cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gastric volvulus in children: our experience

Gastric volvulus is an extremely rare disorder in the pediatric age group. It is a complex entity as to the etiology and management. The study was conducted to evaluate etiology, mode of presentation, management, and outcome in our patients with gastric volvulus. It was a retrospective study of 10 patients with gastric volvulus managed during May 2006 and October 2010. The medical record of these patients including history, clinical examination, investigations, operative notes, and the outcome was reviewed. Of the ten patients, seven were males and three females. The mean age of presentation was 2.87 years. Half (50 %) of the patients showed typical Borchardt triad whereas in other patients the presentation was variable. In eight patients, the diagnosis was precisely made with the help of radiological investigations. At operation, three patients had primary gastric volvulus, and seven had secondary gastric volvulus. The predisposing factors leading to secondary gastric volvulus were eventration of diaphragm, hiatus hernia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, malrotation, and traumatic diaphragmatic rupture. Seven patients had organoaxial volvulus and three showed mesenterioaxial. Gastropexy was performed in three patients (primary gastric volvulus). In seven patients (secondary gastric volvulus), the predisposing anatomical defects were corrected without adding gastropexy in the regime. One patient with traumatic rupture of the diaphragm died. There was no recurrence in any patient over a mean follow up of 3.7 years (SD ± 1.27). Secondary gastric volvulus is prevalent with diaphragmatic defects sharing major contribution in the etiology. Classical Borchardt triad is seen in 50 % cases of pediatric gastric volvulus. Correction of predisposing factors alone is sufficient to manage secondary gastric volvulus in children.
High-resolution CT imaging of carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Plaque morphologic features have been suggested as a complement to luminal narrowing measurements for assessing the risk of stroke associated with carotid atherosclerotic disease, giving rise to the concept of “vulnerable plaque.” The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of multidetector-row CT angiography (CTA) to assess the composition and characteristics of carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques with use of histologic examination as the gold standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients with transient ischemic attacks who underwent carotid CTA and “en bloc” endarterectomy were enrolled in a prospective study. An ex vivo micro-CT study of each endarterectomy specimen was obtained, followed by histologic examination. A systematic comparison of CTA images with histologic sections and micro-CT images was performed to determine the CT attenuation associated with each component of the atherosclerotic plaques. A computer algorithm was subsequently developed that automatically identifies the components of the carotid atherosclerotic plaques, based on the density of each pixel. A neuroradiologist9s reading of this computer analysis was compared with the interpretation of the histologic slides by a pathologist with respect to the types and characteristics of the carotid plaques. RESULTS: There was a 72.6% agreement between CTA and histologic examination in carotid plaque characterization. CTA showed perfect concordance for calcifications. A significant overlap between densities associated with lipid-rich necrotic core, connective tissue, and hemorrhage limited the reliability of individual pixel readings to identify these components. However, CTA showed good correlation with histologic examination for large lipid cores (κ = 0.796; P P = .102). CTA performed well in detecting ulcerations (κ = 0.855) and in measuring the fibrous cap thickness ( R 2 = 0.77; P CONCLUSION: The composition of carotid atherosclerotic plaques determined by CTA reflects plaque composition defined by histologic examination.
Effect of fluconazole on pharmacokinetics of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine in persons seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus.

Fluconazole inhibits cytochrome P-450-mediated enzymatic metabolism of several drugs. Since hepatic metabolism is partially responsible for 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (didanosine or ddI) elimination, fluconazole therapy may lead to increased ddI concentrations in serum and subsequent concentration-dependent adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to determine if ddI pharmacokinetics are influenced by a 7-day course of oral fluconazole. Twelve adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who had received a constant dosage of ddI for at least 2 weeks were investigated. On study day 1, multiple serum samples for determination of ddI concentrations were obtained over 12 h. Then subjects received a 7-day course of oral fluconazole (200 mg every 12 h for two doses and then 200 mg once daily for 6 days) while ddI therapy continued. Following the last dose of fluconazole, serum samples for determination of ddI concentrations were again obtained over 12 h. ddI concentrations in serum were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. In contrast to previously published data, there was marked between-subject variability in ddI areas under the concentration-time curve, even when the dose was normalized for weight. No significant differences were found between mean ddI areas under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 h on study day 1 (1,528 +/- 902 ngx.hr/ml) and following fluconazole treatment (1,486 +/- 649 ngx.hr/ml) .There were no significant differences in other pharmacokinetic parameters, such as ddI peak concentrations in serum (971 +/- 509 and 942 +/- 442 ng/ml) or half-lives (80 +/- 32 and 85 +/- 21 min.) before and after fluconazole treatment, respectively. We conclude that a 7-day course of oral fluconazole does not significantly alter ddI pharmacokinetics in adults that are infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
Distraction osteogenesis in adult obstructive sleep apnea surgery: a preliminary report.

