cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial-Resistant, Gram-Positive Bacteria among Patients Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis

Numerous antimicrobial-resistant pathogens (ARPs) have emerged among patients who undergo chronic hemodialysis (CHD), including vancomycin-resistant enterococci, vancomycin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin, and linezolid-resistant S. aureus. In June 2002, the first isolate of vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin, > or =32 microg/mL) was isolated in the United States from a patient who required CHD. Frequent administration of antibiotics and repeated exposure to settings conducive to cross-transmission contribute to a patient population at considerable risk of harboring ARPs. Dissemination of ARPs among patients who are undergoing CHD is facilitated by the requirement for regular hemodialysis in a closed setting in which health care workers provide concurrent care to multiple patients. Frequent hospitalizations in this patient population further contribute to acquisition of ARPs and to the spread of ARPs to other hospitalized patients. The epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant, gram-positive pathogens in patients undergoing CHD is reviewed, and recommendations for limiting further dissemination are provided.
Design of two architectures of asynchronous binary neural networks using linear programming

A novel design technique for asynchronous binary neural networks is proposed. This design uses linear programming to design two architectures: (i) a fully connected network that reads a N-digit cue and classifies it into a category represented by a N-digit pattern: and (ii) a two-layer network (with lateral connections) that has M neurons in the first layer and L neurons in the second layer; the network reads an M-digit cue to the first layer and associates it with a second-layer L-digit pattern. In both cases, the objective function is a weighted sum of the number of errors that can be corrected by the network. A cue with this number of errors (or fewer) is guaranteed to converge to the correct pattern. An economical VLSI realization of the designed networks can be easily accomplished. >
Clinical outcome after triple-valve operations in the modern era: are elderly patients at increased surgical risk?

Background Despite modern advances in surgical care, triple-valve surgery (TVS) remains a challenge and carries a mortality of 10% to 20%. No validated risk score is available for TVS, and the effect of advanced age is unknown. This study examined our results in the modern era with the aim of identifying perioperative predictors of adverse outcomes. Methods Between 1997 and 2013, 131 patients (mean age, 67.2 ± 13.4 years) underwent TVS at our institution. Sixty-eight patients (51.9%) were aged 70 years and older. The most common etiology for aortic and mitral disease was degenerative (77.1%), rheumatic (10%), and endocarditis or prosthetic-related, or both, in the rest. Tricuspid valve disease was functional in 96%. New York Heart Association functional class III/IV was present in 69.4%, and 24% had had previous cardiac operations. One or more concomitant cardiac procedures were performed in 77 patients (58.8%), including coronary revascularization in 54. All aortic procedures were replacements, 14 patients required a prosthetic root conduit and 7 thoracic aorta replacement. Mitral replacements were used in 55%, repairs in 45%, and 96.2% of tricuspid procedures were repairs. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine predictors of adverse outcomes. Results The 30-day and hospital mortality was 10.6% (n = 14). Major complications occurred in 70 (53.4%). Univariate analysis identified New York Heart Association functional class III/IV ( p = 0.04), preoperative renal failure requiring dialysis ( p = 0.04), urgent operation ( p = 0.04), intraaortic balloon pump placement ( p = 0.02), and postoperative low cardiac output ( p p Conclusions TVS remains a surgical challenge in the modern era. Despite a trend of increasing age and surgical risk, the early mortality rate and long-term survival remain respectable. Advanced age is associated with increased perioperative risk, but age per se should not be a contraindication for TVS.
Improving ESL Placement Tests Using Two Perspectives

ESL placement testing is commonly conducted at the beginning of students' studies to determine which level of study would be most appropriate. However, serious mismatches can occur between ESL placement results and the actual progress made by students between levels. The present study was conducted at the University of Hawaii to develop a placement test that would match the curriculum for ESL reading. The usual placement procedures were conducted (N = 194), using a well-established instrument to test reading comprehension. The 61 students who placed into our reading course were then retested using the same instrument at the end of the 15-week term. The results were analyzed using classical norm-referenced and criterion-referenced item analyses statistics. When the results of the norm-referenced analyses (item facility and discrimination indexes) were combined with those of the criterion-referenced analyses (particularly the difference index), serious mismatches between the testing procedures and our ESL program were revealed. The combined information from both sets of analyses was used to revise the placement test and to improve the match between the test and our specific reading program.
Special Issue on Multiscale and Micromechanical Modeling of Asphalt Mixes

