cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lifetime Smoking History and Risk of Lung Cancer: Results From the Framingham Heart Study.

Background The relative risk of lung cancer decreases with years since quitting (YSQ) smoking, but risk beyond 25 YSQ remains unclear. Current lung cancer screening guidelines, which exclude smokers with more than 15 YSQ, may not detect lung cancers in this population. Methods We analyzed data from Framingham Heart Study Original (n = 3905) and Offspring cohort (n = 5002) participants for lifetime smoking and lung cancer incidence from 1954 to 1958 (Exam 4) and 1971 to 1975 (Exam 1), respectively, through 2013. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models to compare current, former, and never smokers and lung cancer risk. Smoking status and covariates were time-updated every two years (Original) or four years (Offspring). Primary analyses were restricted to heavy ever smokers with more than 21.3 pack-years; additional analyses included all ever smokers. Results On follow-up (median = 28.7 years), 284 lung cancers were detected: incidence rates/1000 person-years in current, former, and never smokers were 1.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.66 to 2.33), 1.61 (95% CI = 1.34 to 1.93), and 0.26 (95% CI = 0.17 to 0.39), respectively. Heavy former (vs never) smokers had elevated lung cancer risk at all YSQ (<5: hazard ratio [HR] = 12.12, 95% CI = 6.94 to 21.17; 5-9: HR = 11.77, 95% CI = 6.78 to 20.45; 10-14: HR = 7.81, 95% CI = 3.98 to 15.33; 15-24: HR = 5.88, 95% CI = 3.19-10.83; ≥25: HR = 3.85, 95% CI = 1.80 to 8.26). Heavy former (vs current) smokers had 39.1% lower lung cancer risk within five YSQ. Among all former smokers, 40.8% of lung cancers occurred after more than 15 YSQ. Conclusions Among heavy former smokers, lung cancer risk drops within five YSQ relative to continuing smokers, yet it remains more than threefold higher than never smokers after 25 YSQ. Four of ten lung cancers occurred in former smokers with more 15 YSQ, beyond the screening window of the current guideline.
Bone/Osteoid Producing Lesions

There are many lesions that are associated with reactive new bone formation; this chapter predominantly covers those in which deposition of osteoid/bone matrix represents the primary pathological process. The key in recognizing these lesions is the identification of osteoid or woven bone (vs. lamellar bone) on the frozen section slide. Osteoid is the organic nonmineralized matrix of bone and, being predominantly composed of type I collagen fibers, appears homogeneously eosinophilic and almost keloid-like in nature. This matrix is almost always associated with osteoblasts within clear spaces or halos. Bone matrix is further classified as lamellar or woven depending upon the predominant fiber arrangement of its collagen. In lamellar bone, the bone collagen fibers are arranged in tightly packed stacks that are parallel to one another but run at slightly different angles so that the bone appears to be layered. Moreover, the osteoblasts/osteocytes within lamellar bone also run parallel to the collagen fibers. After about 3 years of age, normal compact (cortical) and cancellous (trabecular, spongy, and medullary) bone exclusively consist of lamellar bone. In contrast, woven bone is found in the fetal skeleton, in the growing parts of the skeleton in infants and adolescents, and in processes in which there is very rapid bone production secondary to neoplastic or nonneoplastic conditions. Accordingly, identification of lesional woven bone and its distinction from adjacent lamellar bone is crucial during frozen section evaluation. This is based on the fact that, in contrast to lamellar bone, woven bone is characterized by the random distribution of its collagen fibers and the irregular distribution of osteoblasts within it. Although the distinction between lamellar and woven bone can, for the most part, be made using regular bright-field microscopy, the process can be facilitated with the use of polarized light.
A Proposal to Develop an International Business Simulation Laboratory

This paper will outline the rationale and plan presented at ISAGA 91 for the development of an International Business Simulation Laboratory. A survey assessed the interests of participants in cooperatively participating in an international consortium to develop a prototype resource model for use in schools and businesses throughout the world. Participants were asked to identify effective simulation/games and relevant materials from their own country to share with other members. An outline for a cooperative pilot project was discussed as well as possible methods for funding, types of resources, and content areas.
Replication of Influenza Viruses

Initial studies of influenza virus replication were carried out in small animals (ferrets and mice) in which the human influenza viruses were first isolated and propagated. Exploration of host range demonstrated that virus could infect the respiratory tract of a wide variety of mammalian hosts. Infection of immunologically responsive hosts simulated human infection and provided valuable information about viral pathogenesis (see Chapter 8), but the quantitative biology of influenza began with the introduction of the chick embryo as an experimental host system (Burnet, 1940). The cells of the entodermal surface of the allantoic sac of the developing embryo provide a homogeneous layer of highly susceptible cells maintained under controlled environmental conditions. From these cells, 900–3000 virus particles per cell (Horsfall, 1955) are released into the allantoic sac, from which they are readily harvested after chilling of eggs to minimize hemorrhage into the clear allantoic fluid. The HA of virus produced in the allantoic sac is largely cleaved by endogenous proteases (Lazarowitz et al., 1971), and, therefore, the ratio of infective to noninfective virus particles is relatively high.
Publicly-Connected Firms: Are They Connected to Earnings Opacity