Abstract Purpose: This study evaluated the potential application of distraction osteogenesis (DO) for skeletal expansion in the management of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Patients and Methods: Five consecutive adult patients (3 male, 2 female) underwent a DO procedure with intraoral distraction devices for the management of OSAS. The surgical procedures were mandibular advancement (n = 4, with 3 bilateral advancement and 1 unilateral advancement) and simultaneous maxillomandibular advancement (n = 1). Starting 7 days after surgery, the distraction devices were activated 4 times daily at a rate of 1.0 mm/d until the desired skeletal expansion was achieved. All of the patients underwent pre- and postoperative radiographic analysis and polysomnography. The distraction devices were removed 3 months after the completion of the distraction process. Results: The amount of skeletal advancement by distraction ranged from 5.5 to 12.5 mm, with the mean distance being 8.1 mm. The postoperative polysomnographic results showed improvement of OSAS in all 5 patients with an improvement of the mean RDI from 49.3 events per hour to 6.6 events per hour. The lowest oxygen saturation improved from 79.8% to 85.8%. The mean follow-up period was 12 months. Complications included localized inflammation at the distraction device site (n = 2), temporary temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discomfort during distraction process (n = 1), and temporary paresthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve distribution (n = 2). A moderate amount of pain during the activation of the distraction devices was reported (n = 3) and was adequately treated with analgesics. None of the complications led to permanent problems. Conclusion: This limited case series shows that DO is applicable in selected adult patients for skeletal advancement in the treatment of OSAS. However, there are disadvantages with the use of DO, and further investigations are necessary to determine the potential of this technique. © 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:6-10, 2002
Transitional Cell Carcinoma within a Portion of Inguinally Herniated Bladder

Bladder herniation within the inguinal canal is a relatively uncommon finding. We report an even less-common occurrence of transitional cell carcinoma located within a portion of inguinally herniated bladder. Fewer than 20 reports exist in the literature describing this scenario.
Sanctions and Security: The League of Nations and the Italian–Ethiopian War, 1935–1936

The imposition of limited sanctions against Italy was given fair prospect of success by members of the League. Sanctions were to have a twofold purpose. One was to uphold the Covenant and encourage collective security. The other was to end the war by putting pressure on the Italian government so as to make it amenable to a negotiated settlement. It was expected that economic and financial measures (as opposed to military means) would be sufficient, over a period of time, to achieve this. The timetable was upset by unexpected political events and by the collapse of Ethiopian military resistance. Policies are explained, events discussed, and to illuminate some dilemmas a distinction (not then well perceived) is made between politically important “consumatory” assumptions and diplomatically operative “instrumentalist” and reconciliationist practices.
Data for long-term care planning. Application of a synthetic estimation technique.

To provide state-level estimates for long-term care planning, synthetic estimation techniques were used to generate estimates of dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) and mobility among each state's population. Dependency is regressed on demographic predictor variables in a data set created by combining the 1977 National Health Interview Survey and 1977 National Nursing Home Survey. Coefficients were then applied to 1980 U.S. Bureau of the Census state prevalence estimates for these predictors. The results are state estimates that vary from 7.2% of the aged population ADL dependent in Alaska to 10.4% in Iowa and Nebraska. An alternative model regresses dependency on state mortality rates and produces similar but generally lower estimates.
A hybrid framework for application allocation and scheduling in multicore systems with energy harvesting

In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid design-time and run-time framework for allocating and scheduling applications in multi-core embedded systems with solar energy harvesting. Due to limited energy availability at run-time, our framework offloads scheduling complexity to design time by creating energy-efficient schedule templates for varying energy budget levels, which are selected at run-time in a manner that is contingent on the available harvested energy and executed with a lightweight slack reclamation scheme that extracts additional energy savings. Our experimental results show that the proposed framework produces energy-efficient and dependency-aware schedules to execute applications under varying and stringent energy constraints, with 23-40% lower miss rates than in prior works on harvesting energy-aware scheduling.
Limit Behavior of Approximate Solutions to Conservation Laws

We are concerned with the limit behavior of approximate solutions to hyperbolic systems of conservation laws. Several mathematical compactness theories and their role are described. Some recent and ongoing developments are reviewed and analyzed.
Effects of Rituximab on the Development of Viral and Fungal Infections in Renal Transplant Recipients

