cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation Pathways in Mammals: The Advantage of Murine PARG Null Mutation

Studies suggest that inhibiting the hydrolysis of poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) by targeting the enzyme PAR glycohydrolase (PARG) is a potential chemotherapeutic strategy to induce cell death. However, the lack of structural data for PARG has hindered the discovery of specific PARG inhibitors and thus hampered the search for cellular effects dependent on the hydrolysis of PAR. We previously generated a murine PARG null cell model to identify the intracellular processes mediated by PARG. Using this system, the only mammalian system to date that completely lacks PARG activity, we have shown that the absence of PARG leads to massive amounts of cell death due to increased levels of PAR. Further, we have shown that PARG null-TS cells exhibit profound hypersensitivity to low doses of DNA-damaging agents. This hypersensitivity most likely results from the high levels of DNA damage that occur after treatment of these cells with nonlethal doses of DNA-damaging agents.
The value of a nurse epidemiologist in the control of surgical infection.

Valid and objective data about the frequency of hospital-acquired infections can be obtained systematically. The program begins with an infections surveillance officer and employs reasonable and objective criteria for the detection of clinical infection.
Medical Management of Frontal Sinusitis

Rhinosinusitis is a term that has long been used to describe a diverse disease entity that encompasses several related but distinct conditions involving the paranasal sinuses. Frontal sinusitis represents one such entity with its own unique treatment considerations. Like rhinosinusitis as a whole, the role of medical management in the treatment of frontal sinusitis cannot be overlooked. Contemporary medical management of frontal sinusitis requires recognition of the unique disease process with implementation of targeted therapies aimed at addressing the specific pathophysiology.
Early China: The creation of paradigm: Zhou bureaucracy and social institutions

The Western Zhou dynasty saw the rise of a core part of classical literature that has been passed down to our days. On the other hand, there are literally thousands of bronze vessels with inscriptions whose number has been steadily growing over the past half century due to archaeological excavations and uncontrolled looting by tomb robbers. Unlike the Shang oracle-bone inscriptions whose number is very limited outside of Anyang, inscribed bronzes have been found all over North China and a part of South China from cemeteries or residential sites of the Zhou or non-Zhou elites. This makes the Western Zhou one of the most important periods for the spreading of literacy in Chinese history. Also different from the Shang divinatory records that are often fragmentary and almost always inconsequential, a core group of several hundred Western Zhou bronze inscriptions are remarkably lengthy. It is true that a large number of inscribed bronzes were used in the religious context of ancestral worship; however, the historical events they record are almost always unrelated to the ancestral ritual in which their material bronzes were used. Instead, they record a wide range of topics such as military merit, official performance, royal orders, marriage, lineage genealogy, economic deals, diplomatic exchange, legal treaties, and so on. Certainly, the actual use of bronzes in Western Zhou society was not confined to the religious scene either. The improvement in the quality of the written evidence available to us allows for a much better, or more consistent, understanding of the political and ritual institutions as well as social conditions of the Western Zhou than of Shang.
Next-Generation Sequencing for the Analysis of Cancer Specimens

Massively parallel sequencing (also known as next-generation sequencing, or NGS), which provides genomic data at low cost and high accuracy, is ideally suited for clinical testing of cancer specimens. NGS results may inform the cancer diagnosis or choice of therapy. The genomes of cancer cells carry somatic (often referred to as acquired) alterations, which fall into four general classes: single nucleotide variants (SNVs), small insertions and deletions (indels), copy number variants (CNVs), and structural variants (SVs). The genetic complexity of cancers underscores the importance of NGS to evaluate the full spectrum of sequence variations in dozens to thousands of genes in a single test. Amplification-based as well as hybrid capture-based methods for NGS testing can be used for the analysis of cancer specimens, and assays that target a panel of genes (from several genes, to several hundred genes), the exome, or the genome have been developed. Although each type of assay carries with it specific test design considerations, all NGS assays share a set of preanalytic, analytic, and postanalytic/reporting issues that must be addressed during test validation and routine clinical use. In addition, the analytic portion of an NGS test consists of three individual components (i.e., the sequencing platform; the wet bench procedures; and the bioinformatics pipeline), which creates some unique quality management issues.
Physical, Chemical and Nuclear Properties of Radon: An Introduction

Radon is the heaviest of all noble gases and has a total of 36 isotopes ranging from 193Rn to 228Rn all of which are radioactive. Over a large portion of the past 115 years since its first discovery in 1900, radon has been widely studied including for its impact on human health. The three naturally-occurring radon isotopes (222Rn, 220Rn and 219Rn) with half-lives varying over 3 orders of magnitude are useful as a tracer in several branches of geosciences. A thorough understanding of its physical, chemical and nuclear properties are required for its effective use as an environmental tracer. For example, the radon partition coefficient between water and air and the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) are reported to be 0.2395 and 32.4, respectively. This chapter lays the foundation for the utility of radon as a geochemical tool.
A review: Fentanyl and non-pharmaceutical fentanyls

