cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Value of Combination of Sputum Bacteriophage,PPD and Tuberculin Testing for Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective To evaluate the value of combined application of sputum bacteriophage,PPD and tuberculin testing in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods A total of 567 patients with lung diseases hospitalized in the Dongan County Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2011 were enrolled and were divided into tuberculosis group and non-tuberculosis group.Mycobacterium tuberculosis was determined in them by sputum bacteriophage,PPD and tuberculin testing.The sensitivities,specificities and Youden's indices of the three detection methods were compared.Results The positive rates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by sputum bacteriophage,PPD and tuberculin testing were remarkably higher in the tuberculosis group than those in the non-tuberculosis group.Combination of the three methods could raise the specificity and Youden's index.Conclusions The combined application of sputum bacteriophage,PPD and tuberculin testing can reduce the misdiagnosis rate and improve the accuracy of the diagnosis.
Excitons in II–VI Compounds

The optical properties of II–VI compounds have been the subject of considerable study for many years; indeed, in the older published literature, there is a wealth of optical data, some of which are related to the fundamental properties of those materials. It has only been in recent years, however, that even the older data have been associated with the exciton structure. The more recent (mostly since 1959) magneto-optical data (spectral data obtained at high magnetic fields and low temperatures) are very closely related to the fundamental properties of the materials; these data have come to be very well understood in terms of excitons in these compounds. In fact, the isolation and subsequent elucidation of many properties fundamental to these materials has frequently been possible because of a better understanding of the intrinsic-exciton structure.
Robust free-breathing SASHA T1 mapping with high-contrast image registration

Many widely used myocardial T1 mapping sequences use breath-hold acquisitions that limit the precision of calculated T1 maps. The SAturation-recovery single-SHot Acquisition (SASHA) sequence has high accuracy with robustness against systematic confounders, but has poorer precision compared to the commonly used MOdified Look-Locker Inversion recovery (MOLLI) sequence. We propose a novel method for generating high-contrast SASHA images to enable a robust image registration approach to free-breathing T1 mapping with high accuracy and precision. High-contrast (HC) images were acquired in addition to primary variable flip angle (VFA) SASHA images by collecting an additional 15 k-space lines and sharing k-space data with the primary image. The number of free-breathing images and their saturation recovery times were optimized through numerical simulations. Accuracy and precision of T1 maps using the proposed SASHA-HC sequence was compared in 10 volunteers at 1.5 T to MOLLI, a breath-hold SASHA-VFA sequence, and free-breathing SASHA-VFA data processed using conventional navigator gating and standard image registration. Free-breathing T1 maps from 15 patients and 10 volunteers were graded by blinded observers for sharpness and artifacts. Difference images calculated by subtracting HC and primary SASHA images had greater tissue-blood contrast than the primary images alone, with a 3× improvement for 700 ms TS saturation recovery images and a 6× increase in tissue-blood contrast for non-saturated images. Myocardial T1s calculated in volunteers with free-breathing SASHA-HC were similar to standard breath-hold SASHA-VFA (1156.1 ± 28.1 ms vs 1149.4 ± 26.5 ms, p >0.05). The standard deviation of myocardial T1 values using a 108 s free-breathing SASHA-HC (36.2 ± 3.1 ms) was 50 % lower (p <0.01) than breath-hold SASHA-VFA (72.7 ± 8.0 ms) and 34 % lower (p <0.01) than breath-hold MOLLI (54.7 ± 5.9 ms). T1 map quality scores in volunteers were higher with SASHA-HC (4.7 ± 0.3 out of 5) than navigator gating (3.6 ± 0.4, p <0.01) or normal registration (3.7 ± 0.4, p <0.01). SASHA-HC T1 maps had comparable precision to breath-hold MOLLI using a retrospectively down-sampled 30 s free-breathing acquisition and 30 % higher precision with a 60 s acquisition. High-contrast SASHA images enable a robust image registration approach to free-breathing T1 mapping. Free-breathing SASHA-HC provides accurate T1 maps with higher precision than MOLLI in acquisitions longer than 30 s.
CE-35 Low prevalence of PCP in hospitalised patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: review of a clinical data warehouse