Background. Rituximab is becoming increasingly utilized in renal transplant recipients; however, its association with infections remains unclear. Methods. We reviewed the incidence of viral and fungal infections in kidney transplant recipients treated with () or without () rituximab (RTX) in addition to standard immunosuppression. Results. Infections occurred in 134 (30%) patients, with a greater proportion in RTX versus no RTX patients (47% versus 28%; ). Viral infections occurred in 44% and 27% of RTX and no RTX patients, respectively (). This was largely driven by the frequency of BK viremia and noncytomegalovirus/non-BK viruses in RTX patients (27% versus 13% () and 15% versus 2% (), resp.). Fungal infections also occurred more often in RTX patients (11% versus 3 %; ). Multivariate analysis revealed deceased donor recipient (odds ratio = 2.5; ) and rituximab exposure (odds ratio = 2.2; ) as independent risk factors for infection. Older patients, deceased donor recipients, those on dialysis longer, and those with delayed graft function tended to be at a greater risk for infections following rituximab. Conclusions. Rituximab is associated with an increased incidence of viral and fungal infections in kidney transplantation. Additional preventative measures and/or monitoring infectious complications may be warranted in those receiving rituximab.
Achieving Peer-to-Peer Telecommunication Services through Social Hashing

Although peer-to-peer (P2P) Internet Telephony gains more and more market share, supporting traditional telephony related use cases is an indispensable requirement. However, communication services designed for this purpose are usually traditional circuit-based, and the centralized structure makes it nearly impossible for their deployments in a distributed, unsecure telecommunication environment. This paper proposes an approach for achieving various kinds of communication services on P2P voice over IP (VoIP) systems by building trust and executing supervision through social networks. We present a system architecture design for network topology maintenance and security assurance. Social protocols and social computing are used to study how P2P entities can be efficiently mapped to social networks, and how social functionalities can benefit communication services implementation. To demonstrate the approach feasibility, we exemplify this architecture in P2P VoIP emergency services by using gossiping and membership management techniques. We believe that our proposed approach will be able to support diverse services on P2P VoIP systems with the performance and security guaranteed to compete with centralized telecommunication systems.
Sparsification-a technique for speeding up dynamic graph algorithms

The authors provide data structures that maintain a graph as edges are inserted and deleted, and keep track of the following properties: minimum spanning forests, best swap, graph connectivity, and graph 2-edge-connectivity, in time O(n/sup 1/2/log(m/n)) per change; 3-edge-connectivity, in time O(n/sup 2/3/) per change; 4-edge-connectivity, in time O(n alpha (n)) per change; k-edge-connectivity, in time O(n log n) per change; bipartiteness, 2-vertex-connectivity, and 3-vertex-connectivity, in time O(n log(m/n)) per change; and 4-vertex-connectivity, in time O(n log(m/n)+n alpha (n)) per change. Further results speed up the insertion times to match the bounds of known partially dynamic algorithms. The algorithms are based on a technique that transforms algorithms for sparse graphs into ones that work on any graph, which they call sparsification. >
Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: the Baylor experience.

Liver transplantation (LTX) is indicated in selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis. We compared the outcome of LTX for patients with and without HCC in 5-year time periods between 1987 and 2007 to reflect the implementation of the Milan tumor selection criteria in 1997 and of the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score-based liver allocation in 2002. Of 2350 patients who underwent primary LTX, 330 had HCC. Five-year patient survival for HCC patients was 28.6% in 1987–1992 and 42.3% in 1992–1997, which was 41.4–31.4% lower than that in non-HCC patients (P 6 cm [hazard ratio (HR) 3.67], ≥5 nodules (HR 3.441), vascular invasion (HR 3.18), transplant in 1987–1992 (HR 6.772), and transplant in 1992–1997 (HR 3.059). MELD-based liver allocation reduced median waiting time for LTX for HCC versus non-HCC (35 vs. 111 days; P = 0.005) without compromise in patient outcome. The results of LTX for HCC continue to improve and are equal to results in patients without HCC.
The Katyn Syndrome

The authors of Katynskii sindrom are eminently qualified to write a study of this heinous Stalinist crime: the Katyn-Kharkov-Kalinin/Tver massacres of Polish prisoners of war in spring 1940, now subsumed under the name "Katyn." Inessa Iazhborovskaia and Valentina Parsadanova are both historians of Poland (the former is also a political scientist) who have written on the Polish prisoners of war and Katyn, while Anatolii Iu. Iablokov was the prosecutor in charge of the Soviet, then Russian, Katyn investigation from August 1990 to June 1994. This book received some favorable reviews in Russian and Polish
CORPUS PRESENTER: SOFTWARE FOR LANGUAGE ANALYSIS

CORPUS PRESENTER: SOFTWARE FOR LANGUAGE ANALYSIS. Raymond Hickey . Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2003. Pp. viii + 285. CD-ROM. $95.00 cloth. During the last 10 years, there has been an increased interest in access to corpora and the ability to perform corpus analyses from both language researchers and language teachers. The questions of which corpus to use and what tools are available for helping to search a corpus often plague language teachers. This volume helps to address this question by providing a book and an accompanying CD-ROM that contains a corpus and 27 tools.
MMP-9 Sheds the β2 Integrin Subunit (CD18) from Macrophages

