cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practical Teaching Reform of Food Quality Management

Food quality management is a required courses for the major of food quality and safety.In order to improve the quality of practical teaching and the students' practical ability,this paper explores the practical teaching reform of food quality management from the teaching contents,teaching methods,practical operation ability and assessment methods.
Indigenous concepts : a problem for social and information sciences

The development of indigenous terms to denote indigenous concepts is a phenomena which occurs in societal sphere of many Third World countries. Several such terms which appear alien to Western World have been incorporated by scholars in social sciences. Several illustrations in this aspect have been shown. The author advocates for a universal onomantic approach wherein concept-term relation is governed by intellectual categoreal system. He advocates INTERCOCTA as an international programme to assist the development and internationalization of indigenous concepts.
Management of acute type B aortic dissections.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: For the last several decades, initial management of Stanford type B aortic dissections (DeBakey IIIa or IIIb) has involved medical therapy aimed at reducing blood pressure and impulse stress (Dp/dT). This concept has been indoctrinated into the medical field but is now being challenged with advancements in endovascular therapies and devices. Although there have been advances in the medical management and intensive care unit care, medical modalities alone may still pose a 25 -50% complication rate to the patients, resulting in some physicians seeking alternative approaches to reduce this risk in certain subsets of these patients.Areas covered: This review will detail the etiology, classification, diagnosis and evolution in treatment of acute type B dissections. We will also review data from recent trials on thoracic endovascular aortic repair and its role in the management of type B aortic dissections to help determine which patients may benefit from placement of a stent graft.Expert ...
Management of change

This chapter defines the objective of “Management of Change” (MOC) which is to ensure that good engineering principles and practices are always used when designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining facilities. This objective requires the recognition that even relatively small and seemingly innocuous changes associated with facility design, construction, operations, and maintenance may actually result in unacceptable health and safety hazards. The practical implementation of a management of change program requires clear criteria for distinguishing between those changes in plant operations, design and features that have no reasonable likelihood of resulting in a threat to health and safety and those that do. Where MOC is practiced routinely and regardless of regulatory jurisdiction, corporate decision-making procedures involving work requests and work orders provide specific lines of authority and responsibility for all potential changes, including those involving replacement in kind as well as changes not in kind. In an integrated MOC procedure both the responsibility and the authority regarding workplace health and safety is appropriately distributed throughout the company, from departmental supervisors and managers to the highest level of executives.
GroupSAC: Efficient consensus in the presence of groupings

We present a novel variant of the RANSAC algorithm that is much more efficient, in particular when dealing with problems with low inlier ratios. Our algorithm assumes that there exists some grouping in the data, based on which we introduce a new binomial mixture model rather than the simple binomial model as used in RANSAC. We prove that in the new model it is more efficient to sample data from a smaller numbers of groups and groups with more tentative correspondences, which leads to a new sampling procedure that uses progressive numbers of groups. We demonstrate our algorithm on two classical geometric vision problems: wide-baseline matching and camera resectioning. The experiments show that the algorithm serves as a general framework that works well with three possible grouping strategies investigated in this paper, including a novel optical flow based clustering approach. The results show that our algorithm is able to achieve a significant performance gain compared to the standard RANSAC and PROSAC.
Rituximab treatment of myasthenia gravis: A systematic review.

Rituximab is a chimeric mouse/human anti-CD20 monoclonal immunoglobulin. We reviewed the efficacy and safety of rituximab in 169 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients from case reports and series. Antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) were present in 59% and muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) in 34%. Modified Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America postintervention scale of minimal manifestations (MM) or better occurred in 44%, and combined pharmacologic and chronic stable remission in 27% overall; MM or better was achieved in 72% of MuSK MG and 30% of AChR MG (P < 0.001). Posttreatment relapses decreased more in MuSK MG (P = 0.05). Response predictors were MuSK MG, less severe disease, and younger age at treatment. Among a responder subset, 26% of AChR and 82% of MuSK MG patients showed decreased posttreatment antibody titers. Rituximab was generally well tolerated. Detectable serum rituximab and depleted CD20+ B-cells were observed up to 20 and 16 weeks, respectively, after 4 weekly infusions. Muscle Nerve 56: 185–196, 2017
The Fall of the Turkish Model: How the Arab Uprisings Brought Down Islamic Liberalism

Turkey’s descent into competitive authoritarianism has inspired a surge of interest into the factors driving the decline of the broadly revered ‘Turkish model.’ Until recently, Turkey was hailed as...
On a discrete bilinear singular operator

Abstract We prove that for a large class of functions P and Q , the discrete bilinear operator T P , Q ( f , g ) ( n ) = ∑ m ∈ Z ∖ { 0 } f ( n − P ( m ) ) g ( n − Q ( m ) ) 1 m is bounded from l 2 × l 2 into l 1 + ϵ , ∞ for any ϵ ∈ ( 0 , 1 ] .
The first CT in a SAH: a picture tells a story

