cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repeating cardiopulmonary health effects in rural North Carolina population during a second large peat wildfire

Cardiovascular health effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure from wildfire smoke are neither definitive nor consistent with PM2.5 from other air pollution sources. Non-comparability among wildfire health studies limits research conclusions. We examined cardiovascular and respiratory health outcomes related to peat wildfire smoke exposure in a population where strong associations were previously reported for the 2008 Evans Road peat wildfire. We conducted a population-based epidemiologic investigation of associations between daily county-level modeled wildfire PM2.5 and cardiopulmonary emergency department (ED) visits during the 2011 Pains Bay wildfire in eastern North Carolina. We estimated changes in the relative risk cumulative over 0–2 lagged days of wildfire PM2.5 exposure using a quasi-Poisson regression model adjusted for weather, weekends, and poverty. Relative risk associated with a 10 μg/m3 increase in 24-h PM2.5 was significantly elevated in adults for respiratory/other chest symptoms 1.06 (1.00–1.13), upper respiratory infections 1.13 (1.05–1.22), hypertension 1.05 (1.00–1.09) and ‘all-cause’ cardiac outcomes 1.06 (1.00–1.13) and in youth for respiratory/other chest symptoms 1.18 (1.06–1.33), upper respiratory infections 1.14 (1.04–1.24) and ‘all-cause’ respiratory conditions 1.09 (1.01–1.17). Our results replicate evidence for increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes from wildfire PM2.5 and suggest that cardiovascular health should be considered when evaluating the public health burden of wildfire smoke.
Forced to Be Free: Coercive Acquisition and Constitutional Imperialism

An emerging body of research in American Political Development reveals the importance of constitutional institutions in sustaining empire. This use of constitutional institutions opens a question about whether the coercive acquisition of territory can be constitutionally legitimate. This essay argues that coercive acquisition violates a political standard of constitutional legitimacy: the principle of consent-based allegiance. Excavating this political standard sheds light on old controversies including the legitimacy of the acquisition of West Virginia and acquisition through joint resolution. It can also contribute to an important scholarly agenda of interrogating the relationship between domestic constitutional normativity and the normativity of global affairs.
Seismic response of multi-frame bridges

Long cast-in-place concrete bridges are often constructed in multiple frames separated by in-span hinges. The multi-frame system offers lower construction and maintenance costs, fewer adverse effects due to creep, post-tensioning, and thermal deformations as a few of its advantages. However, the seismic response of multi-frame bridges has been uncertain owing to the complexities of their discrete system. This study intends to improve the understanding of the seismic response of multi-frame bridge systems and evaluate the applicability of current design assumptions. Responses of multi-frame bridges and comparable single-frame bridges of the same length are compared. Seismic demands on multi-frame bridge columns, abutments, and in-span hinges were investigated through high-fidelity analytical simulations. Approximately 3400 nonlinear time history analyses of prototype bridges with realistic designs were performed using the OpenSees platform. Analysis of variance was implemented along with a factorial design to study the effect of several independent factors, including the number of frames, substructure system, unequal column heights, soil type, ground motion intensity, and capacity-to-demand ratio. It was observed for elastic dynamic analysis that a 90 % modal mass participation ratio is not adequate to accurately estimate dynamic responses. Seismic demands on columns in multi-frame bridges are typically smaller than those in comparable single-frame bridges. The multi-frame system is seismically more robust than the single-frame system, specifically for bridges spanning non-uniform valleys that include unequal column heights. To prevent longitudinal unseating at in-span hinges, it is critical to consider the interaction of transverse and longitudinal responses. The seismic damage to abutment backwalls and backfills in multi-frame bridges is expected to be extensive owing to small expansion joints.
Symposium on reproduction of arthropods of medical and veterinary importance. V. Reproduction in Diptera of medical importance with special reference to mosquitoes

The reproduction of mosquitoes, and to a lesser extent other biting flies, is briefly reviewed. Special attention is given to spermatogenesis, follicular development, and fertilization.
Abstract 549: Interleukin-11 induces survivin expression in brain endothelial cells

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC The tumor vasculature, which provides nutrients and oxygen to cancer cells, is particularly relevant in the highly vascular primary brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (glioma). The tumor-associated blood vessels within gliomas have been shown to be abnormal in their structure and function as compared to the normal vasculature. Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that these tumor-associated brain endothelial cells are resistant to chemotherapy; and this resistance is a result, in part, of the overexpression of survivin in these cells. Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis gene family, is responsible for drug resistance in cancer cells, yet little is known about its role and regulation in the endothelial cells of the tumor vasculature. The mechanism of this survivin overexpression in the brain vasculature is the focus of this report. Here we present data showing that Interleukin (IL)-11, a cytokine known to stimulate survivin, is produced by human gliomas and is responsible for the increase in survivin in the brain endothelial cells. To demonstrate this, we examined glioma cell lines for IL-11 production. Our studies showed that the glioma cell lines, U87 and U251, secrete high levels of IL-11, as compared to normal cells. Furthermore, when brain endothelial cells are treated with exogenous IL-11, they exhibit increased levels of survivin, similar to the elevated basal level of tumor-associated endothelial cells. These studies suggest that tumor-derived IL-11 may play an important role in the overexpression of survivin in endothelial cells. Since survivin is important in chemoresistance, IL-11 or its receptor may be a relevant target for regulating survivin in the glioma vasculature, and thereby mediating an effective chemosensitizing mechanism and anti-vascular therapy for brain tumors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 549.
Humane treatment for non-delinquent detainees