Activated macrophages are essential effectors of immunity and a rich source of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9; gelatinase B). To search for cellular substrates of the enzyme, we subjected wild-type macrophages and macrophages expressing an autoactivating form of pro-MMP-9 (M9A macrophages) to proteomics analysis. Two-dimensional liquid chromatography together with tandem mass spectrometry identified 467 proteins in medium conditioned by M9A and/or wild-type macrophages. Subtractive proteomics identified 18 candidate MMP-9 substrates. Biochemical studies confirmed that two transmembrane proteins, β2 integrin subunit (CD18) and amyloid protein precursor (APP), were enriched in the medium of M9A macrophages. To identify potential cleavage sites, we synthesized an overlapping library of peptides that spanned 60 residues of the ectodomain and transmembrane domain of β2 integrin. Active MMP-9 cleaved a single peptide, ECVKGPNVAAIVGGT, at residues corresponding to Ala705 and Ile706 of the β2 integrin. Peptides corresponding to this cleavage site were detected by tandem mass spectrometric analysis only in medium from M9A macrophages, strongly supporting the proposal that β2 integrin is shed by autoactivating MMP-9. Our observations indicate that subtractive proteomics in concert with peptide substrate mapping is a powerful approach for identifying proteolytic substrates and suggest that MMP-9 plays previously unsuspected roles in the regulation and shedding of β2 integrin.
In The Land Of The Smoke Drinkers

When European explorers set foot on the shores of the “new world” in the fifteenth century, they took great fascination in observing the natives igniting rolled-up dried leaves and then “drinking” the smoke.1 The explorers returned to Europe with tobacco plants, and the odd behavior rapidly took hold throughout the continent, although not without opposition or controversy.2 Indeed, with the exception of its origins in the Americas, controversy has always accompanied the use of tobacco. For example, in 1633, Turkish Sultan Murad IV implemented what is likely the world’s most draconian tobacco control policy, one that demonstrated conclusively that smoking was a health hazard: He declared the use of tobacco punishable by death and reportedly executed smokers daily.3 The fact that smoking persisted, and indeed flourished, in spite of such policies speaks volumes about the seductiveness and tenacity of the behavior. All species, save one, instinctively flee from smoke. Humans choose to suck it into their lungs, at the peril of death. Over the past century, the U.S. citizenry has done so with particular zeal. As Allan Brandt demonstrates, Americans have been aided and abetted by an equally zealous tobacco industry. Brandt, a professor of the history of medicine and science at Harvard University, devoted a fifth of the cigarette century to the evolution of this book. Although the book’s focus never wanders from the tobacco story per se, Brandt effectively guides the reader through the multiple impacts that this story has had on America writ large. For example, he explains how research on smoking and lung cancer helped define the field of epidemiology and, more broadly, redefine the nature of medical evidence. He elucidates the central role of tobacco in the development of the modern advertising and public relations industries and in the process shows us the myriad techniques an industry uses to manipulate the nation’s cultural life. He demonstrates the grip of special interests on Congress through the lens of one of the most powerful of those groups. And he critiques the use and intentional distortion of science to serve the ends of a greed-infested corporate interest. Brandt divides his thirteen chapters into five sections: culture, science, politics, law, and globalization. Each theme is covered in detail, and each is graced with a mellifluous writing style that makes the detail that much more accessible. The political story is perhaps too big to be relegated to a mere three chapters; fortunately, the interested reader can consult a wealth of writings on the subject, many referenced in the book. (The book’s prodigious referencing is itself a contribution, with seventytwo pages of small-font sources for the hopelessly addicted.) Brandt does justice to the still-emerging story on the globalization of the tobacco pandemic, but we will have to await future historians’ assessment of what is undoubtedly one of the most important public health stories of the twenty-first century. Ironically, while The Cigarette Century covers
Jupiter's Tropospheric Thermal Emission. I. Observations and Techniques

This paper presents a new Jupiter data set and several new techniques developed for its reduction. A companion paper (J. Harrington, T. E. Dowling, and R. L. Baron, 1996,Icarus124, 32–44) uses these data to study the scales of energy deposition into Jupiter's atmosphere. We observed Jupiter's tropospheric thermal emission at a wavelength of 4.9 μm (1% bandpass) with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (Mauna Kea, HI). The ProtoCAM 62 × 58-pixel infrared array camera took a total of 229 full-disk 3 × 3- and 4 × 4-image mosaics on 19 nights spanning the period 11 Jan. through 19 Apr. 1992. Resolution was typically 0.5″–0.75″. We obtained full longitude coverage on six nights. This wavelength is sensitive to emission from the ∼5-bar level, near the top of the (putative) jovian water cloud level. Clouds located higher in the atmosphere attenuate this emission. The images show atmospheric structure at all resolved spatial scales and have a cloud optical depth range of ∼4.6. We developed image processing techniques for finding the optimal registration of images in mosaics and for locating low-contrast planetary limbs in images of planets with many high-contrast features. Both techniques are new and generally applicable and require no human interaction.
Second Language Acquisition and Language Universals Research