This paper is an investigation of the relationship between earnings opacity in 32 countries and elements of the political order. What the picture shows is a clear manifestation of earnings opacity internationally. What is interesting with this picture is the findings that earnings opacity is positively related to the percentage of politically connected liste firms and negatively related to the connected firms as a percentage of market capitalization and the degree of law enforcement. What is puzzling with this picture is the findings that the level of disclosure, the number of auditors per 100,000 inhabitants, and the adoption of International Accounting Standards (as elements of the accounting order) are not significantly related to earnings opacity internationally. It is the political climate rather tham the technical climate that is at the core of accounting quality in general and earnings opacity on particular.
Remodeling of cardiac repolarization: mechanisms and implications of memory.

Memory is a well established property of biological organisms, allowing them to adapt to theirenvironment and respond to novel stimuli. Sensitization occurs in response to a noxious stimulus, and increasesthe behavioral response to subsequent stimuli. In contrast, habituation occurs in response to an innocuousstimulus, and decreases the behavioral response to subsequent stimuli. Therefore, the response of an organismto a stimulus does not simply depend on the stimulus, but also on previous stimuli that the organism hasreceived. Similarly, the response of the heart to a stimulus does not simply depend on the stimulus, but also onprevious patterns of depolarization and repolarization, due to electrical remodeling. Electrical remodeling,the persistent change in electrophysiological properties of myocardium in response to a change in rate oractivation sequence, has been well described in atria. It can be induced by rapid pacing or atrial fibrillation(AF), and results in shortened atrial refractory period and increased susceptibility to atrialarrhythmias. These changes have been associated with alterations of potassium and calcium currents. However,the fundamental mechanisms responsible for triggering changes in channel expression in response to alterationsin rate and activation sequence in AF are poorly understood. Even less is known about electrical remodeling inventricle. Rapid ventricular pacing or an alteration of ventricular activation sequence produces persistentchanges in heterogeneity of repolarization and, in contrast to atria, a prolongation of action potentialduration. Ventricular electrical remodeling is responsible for “T-wave memory,” which is observedcommonly in patients after periods of altered activation sequence (e.g., chronic pacing). Thesechanges have been associated with alterations of potassium currents, specifically Ito, implying thatelectrical remodeling is heterogeneously expressed in the different cell types across the transmural wall.Finally, remodeling of gap junctions may also play a prominent role in action potential changes duringremodeling. The signal transduction pathways through which a change in rate or activation sequence triggerschanges in the expression of ionic currents are being actively investigated.
Laparoscopic upper pole heminephrectomy for ectopic ureter: initial experience.

OBJECTIVES To determine the feasibility, clinical outcomes, and complications of laparoscopic upper pole heminephrectomy for ectopic ureter. The standard treatment for a duplex kidney with a poorly functioning upper pole moiety is an upper pole heminephrectomy. We review our technique and experience with laparoscopic upper pole heminephrectomy. A brief review of the literature is provided. METHODS A retrospective review of clinical records from three patients who underwent laparoscopic upper pole heminephrectomy was performed. Two of the three patients presented with lifelong urinary incontinence and were diagnosed with an ectopic ureter associated with a poorly functioning upper pole moiety. The third patient presented with recurrent episodes of pyelonephritis and was found to have a duplex kidney with a poorly functioning upper pole segment draining into a ureterocele. RESULTS All three patients underwent laparoscopic upper pole heminephrectomy through the transperitoneal approach. Mean operative time, including ureteral stent insertion, was 198 minutes. Two of the three patients were discharged within 24 hours of surgery. The third patient had a urinary leak secondary to a small amount of residual upper pole parenchyma which resolved with superselective renal arterial embolization. All three patients are well at 5.3 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic upper pole heminephrectomy for ectopic ureter is safe and reproducible and offers the patient the typical postoperative benefits of laparoscopic surgery.
Using Collaboration to Achieve Industrial Market Change

The greatest energy efficiency opportunities in industrial motors can be found in the systems, yet these opportunities are frequently overlooked because the business interactions between industrial suppliers and the customers that they serve typically focus on components rather than whole systems.
RNN Composition of Thematically Diverse Video Game Melodies