Abstract Background Fentanyl and non-pharmaceutical fentanyls (NPFs) have been responsible for numerous outbreaks of overdoses all over the United States since the 1970s. However, there has been a growing concern in recent years that NPFs are contributing to an alarming rise in the number of opioid-related overdoses. Methods The authors conducted a narrative review of the published and grey literature on fentanyl and NPFs in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google using the following search terms: “fentanyl”, “non-pharmaceutical fentanyl”, “fentanyl analogs”, “fentanyl laced heroin” and “fentanyl overdose”. References from relevant publications and grey literature were also reviewed to identify additional citations for inclusion. Results The article reviews the emergence and misuse of fentanyl and NPFs, their clinical pharmacology, and the clinical management and prevention of fentanyl-related overdoses. Conclusions Fentanyl and NPFs may be contributing to the recent rise in overdose deaths in the United States. There is an urgent need to educate clinicians, researchers, and patients about this public health threat.
A longitudinal assessment of adherence to breast and cervical cancer screening recommendations among women with and without intellectual disability

Each year in the United States, about 4000 deaths are attributed to cervical cancer, and over 40,000 deaths are attributed to breast cancer (U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group, 2015). The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of full, partial, and no screening for breast and cervical cancer among women with and without intellectual disability (ID) who are within the age group for screening recommended by the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF), while accounting for changes in recommendations over the study period. Women with ID and an age matched comparison group of women without ID were identified using merged South Carolina Medicaid and Medicare files from 2000 to 2010. The sample consisted of 9406 and 16,806 women for mammography screening and Papanicolaou (Pap) testing adherence, respectively. We estimated multinomial logistic regression models and determined that women with ID were significantly less likely than women without ID to be fully adherent compared to no screening with mammography recommendations (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.72), and Pap testing recommendations (AOR: 0.17, 95% CI 0.16-0.19). For the 70% of women with ID for whom we had residential information, those who lived in a group home, medical facility, or supervised community living setting were more likely to be fully adherent with both preventive services than those living alone or with family members. For both outcomes, women residing in a supervised nonmedical community living setting had the highest odds of full adherence, adjusting for other covariates.
Gotta Have GATA for Human Pancreas Development

Haploinsufficient GATA6 mutations are associated with human pancreatic agenesis. Shi et al. (2017) in this issue of Cell Stem Cell and Tiyaboonchai et al. (2017) in a recent issue of Cell Reports utilize hPSCs to characterize GATA6 function during human pancreas development. One functional copy of GATA6 is sufficient for definitive endoderm development and pancreas formation, but it is inadequate for functional β cell differentiation.
Land Share, Mortgage Default, and Loan-to-Value Ratio As a Macro-Prudential Policy Tool

In assessing the riskiness of a mortgage loan, one of the primary underwriting criteria used by lenders and one of the macro-prudential measures used by policy makers is the LTV ratio at the time of origination. This ratio is critical because it determines the probability of a default and the magnitude of the loss the lender will face in the case of a default. In this paper, we address mortgage default from a new perspective: instead of focusing on the overall property value, we separate land value from building value, and focus on the role of land share of the overall property value as a determinant of default risk. Using new property level data for properties sold in Orange County, California, between 2005 and 2015, we show that when land share increases by 10 percentage points, the probability of default increases by 1.54 percentage points. The primary explanation is that land value is more volatile than the improvements value. Thus, when housing markets experience a negative demand shock, properties with a higher land share experience a higher default risk. The implication of this result for the players in the mortgage industry and for policy makers is that, in order to have the same default rate, a property with a higher land share needs to have a lower LTV. Our results also suggest that macro-prudential measures on LTV restrictions will be more effective if they focus more on the land component of the property value. Lenders and policy makers can improve performance of mortgage loans if they employ property-specific LTV ratios that are a function of that property’s land share, rather than setting uniform LTV standards across properties.
A Multi-Enterprise Containerization Approach with an Interoperable Position-Based System

In this paper, we present our position-based, Multi-EnterpRise Containerization (MERC) architecture for BYOD security. The MERC architecture leverages positional data to grant context-aware capabilities to container-based systems. We grant enterprises the ability of defining location- and proximity-based conditions that must be met in order for users to securely access enterprise container content. First, we provide a scalable location-based scheme that allows multiple enterprise context-aware systems to securely coexist and activate policies and personas on an end-user's device. Second, the MERC incorporates proximity-based constraints to modify a persona's behavior. We evaluate our prototype using preexisting infrastructures, and our experimental results show that MERC is an effective and practical solution for BYOD security.
VIIRS-based high resolution spectral vegetation indices for quantitative assessment of vegetation health: second version