Within the past decade, great interest has developed among the research community in the areas of multiscale and micromechanical modeling of asphalt materials and mixes. Multiscale and micromechanical modeling approaches have gained significant attention, and quite a few related research projects have been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and other agencies. This special issue includes nine technical papers from four countries. The paper titles along with their countries of origin are: • “Discrete Element Modeling of Constant Strain Rate Compression Tests on Idealized Asphalt Mixture” United Kingdom ; • “Numerical and Experimental Analysis for the Interlayer Behavior of Double-Layered Asphalt Pavement Specimens” Switzerland ; • “Numerical Simulation of Indirect Tensile Test Based on the Microstructure of Asphalt Mixture” China ; • “Micromechanical Model for Heterogeneous Asphalt Concrete Mixtures Subjected to Fracture Failure” United States ; • “Viscoelastic Functionally Graded Finite-Element Method
Color Matching for Metallic Coatings

Metallic coatings change in appearance as the viewing and illumination direction change. Matching of such finishes requires a match of color as viewed under different lighting and viewing conditions, as well as texture, i.e. matching the spatial distribution of color. The system described in this paper provides a purely objective and automatic match measure for evaluating the goodness of a color match. A new texture camera has been utilized in this work to capture multiview images of the coating to be analyzed under different illumination angles. These multiview images are used to characterize the color travel of a coating as well as analyze the appearance attributes of the finish such as orange peel, sparkle, and texture of the flakes within the coating.
Rape Crisis Centers: Progress and Problems

This paper reviews the literature on the crisis and the aftermath of rape. This review suggests that women experience both short and long term psychological difficulties as a result of being raped. Two questionnaires were sent to various rape crisis centers across the country in an attempt to identify the nature and extent of services provided by the centers, to determine the number of rape victims seen at the centers, and to understand some of the problems confronted by the service providers. From the data gathered from the centers it is clear that women are receiving crisis intervention and supportive services immediately following a rape incident. However, the areas of crisis counseling and long term follow-up remain problematic. It was found that 62% of rape victims received one follow-up contact, 33% received two to five follow-up contacts and only 8% received six or more follow-up contacts. Differences found based on center location and staffing patterns are also discussed. Language: en
Enhanced Pteos and O3-Teos CVD Processes for Improved Step Coverage and Gap-Filling

The step-coverage and gap-filling characteristics of SiO2 films deposited by TEOS based plasma CVD and Thermal CVD processes on AlX and Cu/X metallizations were studied. It was found that the conformality of the films, in the case of plasma CVD, is influenced by the relative flow rates of TEOS to oxygen. The suitability of the two types of SiO2 films for filling gaps of different aspect ratios on AlX and Cu/X metallizations with different aspect ratios was examined. The results are discussed and correlated with the other important characteristics of these SiO2 films.
Leptin and Insulin Modulate Nutrient Partitioning and Weight Loss in ob/ob Mice through Regulation of Long-Chain Fatty Acid Uptake by Adipocytes

Leptin treatment of ob/ob mice leads to weight loss appreciably greater than that in pair-fed mice. To test whether this "extra" weight loss is mediated by leptin-induced alterations in nutrient partitioning, the effects in ob/ob mice of subcutaneous leptin infusion (500 ng/h for 0.5 vs. normal C57BL/6J controls). Adipocyte mRNA levels for plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein and fatty acid translocase, putative fatty acid transporters that are up-regulated three- to fourfold in adipocytes from ob/ob mice, had also normalized by d 21. The initial changes in V(max) preceded decreases in food intake and body weight by at least 24 h. In pair-fed mice, insulin levels, V(max) and body weight all declined more slowly than in leptin-treated mice, and all remained significantly elevated compared with normal values at d 21. The data suggest that insulin up-regulates and leptin down-regulates adipocyte fatty acid uptake, leading to alterations in fatty acid partitioning that affect adiposity.
Peripheral arterial disease.

co m The last decade has seen a tremendous surge of interest in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The prevalence of multiple risk factors, chronic nature of disease, the nonspecificity of symptoms, and lackof adequate treatment optionshaveall contributed to the large burden of disease, which is frequently unrecognized. The last issue of Cardiology Clinics devoted exclusively to peripheral vascular disease was published 9 years ago, 2 months after 9/11. Since that time, the world has quite literally changed. We have seen advertising campaigns from pharmaceutical companies about “seeing your doctor if you have PAD” come and go, and we have witnessed advances that have informed us about natural history, diagnosis, and new treatments. New guidelines for the treatment of PAD have been endorsed by many societies including the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology. This information wave has resulted in the creation of a cadre of superbly trained vascular physicians. Thus, rather than a dearth of information that was the case in 2002, there is a surfeit of information. Some may legitimately argue about the true need for yet another monograph on PAD in this environment of information overload. At a time when there is plethora of information from multiple sources, the need for resources like the Clinics is more important than ever. Cardiology Clinics has always been about distilling information
The Stroke Therapy Research Boom: Implications for the Hospital Formulary