Some time ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross suggested to the Medico-Legal Commission of Monaco to study the important question of humane treatment due to persons deprived of their freedom for reasons unconnected with common penal law. It was a question of filling a gap in the form of a guide determining the principles aimed at regulating conditions of detention in a humane manner.
Thermodynamics of Continuous Systems

The formalism of the classical thermodynamics, for example Gibbs equations, is routinely and successfully applied to the highly non-equilibrium processes in dynamic systems. Such applications are based on the local equilibrium hypothesis. The presented paper discusses the conditions of the application of this hypothesis. It is shown that the local equilibrium hypothesis is applicable with no limitations to continuous systems. This application is validated by the solution of the Boltzmann equation. This solution was obtained by Enskog, Chapman and Bogolubov. From the Boltzmann equation follows that regardless of the initial state of the system the duration of its approach to the local equilibrium conditions by far less than the time scale of the evolution of the macro properties of the continuous media. This result shows that the local equilibrium is the intrinsic property of this media. Thus it is possible to apply the formalism of the non-equilibrium thermodynamics (the generalized variables, forces and fluxes) to description of the continuous system with no limitations. The derivation of the Carnot theorem is presented to show the effectiveness of such an application.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases from malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are well-established treatment methods for patients with brain metastases, yet their respective roles in the management of brain metastases remain incompletely defined. METHODS: To report on the role of SRS in the treatment of patients with brain metastases from malignant melanoma, a retrospective analysis of 381 intracranial melanoma metastases in 103 consecutive patients who underwent SRS between 2005 and 2011 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was conducted. The Cyberknife(®) SRS system was used to treat all patients. Clinical, technical, and radiographic data were recorded at presentation and on follow-up. RESULTS: The patient cohort consisted of 40 female (39%) and 63 male (61%) patients with a median age of 57 years. The median overall survival from the time of radiosurgery for the entire patient cohort was 7.6 months. The local control rate at 1-year was 72% for the patients who received surgery followed by SRS and 55% for the entire patient population. Surgery followed by SRS was associated with significantly improved overall survival compared with SRS alone or whole-brain radiation therapy followed by salvage SRS (P < 0.0057). CONCLUSIONS: Both surgery plus SRS and SRS provide comparable local control. Despite the difference in lesion size in the subgroups who received surgery plus SRS and radiosurgery alone, similar outcomes were achieved in both groups, suggesting that surgical treatment of larger lesions can yield results that are not significantly different from small lesions treated by SRS alone.
The Investigation and Research of College Students' Information Use and Evaluation Capacity

Information use and information evaluation capacity is a major component in the valuation of students' comprehensive quality.From the sense of information through a questionnaire survey,information evaluation,information use,information ethics,and informa tion literacy education,this article will have an investigation and analysis of a school of 380 students,to master the information literacy of university students,proposing the help on improving students' information literacy education.
Food and the autobiographical self in Harry Crews’ A Childhood: The Biography of a Place

ABSTRACTThe food memories recounted by Harry Crew in A Childhood: The Biography of a Place situate A Childhood as a memorial reconstruction of a material identity, as an autobiography that treats the body, the senses, and the social world as inextricable from life writing. Looking critically at food memories in A Childhood reveals the densely layered and deeply entrenched role that food plays in the building of Crews’ intersectional and relational identity, an identity tied to race, class, and community. This goes against what was once a common critical trope in autobiographical studies, that the autobiographical narratives of white male writers were essentially concerned with the reassembling of an autonomous self rising above its cultural and social environs. Using anthropological and sociological theories of food, ritual, and memory, this essay argues that the food and foodways embedded within all levels of Crews’ memory offer a clear challenge to traditional modes of reading autobiography and provide ...
Cytology of Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas

Pancreatic cyst aspirates are often scant specimens with few cells. Cytology alone may not be sufficient for diagnosis. A multimodal approach that utilizes gross cyst fluid characteristics, biochemical testing, and molecular analysis is frequently required to provide sufficient information for patient management. As such optimal cyst fluid triage is necessary to obtain this information. Although a specific diagnosis is always desired, more generic clinical questions may be answered by the pathologist that directly impact patient management include: (1) Is the cyst a malignant or high-risk cyst that needs to be resected? (2) Is the cyst a low-risk mucinous premalignant cyst that can be closely monitored? This chapter outlines the cytological features of primary and secondarily cystic neoplasms of the pancreas, which, when coupled with ancillary test results and correlated with imaging features, can lead to a preoperative diagnosis sufficient for patient management.
Chapter 5 – Injection Molding: Total Relative Part Cost