Finding the cause of acute neurological deterioration in the hours following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage remains challenging. The presence of blood casts in the ventricles proves that deterioration is secondary to acute hydrocephalus and prompts immediate external ventricular drain placement.
The Study of Learning Games

The confounding factors present in most learning games make studying them a labor of love and difficulty. This chapter examines the complexity and challenges of conducting research on learning games. We review some of the common approaches to studying educational games that have been employed in the field, along with some of our own. We note areas of weakness in existing methods when it comes to understanding whether or not students could use the product and whether or not they learned with it.
The Impact of Model-Based Clutter Suppression on Cluttered, Aberrated Wavefronts

Recent studies reveal that both phase aberration and reverberation play a major role in degrading ultrasound image quality. We previously developed an algorithm for suppressing clutter, but we have not yet tested it in the context of aberrated wavefronts. In this paper, we evaluate our previously reported algorithm, called aperture domain model image reconstruction (ADMIRE), in the presence of phase aberration and in the presence of multipath scattering and phase aberration. We use simulations to investigate phase aberration corruption and correction in the presence of reverberation. As part of this paper, we observed that ADMIRE leads to suppressed levels of aberration. In order to accurately characterize aberrated signals of interest, we introduced an adaptive component to ADMIRE to account for aberration, referred to as adaptive ADMIRE. We then use ADMIRE, adaptive ADMIRE, and conventional filtering methods to characterize aberration profiles on in vivo liver data. These in vivo results suggest that adaptive ADMIRE could be used to better characterize a wider range of aberrated wavefronts. The aberration profiles’ full-width at half-maximum of ADMIRE, adaptive ADMIRE, and postfiltered data with 0.4- ${\rm mm}^{-1}$ spatial cutoff frequency are 4.0 ± 0.28 mm, 2.8 ± 1.3 mm, and 2.8 ± 0.57 mm, respectively, while the average root-mean square values in the same order are 16 ± 5.4 ns, 20 ± 6.3 ns, and 19 ± 3.9 ns, respectively. Finally, because ADMIRE suppresses aberration, we perform a limited evaluation of image quality using simulations and in vivo data to determine how ADMIRE and adaptive ADMIRE perform with and without aberration correction.
Low Dimensional Behavior in Chaotic Nonplanar Motions of a Forced Elastic Rod: Experiment and Theory

The results of an experimental and theoretical investigation of the dynamics of a thin elastic rod are presented. Regular, planar motions of the rod are observed to become unstable in wedge-shaped regions of the forcing frequency-forcing amplitude parameter plane. Inside of these wedges, motions are nonplanar and generally chaotic. Fractal dimension calculations from experimental data indicate that the dynamics of the rod may be modelled by between two and six degrees of freedom. A family of asymmetric bending-torsion nonlinear modes are discovered experimentally, and their frequency-amplitude characteristic is obtained. A two degree-of-freedom system is derived by starting with a geometrically exact linearly elastic rod theory and projecting onto the first bending and torsional modes. Numerical simulations indicate that this two-mode model exhibits much of the behavior observed experimentally.
The influence of habitat, tidal stage, temperature, and breeding status on the flight behavior of piping plovers (Charadrius melodus)

Collision with wind turbines is an increasing conservation concern for migratory birds that are already facing many threats. A proliferation of proposals for single-turbine wind projects on U.S. Atlantic beaches where piping plovers nest poses a potential threat to this species. Understanding collision risk requires knowledge of aspects of the flight behavior of species that might be affected by turbines. We studied flight behavior of a threatened shorebird, the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), at six study sites along the Atlantic coast of the USA. We observed a total of 1689 diurnal, non-courtship flights in 2012 and 2013. According to our best-fitting model, flight frequency increased during low tidal stages and during the chick-rearing phase, was higher where nesting and foraging habitat were separate than when they were contiguous, and increased with air temperature at some locations. Additionally, flight frequency through risk areas ≥ 10 m differed by study site. We found that the center points of piping plover flight paths were clustered by territory, indicating that birds tended to commute to foraging areas using pair-specific routes. Our results suggest that habitat configuration should be the most important consideration when conducting assessments of wind turbine proposals at or near piping plover breeding areas.
Assessing gastrointestinal motility in healthy horses comparing auscultation, ultrasonography and an acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance biosensor: a randomised, blinded, controlled crossover proof of principle study