To the extent that language universals represent internal properties of human beings, one would expect them to manifest themselves in first language (L1) acquisition. Whether they should also manifest themselves in second language (L2) acquisition depends on whether or not language universals remain accessible to adults. The relation between L2 acquisition and language universals research is examined with respect to three phenomena: extraction, where the subset principle makes interesting predictions, although the second language data are far from clear; structure dependence, where there is evidence for the continuation beyond puberty of a general formal property of language; and the distribution of overt reflexives, which has a functional basis and therefore poses the interesting question whether or not this functional basis is accessible to language learners.
Increasing Neuroradiology Exam Volumes On-Call Do Not Result in Increased Major Discrepancies in Primary Reads Performed by Residents

Background and Purpose: A common perception is that increased on-call workload leads to increased resident mistakes. To test this, we evaluated whether increased imaging volume has led to increased errors by residents. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was made of all overnight neuroradiology CT exams with a primary resident read from 2006-2010. All studies were over-read by staff neuroradiologists next morning. As the volume is higher on Friday through Sunday nights, weekend studies were examined separately. Discrepancies were classified as either minor or major. "Major" discrepancy was defined as a discrepancy that the staff radiologist felt was significant enough to potentially affect patient care, necessitating a corrected report and phone contact with the ordering physician and documentation. The total number of major discrepancies was recorded by quarter. In addition, the total number of neuroradiology CT studies read overnight on-call was noted. Results: The mean number of cases per night during the weekday increased from 3.0 in 2006 to 5.2 in 2010 (p<0.001). During the weekend, the mean number of cases per night increased from 5.4 in 2006 to 7.6 in 2010 (p<0.001). Despite this increase, the major discrepancy rate decreased from 2.7% in 2006 to 2.3% in 2010 (p=0.34). Conclusion: Despite an increase in neuroradiology exam volumes, there continues to be a low major discrepancy rate for primary resident interpretations. While continued surveillance of on-call volumes is crucial to the educational environment, concern of increased major errors should not be used as sole justification to limit autonomy.
Strength and Function Response to Clinical Interventions of Older Women Categorized by Weakness and Low Lean Mass Using Classifications From the Foundation for the National Institute of Health Sarcopenia Project

The age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, termed sarcopenia, represents a significant healthcare burden in the United States, reflecting $18.5 billion in costs in 2000 (1). Based on these statistics, reducing the incidence of sarcopenia by 10% nationwide would result in a potential saving of $1.1 billion (1), thus highlighting the importance of establishing proven interventions. To advance research, consensus on the clinical definition of sarcopenia is required. Currently, estimates of sarcopenia prevalence vary widely due to use of multiple parameters to define the condition (2). In 1989, Rosenberg and colleagues (3) first coined the term sarcopenia as “a reduction in muscle mass with aging.” This definition stimulated others to characterize this condition (4,5). In 1998, Baumgartner and colleagues (4) first defined sarcopenia using appendicular skeletal lean mass, measured via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, as less than two standard deviations below the mean of a reference group of young persons (4). Yet muscle function and lean mass are not clearly associated, thus recent studies have suggested broader parameters to define sarcopenia (5,6). Weakness is associated with disability and mortality, but the role of muscle mass is less clear (7–9). Several working groups have made recommendations for defining sarcopenia based on review of the literature and expert opinion (5,10). Most recently, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project used data pooled from numerous large epidemiologic studies and clinical trials to develop data-driven criteria for clinically meaningful weakness and low lean mass based on cut-points for grip strength and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-based appendicular lean mass (ALM), respectively (6). In the FNIH Sarcopenia Project, individuals classified as weak had a higher risk for incident mobility disability after 3 years of follow-up (11), yet it is unclear whether these proposed cut-points identify individuals who will benefit from interventions to improve mobility. The FNIH Sarcopenia Project specifically included studies of clinical trials to address this question of whether response to interventions was altered by sarcopenia, as defined by the data-driven cut-points. The current study seeks to determine whether individuals, when categorized by the FNIH parameters for clinically meaningful weakness and low lean mass, respond to interventions for frailty. We used pooled data from four randomized trials of several different frailty interventions to compare the changes in muscle strength and function among groups of older adults defined as weak and having low lean mass according to the FNIH proposed criteria. We hypothesized that participants with weakness, with or without low lean mass, would respond equally well to interventions as those without weakness.
Antibody-functionalized nano test tubes target breast cancer cells.