This chapter deals with the concept of relative part cost in injection molding. Presented here is a systematic approach for identifying, at the parametric design stage, those features of the part that significantly affect the processing cost of injection–molded parts. In the remainder of the chapter, methods for computing the relative costs for injection–molded parts are presented. The goal is to learn how to design so as to minimize difficult–to–process features. A methodology for estimating the relative processing cost of proposed injection–molded parts based on parametric information are provided. A method for estimating the overall relative part cost for this same part is also introduced.
Board level interconnect risk assessment in spherical bend

A modeling based methodology for prediction of the performance of board level interconnects of Ball Grid Array (BGA) components in board flexure tests is presented. Detailed work has been done to comprehend the physics of the problem so that sound theoretical framework is employed. A step-by-step validation of the developed computational model is conducted using a set of carefully designed tests. The model reproduces extremely well all the mechanical parameters measured in testing. The validated model is utilized to understand the impact of various package and board design parameters on BGA performance and risk. The developed modeling methodology is a key part in achieving the larger objective of replacing costly and time-consuming board flexure tests with modeling for BGA risk assessment. This methodology will also be a key enabler in providing comprehensive guidance to customers for board-level performance of Intel BGA components in manufacturing, assembly and test.
Engineering a Disulfide Bond To Stabilize the Calcium Binding Loop of Activated Protein C Eliminates Its Anticoagulant but Not Protective Signaling Properties.

Abstract In addition to its potent anticoagulant activity, activated protein C (APC) also exhibits anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective properties. The latter properties of APC are thought to be responsible for its beneficial effect in treating severe sepsis patients. A higher incidence of bleeding due to its anticoagulant function has been found to be a major drawback of APC as an effective anti-inflammatory drug. Thus, there is intense interest in developing APC variants that have no anticoagulant activity, but have normal protective properties. In this study, we have prepared a protein C variant in which an engineered disulfide bond between two β-sheets has stabilized the functionally critical Ca2+-binding 70–80 loop of the molecule. The 70–80 loop of this mutant no longer binds Ca2+ and the activation of the mutant by thrombin has been enhanced 60–80-fold independent of thrombomodulin. The anticoagulant activity of the APC variant has been essentially eliminated as determined by both factor Va degradation and plasma-based clotting assays. However, the endothelial protein C receptor- and protease-activated receptor-1-dependent protective signaling properties of the APC variant have remained intact as determined by staurosporine-induced endothelial cell apoptosis, thrombin-induced endothelial cell permeability and TNF-α-mediated neutrophil adhesion and migration assays. These results suggest that modulation of the structure and/or activity of APC by Ca2+ is required for its anticoagulant, but not for its anti-inflammatory activity, thus the protein C variant may potentially be a safer drug for treating severe sepsis patients in both activated and zymogenic forms.
How to Run a Code Stroke

The demonstration that early thrombolytic therapy for acute cerebral infarction improves outcomes and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) for acute cerebral infarction (see Chapter 7) stimulated establishment of rapid response stroke teams and certified stroke centers in the United States. The positive results from thrombolytic acute stroke clinical trials were exciting and not surprising given the known pathophysiology of acute cerebral infarction, the similarity of acute stroke to acute myocardial infarction (MI), and the demonstrated benefits of early myocardial reperfusion in acute MI. The need for rapid response teams in acute stroke is based on the evidence that thrombolysis with intravenous rt-PA is effective only within 3 h after stroke onset (1,2). The main risk in thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke is cerebral hemorrhage transformation of an infarct. Fortunately, the benefits of thrombolytic therapy in acute cerebral infarction overshadow the risks and the bleeding can be minimized by careful patient selection according to guidelines (see Chapter 18).
Challenging Popularized Narratives of Immigrant Youth from West Africa: Examining Social Processes of Navigating Identities and Engaging Civically.