Historically, creative action to the extent of composing music was exclusive to humans. However, machine learning is challenging prior paradigms by leading computers to the frontier of human-level intelligence. Integration between computers and the arts began in 1951 when Alan Turing transposed music for a computer to perform (National Computing Laboratory, Manchester, 1951). Recently, considerable progress has been made due to breakthroughs in both the graphics processing unit and deep learning in the early 2000s. Most efforts emphasize melodic and harmonic styles (Hadjeres G, Pachet F, Nielsen F, in Deepbach: a steerable model for bach chorales generation, arXiv preprint arXiv:1612.01010 , 2016; Huang A, Raymond W, in Deep learning for music, arXiv preprint arXiv:1606.04930 , 2016), but there is little progress in thematic variation within a genre. By utilizing Google’s Magenta, I trained a deep recurrent network to model strongly thematic melodies by using a diverse corpus of video game music. This research challenges the capabilities of recurrent neural networks since throughout a game many themes are presented, ranging from war, defeat, and victory, to love and death. The aesthetics of music are ultimately subjective; nevertheless, my analysis, to mitigate sociocultural biases in music, evaluates generated songs on modulation, strength of rhythm, and repetition. This deep sequence-based model, trained on 2933 video game melodies, recognized unique motifs and composed compelling and distinct themes.
Belief structure as explanation for resistance to change: The case of Robin

Abstract One goal of teacher mathematics education is to transform teachers’ beliefs to more closely align with beliefs that promote desired teaching practices. However, beliefs are difficult to change. A construct that helps to explain how and why mathematics teachers’ beliefs change is that of belief structures (Cooney et al., 1998). We expand upon belief structures to add a new construct: adaptive idealist. In this case study, we used information gleaned from interviews and reflective papers to introduce a prospective secondary mathematics teacher, describe her beliefs and shifts in beliefs, identify a resistance to change that resonated with our other experiences, and conclude that this new belief structure allows us to explain her reactions and interpretations within our secondary mathematics education program.
Communautarisme, Intégration: The Terms of the Debate

Bourget examines the two terms that are at the heart of the debate about Muslims’ assimilation in French society: communautarisme and integration. In the French context, communautarisme carries a negative connotation, because it is deemed as incompatible with the values of universalism promoted by the French model of the nation. Integration is the goal that the nation fosters for all immigrants and their descendants, but one that Muslim minorities who claim their identity are faulted for eluding. Elements of this debate have been playing out on public schools grounds through cases such as the headscarf affair. Bourget recapitulates findings that show the diversity and the integration of the majority of Muslims in France, and the discrimination and accusations of double talk they face.
Postgrowth Imaginaries: New Ecologies and Counterhegemonic Culture in Post-2008 Spain - Part 3, Chapter 3

This chapter investigates the recent proliferation of Spanish cultural manifestations that focus on discarded materials and degraded spaces. Objects and processes that the dominant imaginary strives to keep out of sight become the main center of attention. This recentering of focus has a number of aesthetic, semiotic, and political consequences that could be better tracked from a material ecocritical perspective. A material ecocritical reading helps to illuminate what I call ‘the political ecology of waste’ in these cultural expressions (including ‘Nunca fue tan hermosa la basura’ by philosopher Jose Luis Pardo, a street mural by Boamistura in Madrid, an installation by Basurama, a song by Sr. Chinarro, a cartoon by Miguel Brieva, and the website consumehastamorir.org). I claim that by foregrounding the agency of the massive waste generated by our linear economic metabolism, these cultural manifestations expose neoliberal fantasies and seriously compromise the dominant teleological narratives of progress as unlimited economic growth.
Roasted tree peony (Paeonia ostii) seed oil: Benzoic acid levels and physicochemical characteristics

Tree peony seeds oil (TPSO, Paeonia ostii) extracted at different roasting temperatures were studied for color, acid values, total phenols, fatty acid composition, antioxidant capacity, volatiles, and benzoic acid. Roasting led to increased antioxidant capacity and acid values. Headspace analysis of raw peony seed oil showed only six volatile compounds, while after roasting volatiles such as pyrazines, aldehydes and furans were observed and contributed to nutty aromas. Unsaturated fatty acids constituted more than 90% of the total fatty acids with α-linolenic acid as the predominant fatty acid of TPSO and was not significantly changed with roasting temperature. Benzoic acid concentration increased significantly as roasting temperature increased. Although the occurrence of benzoic acid in virgin oil might be a concern, it can be removed through refining for commercial production.
Gradient Optimization and Nonlinear Control

The book represents an introduction to computation in control by an iterative, gradient, numerical method, where linearity is not assumed. The general language and approach used are those of elementary functional analysis. The particular gradient method that is emphasized and used is conjugate gradient descent, a well known method exhibiting quadratic convergence while requiring very little more computation than simple steepest descent. Constraints are not dealt with directly, but rather the approach is to introduce them as penalty terms in the criterion. General conjugate gradient descent methods are developed and applied to problems in control.
Growth Optimization of Multi-layer Thin Film Thermoelectric Materials based on Bi2Te3 / WS2 superlattice Structure