Research into drug therapy for the acute treatment of ischemic stroke is now booming, and a number of promising drugs with very different mechanisms of action are at an advanced stage of development. Ideally, use of single agents or combinations of agents will result in favorable neurologic and functional outcomes for the majority of stroke patients. Given the current focus within our society on controlling health care costs, pharmacoeconomic tools will be important in determining which of these agents should achieve formulary acceptance. Cost-minimization analysis, cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-utility analysis are all likely to be valuable methodologies to aid in decision making. More complex situations may require the use of decision-tree analysis.
Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Decades of research are now leading to therapeutics that target the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-specific immune response. These therapeutics include tumor antigen vaccines, dendritic cell activators, adjuvants that activate innate immunity, adoptive cellular therapy, and checkpoint blockade. The advances in targeted immunotherapy have led to clinical advances in the treatment of solid tumors such as melanoma, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and hematologic malignancies. Preclinical and translational studies suggest that patients with breast cancer may also benefit from augmenting effective immune responses. These results have led to early-phase clinical trials of tumor antigen vaccines, adjuvants, and combinations of checkpoint inhibitor blockade to boost breast cancer-specific immunity in patients. This review focuses on the current and emerging development of cancer immunotherapy for breast cancer.
Suitability of poultry litter ash as a feed supplement for broiler chickens

Abstract An experiment was conducted to evaluate poultry litter ash (PLA) at graded levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) as a dietary substitute for dicalcium phosphate (dicalP) for broiler chickens, where PLA was substituted for dicalP on a wt/wt basis. A decreased BW gain was observed at 21 d from PLA at the 100% substitution rate when compared with the 25% substitution rate. No effects on BW gain, feed consumption, or FCR were incurred by study termination at 41 d, and the 100% substitution rate of dicalP did not cause any detrimental effects on the live performance in market age broilers. Although femur ash percentages decreased with increasing levels of PLA, bone integrity was not compromised by the addition of PLA to the diet. Dry matter digestibility of dietary Ca (26.32–58.65%) and P (30.23–42.68%) increased with increasing levels of PLA (0–100%), respectively, inferring that the Ca and P component of the diet was more efficiently used as the level of PLA increased. In conclusion, PLA resulting from the combustion of poultry litter can be used as a P and Ca source for broilers.
The Role of Canine Morphology in the Evolutionary Divergence of Pigs and Peccaries

Functional differences in the heads of suids (pigs) and tayassuids (peccaries) are examined. Many such differences, including morphology of the craniomandibular joint, complexity of the cheek teeth, and structure of the masticatory muscles, can be correlated with differences in canine anatomy. The evolution of these features in fossil suoids is briefly reviewed. The difference between suids and tayassuids in canine anatomy is mainly one of orientation. In peccaries, the upper canine points downward and can serve as a weapon, whereas in pigs, the upper canine points laterally and is important in visual display. Sexual dimorphism is greater in suids than in tayassuids and is related to population structure. It is suggested that primitive pigs and peccaries had developed different population structures and that the initial canine modification in suids was a response to social selection pressure.
A weighted technique for programmable logic devices minimization

A new technique for minimizing the width of Programmable Logic Devices(PLDs) is introduced in this paper. The algorithm starts with the result of the technique introduced by Das Banerji and Chatopadhyay[4]. The solution obtained in [4] will be refined to form the temporary solution, or what is called a preliminary solution. The problem of the preliminary solution is that it does not guarantee a minimum solution, because it does not use redundant classes, that are sometimes essential to the final minimum solution. The weighting technique is introduced, which gives a weight to each micro-order. The micro-orders with the largest weights are stripped from each class to form a stripped set. The stripped micro-orders are tested for compatibility, and a new set of compatibility classes are formed based on the stripped micro-orders, and the reserved classes only. Some factors are taken into consideration before the stripped micro-orders become the final collection. The procedure loops again with the new set of compatibility classes as long as reduction is obtained.
Determinants of bioactivity of oxidized phospholipids. Specific oxidized fatty acyl groups at the sn-2 position.

Abstract—We previously described 3 bioactive oxidation products of 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (PAPC) containing oxovaleroyl (POVPC), glutaroyl (PGPC), and epoxyisopro...
Extracellular Amylases of Starch-fermenting Yeast: pH Effect on Export and Residence Time in the Periplasm

Aerobic cultures of S. alluvius in Wickerham's yeast-nitrogen-base medium with starch as sole carbon source become strongly acidic and contain no detectable extra-cellular amylolytic activity during stationary phase, when the activity in buffered cultures is maximal. The extracellular amylases are irreversibly inactivated at the low pH value (less than 3.5) attained by the cultures. When adequately buffered, the medium yields maximal extracellular amylolytic activity. About 0.2 M phosphate buffer is adequate for substrate concentrations of up to 0.5% starch; higher starch concentrations require more buffer. Unbuffered cultures that are adjusted once with alkali to pH 5.5 also allow maximal extracellular amylolytic activity, provided the adjustment is made prior to the end of exponential growth. Automatic pH control allows use of high starch concentrations of up to 4%. Export is optimal at pH values higher than the optima for enzyme activity and stability and for population growth. The need for pH adjustment prior to the appearance of amylolytic activity in the medium suggests pH dependence of the export process itself and/or acid inactivation of enzymes transiently resident in the periplasm. (Refs. 23).
Slippage in Rebate Programs and Present-Biased Preferences

