Alterations in Serum Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids in Patients with Mild to Moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Smoking is a major risk factor for several diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To better understand the systemic effects of cigarette smoke exposure and mild to moderate COPD—and to support future biomarker development—we profiled the serum lipidomes of healthy smokers, smokers with mild to moderate COPD (GOLD stages 1 and 2), former smokers, and never-smokers (n = 40 per group) (ClinicalTrials.gov registration: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01780298","term_id":"NCT01780298"}}NCT01780298). Serum lipidome profiling was conducted with untargeted and targeted mass spectrometry-based lipidomics. Guided by weighted lipid co-expression network analysis, we identified three main trends comparing smokers, especially those with COPD, with non-smokers: a general increase in glycero(phospho)lipids, including triglycerols; changes in fatty acid desaturation (decrease in ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and an increase in monounsaturated fatty acids); and an imbalance in eicosanoids (increase in 11,12- and 14,15-DHETs (dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids), and a decrease in 9- and 13-HODEs (hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids)). The lipidome profiles supported classification of study subjects as smokers or non-smokers, but were not sufficient to distinguish between smokers with and without COPD. Overall, our study yielded further insights into the complex interplay between smoke exposure, lung disease, and systemic alterations in serum lipid profiles.     

Estradiol, gonadotropins, and tumor markers in ovarian cyst fluid

Amelogenesis imperfecta is a rare dental disease and presents a major challenge to the dentist. With the tremendous advances in the field of esthetic dentistry, especially in bonding to dentin, it is today possible to restore function and esthetics to an acceptable level. The need for full crown preparation has been decreased to an absolute minimum. A case of amelogenesis imperfecta, complicated by a malocclusion, is presented. A combination of periodontal treatment and resin-bonded porcelain onlays and nobel alloys resulted in a highly successful outcome. The virtual absence of enamel was overcome with the aid of dentin bonding.     

Geotextile filter design guide

This paper provides the practicing designer with a comprehensive, systematic approach to solving common filtration design problems. Current filter design procedures often include only permeability and retention criteria. Several other concepts should be incorporated into the design process, such as: (i) consideration of whether permeability or retention is the primary function of a filter within the given application; (ii) quantifying the internal stability of soil; and (iii) addressing survivability and durability issues.

This paper incorporates several recently-developed design concepts, together with currently-used geotextile filter design criteria, into a comprehensive nine-step design methodology. Each step is discussed, specific numerical criteria are given, and information is provided for determining the parameters needed to satisfy the design criteria. The result is a user-oriented document for designing geotextile filters.     

Performance of the Unstructured-Mesh, SWAN+ADCIRC Model in Computing Hurricane Waves and Surge

Coupling wave and circulation models is vital in order to define shelf, nearshore and inland hydrodynamics during a hurricane. The intricacies of the inland floodplain domain, level of required mesh resolution and physics make these complex computations very cycle-intensive. Nonetheless, fast wall-clock times are important, especially when forecasting an incoming hurricane. We examine the performance of the unstructured-mesh, SWAN+ADCIRC wave and circulation model applied to a high-resolution, 5M-vertex, finite-element SL16 mesh of the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana. This multi-process, multi-scale modeling system has been integrated by utilizing inter-model communication that is intra-core. The modeling system is validated through hindcasts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005), Gustav and Ike (2008) and comprehensive comparisons to wave and water level measurements throughout the region. The performance is tested on a variety of platforms, via the examination of output file requirements and management, and the establishment of wall-clock times and scalability using up to 9,216 cores. Hindcasts of waves and storm surge can be computed efficiently, by solving for as many as 2.3?10¹² unknowns per day of simulation, in as little as 10 minutes of wall-clock time.