Two approaches could be utilized to derive the vegetation health indices from recently launched Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor with the goal to maintain the consistency wi...
Eine Wasserstoffbombe fällt ins Mittelmeer

Wenn man den Erfolg des Bayes-Theorems im Kampf gegen die deutschen U-Boote im Zweiten Weltkrieg bedenkt, uberrascht es, dass die US-Navy im Kalten Krieg die Methode nur langsam und widerstrebend aufgriff. Hochrangige Offiziere stiesen eher zufallig auf Bayes und hofften zunachst nur, vom oberflachlichen Drumherum der Statistik zu profitieren. Mit zunehmendem Vertrauen und einer wachsenden Leistungsfahigkeit der Computer verfeinerte spater die Navy die Methoden fur die U-Boot-Abwehr. Unterdessen hatte die Kustenwache die Methode ins Auge gefasst, um Schiffbruchige zu retten. Wie so oft in der Geschichte des Bayes-Theorems brachte eine Reihe von spektakularen Notfallen das Ganze voran.
Reviewing the Literature, Developing a Hypothesis, Study Design

Rigorous research investigation requires a thorough review of the literature on the topic of interest. This promotes development of an original, relevant, and feasible hypothesis. Design of an optimal study to test the hypothesis then requires adequate power, freedom from bias, and conduct within a reasonable timeframe with resources available to the investigator.
Transfection of GABAA Receptor with GFP-Tagged Subunits in Neurons and HEK 293 Cells

We describe an approach that may allow to study changes in the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAA)receptor distribution with development and pharmacological treatments in living neurons. We produced expression vectors containing chimeras of the green fluorescent protein (GFP)linked to the C terminus of GABAA receptors α1, γ2, or the δ subunits. Human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were successfully transfected with α1-GFP cDNAs together with β3 subunit as indicated by the formation of green fluorescent clusters of receptor subunits that colocalized with immunospecific staining for the α1 subunits and by whole-cell recordings of GABA-activated Cl− currents. Although the current density was lower in these cells, GABA, bicuculline, and ZnCl2 actions were unaltered. Similarly, transfection with cDNAs encoding for the γ-GFP chimera together with α1 β3 subunit cDNAs produced clusters of subunits and GABA-activated chloride currents that were insensitive to blockade by ZnCl2 and that were potentiated by zolpidem. Lastly, δ-GFP tion by the neurosteroid THDOC. We then successfully transfected primary cultures of neocortical and cerebellar neurons with these GABAA receptor subunits—GFP chimeras. We obtained evidence of elongated cluster formation in both cell types that matched well, although not completely, endogenous receptor clusters as indicated by β2∖3 staining, and also partially corresponded to synaptophysin positive punctae indicating synaptic localization of transfected subunits. Electrophysiological recordings from transfected neurons indicated that functional GABAergic synapses were still maintained. This approach will allow to follow targeting and distribution of GABAA receptor clusters in living neurons during development in culture and in different experimental conditions.
‘Es mucho hombre esa mujer’: género y cuerpo en la prosa femenina de la Revolución Cubana

A well-known nineteenth-century declaration regarding the writing of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, “iEs mucho hombre esa mujer!” [She’s quite a man, that woman!], exposes the binary underlying the sex-gender system in a patriarchal society used to categorize women’s literary production. This paper examines the potential for change in that system after the Cuban Revolution. Ileana Rodriguez’s reading of Latin American revolutionary thought constructing the ideal leftist guerrilla revolutionary posits the thwarted possibility of a revolutionary subject constructed as “different” rather than based on gender difference. A window of populist mobilization and reconfiguration of the body politic in Cuba after 1959 displaced the traditional binary for a short period. A study of women’s fiction from the period reveals an alternative imaginary for the female revolutionary body ultimately limited by the consolidation of patriarchal power under the Castro regime--under which an echo of that same nineteenth-century sentiment regarding women writers can still be heard.
UNIT 3.11 Exonucleases

Reaction conditions for numerous exonucleases are detailed in this unit along with discussions of potential applications. Single-stranded and double-stranded 5′ => 3′ and 3′ => 5′ exonucleases are included.
Methodical analysis of inventory discrepancy under conditions of uncertainty in supply chain management

This study presents two compensations methods for inventory discrepancy caused by demand, supply and lead time uncertainty as well as inventory related errors. The first method increases the resistance of supply chain by incrementing safety stock levels while the second method controls and corrects inventory discrepancy based on estimated errors. System-level errors are categorised and modelled under the best and the worst possible conditions to characterise and investigate the behaviour of discrepancy between on-hand and recorded inventory in a supply chain. Numerical analyses are performed to observe inventory and discrepancy behaviour to quantify the benefits of the methods. The results indicate that inventory errors can be characterised as an extra source of demand in supply chain. Incrementing the safety stocks based on inventory records can decrease stock-outs and lost sales but increase the level of on-hand inventory. Controlling and correcting inventory discrepancies, however, keeps low inventory.
Security, Planning and Justice: A Reply to Mintz-Woo

In a recent paper (Herington, 2017), I argued that the mere risk of climate-related harm was itself a harm, since it undermined the security of individuals subject to that risk. In his commentary, ...
Cumulative Risk Factors Associated with Food Insecurity among Adults who Experience Homelessness.