Present-biased preferences capture the idea that individuals may find immediate payoffs significantly more salient than any future payoffs, rather than simply discounting the future in a time-consistent manner. In this paper we show that consumers' present-biased preferences can generate slippage, and we explore whether this can explain firms' use of mail-in rebates. We assume that the consumer population comprises members who have various degrees of present bias. The model demonstrates that if consumers have homogeneous willingness to pay for a product (and thus rebates do not serve as a mechanism for traditional price discrimination) rebates may still profitably exploit slippage, but to do so they must generate very high slippage rates. This is, because the rebate must greatly exceed the price markup because the rebate must compensate consumers for the cost of redemption and the delay in receiving the rebate. The ability of rebate programs to take advantage of present-biased consumers is quite limited in settings where there is significant variance in the degree of present bias within the population unless the extent of consumers' present bias is highly correlated with their rebate redemption costs.
Nonlinear design of adaptive controllers for linear systems

A new approach to adaptive control of linear systems abandons the traditional certainty-equivalence concept and treats the control of linear plants with unknown parameters as a nonlinear problem. A recursive design procedure introduces at each step new design parameters and incorporates them in a novel Lyapunov function. This function encompasses all the states of the adaptive system and forces them to converge to a manifold of smallest possible dimension. Only as many controller parameters are updated as there are unknown plant parameters, and the dynamic order of the resulting controllers is no higher (and in most cases is lower) than that of traditional adaptive schemes. A simulation comparison with a standard indirect linear scheme shows that the new nonlinear scheme significantly improves transient performance without an increase in control effort. >
Carcinogenesis of Cutaneous Malignancies

BACKGROUND Over the past several years significant progress has been made in identifying the cellular and biochemical mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis. OBJECTIVE This review summarizes recent advances that have helped clarify the process of malignant transformation in cutaneous tumors. RESULTS Ultraviolet radiation-induced mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene and human papilloma virus inhibition of the p53 and retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene products appear to play significant roles in the development of many cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. Studies of patients with me nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome suggest the existence of an additional regulatory gene that may be involved in the development of basal cell carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS Carcinogenesis is multistep process involving genetic and epigenetic alterations to specific proto-oncogene and tumor suppressor gene products that progressively release the cell from normal controlled growth and replication.
Northeast Pacific record of the Paleogene genus Pseudoperissolax (Neogastropoda: Muricidae: Muricinae) and its paleobiogeography

The geologic record of the shallow-marine gastropod genus Pseudoperissolax Clark, 1918 is documented in detail for the first time in a region of the northeast Pacific extending from southwestern Washington to northern Baja California, Mexico. This genus, which has been erroneously equated with the nomen dubium Perrisolax Gabb, 1861, comprises a very small group of species whose supra-generic ranking has been inconsistent. Pseudoperissolax is placed here in family Muricidae Rafinesque, 1815 and subfamily Muricinae Rafinesque, 1815 based on the presence of varices, a club-shaped last whorl with noded carinae, and a long siphonal canal. The genus is represented in the northeast Pacific by the late Paleocene Pseudoperissolax tricarnatus (Weaver, 1905) and the late Paleocene to late Eocene Pseudoperissolax blakei (Conrad, 1855).Pseudoperissolax was a warm-water gastropod that most likely originated during the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) in Madagascar and also questionably spread during this time to southern New Zealand. Its certain geologic range is early Paleocene to earliest Oligocene, with occurrences in western Kamchatka, southern Japan, southwestern Washington, southwestern Oregon, southern California, northern Baja California, Mexico, southern Alabama, and Nuevo Leon, northeastern Mexico. Whether Pseudoperissolax migrated into the northeast Pacific from Kamchatka or from Alabama and Mexico cannot be determined with certainty. The decline and eventual extinction of the genus coincided with the global-cooling event at the end of the Eocene.
America’s forgotten student population: creating a path to college success for ged completers, by Angela Long & Christopher M. Mullin

Over 15 years ago, my cousin got pregnant and dropped out of high school at the age of 17. She eventually went on to get her General Education Diploma (GED), earn an associate’s degree, and land a ...
Instrumental variable estimation of nonlinear models with nonclassical measurement error using control variables