Background In the era of powerful immunosuppression, opportunistic infections are an increasing concern in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients. One of the best-studied opportunistic infections is Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP); however, the prevalence of PCP in SLE is not clearly defined, and the low tolerance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in SLE presents a challenge for PCP prophylaxis in SLE patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PCP in hospitalised SLE patients at a single medical centre, with a focus on validating PCP and SLE diagnoses with clinical information obtained from corresponding medical records, in order to better define the risk of PCP in SLE. Materials and methods This is a retrospective cohort study evaluating the prevalence of PCP in all patients with SLE treated at Columbia University Medical Centre-New York Presbyterian Hospital between January 2000 and September 2014, using electronic medical record (EMR) data from the Clinical Data Warehouse. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and patients with renal transplants represented immunocompromised control groups. Patients with SLE, PCP, HIV/AIDS, or renal transplant were identified using diagnostic codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). Results Out of 2,013 hospitalised SLE patients, nine were identified with presumed PCP, yielding a prevalence of 0.45%. Three of the nine PCP cases were patients with concomitant SLE and HIV/AIDS. Only one of these nine cases was histologically confirmed as PCP, this too in a concomitant SLE and HIV/AIDS patient with a CD4 count of 13 cells/mm 3 . The prevalence of PCP in renal transplant patients and HIV/AIDS patients was 0.61% and 5.98% respectively. Conclusions Given the reported high rate of adverse effects of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in SLE patients and our finding of low prevalence of PCP infections in hospitalised SLE patients, our data do not substantiate the need for initiating PCP prophylaxis in SLE patients except in those with concurrent HIV/AIDS.
Challenges for US Irrigated Agriculture in the Face of Emerging Demands and Climate Change

Across the United States, human and environmental demands for water resources have increased significantly over the last 50 years. Population and economic growth, changing social norms regarding the importance of water quality and ecosystems, and longstanding Native American water-right claims have increased pressures on available water supplies, particularly in the arid western states. Given that agriculture accounts for roughly 85% of US consumptive water use, growing water demands with relatively fixed water supplies have heightened conflicts over agricultural allocations in water-short years. Sustainability of U.S. irrigated agriculture will depend partly on whether producers adopt more efficient irrigation “production systems” that integrate improved onfarm water management practices with efficient irrigation application systems. It will also depend on how well future conservation policy integrates improvements in onfarm water conservation with watershed/landscape-scale water-management institutions that help to encourage market-induced water reallocations supporting real water conservation.
Growth and Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 as Affected by the Fungicide Iprodione 1.

Spores of Aspergillus parasiticus strain NRRL 2999 were inoculated into yeast extract sucrose broth containing different levels of iprodione (0, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 (μg/ml) and incubated at 25°C for 4, 7, 10, 14, and 21 d. Iprodione inhibited mold growth and subsequent toxin production, beginning at the 5 μg/g level up to 7 d of incubation. Results showed that as the iprodione level increased, more time was required by the organism to initiate mycelial development. At any given time, the lower the iprodione level, the more dry mycelial weight and aflatoxin production (B1, B2, G1, and G2) were observed.
Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy: 40 Years Experience

The results of surgical treatment between 1940 and 1980 of 118 children with frontal or temporal lobe epilepsy were reviewed at the Montreal Neurological Institute.
Clearance-type nonlinear energy sinks for enhancing performance in electroacoustic wave energy harvesting

This paper explores a clearance-type nonlinear energy sink (NES) for increasing electrical energy harvested from non-stationary mechanical waves, such as those encountered during impact and intermittent events. The key idea is to trap energy in the NES such that it can be harvested over a time period longer than that afforded by the passing disturbance itself. Analytical, computational, and experimental techniques are employed to optimize the energy sink, explore qualitative behavior (to include bifurcations), and verify enhanced performance. Unlike traditionally studied single-DOF NESs, both subdomains of the NES (i.e., on either side of the clearance) contain displaceable degrees of freedom, increasing the complexity of the analytical solution approach. However, closed-form solutions are found which quantify the relationship between the impact amplitude and the energy produced, parameterized by system properties such as the harvester effective resistance, the clearance gap, and the domain mass and stiffness. Bifurcation diagrams and trends therein provide insight into the number and state of impact events at the NES as excitation amplitude increases. Moreover, a closed-form Poincare map is derived which maps one NES impact location to the next, greatly simplifying the analysis while providing an important tool for follow-on bifurcation studies. Finally, a series of representative experiments are carried out to realize the benefits of using clearance-type nonlinearities to trap wave energy and increase the net harvested energy.
Geography of online network ties: A predictive modelling approach

Abstract Internet platforms are increasingly enabling individuals to access and interact with a wider, globally dispersed group of peers. The promise of these platforms is that the geographic distance is no longer a barrier to forming network ties. However, whether these platforms truly alleviate the influence of geographic distance remains unexplored. In this study, we examine the role of geographic distance with machine learning approach using a unique dataset of the network ties between traders in an online social trading platform. Specifically, we determine the extent to which, compared to other types of distances, geographic distance predicts the occurrences of the network ties in country dyads. Using cluster analysis and predictive modelling, we show that not only the geographic distance and network ties exhibit an inverse association but also that geographic distance is the strongest predictor of such ties.
Impact of end stage kidney disease on costs and outcomes of Clostridium difficile infection.