Given polarizing popular-media narratives of immigrant youth from West African countries, we construct an interdisciplinary framework engaging a Sankofan approach to analyze education research lite...
Masculinity, aggrieved entitlement, and violence: considering the Isla Vista mass shooting

Mass shootings have become an important topic of scholarly research; however, few studies examine the relationship between masculinity and violence. This study investigates how masculinities are co...
Smith-Purcell radiation at submillimeter and far-infrared wavelengths

A 3.6 MeV, 10-100 mA electron beam was used to generate Smith-Purcell (SP) radiation over a wavelength range between approximately 300 p.m and several millimeters.
Reading Blood Work is an Art Form: Toward an Embodied Feminist Practice of Veterinary Science and Care

What are the advantages of a concrete, embodied relationship between human subjects and their non-human objects of care for the veterinary process of knowledge production? The scientific reductionism that frames formal studies makes much of the knowledge gained in those studies questionable or severely limited, since many important factors of real life illnesses and their causation and cure are excluded from consideration for the sake of clinical control and traditional scientific objectivity. This essay narrates my experience with my mare Lilly who suffered from a rare auto-immune disease; at the same time, it describes and analyzes the history and strategies of the world's largest internet-based equine patient advocacy network on metabolic illness, a network that supported my journey of knowledge acquisition and contribution, through our case history, to a larger alternative veterinary cause of knowledge production. Located between Feminist Science Studies and Critical Animal Studies, this project explores the notion of touch and raises questions about the biomedical field's present-day heavy reliance on visual diagnostics. What is the relation between visual technologies and the detached, disembodied knowledge "from nowhere" that conventional science believes in? How much of the alternative to this way of knowing lies in touch, embodied assistance, relationality, and intuition? And finally, in observing and documenting the relationship at the heart of this venture around knowledge, my essay also suggest that this is a queer project where queerness is understood as the careful but radical reconfiguration of kinship in the context of Haraway’s recent call to “make kin, not babies.”
Laboratory Investigation of the Low Salinity WaterFlooding into Sandstone Reservoirs

In this study, we propose to quantify the control of mineral composition and water chemistry on water/rock interactions by using oil during low salinity water flooding of spatially heterogeneous sandstone porous media. A sandstone core and free clay sand core were prepared in chromatography columns and were water flooded sequentially with high low salinity water at the reservoir temperature of 90Â°C. Brine with high salinity (100,000) ppm was injected to simulate formation water.
Trace Evidence: Glass, Paint, Soil, and Bone

Trace evidence is commonly encountered in a criminal investigation on a victim, suspect, or objects but is easily overlooked. The main aim of trace evidence analysis is to associate a suspect or victim to one another or to a crime scene. In order to achieve this, the examiner must determine if the trace evidence found in one location originated from the same source as trace evidence or known samples from another location(s). Elemental analysis can be used for this purpose.
Improved Delivery Through Biological Membranes. XXIV. Synthesis, in Vitro Studies, and in Vivo Characterization of Brain-Specific and Sustained Progestin Delivery Systems.

Dihydropyridine ⇄ pyridinium salt-based brain-selective delivery systems were synthesized for the progestins, ethisterone, norethindrone, and norgestrel. After initial lipophilicity and in vitro studies indicated the feasibility of applying these compounds to brain-specific delivery, in vivo distribution studies were performed on one of the redox delivery systems. After systemic administration of the chemical delivery system based on norethindrone, sustained and selective delivery of the oxidized form of the drug–carrier complex was observed in the brain. In addition, a slow and sustained release of the parent steroid, norethindrone, occurred. This release produced substantially higher levels of norethindrone for more prolonged periods than the administration of norethindrone itself.
Engineering exquisite nanoscale behavior with dna

Self-assembly is a pervasive natural phenomenon that gives rise to complex structures and functions. It describes processes in which a disordered system of components form organized structures as a consequence of specific, local interactions among the components themselves, without any external direction. Biological self-assembled systems, evolved over billions of years, are more intricate, more energy efficient and more functional than anything researchers have currently achieved at the nanoscale. A challenge for human designed physical self-assembled systems is to catch up with mother nature. I argue through examples that DNA is an apt material to meet this challenge. This work presents: 1. 3D self-assembled DNA nanostructures. 2. Illustrations of the simplicity and power of toehold-mediated strand displacement interactions. 3. Algorithmic constructs in the tile assembly model.
Design and Analysis of a Deep UV Laser based on Ce3+: LiSrAIF6

Ce3+:LiSrAlF6 (Ce:LiSAF) has been demonstrated to amplify light between the wavelengths of 285 and 297 mn by several groups. A source in this region of the ultraviolet is attractive for biophysics, physical chemistry, and ultra-strong-field physics, particularly if femtosecond operation can be achieved. Motivated by the successful operation of Kerr-Lens mode-locked (KLM) Cr3+:LiSAF oscillators in the red and near infrared, we have undertaken the analysis and design of a KLM oscillator and amplifier system based on Ce:LiSAF. Since Ce:LiSAF has an absorption band centered near 260 nm, a limited selection of pump sources is available. A comparison of those sources is presented. The two-photon absorption band edge of the colquiriite host can be estimated to be in the region of 105 – 130 nm, a range based on the absorption properties of its constituents. This suggests minimal two-photon absorption of the UV radiation by the host. As a result, the second order index of refraction (n2) should be positive so that conventional KLM operation of a laser cavity will be possible. In addition, since the bandwidth is capable of supporting sub-100 femtosecond pulses, the material is a promising gain medium for amplification to high peak powers. Accordingly, an outline of the development of a terawatt class 290 nm, sub 100 fs laser system is given.
Postexercise improvement in glucose uptake occurs concomitant with greater γ3-AMPK activation and AS160 phosphorylation in rat skeletal muscle.