Background Auscultation and ultrasonography are noninvasive techniques used to assess gastrointestinal motility in horses. Recently, noninvasive acoustic gastrointestinal surveillance (AGIS) biosensors evaluating intestinal motility have been validated in humans. Objectives To compare AGIS to auscultation and ultrasonography for detecting decreased motility after xylazine administration. Study design Randomised, blinded, controlled cross-over proof of principle study. Methods Six healthy horses were evaluated under fasted and nonfasted conditions and randomly assigned to receive treatment with 0.4 mg/kg xylazine or an equivalent volume of 0.9% NaCl intravenously. After a 48-h washout period, the process was repeated with the alternate treatment. Motility was assessed pre and posttreatment. Borborygmi were assessed in each abdominal quadrant and graded on a scale of 0-3, with 3 being continuous borborygmi. Duodenal, jejunal and caecal contractions were assessed ultrasonographically in consistent locations. Four AGIS biosensors were applied in standardised locations (duodenum, caecum, ventral midline, right dorsal colon). The biosensors measure acoustic signals and data were recorded in transport metric. Data were analysed using cross-classified multilevel random effects logistic regression including area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC ROC). Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated for each modality. Results All three modalities detected a reduction in gastrointestinal motility following xylazine administration with AUC ROC being 0.85, 0.84 and 0.86 for auscultation, ultrasonography and AGIS respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for auscultation was 88, 71 and 75%; for ultrasonography was 67, 63 and 64%; and for AGIS was 69, 70 and 70%, respectively. Main limitations The study was performed in normal healthy horses and application of this device to clinical patients warrants further investigation. Conclusions In this proof of principle study, AGIS was able to discriminate between horses given xylazine from those given 0.9% NaCl with comparable accuracy as auscultation and ultrasonography. The Summary is available in Spanish - see Supporting Information.
On Ideal Binary Mask As the Computational Goal of Auditory Scene Analysis

In his famous treatise of computational vision, Marr (1982) makes a compelling argument for separating different levels of analysis in order to understand complex information processing. In particular, the computational theory level, concerned with the goal of computation and general processing strategy, must be separated from the algorithm level, or the separation of what from how. This chapter is an attempt at a computational-theory analysis of auditory scene analysis, where the main task is to understand the character of the CASA problem.
Identification of Therapeutic Targets in Rhabdomyosarcoma Through Integrated Genomic, Epigenomic, and Proteomic Analyses

Summary Personalized cancer therapy targeting somatic mutations in patient tumors is increasingly being incorporated into practice. Other therapeutic vulnerabilities resulting from changes in gene expression due to tumor specific epigenetic perturbations are progressively being recognized. These genomic and epigenomic changes are ultimately manifest in the tumor proteome and phosphoproteome. We integrated transcriptomic, epigenomic, and proteomic/phosphoproteomic data to elucidate the cellular origins and therapeutic vulnerabilities of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). We discovered that alveolar RMS occurs further along the developmental program than embryonal RMS. We also identified deregulation of the RAS/MEK/ERK/CDK4/6, G2/M, and unfolded protein response pathways through our integrated analysis. Comprehensive preclinical testing revealed that targeting the WEE1 kinase in the G2/M pathway is the most effective approach in vivo for high-risk RMS.
A META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED TRIALS COMPARING LONG-TERM (5-YEAR) SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER DRUG-ELUTING STENTS WITH NEW GENERATION DURABLE POLYMER DRUG-ELUTING STENTS

Despite improvements in the platforms of new generation drug-eluting stents (DESs), late stent failure remains a potential concern given that patients can have hypersensitivity reactions to durable polymers (DPs). To overcome this shortcoming, DESs containing biodegradable polymers (BPs) have been
Detecting Common Method Bias: Performance of the Harman's Single-Factor Test

Lack of careful consideration of common method effects in empirical research can lead to several negative consequences for the interpretation of research outcomes, such as biased estimates of the validity and reliability of the measures employed as well as bias in the estimates of the relationships between constructs of interest, which in turn can affect hypothesis testing. Taken together, these make it very difficult to make any interpretations of the results when those are affected by substantive common method effects. In the literature, there are several preventive, detective, and corrective techniques that can be employed to assuage concerns about the possibility of common method effects underlying observed results. Among these, the most popular has been Harman's Single-Factor Test. Though researchers have argued against its effectiveness in the past, the technique has continued to be very popular in the discipline. Moreover, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on the actual effectiveness of the technique, which we sought to remedy with this research. Our results, based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations, indicate that the approach shows limited effectiveness in detecting the presence of common method effects and may thus be providing a false sense of security to researchers. We therefore argue against the use of the technique moving forward and provide evidence to support our position.
An Aging-Related Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism is Associated With Altered Clinical Outcomes and Distinct Inflammatory Profiles in Aged Blunt Trauma Patients.