Abstract Objectives To assess the impact of end stage kidney disease (ESKD) on the outcomes of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), including complications of infection, length of hospital stay, overall mortality, and healthcare burden. Methods The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database created by the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was used, covering the years 2009 through 2013. Manufacturer-provided sampling weights were used to produce national estimates. Results All-cause unadjusted in-hospital mortality was significantly higher for patients with CDI and ESKD than for patients without ESKD (11.6% vs. 7.7%, p 0.001). The in-hospital mortality remained higher even after adjusting for age, sex, race, and Charlson index group using multivariate logistic regression (odds ratio 1.47, confidence interval 1.41–1.53). The median length of stay was found to be longer by 2days in the ESKD group (9 vs. 7 days, p 0.001). The average cost of hospitalization for patients with CDI and ESKD was also significantly higher compared to the non-ESKD group (USD $35 588 vs. $23 505, in terms of the 2013 value of the USD, p Conclusions The presence of end stage kidney disease in hospitalized patients with Clostridium difficile infection is associated with higher mortality, a longer length of stay, and a higher cost of hospitalization.
Structural evolution in reaction-bonded silicon carbide and boron carbide composites (RBSBC)

Abstract Reaction-bonded silicon carbide and boron carbide composites (RBSBC) are promising for laser mirror, armor and other applications. However, the structural evolution in RBSBC has not been fully understood. From microscopic characterization and thermodynamic analysis, we propose the mechanisms which can successfully explain observed microstructures, e.g., core-rim structure in SiC grains and plate-like SiC inside B 4 C grains, respectively. In addition, we find that the pre-existing SiC particles may hinder the formation of polygonal SiC in Si and lead to more B 4 C dissolution during the fabrication of RBSBC due to its lower B 4 C percentage than that in corresponding reaction-bonded boron carbide composites (RBBC). We believe that the results would shed light on potential fabrication optimization of RBSBC.
Environment model adaptation for mobile robot exploration

In this work, we propose a methodology to adapt a mobile robot’s environment model during exploration as a means of decreasing the computational complexity associated with information metric evaluation and consequently increasing the speed at which the system is able to plan actions and travel through an unknown region given finite computational resources. Recent advances in exploration compute control actions by optimizing information-theoretic metrics on the robot’s map. These metrics are generally computationally expensive to evaluate, limiting the speed at which a robot is able to explore. To reduce computational cost, we propose keeping two representations of the environment: one full resolution representation for planning and collision checking, and another with a coarse resolution for rapidly evaluating the informativeness of planned actions. To generate the coarse representation, we employ the Principal of Relevant Information from rate distortion theory to compress a robot’s occupancy grid map. We then propose a method for selecting a coarse representation that sacrifices a minimal amount of information about expected future sensor measurements using the Information Bottleneck Method. We outline an adaptive strategy that changes the robot’s environment representation in response to its surroundings to maximize the computational efficiency of exploration. On computationally constrained systems, this reduction in complexity enables planning over longer predictive horizons, leading to faster navigation. We simulate and experimentally evaluate mutual information based exploration through cluttered indoor environments with exploration rates that adapt based on environment complexity leading to an order-of-magnitude increase in the maximum rate of exploration in contrast to non-adaptive techniques given the same finite computational resources.
Powerline communications strategy enabling fully decentralized control of AC-stacked PV inverters

Cascaded or distributed module-level inverters are becoming increasingly desirable for photovoltaic applications. The authors have demonstrated an AC-stacked topology that allows each inverter to operate completely autonomously from all the others. The only required communications is a low-bandwidth synchronization signal communicated from the point-of-grid-connection. This paper describes the communications strategy that needed to be developed to ensure robust field operation of the entire PV string. The approach has been used to allow an 8-module, 120V RMS string to operate in the field for over six months without any synchronization or controls-related failures.
Material Thickness Measurements Using Compton Backscatter

As the age of airplanes in the commercial fleet has increased, inspection and maintenance costs have steadily increased. The fact that aircraft have a fairly complicated structure and operate under a wide range of environmental conditions means that detection of the onset of structural deterioration is often difficult. In particular, corrosion of aluminum structures may begin on interior layers and be visually evident only at fairly advanced stages. Present maintenance requirements dictate that airplane skin (typical thickness 1mm) must be repaired if more than 10% thickness of the material has corroded[l]. A number of nondestructive inspection techniques are being applied to assist in early detection of corrosion in aircraft structures[2]. However, it is often difficult to determine whether these small thickness variations are due to corrosive material loss or to inherent variations introduced in the manufacturing process. X-ray scattering is sensitive to variations in material type and density, and hence offers the possibility of distinguishing between corroded material and intrinsic thickness variations.
Bleeding diverticulum of the colon treated with CT-guided percutaneous injection of epinephrine and cyanoacrylate