We consider nonlinear models with an independent variable that is measured with error. The measurement error can be correlated with the true value, i.e. the measurement error is allowed to be nonclassical. We show that we can use a control variate estimator to estimate the parameters of interest. If we are prepared to make an assumption of the joint distribution of the rst-stage
Modeling Hierarchical Thermal Transport in Electronic Systems

Electronic systems have an inherent hierarchy due to the underlying architecture that governs the processing, transmission, and storage of data. In the present work, we leverage this hierarchy to develop an approach that enables rapid optimization of the thermal architecture of multi-scale electronic systems. We demonstrate the approach for the case of data centers, which contain a hierarchy that extends from discrete electronic components such as microprocessors and memory to electronic systems such as computer servers and ultimately infrastructures such as racks and data centers.
Effect of 17-hydroxy-11-dehydrocorticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone upon plasma gamma globulin, fibrinogen, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Conclusions1. Both ACTH and Cortisone therapy depress the gamma globulin and fibrinogen levels in the blood of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma.2. Changes in these 2 blood proteins are responsible for the observed changes in the sedimentation rate.3. At the present state of our knowledge, the sedimentation rate cannot be used as an index of the effectiveness of hormone therapy on the active disease process.
Open Source Software for Monte Carlo/DSMC Applications

We present a survey of open source and freeware software for Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) methods, including recent progress in the area of large scale pseudo-random number generators. The availability and features of various systems are highlighted, with consideration of High Performance Computing (HPC) support using multicore, distributed and many-core/accelerator computing. Some of the capabilities of a local parallel DSMC system are illustrated, in the framework of its port to hybrid parallel platforms. Suitable practices for infrastructure development are reviewed.
Static and Dynamic Characteristics of Toothbrushing

Manual toothbrushing is the principal method in general use for accomplishing the goal of plaque control for home dental care. This goal has not been achieved, which suggests that there is considerable room for integrated redesign in what must be regarded as a man-tool system with strong human factor components. Design in man-tool systems requires knowledge of the system objects (man, tool, task), system interfaces (man-tool: manipulation, tool-task: engagement) and system interactions (relating objects to interfaces.)This report furnishes a fine-grain analysis of toothbrushing, obtained through time-motion studies, which describes static and dynamic characteristics of manipulation and engagement and interactions in the man-tool system. Several suggested design caveats based on these results are given.
Relation of Route of Administration to Toxicity of dl-Serine.∗

Summarydl-Serine in 100 mg amounts daily is injurious to rats on an experimental diet when supplied by stomach tube and by parenteral injection, but is not harmful when administered mixed in the diet. Some hypotheses on the mechanism of the production of the toxic action of serine are discussed.
Shot-Domain 4D Time-Lapse Velocity Analysis Using Apparent Image Displacements

Hydrocarbon production modifies the stress conditions in the subsurface and changes the model parameters previously estimated from the prospect. The capability to remotely monitor the changes in the reservoir using seismic data has strategic importance since it allows us to infer fluid movement and evolution of stress conditions, which are key factors to enhance recovery and reduce uncertainty and risk during production. A model of the subsurface parameters is necessary to reconstruct the seismic waves traveling through the medium and thus correctly image reflectors in the subsurface. Geomechanical changes in the subsurface can be measured by changes of seismic images obtained from the recorded data of multiple time-lapse surveys. We estimate changes of subsurface model parameters using the apparent shifts between migrated images obtained by 4D time-lapse seismic surveys. The apparent shifts are measured using penalized local correlations in the image domain, and they are exploited using wavefield tomography with an objective function minimized using the adjoint-state method. Our time-lapse monitoring method is e cient due to the fact that inversion can be conducted for pairs of seismic experiments, which eliminates the need to construct costly gathers. Since relatively small amounts of data are needed, our method can be used to invert for model changes at short intervals, thus increasing the resolution of 4D monitoring.
An acute increase of peritubular K stimulates K transport through cell pathways of CCT.

In this study, we have investigated net transport and electrical properties of isolated perfused cortical collecting ducts of control and DOCA-treated rabbits to clarify the cell mechanism for secreting K on an acute increase of peritubular K concentration. Raising bath K in control experiments caused an increase in net K secretion (-JK) and net Na absorption (JNa). Barium (5 mM), a known blocker of basolateral K conductance, added to the bath had no effect on this transport stimulation. In the presence of luminal Ba (5 mM) -JK was reduced to zero, but JNa was unaltered. When bath K was increased -JK increased to a value slightly greater than zero, but not different from the predicted passive flux through the paracellular pathway. In tubules of DOCA-treated rabbits, raising K in the bath increased -JK and JNa. The observed stimulation of -JK was blunted in the presence of Ba in the bath, whereas the increase in JNa remained the same. Thus, in DOCA-treated tubules, Ba in the bath significantly attenuated the increase in K secretion without affecting the transport stimulation of JNa. When Ba was added to the perfusate and bath K increased, -JK, which was initially 22.1, increased to 36.4 pmol.mm-1.min-1. Thus a "Ba-insensitive" pathway became more evident in CCTs from DOCA-treated rabbits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Favorable Early Results of Impaction Bone Grafting With Reinforcement Mesh for the Treatment of Paprosky 3B Acetabular Defects.