Aim: To develop nano test tubes that will deliver a biomedical payload to a specific cell type. Methods: The template-synthesis method was used to prepare silica nano test tubes. An antibody that is specific for breast cancer cells was attached to the outer tube surfaces. A fluorophore was attached to the inner surfaces of the nano test tubes. The tubes were incubated with the breast cancer cells and the extent of attachment to the cell surfaces was investigated by fluorescence microscopy. Results: Tubes modified on their outer surfaces with the target antibody showed enhanced attachment to breast-cancer cells, relative to tubes modified on their outer surfaces with a species and isotype-matched control antibody. Conclusions: This work is a first step toward demonstrating that nano test tubes can be used as cell-specific delivery vehicles.
Parallel windowed block recursive least squares

We report results on the parallel implementation of accurate algorithms for the windowed recursive least squares (WRLS) problem. In this problem both updating and downdating of matrix factorizations takes place, where in either case, the factorization is modified by a block of rows. We consider two algorithms, block Gram-Schmidt with re-orthogonalization (BGSR) (S.J. Olszanskyj et al.) and corrected semi-normal equations (CSNE) (L. Elden, H. Park, 1992). We implemented the algorithms for the Intel iPSC/860 Hypercube and Intel Paragon XP/S architectures. Test results show that even though the BGSR algorithm has more work to do, it exhibits better scaled speedup and is in many scenarios faster than CSNE in parallel. >
Status and Conservation Priorities of Golden-Winged Warbler (Vermivora Chrysoptera) in North America

department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA; 2School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, USA; Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA; 4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3, Nongame Migratory Bird Office, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111, USA; ^Department of Biology, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA; department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, USA; and 7Conservation Science Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
Expected dose for the nominal scenario class in the 2008 performance assessment for the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Abstract Extensive work has been carried out by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the development of a proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada, for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In support of this development and an associated license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the DOE completed an extensive performance assessment (PA) for the proposed YM repository in 2008. This presentation describes the determination of expected (mean) dose to the reasonably maximally exposed individual (RMEI) specified in the NRC regulations for the YM repository for the nominal scenario class (i.e., under nominal or undisturbed conditions) in the 2008 YM PA. The following topics are addressed: (i) properties of the nominal scenario class and the determination of dose and expected (mean) dose to the RMEI, (ii) uncertainty in dose and resultant expected (mean) dose to the RMEI, (iii) expected (mean) dose to the RMEI from individual radionuclides, and (iv) numerical stability of the sampling-based procedure used to estimate the expected (mean) dose to the RMEI. The present paper is part of a special issue of Reliability Engineering and System Safety devoted to the 2008 YM PA; additional papers in the issue describe other aspects of the 2008 YM PA.
An Instance of Distributed Social Computation: The Multiagent Group Membership Problem

We consider a scenario in which agents in a network are rewarded if they collectively solve a group membership task from only local distributed interactions. We propose a simple distributed algorithm with a number of desirable features aimed at modeling distributed social computation: the algorithm is self-stabilizing, decisions are made using only local information, the exchanged messages are minimal and can be represented by a single bit, agents pursue local stability, and have no memory of the past. Using this model, we characterize mathematically the tradeoff between the quality of a solution and the time needed to reach it, proving that a good solution is always found quickly while improving it to the optimum might require excessive time. We also present laboratory experiments where a group of human subjects was rewarded if they solved the same group membership task. We observe a good fit between the humans' performance and our algorithm's predictions, showing that the global dynamics of agents with diverse strategies can be described by simple, synthetic agents with a uniform strategy of interaction. This suggests that simple models of distributed computation can be constructed to predict the aggregate performance of real populations of humans solving computational problems over networks, addressing a question recently posed by Kearns in 2012.
SOFC anode performance enhancement through precipitation of nanoscale catalysts

This paper describes a new method for improving the performance of oxide anodes by precipitating metal nano- clusters on oxide surfaces during the initial stages of SOFC operation, without additional processing steps. Transmission electron microscope and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy observations showed that nano-clusters of Ni or Ru metal precipitated onto lanthanum chromite (La0.8Sr0.2Cr1-yXyO3-d, X = Ni, Ru) surfaces, respectively, after exposure to hydrogen at 800{degree sign}C. While Ni nano-clusters coarsened over ~300 h at 800{degree sign} C, Ru nano-cluster size was stable at <= 5 nm. SOFC tests were done with the doped lanthanum chromite anodes on LSGM electrolyte-supported cells. Ru and Ni nano-cluster nucleation improved cell performance and reduced anode polarization resistance during the first 50-100 h of cell operation.
Considering a Zernike polynomial representation for spatial frequency content of optical surfaces

In this manuscript we investigate a Zernike polynomial representation for quantifying the mid-spatial frequency (MSF) content of surfaces and how this representation captures certain characteristics of the MSF. Filtering aspect of these polynomials is also explored.
Two cheers for the impunity norm