Introduction There is a dearth of research on the determinants of food insecurity among adults who experience homelessness. According to cumulative risk theory, it is the accumulation of risk factors that places individuals in jeopardy for negative health consequences. Building on the cumulative risk theory, domain specific indices were created to examine the relationship between four cumulative risk factors and food insecurity among adults who experience homelessness. Methods Adult participants were recruited from six-area shelters in Oklahoma City (N = 565) during July - August 2016. Participants who affirmatively responded to two-six items of the six-item USDA Food Security Scale-Short form were categorized as food insecure. Four indices of cumulative risk were created based on affirmative survey responses: poor health & risky health behaviors index, personal and sexual victimization index, household disruption, and financial strain. Covariate-adjusted logistic regression models predicted the odds of adults experiencing food insecurity. Results Seventy-eight percent of the sample experienced food insecurity. Higher scores for the poor health and risky health behaviors index predicted higher odds of experiencing food insecurity (OR = 1.80, CI: 1.51 - 2.14). Higher scores for the personal and sexual victimization index predicted higher odds of experiencing food insecurity (OR = 1.57, CI: 1.20 - 2.04). Conclusion To facilitate food security among adults experiencing homelessness, shelters and community-based programs need to consider homelessness and food insecurity to be multi-faceted public health problems that are inter-related.
Metabolic Messengers: adiponectin

Adiponectin, first described in the mid-1990s, is one of the most widely studied adipokines to date. Studies of its regulation, biogenesis and physiological effects have yielded great insight and improved understanding of the mechanisms that ensure systemic metabolic homeostasis. Here, we provide a brief overview of the current state of the adiponectin field, describing adiponectin’s history, sites and mechanisms of action, and the critical questions that must be addressed in the future. Secreted from adipocytes, adiponectin exerts primarily anti-apoptotic, antiinflammatory, anti-fibrotic and insulin-sensitizing activities on multiple tissues. Here, Straub and Scherer provide a concise overview of the history of adiponectin, its physiological role and molecular mechanism of action.
Head and neck cancer survivors' preferences for and evaluations of a post-treatment dietary intervention.

Dietary preferences vary depending on cancer type. The purpose of this study was to report dietary intervention preferences and a study program evaluation from post-treatment head and neck cancer survivors participating in a dietary intervention. Between January 2015 and August 2016, 24 head and neck cancer survivors participated in a 12-week randomized clinical dietary intervention trial that promoted weekly consumption of 2.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables and 3.5 cups of green leafy vegetables. At study completion, survivors completed a preferences survey and a study program evaluation to probe interests and improvement aspects for planning future dietary intervention trials. Descriptive statistics (means and frequencies) were generated for multiple choice question responses. Responses to open-ended questions were recorded and grouped based on themes, and verified by quality assurance checks by a second study team member. Twenty-three survivors completed the preferences and evaluation surveys (response rate 96%). Overall, most participants reported a preference for one-on-one telephone counseling from a registered dietitian nutritionist before beginning treatment. Ninety-six percent of participants ranked the overall study program as “very good” to “excellent,” and all agreed the objectives of the study were clear, the study staff was helpful and easy to contact, and the registered dietitian nutritionist was knowledgeable. Future research and dietary intervention planning for head and neck cancer survivors should focus on strategies to promote one-on-one telephone or other distance-based counseling combined with face-to-face visits, according to survivor preference.
Catheter ablation of atrial tachycardia from the non-caronary valsalva sinus

A case report of atrial tachycardia ablation form the non-coronary Valsalva sinus is presented.
Thrust Efficiency on an Idealized Deformable Sail

A solar sail membrane that deforms under radiation pressure is numerically analyzed to determine the thrust efficiency at different attitudes. The deformable sail is compared to flat and other rigid structures. Our numerical model uses ray tracing and simulated annealing to calculate the force, torque, and steady-state contour of a loose-fitting, thin membrane adhered to a rigid support.
Minimal Surfaces with Free Boundaries and Unstable Minimal Surfaces

In this chapter we shall discuss two extensions of the theory of minimal surfaces. First we shall solve the problem of finding minimal surfaces of least area when the whole boundary or part of it is not prescribed but left free on given manifolds.1 Secondly we shall study minimal surfaces whose areas are not relative minima. Minimal surfaces of this type correspond to unstable equilibria of a soap film; they will therefore he referred to as unstable minimal surfaces.
Gamma-Ray Source Detection Under Occlusions and Position Errors in Cluttered Urban Scenes