A single exercise session can increase insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (GU) by skeletal muscle, concomitant with greater Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) phosphorylation on Akt-phosphosites (Thr6...
Estimating the minimum number of opportunities needed for all students to achieve predicted mastery

We have conducted a study on how many opportunities are necessary, on average, for learners to achieve mastery of a skill, also called a knowledge component (KC), as defined in the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) digital courseware. The study used datasets from 74 different course instances in four topic areas comprising 3813 students and 1.2 million transactions. The analysis supports our claim that the number of opportunities to reach mastery gives us new information on both students and the development of course components. Among the conclusions are a minimum of seven opportunities are necessary for each knowledge component, more if the prior knowledge among students are uneven within a course. The number of KCs in a course increases the number of opportunities needed. The number of opportunities to reach mastery can be used to identify KCs that are outliers that may be in need of better explanations or further instruction.
Inflammation and Kidney Injury in Diabetic African American Men.

African Americans are disproportionately burdened by diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of DKD in this population. The goal of the current study was to determine the association between specific inflammation markers and kidney injury in diabetic African American men. To this end, we recruited diabetic patients either with ( ) or without ( ) diagnosed kidney disease along with age-matched nondiabetic controls ( ). Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios (UACRs) and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were used for biochemical assessment of kidney function. We then measured plasma and urinary levels of seven inflammatory markers, including adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Plasma levels of TNF-α, TNFR1, and TNFR2 were significantly higher in diabetics with macroalbuminuria compared to nondiabetic controls and diabetics with normoalbuminuria or microalbuminuria. Likewise, urinary levels of ICAM-1 were higher in diabetics with macroalbuminuria compared to the other groups. Indeed, urinary ICAM-1, plasma TNF-α, and adiponectin had moderate positive correlations with UACR while plasma TNFR1 and TNFR2 levels were strongly correlated with kidney injury, indicated by multiple biomarkers of kidney injury. In contrast, though plasma CRP was elevated in diabetic subjects relative to nondiabetic controls, its levels did not correlate with kidney injury. Together, these data suggest that inflammation, particularly that mediated by the TNF-α/NF-κB signaling axis, may play a role in the pathogenesis of DKD in African American men.
Reversible splenial lesion syndrome (RESLES) associated with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: a rare case report and review of the literature. (P4.010)

Objective: NA Background: Reversible splenial lesion syndrome (RESLES) is a rare clinical-radiological diagnosis of an isolated lesion on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and T2 weighted sequences, usually in the splenium of the corpus callosum, with resolution over time. There are numerous pathological etiologies and clinical presentations, with mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS), within the spectrum. We present a rare case of RESLES in a patient without encephalopathy and with newly diagnosed Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH). Design/Methods: A thorough literature search via PubMed was done using the search terms “reversible splenial lesion syndrome,” “mild encephalopathy/encephalitis with a reversible splenial lesion,” “pseudotumor cerebri,” and “idiopathic intracranial hypertension”. Only English language articles were used. Results: The patient was a 24-year-old female with a recent diagnosis of end-stage renal disease, who complained of 3 weeks of visual impairment and headache. She had bilateral 3+ papilledema and a lumbar puncture opening pressure of >50 mm H20. Non-contrast MRI of the brain showed a prominent 3.9 × 1.9 cm boomerang -shaped, DWI lesion of the splenium of the corpus callosum, with corresponding FLAIR and T2 hyperintensities. Repeat MRI of the brain 8 weeks later showed a moderate decrease in size of the T2/FLAIR hyperintense lesion (7 × 9 mm) and resolution of the restricted diffusion on DWI. Conclusions: RESLES is associated with a wide variety of pathological conditions and various neurological symptoms, rarely presenting in the adult population. MERS has been associated with papilledema due to viral encephalitis. Our case is unusual due to the rare absence of encephalopathy, and no prior reports of RESLES with IIH. Prognosis is favourable in majority of cases, however the clinical significance of this finding is unclear. Further research is needed to follow these patients, evaluating for clinical sequelae and potential mechanisms for this selective radiologic finding. Disclosure: Dr. Persaud has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sakho has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sandhu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Krishnaiengar MD has nothing to disclose.
Environmental effect on mechanical properties of a gamma-prime strengthened nickel-based alloy: Effect of the surface oxidation and formation of gamma-prime free zones