International criminal law (ICL) is dedicated to the battle against impunity. However, the concept of impunity lacks clarity. Providing that clarity also reveals challenges for the current state an...
Application of improved Nasal feeding nursing methods in children with disturbance of consciousness

Objective: Through improvement of nasal feeding nursing methods for children with disturbance of consciousness, it is expected to reduce Nasal feeding accident and the incidence of complications in the process, and improve the effect of treatment. Methods: Among children with disturbance of consciousness received in a department of neurology, 68 cases were selected and divided into control group and experimental group. Control group uses conventional Nasal feeding nursing method, the experimental group with improved nasal feeding. Blocking pipe, tube knockout and nasal feeding complications incidence of the two groups were compared. Results: after using the improved nasal feeding nursing method, blocking pipe, pipe knockout and the incidence of complications of the experimental group was significantly reduced. Conclusion: The consciousness of children with improved Nasal feeding nursing method can reduce the blocking pipe, tube and incidence of complications, feasible, which is worth promoting.
Mortgage originations during 2002-2007 as an example of an evolutionary market

The mortgage market in the United States in the early and mid-2000’s underwent a substantial shift in both the quality of loans and the nature of the products offered which eventually led to the financial collapse of 2007. However, this change did not happen all at once, instead there was a gradual shift over time as experimenting firms learned that they could sell lower quality loans into the market and other firms were forced to follow along or lose market share. Mortgages started from a position of a stable market with high-quality loans and then shifted over time to a market characterized by continually declining quality and then shifted again sharply back towards high quality, although now requiring government intervention for support. This same pattern was seen across a number of different characteristics of the market. This paper shows how and why the shift happened from an evolutionary perspective and discusses the implications of this kind of behavior for understanding this period and also for possible developments in the future.
Re-evaluation of the Palasteriscidae Gregory, 1900, and the early phylogeny of the Asteroidea (Echinodermata)

Foliaster transversus n. gen. and sp. (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) is assigned to the Ordovician through Devonian family Palasteriscidae; the other genera included in the family are Palasteriscus and Platanaster. Platanaster is redescribed; both it and Foliaster are thought to have been suspension feeders that extended their arms into the water column. Ampullar basins in both were external; there are no podial pores. The strongly petaloid arm of Foliaster with widely separated podial basins is unique.Two competing phylogenies have been offered for the origin of stelleroids, one treating edrioasteroids as ancestral, the other favoring crinoids. In the latter hypothesis, the Palasteriscidae is the primitive asteroid family, and Platanaster is an example of the first true asteroids. Both hypotheses are here considered to lack adequate support; stelleroid origins remain problematic.
Radon—A Hazard and a Help

Stanley Watrous back in 1985 was having an awkward time. For several days, as he finished work at the Limerick nuclear facility in eastern Pennsylvania, he tripped the alarm during his routine radiation check at the end of the day. Yet there was no unusual loose radioactivity to be found in his work space. One morning, in a moment of inspiration, or perhaps of desperation, he checked himself when he arrived at work, and this check showed far more radiation than had caused the earlier alarms. A different alarm then went off in Watrous’ head.
Thermal transport across metal silicide-silicon interfaces: First-principles calculations and Green's function transport simulations

Heat transfer across metal-semiconductor interfaces involves multiple fundamental transport mechanisms such as elastic and inelastic phonon scattering, and electron-phonon coupling within the metal and across the interface. The relative contributions of these different transport mechanisms to the interface conductance remains unclear in the current literature. In this work, we use a combination of first-principles calculations under the density functional theory framework and heat transport simulations using the atomistic Green's function (AGF) method to quantitatively predict the contribution of the different scattering mechanisms to the thermal interface conductance of epitaxial ${\mathrm{CoSi}}_{2}$-Si interfaces. An important development in the present work is the direct computation of interfacial bonding from density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) and hence the avoidance of commonly used ``mixing rules'' to obtain the cross-interface force constants from bulk material force constants. Another important algorithmic development is the integration of the recursive Green's function (RGF) method with B\"uttiker probe scattering that enables computationally efficient simulations of inelastic phonon scattering and its contribution to the thermal interface conductance. First-principles calculations of electron-phonon coupling reveal that cross-interface energy transfer between metal electrons and atomic vibrations in the semiconductor is mediated by delocalized acoustic phonon modes that extend on both sides of the interface, and phonon modes that are localized inside the semiconductor region of the interface exhibit negligible coupling with electrons in the metal. We also provide a direct comparison between simulation predictions and experimental measurements of thermal interface conductance of epitaxial ${\mathrm{CoSi}}_{2}$-Si interfaces using the time-domain thermoreflectance technique. Importantly, the experimental results, performed across a wide temperature range, only agree well with predictions that include all transport processes: elastic and inelastic phonon scattering, electron-phonon coupling in the metal, and electron-phonon coupling across the interface.
Reduction of anterior glenohumeral dislocations: a new closed reduction technique