Heat is the most ubiquitous form of energy on planet Earth. Every day, the sun continuously strikes the Earth’s surface with 120,000 Terawatts of energy. This solar energy is more than 10,000 times the amount of energy produced worldwide. With the scarcity of fossil fuels looming on the horizon and its adverse effect on the environment many researchers, from academia to industry, are exploring cleaner, greener and more efficient renewable energy technologies. Thermoelectricity can provide an alternative to hazardous fossil fuels as its electricity is produced directly from heat with no moving parts or working fluid. The efficiency of any thermoelectric material is given by a quantity called the figure of merit ZT. For thermoelectric (TE) devices to be competitive with fluid-based and other energy related devices, ZT greater than 2 is usually sought. Here, we report on the fabrication of thin film thermoelectric materials based on Bi2Te3/WS2 superlattice layer structure using RF magnetron sputtering deposition method. Quantum confinement in these low dimensional and ultrathin superlattices can enhance the density of states near the fermi level resulting in higher ZT value. The thermoelectric figure of merit can be enhanced by controlling the layer thickness close to the phonons mean free path. This way heat carrying phonons with different wavelengths can be scattered efficiently resulting in lower lattice thermal conductivity.
General Dynkin indices and their applications

The notion of general Dynkin indices for representations of simple Lie algebras has been defined, and their various applications have been discussed.
Antioxidant properties of astaxanthin produced by cofermentation between Spirulina platensis and recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae against mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 damaged by H2O2

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of astaxanthin produced co-fermented by Spirulina platensis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on H2O2 induced damages in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 through cell viability, oxidative stresses and mRNA expression of apoptosis factors. The results showed that 40 μM of astaxanthin increased the cell viability of damaged cells by 45.8% and decreased the ROS fluorescence intensity by 60.57%, almost returning to the level before oxidative damage. Simultaneously, astaxanthin at this concentration could also restore SOD activity and reduce its MDA activity by 61.78%, indicating that astaxanthin had a certain antioxidant effect on oxidatively damaged cells. Microscopic observation of the morphology of damaged cells and detection of apoptotic factors revealed that expression of cell morphology and apoptotic factor mRNA gradually recovered as the astaxanthin concentration increased. It was further confirmed that damaged cells treatment with astaxanthin inhibited cell apoptosis to achieve the goal of cell protection.
Supporting Older Adults in Using Complex User Interfaces with Augmented Reality

Using complex interfaces has been shown to be challenging for older adults. Existing tutorial systems can be cumbersome, and sometimes difficult to use. To solve this problem, we present a system to support older adults in using visual interfaces by providing step-by-step visual guidance with augmented reality. Using the Apple ARKit platform, our system detects the interface in a phone camera view, and provides visual guidance for users to access the interface following a generated sequence of interactions based on pre-specified tasks and prior knowledge of the interface.
New evidence concerning school accountability and mathematics instructional quality in the no child left behind era

Using longitudinal data from the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era, I applied regression techniques and found a positive association between school failure to reach “adequate yearly progress” in mathematics and subsequent changes in the quality of middle grades mathematics instruction in districts where district leaders adopted robust theories of action for improving mathematics instruction. The positive association was robust to multiple sensitivity tests and may reflect a causal relationship. The evidence suggests that educational leaders in similar contexts can use school failure to reach accountability standards as measured by standardized assessments to promote instructional quality in mathematics.
CT-guided cryoablation for post-thoracotomy pain syndrome: A retrospective analysis

PURPOSE Post-thoracotomy pain syndrome is a common condition affecting up to 50% of post-thoracotomy patients. However, percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided intercostal nerve cryoablation may provide symptomatic benefit in chronic and/or refractory cases. METHODS A retrospective review of our institution's comprehensive case log from October 2017 to September 2018 for patients who underwent cryoablation was analyzed. Thirteen patients with post-thoracotomy pain syndrome, refractory to medical management, were treated with CT-guided intercostal nerve cryoablation. Most patients had treatment of the intercostal nerve at the level of their thoracotomy scar, two levels above and below. The safety and technical success of this technique and the clinical outcomes of the study population were then retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS Of the patients, 69% experienced significant improvement in their pain symptoms with a median pain improvement score of 3 points (range, -1 to 8 points) over a median follow-up of 11 months (range, 2-18.6 months). Complications included pneumothorax in 8% and pseudohernia in 23% of patients. CONCLUSION CT-guided intercostal nerve cryoablation may be an effective technique in the treatment of post-thoracotomy pain syndrome and requires further study.
Symmetries of Quarks and Leptons