Spatial aggregation using Bayesian aggregation (BA) is effective in combining multiple measurements to detect weak sources of gamma radiation in mobile source detection applications. To perform spatial aggregation of evidence, the position of the sensor must be estimated over time, in synchronization with gamma-ray measurements. Prevalent low-cost position estimation approaches often suffer from inaccuracies on a scale which can affect aggregation performance. Due to the presence of large buildings, positioning technology modalities such as GPS can show higher levels of error in urban environments. Additionally, urban environments can have highly varying structures, be crowded and dynamic, causing time-varying occlusions in the line-of-sight from the sensor to the source. Both occlusions and errors in sensor position estimation can degrade the source detection performance. We use asymptotic analysis to characterize the magnitude of this degradation. Natural maximum-likelihood and marginalization-based extensions to a BA framework are then used to improve robustness of aggregation in the face of these issues. The proposed approach shows substantially improved robustness to positioning errors and dynamic occlusions when compared to the baseline BA.
Gut Microbiota and Liver Injury (II): Chronic Liver Injury.

Chronic liver injury mainly comprises viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. It is well established that gut microbiota serves as the key upstream modulator for chronic liver injury progression. Indeed, the term “gut–liver axis” was mostly applied for chronic liver injury. In the current chapter, we will summarize the relationship between gut microbiota and chronic liver injury, including the interaction between them based on latest clinic and basic research.
Combining advanced computational and imaging techniques as a quantitative tool to estimate patellofemoral joint stress during downhill gait: A feasibility study.

Abstract Background The onset and progression of patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) has been linked to alterations in cartilage stress—a potential precursor to pain and subsequent cartilage degradation. A lack in quantitative tools for objectively evaluating patellofemoral joint contact stress limits our understanding of pathomechanics associated with OA. Research question Could computational modeling and biplane fluoroscopy techniques be used to discriminate in-vivo, subject-specific patellofemoral stress profiles in individuals with and without patellofemoral OA? Methods The current study employed a discrete element modeling framework driven by in-vivo, subject-specific kinematics during downhill gait to discriminate unique patellofemoral stress profiles in individuals with patellofemoral OA (n = 5) as compared to older individuals without OA (n = 6). All participants underwent biplane fluoroscopy kinematic tracking while walking on a declined instrumented treadmill. Subject-specific kinematics were combined with high resolution geometrical models to estimate patellofemoral joint contact stress during 0%, 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 % of the loading response phase of downhill gait. Results Individuals with patellofemoral OA demonstrated earlier increases in patellofemoral stress in the lateral patellofemoral compartment during loading response as compared to OA-free controls (P = 0.021). Overall, both groups exhibited increased patellofemoral contact stress early in the loading response phase of gait as compared to the end of loading response. Results from this study show increased stress profiles in individuals with patellofemoral OA, indicating increasing joint loading in early phases of gait. Significance This modeling framework—combining arthrokinematics with discrete element models—can objectively estimate changes in patellofemoral joint stress, with potential applications to evaluate outcomes from various treatment programs, including surgical and non-surgical rehabilitation treatments.
Pulmonary Manifestations of Rheumatic Diseases in Children.

Children with rheumatic disease have rare pulmonary manifestations that may cause significant morbidity and mortality. These children are often clinically asymptomatic until disease has significantly progressed, so they should be screened for pulmonary involvement. There has been recent recognition of a high mortality-related lung disease in systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis; risk factors include onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis less than 2 years of age, history of macrophage activation syndrome, presence of trisomy 21, and history of anaphylactic reaction to biologic therapy. Early recognition and treatment of lung disease in children with rheumatic diseases may improve outcomes.
A Macroeconomic Model of Healthcare Saturation, Inequality & the Output-Pandemia Tradeoff

COVID-19 became a global health emergency when it threatened the catastrophic collapse of health systems as demand for health goods and services and their relative prices surged. Governments responded with lockdowns and increases in transfers. Empirical evidence shows that lockdowns and healthcare saturation contribute to explain the cross-country variation in GDP drops even after controlling for COVID-19 cases and mortality. We explain this output-pandemia tradeoff as resulting from a shock to subsistence health demand that is larger at higher capital utilization in a model with entrepreneurs and workers. The health system moves closer to saturation as the gap between supply and subsistence narrows, which worsens consumption and income inequality. An externality distorts utilization, because firms do not internalize that lower utilization relaxes healthcare saturation. The optimal policy response includes lockdowns and transfers to workers. Quantitatively, strict lockdowns and large transfer hikes can be optimal and yield sizable welfare gains because they prevent a sharp rise in inequality. Welfare and output costs vary in response to small parameter changes or deviations from optimal policies. Weak lockdowns coupled with weak transfers programs are the worst alternative and yet are in line with what several emerging and least developed countries have implemented.
Mind the Gap! Confronting the Challenges of Translational Communication Research in Entertainment-Education