ABSTRACTThe contribution of individual genetic determinants of aging to the adverse clinical outcomes and altered inflammation mediator networks characteristic of aged trauma patients is unknown. The AA genotype of the aging-related single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2075650 in TOMM40 has been a
Radiological assessment of the vestibular system

Imaging is useful for the diagnosis, preoperative planning, and postoperative management for a number of vestibular pathologies. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the most commonly used modalities to assess the temporal bone. This review will discuss commonly used imaging techniques, review relevant anatomy on CT and MRI, and highlight examples of common vestibular pathologies on imaging.
Energy Transitions: Linking Energy and Climate Change

Climate change and energy are clearly linked because of emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from production and combustion of fossil fuels. Educational programs on climate change, however, have not developed robust curricula to help students see both the challenges and requirements for mitigating climate change, which requires a transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy used efficiently. A case review of disputes about exploratory hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas in Lancashire, UK, illustrates key points relevant to climate change, its mitigation, and energy transition. These points can be organized in a theoretical framework—political ecology—to construct chains of explanation that clarify issues underlying mitigation/transition pathways. Three lines of inquiry specify key issues: (a) the scale of energy challenges at national levels, (b) the relative strengths and weaknesses of competing primary energy sources, and (c) three budgets or constraints (Carbon, Energy, Investment). The framework and lines of inquiry identify key points for debates about mitigation and energy transitions. These findings derive from synthesis and analysis of scholarly literature, agency reports, and newspaper reports.
Laparoscopic management of urachal remnants in children

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and approach of laparoscopic excision of urachal remnants in children. Methods From May 2012 to April 2018, retrospective reviews were conducted for medical records of all children undergoing laparoscopic excision of urachal remnants. Results There were 10 boys and 5 girls with a median age of 4.5(0.3-16.8) years. Umbilicus-sparing laparoscopic urachal excision was performed. The causes were urachal cyst (n=11) and patent urachus (n=4). Complete excision (n=11) and conversion into open surgery & partial cystectomy (n=4) were performed. Postoperative antibiotics were offered. All diagnoses were confirmed by pathological examinations. During a follow-up period of 3-60 months, there was no onset of re-infection or cyst recurrence. Conclusions Umbilicus-sparing laparoscopy is both safe and effective for treating persistent or infected urachus. It offers superior cosmetic outcomes. Partial cystectomy depends upon the presence of an adherent communicating urachal cyst attached to bladder dome. For acute infection, antibiotic dosing or initial incision & drainage with delayed cyst excision may be adopted for avoiding unnecessary complications. Key words: Urachus; Therapeutic laparoscopy; Child
SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load Predicts Mortality in Patients with and without Cancer Who Are Hospitalized with COVID-19.

Patients with cancer may be at increased risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the role of viral load on this risk is unknown. We measured SARS-CoV-2 viral load using cycle threshold (CT) values from reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assays applied to nasopharyngeal swab specimens in 100 patients with cancer and 2,914 without cancer who were admitted to three New York City hospitals. Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate was 38.8% among patients with a high viral load, 24.1% among patients with a medium viral load, and 15.3% among patients with a low viral load (p < 0.001). Similar findings were observed in patients with cancer (high, 45.2% mortality; medium, 28.0%; low, 12.1%; p = 0.008). Patients with hematologic malignancies had higher median viral loads (CT = 25.0) than patients without cancer (CT = 29.2; p = 0.0039). SARS-CoV-2 viral load results may offer vital prognostic information for patients with and without cancer who are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Regret Analysis of Stochastic Multi-armed Bandit Problem with Clustered Information Feedback

In this paper, we analyze the regret bound of Multi-armed Bandit (MAB) algorithms under the setting where the payoffs of an arbitrary-size cluster of arms are observable in each round. Compared to the well-studied bandit or full feedback setting, where the payoffs of the selected arm or all the arms are observable, the clustered feedback setting can be viewed as a generalization and a connection. We focus on two most representative MAB algorithms: Upper Confidence Bound and Thompson sampling, and adapt them into the clustered feedback setting. Then, we theoretically derive the regret bound for each of them considering the general type of payoffs (value comes from continuous domains). We show that the regret bounds of these two algorithms with clustered information feedback depend only on the number of clusters. Finally, we simulate both synthetic data and real-world data to compare the performance of these algorithms with different numbers of observable payoffs in each round, the results validate our analysis.
Towards Efficacy Hypotheses for Safety Cases

Safety cases have been produced, reviewed, and written about for decades. Experts point to growing popularity and opine that their use helps to reduce major accident risk, but their history includes noteworthy accidents. Given the potential consequences of regulatory failure, it is crucial that regulatory practice be evidence-based. However, testable hypotheses about the efficacy of safety cases are rarely given, let alone supported by compelling empirical evidence. Moreover, different authors have used the term 'safety case' to mean different things. To help put safety argument practice on a sounder evidential footing, we conducted an analysis to identify potential efficacy hypotheses for future study. Our analysis considers the kinds of value arguments might bring, forms of safety case and safety argument, stakeholders, and plausible alternatives serving the same purposes. In this paper, we present our analysis and findings and discuss potential research directions.
Amplified Decoupling in the Global Economy: The Case of Bilateral Investment Treaties:

