercise in comparison to men, which may be attributable to the seemingly quicker SBP recovery seen in boys.
Flipping the STEM Classroom: Pilot Study Findings

In the past decade, an increasing body of STEM education research has emphasized the need to address the diverse learning needs of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students in higher education. Yet, the majority of STEM classes throughout the world still rely upon a traditional lecture format that reaches only a subset of student learning styles. As a result, many students struggle to master the complex material in STEM courses which often leads to lower academic performance and/or higher rates of attrition.The Flipped Classroom Model in STEM education has been widely documented for its ability to better engage broad audiences of students with diverse learning needs.We have implemented this model in courses in molecular biology, ecology, introductory microbiology, field research methods, and biotechnology. Overall, student performance was significantly higher in courses in which our flipped classroom innovations were implemented. Herein, we present preliminary findings of our pilot flipped classroom studies.
Searching ClinicalTrials.gov did not change the conclusions of a systematic review.

Abstract Objectives We assessed the effect of searching ClinicalTrials.gov on the conclusions of a systematic review. Study Design and Setting We conducted this case study concurrently with a systematic review. We searched ClinicalTrials.gov on March 9, 2016, to identify trial records eligible for inclusion in the review. Two independent reviewers screened ClinicalTrials.gov records. We compared conclusions and strength of evidence grade with and without ClinicalTrials.gov records for 31 comparisons and 2 outcomes. Results We identified 106 trials (53 in the peer-reviewed literature only, 23 in ClinicalTrials.gov only, and 30 in both sources). For one comparison, the addition of results identified through ClinicalTrials.gov reduced the pooled effect size. We found evidence of selective outcome reporting for two comparisons and suspected publication bias for another two comparisons. For all other comparisons, searching ClinicalTrials.gov did not change conclusions or the strength of evidence grading for the two outcomes. Conclusion Our search of ClinicalTrials.gov bolstered suspicions of reporting biases but did not change either the conclusions or the strength of evidence grading. Further research is needed to determine the effect of searching ClinicalTrials.gov on the conclusions of systematic reviews in different topic areas and as the new rules for registration of trial results take effect.
High frame rate egomotion estimation

In this paper, we present an algorithm for doing high frame rate egomotion estimation. We achieve this by using a basis flow model, along with a novel inference algorithm, that uses spatio-temporal gradients, foregoing the computation of the slow and noisy optical flow. The inherent linearity in our model allows us to achieve fine grained parallelism. We demonstrate this by running our algorithm on GPUs to achieve egomotion estimation at 120Hz. Image motion is tightly coupled with the camera egomotion and depth of the scene. Hence, we validate our approach by using the egomotion estimate to compute the depth of a static scene. Our applications are aimed towards autonomous navigation scenarios where, it is required to have a quick estimate of the state of the vehicle, while freeing up computation time for higher level vision tasks.
A longitudinal assessment to evaluate the impact of higher body mass index on cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

10061Background: Obesity and weight gain post-chemotherapy leads to increases in all-cause mortality, inflammation, and decreased quality of life but little is known about how obesity contributes t...
Surgical Management of Thyroid Cancer

Operations on the thyroid gland have been performed since 952 A.D.1 Early procedures were complicated by uncontrollable hemorrhage from the vascular thyroid gland often resulting in the death of the patient. Theodor Kocher, a Swiss surgeon and pioneer in thyroid surgery, performed his first thyroidectomy in 1872. By the end of his career, he had performed over 5,000 thyroidectomies with a progressive decrease in operative mortality from 13 percent to 1 percent.2 Kocher contributed substantially to the field of thyroid surgery. He emphasized meticulous control of bleeding and the importance of identification and preservation of the parathyroid glands. He also recognized the complications of postoperative hypothyroidism.
Closed-Incision Negative-Pressure Therapy Efficacy in Abdominal Wall Reconstruction in High-Risk Patients: A Meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Obesity is a known risk factor for surgical complications. Closed-incision negative-pressure therapy (ciNPT) has been used anecdotally in high-risk patients to prevent wound complications and infection. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of ciNPT in reducing the incidence of wound complications and infection in abdominal wall reconstruction. Methods A literature search using the PubMed/MEDLINE databases (2006-2016) was conducted to identify publications comparing ciNPT to standard incisional care for abdominal wall reconstruction. Outcomes of interest included surgical site infection, wound dehiscence, seroma, hematoma, reoperation, and readmission. Overall rates and associations were pooled. A fixed and random effects model was used upon meta-analysis. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. Results A total of 11 studies met inclusion criteria. There were 1723 patients included, 681 in the ciNPT group, and 1042 in the standard incisional care group. The majority of patients were obese, diabetic, and had a recent history of smoking. On meta-analysis, the risk of surgical site infection decreased by 51% (relative risk: 0.51, 95% confidence interval [0.41-0.63]). The risk of wound dehiscence decreased by 51% (relative risk: 0.51, 95% confidence interval [0.34-0.76]). There was no significant decreased risk observed with ciNPT use for the outcomes of seroma, hematoma, reoperation, and readmission. Conclusions The use of ciNPT reduced the incidence of infection and wound dehiscence in patients with varying risk factors undergoing abdominal wall reconstruction. Future prospective randomized clinical trials are still needed to determine the efficacy of ciNPT in plastic surgery.