Entertainment-education represents an intriguing area of translational communication research for health promotion and social change that can potentially connect theoretical models and principles with practices in the creative industry, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as communities in need. In this chapter, we point out the gap between what works in the lab and what works in reality through two examples of recent entertainment-education collaborations: one in the United States and the other in India. In both cases, we discuss the difficulties we encountered when applying textbook clean research designs to population groups whom the entertainment-education programs aimed to serve. Most importantly, we share insights about strategic communication among project partners that are never taught in the textbook but ultimately helped us adapt during the implementation process to ensure quality program evaluation and beyond.
A systematic analysis of surgical interventions for the airway in the mature unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity: a single case study

Individuals with unilateral cleft lip nasal deformity (uCLND) often require rhinoplasty in adolescence to correct nasal obstruction. The intent of this study is to identify sites of greatest nasal obstruction and evaluate the effects of isolated and combinations of simulated surgical procedures on these sites using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Computed tomography imaging of an adolescent subject with uCLND was converted to an anatomically accurate three-dimensional nasal airway model. Initial analysis was performed to identify anatomic sites of obstruction based on CFD computed resistance values. Virtual surgery procedures corresponding to common uCLND surgical interventions were simulated. Resulting airspace models were then analyzed after conducting airflow and heat transfer simulations. The preoperative model had 21 obstructed sites with a nasal resistance of 0.075 Pa s/mL. Following simulated surgical procedures with functional interventions alone and in combinations, the three virtual surgery models with most improved nasal airflow were inferior turbinate reduction (ITR) with posterior septoplasty (resistance = 0.054 Pa s/ml, reduction in 14 of 21 obstructed sites), ITR with anterior septoplasty (resistance = 0.058 Pa s/ml, reduction in 8 of 21 obstructed sites), and ITR with both anterior and posterior septoplasty (resistance = 0.052 Pa s/ml, reduction in 17 of 21 obstructed sites). This study introduces a new technique for analysis of the impact of different simulated surgical interventions on uCLND-induced nasal obstruction. In this subject, simulated septoplasty with ITR on the non-cleft side provided maximal relief of nasal obstruction. The proposed technique can be further studied for possible utility in analyzing potential surgical interventions for optimal relief of nasal obstruction in patients with uCLND.
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are integral to nitrogen cycling in a highly fertile agricultural soil

Nitrification is a central process in the global nitrogen cycle, carried out by a complex network of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), complete ammonia-oxidizing (comammox) bacteria, and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Nitrification is responsible for significant nitrogen leaching and N2O emissions and thought to impede plant nitrogen use efficiency in agricultural systems. However, the actual contribution of each nitrifier group to net rates and N2O emissions remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that highly fertile agricultural soils with high organic matter mineralization rates could allow a detailed characterization of N cycling in these soils. Using a combination of molecular and activity measurements, we show that in a mixed AOA, AOB, and comammox community, AOA outnumbered low diversity assemblages of AOB and comammox 50- to 430-fold, and strongly dominated net nitrification activities with low N2O yields between 0.18 and 0.41 ng N2O–N per µg NOx–N in cropped, fallow, as well as native soil. Nitrification rates were not significantly different in plant-covered and fallow plots. Mass balance calculations indicated that plants relied heavily on nitrate, and not ammonium as primary nitrogen source in these soils. Together, these results imply AOA as integral part of the nitrogen cycle in a highly fertile agricultural soil.
Irregular Subgraphs

We suggest two related conjectures dealing with the existence of spanning irregular subgraphs of graphs. The first asserts that any $d$-regular graph on $n$ vertices contains a spanning subgraph in which the number of vertices of each degree between $0$ and $d$ deviates from $\frac{n}{d+1}$ by at most $1$. The second is that every graph on $n$ vertices with minimum degree $\delta$ contains a spanning subgraph in which the number of vertices of each degree does not exceed $\frac{n}{\delta+1}+1$. Both conjectures remain open, but we prove several asymptotic relaxations for graphs with a large number of vertices $n$. In particular we show that if $d^3 \log n \leq o(n)$ then every $d$-regular graph with $n$ vertices contains a spanning subgraph in which the number of vertices of each degree between $0$ and $d$ is $(1+o(1))\frac{n}{d+1}$. We also prove that any graph with $n$ vertices and minimum degree $\delta$ contains a spanning subgraph in which no degree is repeated more than $(1+o(1))\frac{n}{\delta+1}+2$ times.
The Influence of Software Module Systems on Modular Verification