Abstract Hematochezia may be a result of anatomic, vascular, inflammatory, infectious, or neoplastic diseases. Colonoscopic evaluation and therapy may be limited because of intermittent bleeding in the setting of numerous diverticula. This report describes a patient with diverticulosis who presented with hematochezia and hemodynamic instability with failed colonoscopic and arteriographic evaluations, and was treated with percutaneous transcolonic diverticular cyanoacrylate and epinephrine injection.
Business Monitoring Framework for Process Discovery with Real-Life Logs

Business analysis with processes extracted from real-life system logs has recently become important for improving business performance. Since business users desire to see the current situations of business with visualized process models from various perspective, we need an analysis platform that supports changes of viewpoint. We have developed a runtime monitoring framework for log analysis. Our framework can simultaneously extract process instances and derive appropriate metrics in a single pass through the logs. We tested our proposed framework with a real-life system log. The results for twenty days of data show synthesized process models along with an analysis axis. They were synthesized from the metric-annotated process instances generated by our framework.
Queen–Queen Conflict in Eusocial Insect Colonies

Eusocial insects are successful because colony members display cooperative and helping behaviors. However, colony members also come into conflict because their genetic interests differ. A major form of conflict within insect societies takes place among queens. Queen conflict arises because queens compete for reproductive success. Reproductive competition may take several forms and arise at different stages of the colony life cycle. The resolution of queen conflict depends on the interactions between ecological factors and levels of kinship among queens and workers within the colony. Ultimately, queen conflict can lead to a variety of outcomes ranging from stable multiqueen associations to queen death.
Introduction and Overview of Different Uses of Number Words

Number words are special kinds of words. The aspect of a situation described by a number word is not obvious. Understanding the many uses of number words requires many different conceptual structures. These conceptual structures are built over a number of years and move from quite simple to quite complex. Children’s increasing ability to use number words correctly provides an interesting domain of study in which cognitive development, language, and procedural activity overlap.
Wireless sensor network for continuous temperature monitoring in air-cooled data centers: applications and measurement results

Temperature monitoring in data centers is essential for reliably operating the data processing equipment and minimizing the required cooling energy. For this purpose, we track the temperatures at key locations in the data center with low-cost sensors and forward the captured information via the ZRL Data Center Wireless Sensor Network (DCWSN) to a monitoring client. Applications include continuous temperature monitoring, data collection for thermal modeling, and temperature sensing for real-time control of cold air flow and workload allocation. The DCWSN has been successfully deployed in production data centers.
A q-Analog of the Partition Lattice

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the q-analog of the partition lattice. The set of all partitions of a finite set, when ordered by refinement, is a well-known geometric lattice enjoying a number of structural properties. Every upper interval of a partition lattice is a partition lattice, and every interval is a direct product of partition lattices. The partitions with a single non-trivial block form a Boolean sublattice of modular elements and the Whitney numbers are the familiar Stirling numbers. Because of these and other structural properties, the partition lattices occupy a middle ground between the highly structured modular geometric lattices and arbitrary geometric lattices, exhibiting some of the consequences of the departure from modularity while still retaining enough of the structure to facilitate their study. The chapter describes a prime power q a class of geometric lattices, called q-partition lattices, which share a number of the properties of partition lattices.
A Commentary on Student Learning and Engagement in Pre-K–12 Mathematics Classrooms

This chapter is a commentary on the chapters in the book focused on student learning and engagement in pre-K–12 mathematics classrooms.
Urinary proteomics reveals association between pediatric nephrolithiasis and cardiovascular disease

To study (1) the differences in the relative abundance of urinary proteins between children with kidney stones (RS) and hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia, normal metabolic work-up, and healthy controls (HC); (2) the association of these proteins with various diseases. Quantitative proteomic comparison of pooled urine from RS (N = 30, 24 females, mean age 12.95 ± 4.03 years) versus age- and gender-matched HC, using mass spectrometry. Relative protein abundance was estimated using spectral counting. Proteins of interest were selected using the following criteria: (1) ≥ 5 spectral counts; (2) ≥ twofold difference in spectral counts; and (3) ≤ 0.05 p value for the Fisher’s Exact Test. Of the 1813 proteins identified, 229 met the above criteria, with 162 proteins up-regulated in the RS group and 67 up-regulated in HC. The largest group of proteins (30 out of 229) was found to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Of those, 16 were involved in coagulation, fibrinolysis, and adhesion, 10 in inflammation, 5 in lipid transport and metabolism, and 4 in oxidative stress. All except two were exclusively found in children with hypercalciuria and hypocitraturia, and were not seen in children with normal metabolic work-up. Using a proteomic approach, we found a significant association between hypercalciuric and hypocitraturic nephrolithiasis and CVD in children. The shared risk factors among both diseases are endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis caused by abnormal coagulation, adhesion, disturbance of lipid transport and metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation. Further understanding of the pathophysiological link between nephrolithiasis and CVD is necessary for developing new therapeutic targets.
Decarbonylative cross-coupling of amides.