The course is divided in four Chapters corresponding to three lectures. After an introductory first chapter, the second deals with the symmetries of strong interactions from a quark point of view. We shall discuss the SU(6) × SO(3) symmetry of low lying hadrons in relation to the field theory of quarks (chromodynamics). The subject of the second lecture (Chapter III) is the unification of the internal symmetries of quarks and leptons through exceptional groups. We shall see how strong interactions, based on a gauge theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions can be further unified in a gauge theory based on exceptional groups, E6 being the best candidate. The third lecture (Chapter IV) is devoted to a speculation concerning the origin of internal symmetries of quarks and leptons. There are some unique exceptional geometries which are connected with octonions and correspond to a finite number of degrees of freedom that cannot be extended. This is the new Hilbert space that we want tentatively to identify with the Hilbert space of internal symmetries carrying color and flavor quantum numbers.
Dynamic Tensile Characterization of Thin-Sheet Brittle Metallic Materials

Refractory metals are favorable materials in applications where high strength and ductility are needed at elevated temperatures. In some cases, operating temperatures may be near the melting point of the material. However, as temperature drops, refractory metals typically undergo a significant mechanical response change - ductile-to-brittle transition. These materials may be subjected to high strain rate loading at an ambient temperature state, such as an impact or crash. Knowledge of the high rate material properties are essential for design as well as simulation of impact events. The high rate stress-strain behavior of brittle metallic materials at ambient temperature is rarely studied because of experimental challenges, particularly when failure is involved. Failure typically occurs within the non-gage section of the material, which invalidates any collected stress-strain information. In this study, a method to determine a specimen geometry which will produce failures in the gage section is presented. Pure tungsten in thin-sheet form was used as a trial material to select a specimen geometry for high rate Kolsky tension bar experiments. A finite element simulation was conducted to derive a strain correction for more accurate results. The room temperature stress-strain behavior of pure tungsten at a strain rate of 24 s−1 is presented. The outcome of this experimental technique can be applied to other brittle materials for dynamic tensile characterization.
Large Vessel Occlusion Secondary to COVID-19 Hypercoagulability in a Young Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) initially most appreciated for its pulmonary symptoms, is now increasingly recognized for causing multi-organ disease and stroke in the setting of a hypercoagulable state. We report a case of 33-year-old African American woman with COVID-19 who developed acute malignant middle cerebral artery infarction due to thromboembolic occlusion of the left terminal internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery stem. Mechanical thrombectomy was challenging and ultimately unsuccessful resulting in limited reperfusion of <67% of the affected vascular territory, and thrombectomized clot was over 50 mm in length, at least three times the average clot length. The final stroke size was estimated at 224 cubic centimeters. On admission her D-dimer level was 94,589 ng/mL (normal 0-500 ng/ml). Throughout the hospitalization D-dimer decreased but never reached normal values while fibrinogen trended upward. Hypercoagulability panel was remarkable for mildly elevated anticardiolipin IgM of 16.3 MPL/mL (normal: 0-11.0 MPL/mL). With respect to remaining stroke workup, there was no evidence of clinically significant stenosis or dissection in the proximal internal carotid artery or significant cardioembolic source including cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, cardiac thrombus, cardiac tumor, valvular abnormality, aortic arch atheroma, or patent foramen ovale. She developed malignant cytotoxic cerebral edema and succumbed to complications. This case underscores the importance of recognizing hypercoagulability as a cause of severe stroke and poor outcome in young patients with COVID-19 and highlights the need for further studies to define correlation between markers of coagulopathy in patients with COVID-19 infection and outcome post stroke.
Non-destructive characterization of additively manufactured components with x-ray computed tomography for part qualification: A study with laboratory and synchrotron x-rays

Abstract This work focuses on the use of x-ray computed tomography for non-destructive characterization of additively manufactured parts. Ti-6Al-4V parts manufactured using electron beam melting were used. Within this context a comparative study between laboratory and synchrotron-based x-ray computed tomography (LXCT and SXCT) is presented showing the advantages of both techniques. Additionally, the interplay between field-of-view, resolution and sub-sample extraction is systematically presented both qualitatively and quantitatively for LXCT. Overall, it was concluded that laboratory based μXCT offered a compelling alternative to SXCT for static measurements involving defect characterization in AM parts while synchrotron-based techniques offered unmatched performance for dynamic and sub-micron studies.
The Perils and Promise of Strategy Planning

To empirically evaluate and validate the views of CEOs interviewed, this chapter relies on a broader set of evidence, including surveys of thousands of employees, managers and executives, conclusions from academic studies published in peer-reviewed journals, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses of previously published research. While senior executives and managers often state publicly that strategy planning is very important, privately they tend to disagree with their CEOs’ most important strategic objectives, are skeptical about the strategy process used at their company, and spend most of their time on tasks unrelated to strategy. One large-scale survey shows that half of the participants believe strategy planning has no association with financial performance. A meta-analytic synthesis of seven decades of research based on 58 studies that looked at 758 associations between strategy planning has statistically weak-to-non-existent association with companies’ financial performance. Large-scale surveys suggest strategy planning, as currently practiced, is like a placebo—ineffective at delivering results, with many executives overestimating its efficacy.
Degradation of epoxy coatings exposed to impingement flow