Abstract The mechanical behavior of X-750 in rough vacuum environment was explored and compared with the mechanical behavior in air at a large range of temperatures (from room temperature to 900°C) for both Heat-Treated and Non-Heat-Treated X750 alloy. In the intermediate range of temperatures where the Portevin Le Chatelier (PLC) effect is observed, the effect of testing in air versus rough vacuum did not yield statistically significant different PLC characteristics. At temperatures above 650°C for Heat Treated and 750°C for Non-Heat-Treated X-750, the samples tested under rough vacuum had higher yield stress values than the respective samples tested under air. The decrease in yield stress under air was attributed to an oxide scale induced surface softening effect and the loss of strengthening efficiency for the gamma prime precipitates. At higher temperatures in air, around 800°-900°C, sinusoidal stress serrations in the stress strain curves indicated the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The vacuum environment however removed all stress serrations attributed to DRX, indicating that the surface oxidation with the concomitant formation of a γ’ free zone underneath the oxide layer plays a role in the DRX presence.
Size Matters: Which Adolescent Patients Are Most Likely to Require Surgical Decompression for Lumbar Disk Herniations?

BACKGROUND Lumbar herniated nucleus pulposis (HNP) occurs infrequently in the pediatric/adolescent population. A minority of patients with radicular symptoms fail to improve with conservative management and require discectomy. The authors hypothesize that children who ultimately require surgical intervention have an underlying lumbar stenosis predisposing them to continued symptoms. METHODS Pediatric patients with a lumbar HNP on advanced imaging were retrospectively identified at a tertiary pediatric orthopaedic institution. Patients with spondylolisthesis, fractures, previous spine surgery, or structural thoracolumbar scoliosis were excluded. On sagittal magnetic resonance imagings, measurements were taken of the L4 and L5 vertebral body diameters (VBD) and canal diameters (CD) by 2 independent reviewers. Statistical analysis was performed using 2 sample T tests followed by logistic regression analysis. This was utilized to identify significant associations between CD and need for surgical decompression. RESULTS A total of 76 patients (37 males/39 females) were identified with a lumbar HNP from 2001 to 2016. Eleven patients underwent discectomy. Sixty-five patients were managed conservatively. Age at magnetic resonance imaging was not different between groups (15.1±1.7 vs. 14.9±2.2 y, P=0.82). VBD at L4 and L5 were not different between groups (P=0.2 and 0.36, respectively). The reviewers had fair to good (0.584-0.854) interrater reliability correlation coefficients. CD was decreased in the surgically treated cohort at L4 (11.6±1.6 vs. 14.2±2.1 mm, P=0.0002) and at L5 (10.1±1.3 vs. 14.2±2.2 mm, P<0.00001). The ratio of CD:VBD was lower in the surgically treated group at L4 (0.36±0.06 vs. 0.46±0.08, P=0.0002) and L5 (0.31±0.68 vs. 0.45±0.08, P<0.00001). Patients with a L4 CD<12.6 mm were 18.8× more likely to require surgical decompression. 100% of patients with a L5 CD<12.36 mm ultimately underwent surgical decompression. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent patients with congenital lumbar stenosis that develop a lumbar HNP are significantly more likely to require surgical decompression to relieve persistent radicular symptoms. A L4 CD<12.6 mm and a L5 CD<12.36 mm were highly correlated with the need for decompression. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III-prognostic study.
Diagnostic and Prognostic Potential of AKR1B10 in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although diagnostic measures and surgical interventions have improved in recent years, the five-year survival rate for patients with advanced HCC remains bleak—a reality that is largely attributable to an absence of early stage symptoms, lack of adequate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and the common occurrence of acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic agents during HCC treatment. A limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC pathogenesis also presents a challenge for the development of specific and efficacious pharmacological strategies to treat, halt, or prevent progression to advanced stages. Over the past decade, aldo-keto reductase family 1 member 10 (AKR1B10) has emerged as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC, and experimental studies have demonstrated roles for this enzyme in biological pathways underlying the development and progression of HCC and acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of HCC. Here we provide an overview of studies supporting the diagnostic and prognostic utility of AKR1B10, summarize the experimental evidence linking AKR1B10 with HCC and the induction of chemoresistance, and discuss the clinical value of AKR1B10 as a potential target for HCC-directed drug development. We conclude that AKR1B10-based therapies in the clinical management of specific HCC subtypes warrant further investigation.
Pythiogeton manoomin, a new species causing root and basal stalk rot of wild rice in the United States.