Cross-coupling reactions are among the most powerful C–C and C–X bond forming tools in organic chemistry. Traditionally, cross-coupling methods rely on the use of aryl halides or pseudohalides as electrophiles. In the past three years, decarbonylative cross-couplings of amides have emerged as an attractive method for the construction of a wide variety of carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bonds, allowing for the synthetically-valuable functional group inter-conversion of the amide bond. These previously elusive reactions hinge upon selective activation of the N–C(O) acyl amide bond, followed by CO extrusion, in a formal double N–C/C–C bond activation, to generate a versatile aryl–metal intermediate as an attractive alternative to traditional cross-couplings of aryl halides and pseudohalides. In this perspective review, we present recent advances and key developments in the field of decarbonylative cross-coupling reactions of amides as well as discuss future challenges and potential applications for this exciting field.
Steady-state microwave conductivity reveals mobility-lifetime product in methylammonium lead iodide

Many time-resolved techniques to study charge carrier recombination involve pulsed high-power optical excitation and photo-generated carrier densities many orders of magnitude higher than present under typical solar cell operating conditions. In this report, we demonstrate a steady-state contactless microwave conductivity technique to evaluate the photoconductivity of carriers in semiconductors at low illumination intensity, as a function of optical power density. We studied characteristics of both thin films and single crystals of a hybrid halide perovskite compound, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3). The aggregate mobility-lifetime product of majority and minority carriers in thin films of MAPbI3 was determined and found to be highly-dependent on incident optical power density, even at sub-1-sun illumination intensities, and attributed to trap states within the films.
Pharmacologic Management of Delirium in the ICU: A Review of the Literature:

Purpose:Conflicting data exists on the pharmacologic management of intensive care unit (ICU) delirium. This review appraises the current evidence of pharmacologic management of ICU delirium.Materia...
Legal Protection to Commercial Sex Workers (PSK) Viewed From Reproductive Health Aspects at Pasar Kembang (Sarkem) Yogyakarta

All women had equal rights to reproductive health, no exception for commercial sex workers (PSK), because PSK was a very risky job for various diseases, among others, gonorrhea, herpes, fungal infections, syphilis, vaginitis, ulcers, sex lice, and HIV/AIDS. However, in reality, not all PSK s got their rights to reproductive health. The Government had issued a regulation related to reproductive rights, namely Government Regulation Nr. 61 of 2014 on Reproductive Health. This research used the socio-legal approach with the analytical- descriptive specification. The primary data were obtained from interviews with the Head of Public Health Center (Puskesmas) of Gedongtengen, doctors, midwives, coordinator of commercial sex workers association, AIDS Prevention Commission, the Head of Infectious Disease Control Section of the Health Office of Yogyakarta City, hotel owners and commercial sex workers (PSK) . Secondary data were obtained from books and legal materials having relations with the research. The data gathered were then qualitatively analyzed. The results of the research at Puskesmas of Gedongtengen showed that PSK had obtained legal protection by the contents of articles of the prevailing legislation and the Minister of Health’s regulation. Puskesmas of Gedongtengen had reproductive health services programs such as clinical sexual services of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and voluntary counseling and testing (VCT). If by an examination a PSK was found HIV/AIDS positive, she would be referred to a hospital having facilities by her needs. On the one hand, the supporting factors of the implementation of legal protection to commercial sex workers regarding reproductive health included affordable costs of the Puskesmas, availability of competent health personnel, adequate facilities, and infrastructure, cross-sectoral cooperation, PSK involvement in the services provided. On the other hand, the inhibiting factors were the absence of specific legislative regulations on PSK , low-level education that led to lack of health examination awareness, a lot of the customers that refused to use condoms and the insufficient availability of skilled health personnel.
Spectroscopic studies of photochromic N-[4-(4-alkoxybenzoyloxy)-2-hydroxy-benzylidene]-4-alkylanilines