Developing countries adopt global policies in their quest for economic development. Studies show that such policies are decoupled from their intended effects, or that over time, they become more ef...
Materials, Methods, and Optimized Designs for Soft Wearable Electronics with Significantly Reduced Motion Artifacts

Wearable electronics are changing healthcare and increasing possibilities for human-machine interfaces. Soft electronics, directly mounted on the skin, can monitor long-term heart rate trends or direct smart prosthetics' motion. However, these capabilities are only as good as the signal quality obtained. These wearable devices are worn in the real world, often suffering from motion artifacts not previously found when measured in a stationary setting such as a clinic or laboratory. Motion artifacts can mimic many biosignals by having a similar amplitude and frequency range, making them hard to filter out. A significant source of motion artifacts is from relative motion between the sensor and the signal source. Given human tissue's elastic nature, most body-mounted sensors undergo more relative motion than on a comparable rigid machine. Here, this work introduces a comprehensive study of materials, methods, and optimized designs that can significantly reduce motion artifacts via strain isolation, increased adhesion, and enhanced breathability for long-term recordings. Skin strain is another source of motion artifacts that can disturb electrodes' contact impedance and temporarily change the biopotential within the skin. We present a prototype electrocardiogram (ECG) device that uses a strain isolating layer to reduce skin strain at the electrode. This strategic integration of soft and hard materials reduces motion artifacts by stabilizing the electrode, while allowing freedom of movement elsewhere to maintain gentle contact with the skin. These solutions are demonstrated for long-term ECG collection but have application for any skin-mounted wearable device.
Academic redlining in medicine

Abstract Despite concerted efforts over the past decade to increase diversity in U.S. medical schools, persistent applicant and enrollment gaps remain for students from underrepresented racial and economic backgrounds. To understand these gaps, we propose a new theory of ‘academic redlining’ as a widespread practice in medical schools that systematically excludes students from underrepresented backgrounds from entry into medicine through the nearly universal use of Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) cutoff scores. In this paper, we provide evidence that academic redlining via the MCAT disenfranchises students from underrepresented backgrounds prior to and during the admissions process due to structural racism, and describe the three core mechanisms that cause medical schools to engage in academic redlining: (1) the pursuit of institutional prestige, (2) market competition and pressure, and (3) market bands. Given the persistent lack of diversity in medicine—which contributes to devastating health care disparities—as medical schools redouble their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, structural alternatives within medical schools’ admissions and education practices are offered to curtail the practice of academic redlining in medical school admissions and medicine.
mRNA- and Factor-Driven Dynamic Variability Controls eIF4F-Cap Recognition for Translation Initiation.

SUMMARY mRNA 5ʹ cap recognition by eIF4F is a key step in eukaryotic translational control. While different mRNAs respond differently to eIF4F-directed regulation, the molecular basis for this variability remains unclear. We developed single-molecule fluorescence assays to directly observe eIF4F– mRNA interactions. We uncovered a complex interplay of mRNA features with factor activities that differentiates cap recognition between mRNAs. eIF4E–cap association rates are anticorrelated with mRNA length. eIF4A leverages ATP binding to differentially accelerate eIF4E– mRNA association; the extent of this acceleration correlates with translation efficiency in vivo. eIF4G lengthens eIF4E–cap binding to persist on the initiation timescale. The full eIF4F complex discriminates between mRNAs in an ATP-dependent manner. After eIF4F–mRNA binding, eIF4E is ejected from the cap by eIF4A ATP hydrolysis. Our results suggest features throughout mRNA coordinate in controlling cap recognition at the 5ʹ end, and suggest a model for how eIF4F–mRNA dynamics establish mRNA sensitivity to translational control processes.
Cell Therapy With TILs: Training and Taming T Cells to Fight Cancer.