A new species of Pythiogeton isolated from wild rice exhibiting rot and dieback of roots and stalks in California is described. Pythiogeton manoomin sp. nov. is characterized by coenocytic ...
Loss of FLCN inhibits canonical WNT signaling via TFE3

Lower lobe predominant pulmonary cysts occur in up to 90% of patients with Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome, but the key pathologic cell type and signaling events driving this distinct phenotype remain elusive. Through examination of the LungMAP database, we found that folliculin (FLCN) is highly expressed in neonatal lung mesenchymal cells. Using RNA-Seq, we found that inactivation of Flcn in mouse embryonic fibroblasts leads to changes in multiple Wnt ligands, including a 2.8-fold decrease in Wnt2. This was associated with decreased TCF/LEF activity, a readout of canonical WNT activity, after treatment with a GSK3-α/β inhibitor. Similarly, FLCN deficiency in HEK293T cells decreased WNT pathway activity by 76% post-GSK3-α/β inhibition. Inactivation of FLCN in human fetal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) led to ~ 100-fold decrease in Wnt2 expression and a 33-fold decrease in Wnt7b expression-two ligands known to be necessary for lung development. Furthermore, canonical WNT activity was decreased by 60%. Classic WNT targets such as AXIN2 and BMP4, and WNT enhanceosome members including TCF4, LEF1 and BCL9 were also decreased after GSK3-α/β inhibition. FLCN-deficient MRC-5 cells failed to upregulate LEF1 in response to GSK3-α/β inhibition. Finally, we found that a constitutively active β-catenin could only partially rescue the decreased WNT activity phenotype seen in FLCN-deficient cells, whereas silencing the transcription factor TFE3 completely reversed this phenotype. In summary, our data establish FLCN as a critical regulator of the WNT pathway via TFE3 and suggest that FLCN-dependent defects in WNT pathway developmental cues may contribute to lung cyst pathogenesis in BHD.
A Comparison of Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain Ratings of Vocal Music Students and Communication Disorders Students

Purpose The GRBAS (Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, and Strain; Hirano, 1981) scale was used to determine if there was a difference in how vocal music (VM) students and communication disord...
Metabolic Disorders, Mutants

Inborn errors of metabolism are disorders of enzyme deficiencies of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism. While the diagnosis can be suggested based on biochemical testing, confirmation of a particular disorder frequently requires genetic sequencing. Sequencing of DNA of the genes encoding the enzymes to detect mutations has become a standard form of clinical testing. Counseling following testing is critical in order to properly interpret the results and arrange family testing if indicated.
Discrete time crystal in the gradient-field Heisenberg model

We show that time crystal phases, which are known to exist for disorder-based many-body localized systems, also appear in systems where localization is due to strong magnetic field gradients. Specifically, we study a finite Heisenberg spin chain in the presence of a gradient field, which can be realized experimentally in quantum dot systems using micromagnets or nuclear spin polarization. Our numerical simulations reveal time crystalline order over a broad range of realistic quantum dot parameters, as evidenced by the long-time preservation of spin expectation values and the asymptotic form of the mutual information. We also consider the undriven system and present several diagnostics for many-body localization that are complementary to those recently studied. Our results show that these nonergodic phases should be realizable in modest-sized quantum dot spin arrays using only demonstrated experimental capabilities.
How Radiologists Are Paid: An Economic History, Part II: Advanced Imaging and Radiologists' Incomes.

Abstract The advent of the CT scanner in the early 1970s removed much, if not all, of the morbidity and discomfort previously associated with diagnostic imaging studies. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, advances in CT technology allowed radiologists to scan “better and faster.” The professional fee for reading a CT study was higher than for reading a radiograph, an uncontroversial policy. But estimating the technical fee for using CT (and later MR) raised problems that would persist for at least 30 years. Consistently generous technical fees created potential incentives to create and fill advanced imaging capacity and contributed to the emerging problem of health care inflation.
A meta-analysis on theassociation between smoking and tuberculosis

：Objective To assessquantitatively the association between smoking and the risk of disease and death frompulmonary tuberculosis(TB) by a meta-analysis. Methods Both Chinese and Englishliteratures published from Jan. 1999 to Jun. 2010 about the case-control study of theassociation between smoking and pulmonary TB were retrieved by searching the electronicresource databases. A meta-analysis was then performed on the comparison and synthesis offindings from included studies. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI)were calculated using a software RevMan 4.2. Finally,possible publication bias was testedand a sensitivity analysis was conducted. Results The meta-analysis for total 22high-quality case-control studies found a pooled OR of 2.56 (95% CI 1. 80 ～3.64)with a random-effects model. Sensitivity analysis showed that pooled OR was 2.56 (95% 1.76～3.71 ) by removing two papers of nested case-control study. The OR were 2.13 (95%CI1.76～2.58) and 4.60 (95% CI 1.81～11.69) for disease and deathfrom TB,respectively. After confounding factors,including age and gender,had beencontrolled the OR was 2.53 (95% CI 1.27 ～5.03 ) whereas 1. 99(95% CI1.54 ～ 2.56 )without control of them. Conclusion Smoking can increase the risk of incidence and deathof TB. TB control programs and treatment of patients might benefit from interventionsaimed at reducing tobacco exposure. Key words: Tuberculosis; Smoking; Meta-analysis
The integration of fatty acid biomarkers of trophic ecology with pollutant body-burdens of PAHs and PCBs in four species of fish from Sabine Lake, Texas