Much attention has been paid to molecular systems that exhibit photochromism from fundamental and optical application viewpoints [1, 2]. N-(2-hydroxybenzylidene) aniline (HBA) (more commonly called salicylideneaniline) is known to exhibit photochromism in the crystal and glass states [3±5]. It is known that, in photochromic compounds, the colourless ground-state enol form, on illumination with ultraviolet (UV) light, changes to the keto form through the hydrogen bridge with a concomitant rotation around the central C3⁄4N bond [2±5]. The possibility of using liquid crystals in various technical applications has been successfully exploited [6, 7]. Photochromic liquid crystal compounds representing both the liquid crystal behaviour and the photochromic properties have been the subject of research [1, 8]. However, attempts to synthesize such materials failed because the combination of photochromic and mesogenic moieties in one molecule led to the impairment of one or both of the properties [9]. It is well known that the change in molecular structure for HBAs through photoisomerization is small compared to that of azobenzenes and spiropyrans which are typical compounds exhibiting the photochromism and the liquid crystal phases. It can be expected that photochromism is observed in the liquid crystal phases of HBAs. However, this has scarcely been studied. We synthesized N-[4-(4-alkoxybenzoyloxy-2hydroxy-benzylidene)]-4-alkylanilines (mAHBAn, m  1y8, n  2, 4, 8):
The Fertilized Anterior Cruciate Ligament: An All-Inside Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Augmented With Amnion, Bone Marrow Concentrate, and a Suture Tape

There is increasing research and interest surrounding biologics and sports medicine. Amnion has the potential to decrease adhesions and possibly protect anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) grafts along with increasing vascularization by acting as a scaffold. Bone marrow concentrate containing mesenchymal stem cells combined with Allosync Pure (Arthrex, Naples, FL) injected into ACL tunnels has the potential to increase the speed and quality of graft bone incorporation, especially when used in the setting of a soft-tissue allograft. Using suture tape augmentation (InternalBrace; Arthrex) with the reconstruction has been thought to increase the early strength of the reconstruction. In this article, we combine all 3 techniques into an all-inside ACL reconstruction that has great potential for an earlier return to play and advanced rehabilitation.
When Kairos Compels Composition: Women’s Response to the 1924 Burpee Seed Company® Contest, “What Burpee Seeds Have Done for Me”

In 1924, the W. Atlee Burpee & Company® announced a contest calling for letters responding to the prompt, “What Burpee’s Seeds Have Done for Me.” By the deadline, Burpee had received thousands of l...
An Efficient Method for Band Structure Calculations in 2D Photonic Crystals

An efficient method for band structure calculations in dielectric photonic crystals is presented. The method uses a finite element discretization coupled with a preconditioned subspace iteration algorithm. Numerical examples are presented which illustrate the behavior of the method.
Trends in the public health significance, definitions of disease, and implications for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was described over a century ago, there remains no cure, and with the global demographic shift to older ages, the impact is increasing rapidly. This article summarizes how the conceptualization of AD has evolved in response to research advances. Current challenges including the impact of multimorbidity are outlined, and potential targets for prevention are discussed. The ability to study AD neuropathology in vivo and results from longitudinal epidemiologic studies have led to a consensus that AD has a long preclinical course spanning decades. This view is driving efforts to identify early markers that will identify individuals at risk for AD dementia. Critical questions remain regarding the pathological mechanisms underlying AD and their relation to clinical symptoms. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that interventions targeting modifiable risk factors may slow or prevent the onset of disease while the search for a cure continues.
Emerging Therapeutic Modalities for Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema (DR/DME) are among the leading causes of irreversible vision loss in the working age population. Emerging therapeutic modalities are being engineered to improve clinical management of DR/DME with improved clinical outcomes. This is evidenced by prolongation of therapeutic half-life to reduce treatment burdens, multi-targeted therapies which address multiple disease mediators, and innovative methods to improve tissue penetration and cell selectivity. We report here on selected novel ocular drug delivery technologies and therapeutic modalities, and their potential as game-changing clinical approaches for addressing the sight-threatening complications of diabetes.
Relationship between retail food outlets near public schools and adolescent obesity in New York City.

Abstract Using objectively-measured height and weight data from academic years 2009–2013 (n = 1,114,010 student-year observations), we estimated the association between the food outlet in closest proximity to schools and the likelihood of obesity among New York City public high school students. Obesity risk was higher for students with a corner store as the nearest option to schools, regardless of whether other food outlet types were located within a quarter mile or a half mile of schools (i.e., benchmarks for zoning policies). Policymakers may want to consider introducing healthier food options near schools, in conjunction with programs to support changes within corner stores.
A Simple Matter of Time? School-Level Analysis of the Relationship between Time Allocation, Treatment Integrity, and Student Outcome

Treatment integrity is critical to realizing the effects of evidence-based programs and practices (EBPPs) that aim to promote student mental and behavioral health. Across disciplines, time is consistently referenced as one of the most significant barriers to successful implementation outcomes (e.g., treatment integrity) of EBPPs. However, there is limited to no research that has examined the relationship between time allocation, treatment integrity, and student outcomes, especially at the school organizational level. This study used data from 106 elementary schools implementing Tier 1 school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports to examine the associations among two types of time allocation (collaboration/planning and professional development), school-level treatment integrity, and suspension. Results supported significant associations between two types of time allocation and both implementation and student behavioral outcomes. Moreover, the mediation analysis suggested that treatment integrity mediated the relationship between both types of time allocation (collaboration/planning and professional development) and student behavioral outcomes at the school level. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.
A case for OFDM in ultra-broadband terahertz communication: an experimental approach