The rationale behind cancer immunotherapy is based on the unequivocal demonstration that the immune system plays an important role in limiting cancer initiation and progression. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is a form of cancer immunotherapy that utilizes a patient's own immune cells to find and eliminate tumor cells, however, donor immune cells can also be employed in some cases. Here, we focus on T lymphocyte (T cell)-based cancer immunotherapies that have gained significant attention after initial discoveries that graft-versus-tumor responses were mediated by T cells. Accumulating knowledge of T cell development and function coupled with advancements in genetics and data science has enabled the use of a patient's own (autologous) T cells for ACT (TIL ACTs). In TIL ACT, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are collected from resected tumor material, enhanced and expanded ex-vivo, and delivered back to the patient as therapeutic agents. ACT with TILs has been shown to cause objective tumor regression in several types of cancers including melanoma, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma. In this review, we provide a brief history of TIL ACT and discuss the current state of TIL ACT clinical development in solid tumors. We also discuss the niche of TIL ACT in the current cancer therapy landscape and potential strategies for patient selection.
A Decomposition Method for Solving Multicommodity Network Equilibrium

We consider the numerical aspect of the multicommodity network equilibrium problem proposed by Rockafellar in 1995. Our method relies on the flexible monotone operator splitting framework recently proposed by Combettes and Eckstein.
The effect of nutritional status on post-operative outcomes in pediatric otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.

Abstract Introduction Nutritional status can affect surgical patients in terms of stress response, healing time, and outcomes. Several abnormalities are known to have a high prevalence in the general population such as vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and subclinical hypothyroidism. We hypothesized that there will be elevated rates of nutritional deficiencies in preoperative patients which may adversely affect postoperative outcomes following pediatric otolaryngology surgery. Methods IRB approval was obtained for a cross-sectional cohort study. Consecutive patients underwent nutritional evaluation when being scheduled for surgery including TSH, albumin and vitamin D. Demographic data, supplementation, and early complication rates were collected. Results 125 patients were included in the final cohort with adequate demographic distribution. Based on anthropometric data, 12% of our cohort was found to be undernourished, and 40% of our cohort with elevated BMI. However, there was no relationship found between Z-scores and complications. VDD was noted in 83/125 (66.4%) patients. Our cohort had increased rates of VDD in patients with elevated BMI and African American ethnicity. Thyroid hormone abnormalities were present in 12 patients. Mean serum albumin level was 4.29 in our cohort all within normal range. We did find increased risk of postoperative complications in patients with previously diagnosed comorbidities. (p=0.006). Conclusion There is no current recommendation or consensus for nutritional assessment in preoperative pediatric patients. Our study did not show statistically significant correlation with z-scores, low vitamin D levels with supplementation, albumin, or TSH to postoperative complications. However, our patient cohort had higher than average rates of VDD compared to the many studies of the general pediatric population and significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and z-scores. By early preoperative identification of VDD and supplementation with calciferol, we found no significant difference in complication rates in patients based on their initial vitamin D status. We suggest screening preoperative patients using z-score calculations and vitamin D levels based on individual patient risk factors including atrisk patient populations such as African American children, and obese children.
Flameless “Cool” Combustion in Multi-phase Configuration

Abstract Cool flames are commonly associated with engine-knock phenomenon in spark ignition engines and autoignition in diesel engines, and results from low temperature partial oxidation of the fuel air mixture that eventually leads to hot flame ignition. However, the possibility of a cool flame supporting quasi-steady combustion of a fuel droplet has never been speculated, let alone been experimentally observed. Recent microgravity droplet combustion onboard the International Space Station (ISS) under the Flame Extinguishment (FLEX) Experiment Program showed anomalous combustion of n -heptane droplets; high temperature combustion followed by radiative visible extinction and a transition to a second stage burn characterized by loss of visible flame emission. In the second stage the droplet regression continues eventually resulting in extinction diameters characteristic of diffusive extinction. Experimental examples of the two stage burning and extinction characteristics of isolated n -heptane droplets under microgravity conditions are presented and analyzed numerically. Predictions show that the second stage combustion occurs as a result of chemical kinetics associated with classical premixed “ Cool Flame ” phenomena. In contrast to the kinetic interactions responsible for premixed cool flame properties, those important to cool flame droplet burning are characteristically associated with the temperature range between the turnover temperature and the hot ignition. Initiation of and continuing second stage combustion involves a dynamic balance of heat generation from diffusively controlled chemical reaction and heat loss from radiation and diffusion. Within the noted temperature range, increasing reaction temperature leads to decreased chemical reaction rate and vice versa. As a result, changes of heat loss rate are dynamically balanced by heat release from chemical reaction rate as the droplet continue to burn and regress in size. Factors leading to initiation of the second stage burning phenomena are also investigated. The chemical kinetics dictating the second stage combustion and extinction process is also discussed.
Induction of the alkylation-inducible aidB gene of Escherichia coli by anaerobiosis.