Abstract Background We present the early institutional experience with the use of impaction bone grafting, mesh augmentation, and cement fixation of an all-polyethylene cup for the treatment of Paprosky 3B acetabular defects during revision total hip arthroplasty. Methods Between 2005 and 2014, 21 patients (9 men, 12 women) with Paprosky 3B acetabular defects who underwent revision total hip arthroplasty using this technique were reviewed clinically and radiographically. Average age and body mass index were 72.4 (range, 48-91) years and 24.5 (range, 18.9-31) kg/m 2 , respectively. All patients underwent revision for aseptic loosening. Surgical technique included the use of a peripheral mesh to contain the defect, followed by impaction of morselized fresh-frozen bone graft and cement fixation of a polyethylene cup. Results Complications occurred in 6 patients (29%) including limp (2), sciatic nerve palsy that resolved (1), limb length discrepancy (1), and greater trochanteric fracture (1). After an average follow-up of 47 months (range, 13-128 months), the average Hospital for Special Surgery hip score was 35.5 (range, 20-40). Radiographic assessment revealed cephalad cup migration of 2.29 mm (range, 0-20 mm) and medial migration of 1.57 mm (range, 0-6 mm). One patient has radiographic loosening and no symptoms 120 months postoperatively. No patient returned to the operating room for a related reason or is scheduled to undergo acetabular re-revision surgery. Conclusion Impaction bone grafting is a reliable technique for the treatment of Paprosky 3B acetabular defects. It restores bone stock like no other available for addressing these defects. Longer follow-up is required to assess potential deterioration of fixation.
Asymmetric Facial Bone Fragmentation Mirrors Asymmetric Distribution of Cranial Neuromasts in Blind Mexican Cavefish

Craniofacial asymmetry is a convergent trait widely distributed across animals that colonize the extreme cave environment. Although craniofacial asymmetry can be discerned easily, other complex phenotypes (such as sensory organ position and numerical variation) are challenging to score and compare. Certain bones of the craniofacial complex demonstrate substantial asymmetry, and co-localize to regions harboring dramatically expanded numbers of mechanosensory neuromasts. To determine if a relationship exists between this expansion and bone fragmentation in cavefish, we developed a quantitative measure of positional symmetry across the left-right axis. We found that three different cave-dwelling populations were significantly more asymmetric compared to surface-dwelling fish. Moreover, cave populations did not differ in the degree of neuromast asymmetry. This work establishes a method for quantifying symmetry of a complex phenotype, and demonstrates that facial bone fragmentation mirrors the asymmetric distribution of neuromasts in different cavefish populations. Further developmental studies will provide a clearer picture of the developmental and cellular changes that accompany this extreme phenotype, and help illuminate the genetic basis for facial asymmetry in vertebrates.
Modellgetriebene Entwicklung objektorientierter Anwendungssysteme auf Basis von SOM

Anspruch des SOM-Ansatzes ist es, alle Modellebenen eines betrieblichen Systems, also auch die prozessunterstutzenden Anwendungssysteme (AwS) integriert und mit moglichst schlanken Mitteln zu beschreiben. Dieser Beitrag betrachtet die Abbildung von AwS-Modellen auf Microservice-Architekturen. Es wird ein Vorgehen beschrieben, welches das AwS-Modell anhand von fachlichen Kriterien so partitioniert, dass die entstehenden Teilmodelle Grundlage der Umsetzung des AwS in einer Microservice-Architektur sein konnen.
Is It Ethically Permissible to Separate Conjoined Twins? Murder, Mutilation, and Consent

This chapter looks at the ethics of separating conjoined twins by first establishing the individual dignity of each twin in light of both philosophical reasoning and how the Church has addressed such cases throughout its history—e.g., each twin being baptized separately. The essay goes on to then analyzes the moral permissibility of separating Jodie and Mary in light of the intentionality involved. The chapter concludes that, since there is no course of action that could benefit both twins, and only one of them is harmed while the other is benefitted, it is permissible to separate the two for the intended end of benefitting Jodie, while tolerating the foreseen side-effect that Mary will die as her separated body will be unable to sustain itself. However, that it would have been improper for Jodie and Mary’s parents to have consented to the separation since they should be equally concerned about the survival and welfare of both children. The fact that it was a judge’s order that ultimately determined the twins’ respective fates was more ethically appropriate.
Relative permittivity measurements of aqueous co-solvent systems including tetrahydrofuran