Terahertz (THz) Band communication is envisioned as one of the leading technology to meet the exponentially growing data rate requirements of emerging and future wireless communication networks. Although prior works on THz channel measurement capture large scale fading effects, like free space path loss and atmospheric absorption, they do not show the overall effect on the received signal due to additional non-linearity from experimental hardware. In this work, we perform over the air experiments in ultra-broad THz bandwidth (10 GHz) that reveals that the received signal undergoes frequency selective fading due to hardware imperfections. This motivates us to utilize orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) in indoor short range ultra-broadband THz communication. To experimentally show its efficacy, we compute the coherence bandwidth of the system, which is less than the full bandwidth. We derive optimal parameters for OFDM for our hardware setup and perform over-the-air experiments to achieve 42 Gbps physical layer data rate over an effective bandwidth of 8.125 GHz.
KRAS is vulnerable to reversible switch-II pocket engagement in cells

Current small molecule inhibitors of KRAS (G12C) bind irreversibly in the switch-II pocket, exploiting the strong nucleophilicity of the acquired cysteine as well as the preponderance of the GDP-bound form of this mutant. Nevertheless, many oncogenic KRAS mutants lack these two features, and it remains unknown whether targeting the switch-II pocket is a practical therapeutic approach for KRAS mutants beyond G12C. Here we use NMR spectroscopy and a novel cellular KRAS engagement assay to address this question by examining a collection of SII-P ligands from the literature and from our own laboratory. We show that the switch-II pockets of many GTP hydrolysis-deficient KRAS hotspot (G12, G13, Q61) mutants are accessible using non-covalent ligands, and that this accessibility is not necessarily coupled to the GDP state of KRAS. The results we describe here emphasize the switch-II pocket as a privileged drug binding site on KRAS and unveil new therapeutic opportunities in RAS-driven cancer.
Preliminary study of the contraceptive effect of a self-assembling intrauterine device (iUPODs) in mares maintained in a paddock with a fertile stallion.

Abstract There is an urgent need for practical methods of population control (i.e., contraception and/or sterilization) for free-roaming (i.e., “wild” or “feral”) horses and burros on Western Public Lands in the United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contraceptive efficacy of a novel self-assembling three-part polymer-coated magnetic intrauterine device termed as an intrauterine POD (self-assembling; iUPOD) when there are natural breeding conditions when iUPOD use was managed by veterinary professionals with no prior experience with the device. Six mares were administered an iUPOD and were then housed continuously with a fertile stallion for 91 days. The intrauterine POD retention and contraceptive efficacy were 100%. Two mares had prolonged corpus luteum function (for 37 and 91 days) immediately after iUPOD placement. For the estrous cycles of the other mares, the duration of diestrus was 7.8 ± 2.7 days (mean ± S.D.). Four of the mares (67%) became pregnant when in a paddock with the same stallion the year after iUPOD removal. These results are encouraging for use of the iUPOD as a practical and reversible method of fertility control in free-roaming horses and burros.
Differential Equations, Mechanics, and Computation

This title is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students interested in ordinary differential equations and numerical methods. This book provides a conceptual introduction to the theory of ordinary differential equations, concentrating on the initial value problem for equations of evolution and with applications to the calculus of variations and classical mechanics, along with a discussion of chaos theory and ecological models. It has a careful introduction to the theory of numerical methods with an unusual treatment of the analysis of errors and stability of various numerical solution algorithms. While the book would be suitable as a textbook for an undergraduate or elementary graduate course in ordinary differential equations, the authors have designed the text also to be useful for motivated students wishing to learn the material on their own or desiring to supplement an ODE textbook being used in a course they are taking with a text offering a more conceptual approach to the subject.
Surface Determined Properties of Silicate Glasses

It is normally assumed that glass surfaces are inert; this is why glass is frequently considered as the container material of choice. However, anyone who has ever worked with a vacuum line or looked at the chemical or biological activity of glasses knows otherwise. Furthermore, when treated in specific ways, glass surfaces can be rendered extremely reactive. This presentation will deal with particular treatments that have been shown to greatly modify the chemical activity and mechanical properties of glasses.
Pediatric genetic disease of the cornea