Abstract Induction of the adaptive response to alkylation damage results in the expression of four genes arranged in three transcriptional units: the ada-alkB operon and the alkA and aidB genes. Adaptive-response induction requires the ada gene product and occurs when cells are treated with methylating agents. In previous studies we noted that aidB, but not alkA or ada-alkB, was induced in the absence of alkylation damage as cells were grown to stationary phase. In this note we present evidence that aidB is induced by anaerobiosis. Thus, aidB is subject to dual regulation by ada-dependent alkylation induction and ada-independent anaerobic induction.
How are class II MHC genes turned on and off

Fragments of foreign antigen are detected by CD4+ helper T cells via the T cell receptor for antigen in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. Very few cells normally express class II MHC molecules, and these cells play critical roles in antigen presentation and in the thymic selection of T lymphocytes before their exit into the periphery. Because of the central role the class II MHC molecules play in immune system function, it is not surprising that the lack of expression of these molecules results in a severe combined immunodeficiency disorder (called bare lymphocyte syndrome) and that the aberrant expression of the molecules is frequently observed in the target organs of various autoimmune disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis). Because both classes of disease could conceivably be treated by molecular approaches targeted at either restoring or inhibiting expression of class II MHC genes, there has been an intense effort during the past decade to...
Assessing dose–response relationships for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs): a focus on non-monotonicity

The fundamental principle in regulatory toxicology is that all chemicals are toxic and that the severity of effect is proportional to the exposure level. An ancillary assumption is that there are no effects at exposures below the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL), either because no effects exist or because they are not statistically resolvable, implying that they would not be adverse. Chemicals that interfere with hormones violate these principles in two important ways: dose–response relationships can be non-monotonic, which have been reported in hundreds of studies of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); and effects are often observed below the LOAEL, including all environmental epidemiological studies examining EDCs. In recognition of the importance of this issue, Lagarde et al. have published the first proposal to qualitatively assess non-monotonic dose response (NMDR) relationships for use in risk assessments. Their proposal represents a significant step forward in the evaluation of complex datasets for use in risk assessments. Here, we comment on three elements of the Lagarde proposal that we feel need to be assessed more critically and present our arguments: 1) the use of Klimisch scores to evaluate study quality, 2) the concept of evaluating study quality without topical experts’ knowledge and opinions, and 3) the requirement of establishing the biological plausibility of an NMDR before consideration for use in risk assessment. We present evidence-based logical arguments that 1) the use of the Klimisch score should be abandoned for assessing study quality; 2) evaluating study quality requires experts in the specific field; and 3) an understanding of mechanisms should not be required to accept observable, statistically valid phenomena. It is our hope to contribute to the important and ongoing debate about the impact of NMDRs on risk assessment with positive suggestions.
Identification and control of subglacial water networks under Dome A, Antarctica

[1] Subglacial water in continental Antarctica forms by melting of basal ice due to geothermal or frictional heating. Subglacial networks transport the water from melting areas and can facilitate sliding by the ice sheet over its bed. Subglacial water flow is driven mainly by gradients in overburden pressure and bed elevation. We identify small (median 850 m) water bodies within the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in East Antarctica organized into long (20–103 km) coherent drainage networks using a dense (5 km) grid of airborne radar data. The individual water bodies are smaller on average than the water bodies contained in existing inventories of Antarctic subglacial water and most are smaller than the mean ice thickness of 2.5 km, reflecting a focusing of basal water by rugged topography. The water system in the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains reoccupies a system of alpine overdeepenings created by valley glaciers in the early growth phase of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The networks follow valley floors either uphill or downhill depending on the gradient of the ice sheet surface. In cases where the networks follow valley floors uphill they terminate in or near plumes of freeze-on ice, indicating source to sink transport within the basal hydrologic system. Because the ice surface determines drainage direction within the bed-constrained network, the system is bed-routed but surface-directed. Along-flow variability in the structure of the freeze-on plumes suggests variability in the networks on long (10s of ka) timescales, possibly indicating changes in the basal thermal state.
Flow resistance dynamics in step‐pool stream channels: 1. Large woody debris and controls on total resistance

[1] Flow resistance dynamics in step-pool channels were investigated through physical modeling using a laboratory flume. Variables contributing to flow resistance in step-pool channels were manipulated in order to measure the effects of various large woody debris (LWD) configurations, steps, grains, discharge, and slope on total flow resistance. This entailed nearly 400 flume runs, organized into a series of factorial experiments. Factorial analyses of variance indicated significant two-way and three-way interaction effects between steps, grains, and LWD, illustrating the complexity of flow resistance in these channels. Interactions between steps and LWD resulted in substantially greater flow resistance for steps with LWD than for steps lacking LWD. LWD position contributed to these interactions, whereby LWD pieces located near the lip of steps, analogous to step-forming debris in natural channels, increased the effective height of steps and created substantially higher flow resistance than pieces located farther upstream on step treads. Step geometry and LWD density and orientation also had highly significant effects on flow resistance. Flow resistance dynamics and the resistance effect of bed roughness configurations were strongly discharge-dependent; discharge had both highly significant main effects on resistance and highly significant interactions with all other variables.
Empire, Subalternity, and Ijtihād: Two Muslim Women's Leadership Models in the Post-9/11 US