Abstract Values for co-solvents such as acetone and tetrahydrofuran have been measured. Permittivity values of a co-solvent system decrease with increasing temperature and decrease as mole fraction of water decreases. Fit to a cubic polynomial, the coefficients can be used to determine relative permittivity of the co-solvent system knowing temperature and mole fraction. A Brookhaven Instruments BI 870 Dielectric Meter was used. Pure water from 15.0 to 55.0 °C was measured to validate the method. Solutions of acetone and tetrahydrofuran were measured from 15.0 to 55.0 °C. A cubic polynomial fit was used to determine the polynomial coefficients for determining permittivity as a function of temperature and mole fraction. These coefficients may also be used to interpolate the dielectric constant between temperatures. Literature values for acetonitrile, 1,4-dioxane, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and N,N-dimethylformamide in water were used to determine the polynomial coefficients.
Low Subfrontal Dural Opening for Anterior Clinoid Meningioma

Introduction A variety of dural openings are described for frontal–temporal and cranio-orbital craniotomies. As with any surgical technique, the goal is to optimally and safely address the pathology, minimize normal anatomy disruption, and optimize postoperative recovery. This study reports a modified dural opening for frontal–temporal approaches which minimizes brain exposure while facilitating visualization for neoplastic and vascular lesions of the anterior clinoid, supra- and parasellar and adjacent regions. Methods A sample case is presented for which a low subfrontal dural exposure was utilized for tumor resection. The clinical presentation, surgical procedure, and outcome are summarized including a video detailing the surgical technique. Results A 63-year-old female with gradual left eye vision loss and tumor enlargement on serial imaging. The small dural-based tumor arose from the left anterior clinoid and optic canal region compressing the optic nerve. The video shows a left frontal–temporal craniotomy used to perform extradural anterior clinoidectomy and optic canal decompression. The novel low subfrontal dural opening without fixed brain retraction allowed dural opening around the optic canal and clinoidectomy region to resect tumor and complete optic nerve decompression. Postoperatively, the patient did well with significant recovery of vision and follow-up at 2.5 years shows no evidence of tumor recurrence. Conclusion The novel low subfrontal dural opening provides access to lesions of the supra-and para-sellar and adjacent regions, and preservation of much of the dura avoids some of the risks of intradural dissection including Sylvian fissure dissection and brain retraction The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/Jc7wvR4PTFk .
Educational Resource Development for Information Retrieval in a Digital Libraries Context

The DL curriculum project group has been developing educational modules and gaining experience throughout this process. Since there is a significant overlap between IR and DL topics, a list of IR educational resources can be developed by focusing on the IR-related modules in the DL curriculum framework. Team-based module development was effective in creating multiple high-quality modules with support from the instructors and the project team. By the end of 2009, a total of 11 IR-core modules were developed and posted on the project Web site, as well as made available in Wikiversity.org for distribution and refinement by the interested members of the community. It is our vision that they will be continuously upgraded and used, ensuring that they are satisfying the needs of the IR education community.
Comparative Study on Polyvinyl and Polyamide (Polymers) Resins as Corrosion Resistance Coating on Low Carbon Steel

Two commonly applied corrosion resistance coatings (Polyvinyl and Epoxy Polyamide resins) in Rivers and Bayelsa areas of Nigeria, have been compared on performance properties. The coatings were applied on low Carbon Steel samples that were cut to specific sizes. These prepared samples were subjected to varying conditions of pH, temperatures and exposure to definite time periods. The corrosion rates in ML per year (MPY) were then analyzed. The results of the corresponding corrosion rate in MPY obtained at PH 2,3,4,5, and 6, for epoxy polyamid resin, were 0.566, 0.553, 0.379, 0.354 and 0.322 respectively, and that for polyvinyl resin were 0.334, 0.326, 0.314, 0.288 and 0.277 respectively. The effect of temperature at 30° C, 4 ° C, 50° C, 60° C and 70°C were compared and corresponding corrosion rate in MP obtained for epoxy polyamide were 0.158, 0.288, 0.477, .655 and 0.810 respectively, while that for polyvinyl resin gave values of 0.122, 0.21 ,0.411, 0.552 and 0.651 respectively. The time exposure in hours of 692, 1008, 1344, 1680 and 2016 for the test steel samples applied with epoxy polyamide resin coating gave a corresponding corrosion values in MPY of 0.012, 0.016, 0.030, 0.043 and 0.055 respectively, and that for polyvinyl resin coating were 0.002, 0.009, 0.020, 0.034 and 0.044 respectively. The results obtained showed that polyvinyl resin coating have better performance properties over epoxy polyamide resin. Therefore polyvinyl resin coating can be recommended as a good corrosion resistance coating on low carbon steel pipes used in crude oil exploration in Petroleum industries
Virtual Visits Partially Replaced In-Person Visits In An ACO-Based Medical Specialty Practice.