Our objective is to evaluate the literature regarding selected genetic diseases of the cornea, including megalocornea, keratoglobus, keratoconus, cystinosis, the mucopolysaccharidoses, sclerocornea, Peters' anomaly, familial dysautonomia, and various corneal dystrophies. The transparency of the cornea is a consequence of uniformity in both size and spacing of the collagen lamellae. The cornea's clarity depends on a delicate biochemical and structural balance; consequently, genetic disorders that disrupt either its metabolic or anatomic function can cause opacity and vision loss. Many childhood corneal diseases have a genetic etiology and are associated with known syndromes. Each disorder has unique associated set of possible complications. Prognosis often depends on the extent of opacity and disorganization of the anterior segment. Corneal transplantation has been performed for these disorders with variable success.
Recent findings in software process maturity

After several years of using the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) software process maturity framework, preliminary data is now available. This paper provides an overview of the SEI methods, summarizes the current data, and discusses the trends and implications of this work. The paper opens with a brief summary of the importance of software to modern society. It then discusses the software process and software process maturity. The principles of software process assessments are next described along with the various assessment types introduced by the SEI. The general state of software practice is then covered, including data on U.S. and Japanese software organizations. The paper concludes with some observations on the state of software practice and comments on the rates of organizational improvement.
Cytogenetic assays for mitotic poisons. The grasshopper embryo system for volatile liquids

The present study demonstrates the usefulness of grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes) embryos for detecting mitotic arrest and anaphase abnormalities induced by volatile liquids. Eight compounds were tested with this system. Embryos in vivo (intact chorions) were suspended in sealed chambers and the agents, in various amounts, were placed on the bottom of the chambers. The agents, after evaporation, filled the ambient air in which the embryos respired. After a period of exposure, individual embryos were fixed for squash preparations to determine the mitotic index (MI) and the ratio of anaphases to metaphases (A/M). If an agent completely arrested mitosis at metaphase, the A/M ratio would be zero and the MI would be elevated if the agent does not prevent interphase cells from entering mitosis. Two common organic solvents, benzene and toluene, and two common anesthetics, halothane and chloroform, were found to be potent mitotic arrestants in the present system. Colchicine-like mitoses (c-mitoses) were observed in embryos after treatment of the above four agents; all of these agents except toluene were found to induce an accumulation of c-mitoses. Amyl acetate, 95% ethanol, deionized water, and camphor (in 10% ethanol) failed to show mitosis-arresting effects on the embryos. Abnormal anaphases with lagging chromosomes and multipolar spindles were observed in embryos which showed partial metaphase block after exposure to concentrations of benzene lower than that required for a complete block. Benzene, toluene, halothane, and chloroform have been implicated as teratogens and carcinogens, but are negative as mutagens, clastogens, and SCE inducers. Thus, the carcinogenic activity of these compounds appears to result from their action on cell division mechanisms.
Regulation of Cytochrome P450 Gene Transcription by Phenobarbital

The ability of phenobarbital to induce levels of drug metabolism in mammals has been known for over 40 years. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying increased expression of the genes of the key enzyme in drug metabolism, cytochrome P450, have not been elucidated, primarily because in vitro model systems in which the induction could be studied were not available. Transfected primary cultured hepatocytes, transfection of liver in situ, and transgenic mice now provide suitable models for phenobarbital induction. In this review, progress toward understanding the mechanism of phenobarbital induction of gene expression is discussed with an emphasis on the mammalian genes, CYP2B1, CYP2B2, and Cyp2b10, which are most highly inducible by phenobarbital. Barbiturate induction of P450s in Bacillus megaterium, which is the system best understood, and its relevance to mammalian mechanisms of induction are also discussed. In B. megaterium, the binding of a repressor to several motifs is reversed by direct effects of barbiturates and by induction of positively acting factors. One of the repressor binding sites, the barbie box, is present in many mammalian phenobarbital-inducible genes, including the promimal promoter regions of CYP2B1, CYP2B2, and Cyp2B10. In the mammalian P450 genes, evidence has been proposed for phenobarbital-regulated elements both in the proximal promoter region and in a distal enhancer region. The role of the proximal region is controversial. A positively acting element that overlaps the barbie box sequence and a negative element have been proposed to mediate induction of CYP2B1/2, based primarily on protein binding and cell-free transcription assays. In contrast, other investigators have not found differences in phenobarbital-dependent protein binding in the proximal promoter region nor mediation of phenobarbital induction by this region. A distal gene fragment, at about -2000 kb in CYP2B1, CYP2B2, and Cyp2b10, has been shown to be a phenobarbital-responsive enhancer independent of proximal promoter elements. This fragment contains several binding sites for proteins and several functional elements, including an NF-1 site, and, therefore, has been designated as a phenobarbital-responsive unit. Possible models are presented in which phenobarbital treatment induces altered chromatin structure, which allows the binding of positively acting factors, or activates factors already bound, to the distal enhancer and the proximal promoter.