Binary stereotypes silence Muslim women in post 9/11 America, but little has been written about how Muslim women's leadership can enable voice. This article presents two leadership models based on the philosophy of ijtihād (independent reasoning), which facilitate self-worth and solidarity, key elements of voice. The less visible spiritual colleague model, which has a followership of practising Muslim women, facilitates self-worth through ijtihād, allowing women to seek self-definition through their own interpretation of the Qur'ān. As strategy, the leader converts her home into a space which is simultaneously sacred and political where such informal discussions take place around religious rituals. The public bridge-builder model creates solidarity between and among its following of practising and nonpractising Muslims and non-Muslim men and women. The strategy focuses on effective dialogue between different groups. Ijtihād as discourse in pursuit of knowledge (‘ilm) creates equality and respect, the basis of sustainable alliances.
El programa de Putnam en la discusión realismo/antirrealismo: Del realismo interno al realismo pragmático

espanolEl trabajo se aboca al problema del realismo, como uno de los focos en los que convergen cuestiones semanticas, ontologicas y epistemicas. El analisis parte del realismo interno de Putnam, senalando sus dificultades y el transito al realismo pragmatico o natural. Este transito implica la revision de la nocion epistemica de verdad y de las instancias de justificacion, y consiguientemente de las relaciones que se establecen entre la actividad perceptiva y las practicas linguisticas. EnglishThe work deals with the problem of realism, as one of the focuses in which semantic, ontological and epistemic issues merge together. The analysis starts from Putnam’s internal realism, pointing out its difficulties and the movement towards pragmatic or natural realism. This movement implies the reviewing of the epistemic notion of truth and of the instances of justification, and consequently, of the relations established between perceptive activity and linguistic practices.
Reactive oxygen species-mediated neurodegeneration is independent of the ryanodine receptor in Caernorhabditis elegans .

Despite the significant impacts on human health caused by neurodegeneration, our understanding of the degeneration process is incomplete. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is emerging as a genetic model organism well suited for identification of conserved cellular mechanisms and molecular pathways of neurodegeneration. Studies in the worm have identified factors that contribute to neurodegeneration, including excitotoxicity and stress due to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Disruption of the gene unc-68, which encodes the ryanodine receptor, abolishes excitotoxic cell death, indicating a role for calcium (Ca2+) signaling in neurodegeneration. We tested the requirement for unc-68 in ROS-mediated neurodegeneration using the genetically encoded photosensitizer KillerRed. Upon illumination of KillerRed expressing animals to produce ROS, we observed similar levels of degeneration in wild-type and unc-68 mutant strains. Our results indicate that ROS-mediated cell death is independent of unc-68 and suggest multiple molecular pathways of neurodegeneration.
Structural Analysis of the NCSX Vacuum Vessel

The NCSX (National Compact Stellarator Experiment) vacuum vessel has a rather unique shape being very closely coupled topologically to the three-fold stellarator symmetry of the plasma it contains. This shape does not permit the use of the common forms of pressure vessel analysis and necessitates the reliance on finite element analysis. The current paper describes the NCSX vacuum vessel stress analysis including external pressure, thermal, and electro-magnetic loading from internal plasma disruptions and bakeout temperatures of up to 400 degrees centigrade. Buckling and dynamic loading conditions are also considered.
Evaluation of experimental genetic management in reintroduced bighorn sheep

Positive demographic responses have been reported in several species where the immigration or supplementation of genetically distinct individuals into wild populations has resulted in a genetic rescue effect. However, rarely have researchers incorporated what could be considerable risk of outbreeding depression into planning for genetic management programs. We assess the genetic effects of an experiment in genetic management involving replicate populations of California bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana) in Oregon, USA, which previously experienced poor productivity and numerical declines. In the experiment, two declining populations were supplemented with ewes from a more genetically diverse population of California bighorn sheep in Nevada. We incorporated analysis of genetic samples representing both experimental populations prior to supplementation, samples from the supplemented individuals, and samples collected from both experimental populations approximately one generation after supplementation. We used genetic analyses to assess the integration of supplemented and resident populations by identifying interpopulation hybrids. Further, we incorporated demographic simulations to assess the risk of outbreeding depression as a result of the experimental augmentation. Finally, we used data from microsatellites and mitochondrial sequences to determine if genetic management increased genetic diversity in the experimental populations. Our analyses demonstrated the success of genetic management by documenting interpopulation hybrids, identifying no evidence for outbreeding depression as a result of contact between the genetically distinct supplemented and resident populations, and by identifying increased population-level metrics of genetic diversity in postsupplementation populations compared with presupplementation levels.