ABSTRACTObjective: A new closed reduction technique for anterior glenohumeral dislocations and tuberosity fracture dislocations is introduced.Methods: Forty-one consecutive patients with an acute anterior glenohumeral dislocation or tuberosity fracture dislocation underwent closed reduction by an orthopaedic surgeon employing this new method.Results: Closed reduction was successful in 88% of patients using the reduction maneuver. Associated fracture with glenohumeral dislocation did not influence the success rate of the reduction maneuver. An assistant was needed in 15% of cases. No complications related to the reduction maneuver were noted amongst the cohort.Conclusion: This novel reduction technique is safe demonstrating excellent success rates both for anterior shoulder dislocations and tuberosity fracture-dislocations.
A contemporary framework of language processing in the human brain in the context of preoperative and intraoperative language mapping

The emergence of advanced in vivo neuroimaging methods has redefined the understanding of brain function with a shift from traditional localizationist models to more complex and widely distributed neural networks. In human language processing, the traditional localizationist models of Wernicke and Broca have fallen out of favor for a dual-stream processing system involving complex networks organized over vast areas of the dominant hemisphere. The current review explores the cortical function and white matter connections of human language processing, as well as their relevance to surgical planning. We performed a systematic review of the literature with narrative data analysis. Although there is significant heterogeneity in the literature over the past century of exploration, modern evidence provides new insight into the true cortical function and white matter anatomy of human language. Intraoperative data and postoperative outcome studies confirm a widely distributed language network extending far beyond the traditional cortical areas of Wernicke and Broca. The anatomic distribution of language networks, based on current theories, is explored to present a modern and clinically relevant interpretation of language function. Within this framework, we present current knowledge regarding the known effects of damage to both cortical and subcortical components of these language networks. Ideally, we hope this framework will provide a common language for which to base future clinical studies in human language function.
Bidirectional relationship between alcohol intake and sensitivity to social defeat: association with Tacr1 and Avp expression.

While epidemiological studies show that alcohol abuse is often co-morbid with affective disorders, the causal direction of this association is unclear. We examined this relationship using mouse models including social defeat stress (SDS), social interaction (SI) and voluntary alcohol consumption. C57BL6/J mice exposed to SDS segregate into two subpopulations, those that express depressive-like phenotypes ('susceptible') and those that do not ('resilient'). First, we stratified SDS-exposed mice and measured their voluntary alcohol consumption. Next, we determined whether SI behavior in alcohol-naive mice could predict alcohol intake. Finally, we assessed the effect of binge-like alcohol exposure on sensitivity to SDS. We quantified Tacr1 (neurokinin-1 receptor gene) and Avp (vasopressin peptide gene) mRNA in brain regions involved in depression, addiction and social behavior. We found that susceptible mice consumed more alcohol compared with resilient mice, suggesting that depression-like phenotypes associate with increased alcohol intake. Interestingly, we observed a negative correlation between SI and alcohol intake in stress- and alcohol-naive mice, suggesting that individual differences in SI associate with alcohol preference. Finally, alcohol pre-treatment increased sensitivity to SDS, indicating that alcohol exposure alters sensitivity to social stress. Quantification of mRNA revealed that increased expression of Tacr1 and Avp generally associated with decreased SI and increased alcohol intake. C57BL6/J mice are an inbred strain; thus, it is likely that individual differences in behavior and gene expression are driven by epigenetic factors. Collectively, these results support a bidirectional relationship between alcohol exposure and susceptibility to stress that is associated with variations in neuropeptide expression.
Review of community pharmacy services: what is being performed, and where are the opportunities for improvement?

Objective The aim of this review was to assess pharmacist and pharmacy services being provided and identify opportunities to improve patient satisfaction. Methods Studies published between January 2006 and July 2016 examining patient satisfaction with pharmacy and pharmacist services, which were written in English, were identified in PubMed. Studies were excluded if they only looked at pharmacy student-provided services. Key findings A total of 50 studies were ultimately included in the review. Of these studies, 28 examined services traditionally provided by community pharmacists such as dispensing and counseling, while 16 examined a new in-person service being offered by a pharmacy, and the remaining six involved a new technology-assisted service. While study findings were generally positive for patient satisfaction of pharmacy services, several opportunities were identified for pharmacies to improve. Conclusion Overall, patient satisfaction is high across pharmacy services; however, this satisfaction is related to prior patient exposure to services and their level of expectation. Pharmacists have multiple opportunities to improve the services they provide, and there are additional services pharmacists may consider offering to expand their role within the health care system.