Abstract This study investigated whether the composition of fatty acids in hepatic tissue of four fish species from Sabine Lake (TX), influenced hepatic body-burdens of pollutants. The multivariate correlations between hepatic body-burdens of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and twenty-nine polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), with thirty-seven fatty acids was studied. The trophic ecology of fish was determined using stomach content analysis and by comparing characteristic fatty acid profiles. The fish species studied included: bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), and gafftopsail catfish (Bagre marinus). Assessment of fish stomach contents demarcated catfish and red drum (mainly invertebrate diet) vs. alligator gars and bull sharks (mainly teleost diet). Elevated levels (45× higher) of nervonic acid (24:1n9) also placed the trophic ecology of catfish and red drum closer to the base of the marine/estuarine food web of Sabine Lake, as compared to alligator gars and bull sharks. PAH profiles showed a predominance of low molecular weight PAHs (≤3 aromatic rings) in catfish, red drum and alligator gars. Bull sharks exhibited the highest levels for select high molecular weight PAHs (≥ 4 aromatic rings). The overall predominance of low molecular weight PAHs indicated exposure to mainly petrogenic sources of PAHs. Bull sharks and alligator gars also exhibited the highest body-burdens of PCBs. The risk assessment of dioxin-like PCBs showed median toxic equivalent (TEQ) values in bull sharks to be the highest, and above the upper toxicity thresholds for adverse effects in fish and aquatic mammals. The multivariate correlational analysis of pollutant body-burdens and fatty acid levels showed no clear correlation of the pollutants with any particular type of fatty acid (unsaturated vs. saturated, short-chain vs. very-long chain). This result indicates that pollutant bioaccumulation was not associative with the specific fatty acid composition of lipids in the fish from Sabine Lake.
Uncertainty propagation in coupled hydrological models using winding stairs and null-space Monte Carlo methods

Abstract By integrating disciplinary sub-models, coupled hydrological models allow the exchange of output and input fluxes among their sub-models. While such coupling of models can mirror the conceptual representation of the water-cycle, potential uncertainty propagation and aggregation across the sub-models may limit their overall performance. There are limited studies dealing with uncertainty in coupled hydrological models due to the high computational needs, the absence of detailed data, and the lack of efficient uncertainty propagation frameworks. This study presents an effective uncertainty propagation framework using a combination of statistical techniques, multi-variable calibration, and parallel computation. The framework was tested using a synthetic mathematical coupled model and a real‐world, coupled surface water (PRMS) and subsurface (MODFLOW) model. For the synthetic coupled model, the framework has shown its effectiveness to reveal the interplay of input variables, quantify the uncertainties within each sub-model and track their propagation through the coupled modeling system. For the PRMS-MODFLOW model, the framework has demonstrated how uncertainty in input precipitation, surface water, and subsurface water sub-models influences the different segments of a hydrograph. The results also indicate that improved predictions of high flow require a better quantification of input uncertainty. In contrast, baseflow and recession flow uncertainties largely depend on the subsurface and surface water sub-models, respectively. The presented framework, in addition to providing relatively comprehensive uncertainty information on the integrated model outputs, it helps to identify the potential sources of uncertainty that can be used for further model improvement and guide new data collection campaigns.
Associations Between Exposure to The Real Cost Campaign, Pro-Tobacco Advertisements, and Tobacco Use Among Youth in the U.S

Introduction E-cigarette use is rising among youth. Advertising and anti-tobacco campaigns may be associated with the use of E-cigarettes and other tobacco products. This study examines the associations between tobacco use and exposure to The Real Cost's first campaign focusing on E-cigarettes. Methods Using the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a national survey of middle and high school students, the associations between exposure to The Real Cost anti-tobacco campaign, exposure to pro-tobacco advertising, and the use of tobacco products in the past 30 days (exclusive E-cigarettes, exclusive other tobacco use, and dual/poly use of E-cigarettes and other tobacco products) was examined. Other tobacco included anything but E-cigarettes. Results Participants (N=13,165) were aged 11–17 years. Exposure to The Real Cost campaign was associated with decreased odds of using other tobacco products (AOR=0.60, 95% CI=0.43, 0.84) and dual/poly use (AOR=0.77, 95% CI=0.63, 0.94) but not E-cigarette use. Greater E-cigarette advertising exposure was associated with increased odds of being an exclusive E-cigarette user (AOR=1.90, 95% CI=1.52, 2.30) or dual/poly user (AOR=1.69, 95% CI=1.31, 2.18). Greater exposure to other tobacco advertising was associated with increased odds of being a dual/poly user (AOR=1.32, 95% CI=1.01, 1.71) but lower odds of exclusive E-cigarette use (AOR=0.76, 95% CI=0.60, 0.97). Conclusions Exposure to The Real Cost campaign was associated with decreased odds of using other tobacco products and dual/poly products. Exposure to pro-tobacco advertising was also associated with use. Future studies should assess the long-term effectiveness of anti-tobacco messaging.