Organic coatings are widely used for the corrosion protection of metals. Despite a wide range of work on the degradation of organic coatings, few studies have contributed to understand the influence of the fluid flow on the degradation of organic coatings. In this study, an epoxy coating is exposed to a vertical impingement flow of a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution with a variety of flow rates. The coating degradation is monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Equivalent circuit models are employed to interpret the EIS spectra. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to study the influence of fluid flow on the surface topology of the coating samples. We found that the coating’s barrier property deteriorates more drastically when exposed to higher flow rates for impingement flow. Coating thickness and surface roughness are significantly affected by the fluid shear and the flow rate. It is concluded that the impingement flow substantially impacts the barrier properties of epoxy coatings owing to its influence on the electrochemical properties of the coating layers and the fluid shear it creates on the coating surface.
Topographical and zonal patterns of T2 relaxation in osteoarthritic tibial cartilage by low- and high-resolution MRI.

Purpose This study aimed to establish the topographical and zonal T2 patterns of multi-resolution MRI in medial tibial cartilage in a canine model of osteoarthritis (OA), initiated by the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) transection surgery, and studied after 8-weeks and 12-weeks post-surgery. Methods Articular cartilage from healthy, two stages of contralateral, and of OA knees were quantitatively imaged by the MRI T2 protocols at two imaging resolutions (100 and 17.6 μm/pixel). The zonal T2 changes at five topographical locations (anterior (AMT), exterior (EMT), posterior (PMT), central (CMT) and interior (IMT) medial tibia) and subsequent two averaged regions (covered by meniscus and exposed) were analyzed. At each location, full-thickness cartilage was studied in four sub-tissue zones (superficial, transitional, upper and lower radial zones). Results Tissue degradation can be detected by measurable changes of T2, which is resolution- and orientation-dependent. T2 changes ranging from +28.82% increase (SZ, PMT) to -23.15% decrease (RZ1, AMT) in healthy to disease (8C), with the largest increase of T2 in the surface tissue. Various location-dependent patterns of degradation are found over the tibial surface, most commonly shown in early-stage OA (8C) on the anterior site, different from the posterior. Finally, the contralateral cartilage has specific degradation patterns, different from those in OA cartilage. Conclusions This is the first quantitative and highest multi-resolution characterization of cartilage at five topographical locations over the medial tibial plateau with fine zonal resolution in an animal model of OA, which would benefit future investigation of human OA in clinics.
A Catastrophic Event: Sudden Cardiac Death

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is defined when death occurs suddenly and unexpectedly within 1 hour of the onset of cardiac symptoms. The arrhythmia responsible for SCD is usually ventricular tachycardia (VT) that degenerates into ventricular fibrillation (VF) in 80–90% of cases, while a slow heart rate (bradycardia) accounts for the rest. In this chapter, the epidemiology, the pathophysiologic substrate, the population spectrum, and the mechanism of the terminal event are discussed.
Association between asthma and suicidality in 9-11-year-old children

Background: Suicidal thoughts and behavior (STB) in children are a growing health concern, and more data is needed regarding their biological underpinnings. Immune processes such as inflammation have been associated with STB, primarily in adults. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disorder in children and has been associated with STB in adolescent and adult populations, but data in children is lacking. We wished to study associations of asthma with childhood STB given asthmas potential as a clinically relevant model for childhood chronic immune dysregulation. Methods: Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N=11,878, 52% males, mean age 9.9 years at baseline assessment and 10.9 years at 1-year follow up), we assessed associations between asthma and STB at both baseline and 1-year follow up. Results: We found that asthma at baseline assessment (n=2,214, 18.6%) is associated with STB, controlling for multiple confounders including demographics, socioeconomic factors and environmental confounders such as air pollution (odds ratio (OR)=1.2, 95%CI 1.01-1.42, P=0.039). Indicators of recently active asthma were not significantly associated with suicidality at baseline assessment (currently taking asthma medication: OR=1.22, 95%CI 0.93-1.60, P=0.146), or at 1-year follow up (past year asthma-related clinical visit: OR=1.13, 95%CI 0.87-1.47, P=0.357). Proxy-measures of asthma severity (number of asthma medications or clinical visits) did not reveal a significant dose response relationship with STB. Conclusions: Findings suggest an association between history of asthma and STB in children, which may not be related to asthma disease state. Further research is needed to investigate mechanisms underlying this relationship.
Alkali-metal gases in optical lattices: Possible new type of quantum crystals