The effectiveness of modular model checking for hardware makes it tempting to apply these techniques to software. Existing modular techniques have been driven by the parallel-composition semantics of hardware. New architectures for software, however, combine sequential and parallel composition. These new, feature-oriented, architectures mandate developing new methodologies. They repay the effort by yielding better modular verification techniques.This paper demonstrates the impact of feature-oriented architectures on modular model checking. We have implemented an explicit-state model checker and applied it to a real software system to validate our prior, theoretical work on feature-oriented verification. Our study highlights three results. First, it confirms that the state-space overhead arising from our methodology is minimal. Second, it demonstrates that feature-oriented architectures reduce the need for the property decompositions that often plague modular verification. Third, it reveals that, independent of our methodology, feature-oriented designs inherently control state-space explosion.
Some convolution inequalities and their applications

We introduce a class of convolution inequalities and study the implications of these inequalities for certain problems in harmonic analysis.
Electrotransport of Uranium from a Liquid Cadmium Anode to a Solid Cathode

AbstractDuring anodic dissolution of irradiated binary Experimental Breeder Reactor-II fuel, a portion of the electrorefined uranium collects in the underlying cadmium pool. It is periodically recovered by setting up a cell configuration in which the pool is made the anode and uranium is electrodeposited on a solid cathode mandrel. A theoretical model is used to determine the current structure of the liquid cadmium anode. The model is validated by comparing against the measured composition of the cathode deposits. Multinodal simulations are conducted to explain the bell shape of deposits observed with this mode of electrotransport. The simulations also determine the dependence of collection efficiency on the electrical charge passed that is functionally consistent with the experimental data. Finally, a simplified operating map of the electrorefiner is presented that can be used to determine the conditions for growing cathode deposits of target composition.
Is 'Technology' a second order term in reuse's success equation?

Good technology should make a difference where it counts-in the market place, but I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. The goodness of technology does not make much of a difference, at least in the short term. Measured by the market place, Visual Basic's VBX componentry is a wildly successful example of reuse. While the Visual Basic System itself is quite an elegant system and the interface to VBX components is clean and simple, the technology weakness of VBX components is the BASIC programming language. And yet, VBX components are a success by almost any measure. The biggest factor in their success seems to be that they solve real application problems with great ease, providing a great deal of programming leverage. On the other hand, looking at object oriented programming (OOP) languages I see a lot of pretty elegant technology. On the whole, OOP is a powerful and elegant technology. But measured by the VBX componentry available, OOP's componentry is pretty weak. Much as we might like to believe that OOP or VBX technology is a revolutionary paradigm shift, they probably are not. And thus, they are probably second order terms in the equation that determines success. They succeed or fail for other reasons-first order reasons. VBX components succeed largely because they were born in the mainstream of the desktop revolution. Likewise, OOP is a small technological delta that is somewhat out of the mainstream of this revolution and to the degree that it is, it seems to be a less than stellar example of reuse success. >
Longitudinal trends in aphasia in the United States

Purpose: Few studies have used national data to characterize the occurrence of aphasia in the U.S. The purpose of this project was to use national hospital discharge data to examine the number and characteristics of patients discharged from U.S. hospitals with a diagnosis of aphasia. Methods: We examined data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) (1997-2006) using ICD-9 codes for aphasia to identify the number and demographic characteristics of patients with aphasia. Results: Between 1997 and 2006 the number of individuals with aphasia was approximately 100,000 per year. During the 10-year period, the majority of individuals with aphasia were 65 years of age and older, female, had Medicare as a primary payer source and resided in the South. Conclusions: The occurrence of aphasia and demographic characteristics of individuals with aphasia has been generally consistent in the U.S. from 1997 to 2006. Future studies are needed to quantify direct and indirect costs of treating individuals wit h aphasia as well as other factors that determine the true impact of aphasia and other neurologically based disorders of communication. 1. Background
Is Diabetes Color-Blind? Growth of Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes in Children Through 2030

Abstract Diabetes knows no age and affects millions of individuals. Preventing diabetes in children is increasingly becoming a major health policy concern and focus. The objective of this study is to project the number of children, aged 0–17 years, with diagnosed diabetes in the United States through 2030, accounting for changing demography, and diabetes and obesity prevalence rates. The study team combined historic diabetes and obesity prevalence data with US child population estimates and projections. A times-series regression model was used to forecast future diabetes prevalence and to account for the relationship between the forecasted diabetes prevalence and the lagged prevalence of childhood obesity. Overall, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes is projected to increase 67% from 0.22% in 2010 to 0.36% in 2030. Lagged obesity prevalence in Hispanic boys and non-Hispanic black girls was significantly associated with increasing future diabetes prevalence. The study results showed that a 1% increase in ...
Overview of planar waveguide techniques for chemical sensing