Specialty care contributes significantly to total medical expenditures, for which accountable care organizations (ACOs) are responsible. ACOs have sought to replace costly in-person visits with low...
Science on the Sideline: Pragmatism and the Yellowstone River Basin Advisory Council

In 2013, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation engaged twenty citizens with diverse water interests as the Yellowstone Basin Advisory Council (YBAC). The purpose of the YBAC was to provide basin-specific recommendations for an updated water plan. Our research group documented the degree to which the YBAC incorporated scientific and technical information into its deliberations and final recommendations. Based on empirical evidence, this study illuminated three dynamics that discouraged the group’s use of certain sets of scientific and technical information. However, we also found that the convening managers, technical experts, and YBAC members were operating as pragmatic participants who created deliberative spaces where tensions between conflicting goals and values did not need to be addressed head-on. We argue that because this pragmatism guided certain scientific issues to the sideline, it helped the group pre-empt conditions of intractability that would otherwise threaten the overall collaborative process. While the sidelining was important in terms of “getting things done,” it, nonetheless, marginalized some important scientific issues. To validate and advance our findings, we presented the YBAC case, the dynamics that sidelined science, and our corrective recommendations to water resources professionals. We then solicited their ideas for specific strategies they might employ to avoid sidelining essential scientific and technical information. As a research innovation, their inputs help close the loop between critical observations and practice.
Guidelines and the Licensing Question

Unorganised and leaderless, the eight years between the Association of Independent Doctors in Addiction’s passing and the Association of Independent Prescribers beginning saw private prescribers lose any foothold in the policy community. Yet conversely, this was a time when the message of their former leaders had been taken into the heart of the policy-making. Those who had advocated harm reduction for many years but had lacked political legitimacy were able to advance their policy objectives under the new threat of AIDS. With the risk of the HIV virus spreading not only among drug users through shared injecting but from them into the general population through unprotected sex, perceptions about the most urgent goal of treatment altered. Abstinence made way for the goal of reducing the harms associated with continuing drug use.1 The UK government officially endorsed this pragmatic policy approach known as ‘harm reduction’ in 1988. Oral methadone and needle exchanges became central to this response. At the end of the 20th century, treatment goals shifted again, with concern about acquisitive crime perpetrated by addicts overtaking HIV/AIDS as the urgent prevention priority of the moment. Yet oral methadone maintenance endured to serve this goal too with support from inside the Clinics as well as outside.
4.25 Civil Settlement Offers Generally Excluded

This article addresses the admissibility of settlement offers and settlement discussions under FRE 408. It discusses the requirement that the claim must be disputed and a party must intend to make an offer of compromise. The rule applies to settlements with third parties and also to criminal cases.
Against unfairness: Young children's judgments about merit, equity, and equality.

Abstract This study examined young children’s judgments of resource distributions that either adhered to or diverged from principles of equality, equity, or merit in straightforward, peer-based scenarios. The sample comprised 192 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse 3- to 8-year-olds. Between 3 and 8 years of age, children evaluated inequitable and anti-meritorious allocations more negatively but did not evaluate equitable and meritorious allocations more positively. Rather, between 3 and 8 years, children increasingly supported equality. Highlighting an important but often overlooked developmental distinction, these results suggest that young children are increasingly against unfairness, but do not always endorse the most complex forms of distributive fairness.
Postoperative venous thromboembolism and mortality in patients with pancreatic surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pancreatic cancer is strongly associated with thrombosis. We investigated early postoperative venous thromboembolism (PVTE) mortality among patients with pancreatic surgery and compared outcomes in adenocarcinoma pancreatic cancer (ACPC) to non-adenocarcinoma pancreatic neoplasm (NACPN). METHODS We analyzed a prospectively collected database of patients who underwent pancreatic cancer or neoplasm-related surgery. As NACPN is underrepresented in other studies, we selected NACPN patients and a random sample of ACPC patients. PVTE was defined as VTE occurring within 3 months of surgical intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS A total of 441 pancreatic surgery patients were included, with 331 ACPC and 110 NACPN. Median follow-up was 449 days during which 90 (20.4%) patients developed VTE. PVTE occurred in 53 (12.0%) patients, including 41 (12.4%) ACPC patients and 12 (10.9%) NACPN patients. Those with PVTE had 60% higher mortality rate. A multivariable analysis found that PVTE is an independent predictor of increased mortality (HR Adj, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.2; P < .01). The mortality impact was not consistent between ACPC (HR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.3-7.9) and NACPN groups (HR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9-1.8). CONCLUSIONS Postoperative venous thromboembolism is an independent predictor of increased mortality in pancreatic surgery, specifically in adenocarcinoma pancreatic cancer surgery.