Similarities between alkali-metal gases in optical lattices with noninteger occupation of the lattice sites and quantum crystals are explored. The analogy with the vacancy liquid (VL) provides an alternative explanation to the Mott transition for the recent experiment on the phase transition in the lattice. The VL can undergo Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) with ${T}_{c}$ within experimental reach. Direct and vacancy-assisted mechanisms of the band motion for hyperfine impurities are discussed. A large concentration of vacancies can result in the spatial decomposition of the system into pure hyperfine components. Below the vacancy condensation the impurity component resembles ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ in ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}--\mathrm{He}$ II mixtures.
Effects of climate change on long-term population growth of pronghorn in an arid environment

Climate often drives ungulate population dynamics, and as climates change, some areas may become unsuitable for species persistence. Unraveling the relationships between climate and population dynamics, and projecting them across time, advances ecological understanding that informs and steers sustainable conservation for species. Using pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) as an ecological model, we used a Bayesian approach to analyze long-term population, precipitation, and temperature data from 18 populations in the southwestern United States. We determined which long-term (12 and 24 months) or short-term (gestation trimester and lactation period) climatic conditions best predicted annual rate of population growth (λ). We used these predictions to project population trends through 2090. Projections incorporated downscaled climatic data matched to pronghorn range for each population, given a high and a lower atmospheric CO2 concentration scenario. Since the 1990s, 15 of the pronghorn populations declined in abundance. Sixteen populations demonstrated a significant relationship between precipitation and λ, and in 13 of these, temperature was also significant. Precipitation predictors of λ were highly seasonal, with lactation being the most important period, followed by early and late gestation. The influence of temperature on λ was less seasonal than precipitation, and lacked a clear temporal pattern. The climatic projections indicated that all of these pronghorn populations would experience increased temperatures, while the direction and magnitude of precipitation had high population-specific variation. Models predicted that nine populations would be extirpated or approaching extirpation by 2090. Results were consistent across both atmospheric CO2 concentration scenarios, indicating robustness of trends irrespective of climatic severity. In the southwestern United States, the climate underpinning pronghorn populations is shifting, making conditions increasingly inhospitable to pronghorn persistence. This realization informs and steers conservation and management decisions for pronghorn in North America, while exemplifying how similar research can aid ungulates inhabiting arid regions and confronting similar circumstances elsewhere.
Numerical simulation of flow downstream of lock and dam

Abstract A two‐dimensional, depth‐averaged flow model with the depth‐averaged parabolic eddy viscosity, mixing length, and k - ϵ turbulent closure schemes is utilized to simulate flow pattern downstream of lock and dam structures. The accuracy of the computational model with three turbulent closure schemes is evaluated by comparing the simulated velocity patterns with the measured data in a physical model study of a lock and dam. The mixing length and k - ϵ schemes perform well in predicting the location and size of the recirculation zones observed in the physical model study. Also, these schemes are able to accurately predict the velocity profiles across the channel at various locations along the length of the channel. The results suggest that the mixing length scheme, though simple, performs satisfactorily in simulating the flow pattern downstream of a lock and dam. Finally, the model is applied to compute the flow pattern downstream of an actual lock and dam in the Red River, Louisiana that has been pl...
Developmental Abnormalities, Blood Pressure Variability and Renal Disease In Riley Day Syndrome

Riley Day syndrome, commonly referred to as familial dysautonomia (FD), is a genetic disease with extremely labile blood pressure owing to baroreflex deafferenation. Chronic renal disease is very frequent in these patients and was attributed to recurrent arterial hypotension and renal hypoperfusion. Aggressive treatment of hypotension, however, has not reduced its prevalence. We evaluated the frequency of kidney malformations as well as the impact of hypertension, hypotension and blood pressure variability on the severity of renal impairment. We also investigated the effect of fludrocortisone treatment on the progression of renal disease. Patients with FD appeared to have an increased incidence of hydronephrosis/reflux and patterning defects. Patients <4 years old had hypertension and normal estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR). Patients with more severe hypertension and greater variability in their blood pressure had worse renal function (both, P<0.01). In contrast, there was no relationship between eGFR and the lowest blood pressure recorded during upright tilt. The progression of renal disease was faster in patients receiving fludrocortisone (P<0.02). Hypertension precedes kidney disease in these patients. Moreover, increased blood pressure variability as well as mineralocorticoid treatment accelerate the progression of renal disease. No association was found between hypotension and renal disease in patients with FD.
The Macroscopic Theory of Superfluid He 3 - He 4 Mixtures

The macroscopic hydrodynamic equations to the reversible linear approximation for mixtures are set up and analyzed, without making any assumptions beyond that of the traditional form of the two-fluid model. The equations of wave motion are derived and discussed. A novel feature of them is appreciable coupling between pressure and entropy-density fluctuations. It is shown how the constants appearing in the equations may be expressed partly in terms of the measured partial vapor pressures. Pomeranchuk's formula for the velocity of second sound appears as a possible special case; and it is shown how his assumption that the ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ component is carried entirely with the normal velocity may be tested experimentally. The intervention of isotopic diffusion is briefly discussed.
Acute-on-chronic subdural hematoma