A brief introduction is given to some of the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead in the application of planar waveguide technology to chemical analysis.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dipole transition matrix elements for systems with power-law potentials

We study the behavior of dipole matrix elements for systems bound by power-law potentials of the form {ital V}({ital r}){similar to}{ital r}{sup {alpha}}, which are useful in the descriptions of quarkonium systems. The experimental feature for which further understanding is sought is the apparent suppression of the transition {Upsilon}(3{ital S}){r arrow}{chi}{sub {ital b}}{gamma}. We find that this matrix element actually vanishes in a power-law potential {ital r}{sup {alpha}} for a certain power {alpha}{sub 0}{approx}{minus}0.4. The suppression of transitions between states with different numbers of nodes in their radial wave functions is a universal property of most physically interesting power-law potentials. We derive results in the limit of large orbital angular momenta {ital l}, checking that they agree with the known answers for the Coulomb and spherical oscillator potentials. For states with {ital n}{sub {ital r}} nodes in their radial wave functions, we find that the matrix elements {l angle}{ital n}{sub {ital r}},{ital l}{vert bar}{ital r}{vert bar}{ital n}{sub {ital r}},{ital l}+1{r angle} behave as {ital l}{sup 2/(2+{alpha})} for small {ital n}{sub {ital r}} and large {ital l}. Transitions with {Delta}{ital n}{sub {ital r}}={plus minus}1 behave with respect to those with {Delta}{ital n}{sub {ital r}}=0 as const/ {radical}{ital l}, with constants calculatedmore » for each {ital n}{sub {ital r}}. Moreover, we find that {l angle}{ital n}{sub {ital r}}=0,{ital l}{vert bar}{ital r}{vert bar}{ital n}{sub {ital r}}=2,{ital l}{minus}1{r angle}/{l angle}{ital n}{sub {ital r}}=0, {ital l}{vert bar}{ital r}{vert bar}{ital n}{sub {ital r}}=0,{ital l}+1{r angle}{r arrow}{Phi}({alpha})/{ital l} as {ital l}{r arrow}{infinity}, where {Phi}({alpha}) is calculated explicitly.« less
Representative layer theory: describing absorption by particulate samples

This paper summarizes the Representative Layer Theory of diffuse reflection, and contrasts it with other mainstream theoretical approaches. A brief historical perspective is provided on the development of modeling strategies, broadly classified as those using continuous and discontinuous mathematics. It is shown that a sample composed of a series of distinct layers can be modeled straightforwardly and accurately using a discontinuous approach. The focus of the paper is the Representative Layer Theory, which broadens the discontinuous modeling approach so that it is applicable to particulate samples. Experimental data validating the Representative Layer Theory is presented and the theory will be shown to explain some observed physical phenomena that were long known but not well understood. Examples are drawn from Near-Infrared Spectroscopy but the modeling approaches presented are applicable to other types of spectroscopy.
Embedded chemicals detection using multiple frequencies excitation

Abstract In this paper, recent works of buried chemical detection system by stimulating and enhancing spectroscopic signatures with multi-frequency excitations are discussed. In this detection system, those multiple excitations, including DC electric field, microwave, CO 2 laser illumination and infrared radiation, are utilized and each of them plays a unique role. The Microwave could effectively incr ease the buried chemicals evaporation rate from the source. The gradient DC electric field, generated by a Van De Graaff generator, not only serves as a vapor accelerator for efficiently expediting the transportation pro cess of the vapor release from the buried chemicals, but also acts as a vapor concentrator for increasing the chemical concentrations in the detection area, which enables the trace level chemi cal detection. Similarly, CO 2 laser illumination, which behaves as another type vapor accelerator, could also help to release the vapors ad sorbed on the soil surface to the air rapidly. Finally, the stimulated and enhanced vapors released into the air ar e detected by the infrared (IR) spectroscopic fingerprints. Our theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that more than 20-fol d increase of detection signal can be achieved by using those proposed technology. Key words : multi-frequency excitation, Van De Graaff ge nerator, IR spectroscopy, standoff detection.
Critical Literacy and Teacher Identities: A Discursive Site of Struggle.

As literacy researchers, we are challenged to consider whether our instructional practices are sufficient to help students engage in literacy practices in our current and future society, such as reading from critical literacy perspectives. Teacher identities can be discursively constructed in different ways, given the contexts in which they work. Contemporary discourses of compliance, testing, and mandated curriculum used in relation to the No Child Left Behind Act in the United States run counter to constituting an identity of teachers-as-professionals, who interrogate their own knowledge about discourses surrounding current practices and question the social context in which these issues are embedded. Instead, these discourses promote teachers-as-technicians, with the use of packaged curriculum or scripted instruction. Findings reflect how critical literacy discourses became a site of struggle over these competing teacher identities.