A 38-year-old male complains of a right-sided retro-orbital-temporal headache of 2-day duration. It is described as intermittent and pressure-like, and is preceded by bouts of left arm numbness. He denies diplopia, visual changes, nausea, vomiting, or alterations in his consciousness. No acute trauma is reported, but he gives a history of airline travel within the past 24 h. His parents are present at the bedside and volunteer that the patient and his wife were involved in a motorcycle crash 3 months ago in which his wife was killed. The patient is alert and oriented with normal vital signs and a normal physical exam. A CT of the head without contrast is performed and reveals an acute-on-chronic subdural hematoma with a 1.6-cm midline shift (Figs 1, ​,22 and ​and3).3). Neurosurgery is performed emergently. Fig. 1 Acute bleed is hyperdense and chronic is hypodense Fig. 2 CT head showing acute-on-chronic SDH Fig. 3 CT head showing a midline shift to the left Subdural hematoma (SDH) is a collection of blood between the dura and arachnoid membranes not restricted by cranial sutures. They do not cross the midline because of the menigeal reflections and are classified as: acute, chronic, or as in this case, acute-on-chronic. An acute SDH is hyperdense (white) on CT, whereas a sub-acute SDH will appear isodense (grey) and hypodense (black) when chronic. A chronic SDH is a collection of blood breakdown products that has been present for at least 3 weeks and can become acute-on-chronic if small hemorrhages in the collection occur. Common signs and symptoms of a chronic SDH include: headache (90%), hemiparesis (58%), confusion (56%), and a decreased level of consciousness (40%) [1].
The emerging discipline of biomolecular computation in the US

This paper provides a description of the recent evolution in the US of an emerging technology known as DNA Computation or more generally as Biomolecular Computation from its early stages to its development and extension into other areas such as nanotechnology, emerging as a viable sub-discipline of science and engineering.
Ira Herskowitz, 1946-2003

On April 28th, 2003, Ira Herskowitz died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. As Ira told one of his former students, "Life is not a dress rehearsal." He lived by that philosophy, armed with a passion for biology and legendary clarity of thought.
CHANGES IN ACETYLCHOLINE, NOREPINEPHRINE AND 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE CONCENTRATIONS IN SEVERAL DISCRETE BRAIN AREAS OF THE RAT DURING BEHAVIOURAL EXCITATION1,2

—Acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and norepinephrine concentrations were measured in the telencephalon, diencephalon plus mesencephalon (midbrain), and pons-medulla oblongata of rats exhibiting behavioral excitation while working on a Sidman avoidance schedule and injected with 50 mg/kg iproniazid 16 hr before being given 2 mg/kg tetrabenazine. Acetylcholine concentrations in all three brain areas decreased and returned to normal levels at different times. The time course of increased response rates correlated best with the acetylcholine levels in the telencephalon. Both the 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine concentrations remained similar to the iproniazid control values during the period of behavioural excitation. However, the norepinephrine concentration in the midbrain showed a continuous decreasing trend toward naive control levels. These data suggest that changes in a cholinergic system in the telencephalon and a noradrenergic system in the midbrain operate in the maintenance of behavioural excitation.
NMR assignments for the cis and trans forms of the hemolysin II C-terminal domain

Pathogenic bacteria secrete pore-forming toxins (PFTs) to selectively defend against immune cells and to break through cellular barriers in the host. Understanding how PFTs attack cell membranes is not only essential for therapeutic intervention but for designing agents to deliver drugs to specific human cell subtypes, for example in anti-cancer or anti-viral therapies. Many toxins contain accessory domains that help recognize specific molecular epitopes on the membranes of target cells, including proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Here we report NMR assignments for the 94-residue 10 kDa C-terminal accessory domain of Bacillus cereus hemolysin II, HlyIIC, that has no known structural or functional homologues. The HlyIIC domain exists in a dynamic equilibrium due to cis/trans isomerization of its Gly86–Pro87 peptide bond. The cis and trans forms are about equally populated and are in slow exchange on the NMR timescale, giving rise to separate signals for approximately half of the residues in the domain. Assignments for the cis and trans forms were achieved with the aid of a P87M mutant that stabilizes the trans form, and separate sequential walks for the two forms in 3D NMR spectra of the wild-type HlyIIC. Based on backbone chemical shifts, the domain has a α1–α2–β1–β2–β3–β4–α3–β5 order of secondary structure elements. The last strand in the trans form and in the P87M mutant is shortened near Pro87 compared to the cis form. Both cis/trans isomerization and the P87M mutation cause large chemical shift changes throughout HlyIIC, suggesting that the proline is important in stabilizing the structure of the domain. The NMR assignments pave the way for solving the structures of the multiple conformational forms of HlyIIC and establishing their mechanism of interconversion.