cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low iron storage in children with tilt positive neurally mediated syncope.

Background The mechanisms under neurally mediated syncope (NMS) are not fully understood. This study aimed to assess the level of storage iron in children with different hemodynamic patterns in head-up tilt test.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia causes hepatitis in a mouse model of diet-induced fatty liver

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) during sleep. OSA is associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in obese individuals and may contribute to progressi...
Aspects Of Localized Corrosion In An H2S / CO2 Environment

A 2000-liter, large scale flow loop with 10 cm I.D. pipeline and three different test sections has been used over several years with the goal of understanding the mechanisms involved in H2S/CO2 corrosion environments. Mild steel from an API 5L X65 pipeline was used for the flush-mounted weight loss samples in the flow loop, each was exposed to consistent test conditions for up to 3 weeks at a time. The corrosion product morphology and resulting uniform or localized corrosion are here reviewed from experiments conducted at 60°C, with partial pressures of CO2 up to 8 bar, partial pressure of H2S up to 10 mbar and NaCl concentrations up to 10 wt.%; tests were conducted at pH 4, 5 and 6.
Differences in Synaptic Input and Excitability Between Superficial and Deep Pyramidal Cells in the Cat Sensorimotor Cortex

In this study we recorded stimulus-evoked intracellular synaptic potentials in superficial and deep pyramidal neurons of the cat sensorimotor cortex. All cells studied received non-NMDA receptor-mediated fast depolarizing excitation, while some deep pyramidal cells also showed a slower NMDA-mediated input. Superficial pyramidal cells showed a triphasic response characterized by both fast and slow hyperpolarizing inhibition. The latter response was absent in deep pyramidal cells. These results suggest that pyramidal cells from different cortical layers receive different types of synaptic input. These differences are likely to have consequences for the way excitatory and inhibitory inputs interact and the kind of operations that can be performed by cortical neurons.
Experimental determination of CO 2 -H 2 O activity-composition relations at 600-1000 degrees C and 6-14 kbar by reversed decarbonation and dehydration reactions

Activity-composition relations in CO 2 -H 2 O solutions were determined at 6, 10, and 14 kbar over broad temperature-fluid composition ranges from 70 reversed determinations of three simple-system decarbonation and dehydration reactions: CaCO 3 (calcite) + SiO 2 (quartz) = CaSiO 3 + CO 2 (WQC)(wollastonite); MgCO 3 (magnesite) + MgSiO 3 (enstatite) = Mg 2 SiO 4 (forsterite) + CO 2 (FEM); Mg 3 Si 4 O 10 (OH)2(talc) = 3 MgSiO 3 (enstatite) + SiO 2 (quartz) + H 2 O (TEQ). Brackets of WQC and FEM were achieved by reversing, at constant T and P, the fluid composition coexisting with the assemblages of either reaction, starting with fine-grained mixtures of reactants and products in nearly equimolar amounts and liquid water, oxalic acid, and silver oxalate as fluid sources. Brackets of TEQ were secured by reversing the reaction over narrow temperature intervals at constant P and fluid composition. All experiments were made in the piston-cylinder apparatus with NaCl or NaCl-soft glass pressure media, and all experiments with two-component fluids were buffered at hematite-magnetite. Closure intervals of reversed fluid composition averaged less than 2 mol% CO 2 . Activity values of H 2 O (1) and CO 2 (2) were retrieved based on the THERMOCALC 2.3 thermodynamic data set of Holland and Powell (1994), which includes equations of state of H 2 O and CO 2 , supplemented by several tight reversals of the end-member equilibria. A simple van Laar-type expression reproduces our composition determinations with a standard deviation of only 1.2 mol% CO 2 : RT 1ngamma 1 = (X 2 ) 2 W {V 0 1 V 02 2 /[V 0 1 +V 0 2 )(X 1 V 1 0 +X 2 V 2 0 ) 2 ]} RT 1ngamma 2 = (X 1 ) 2 W {V 0 1 V 02 2 /[V 0 1 +V 0 2 )(X 1 V 1 0 +X 2 V 2 0 ) 2 ]} where V 0 1 and V 0 2 are, respectively, the specific volumes of pure H 2 O and CO 2 at a given (P,T), the X9s are the mole fractions, the gamma 9s the activity coefficients and W is analogous to a regular solution parameter: W = (A+BT)[1-exp(-20P)]+CPT, with T in K and P in kbar. The best-fit values of the constants are: A = 12893 J, B =-6.501 J/K, C = 1.0112 J/(K.kbar). With these formulas, the activity-concentration relations of CO 2 -H 2 O solutions may be reconstructed in a broad P-T-X range using any reasonably accurate equations of state of pure CO 2 and H 2 O. The activity-concentration relations are closely similar to the modified Redlich-Kwong (MRK) reconstruction of Kerrick and Jacobs (1981) to pressures of 6 kbar, but the binary fluids have marginally greater positive non-ideality than the MRK predictions at 10 kbar and significantly greater non-ideality at 14 kbar. The present results can serve as a basis for reliable calculations of mineral-fluid equilibria in metamorphism of the deep crust and upper mantle.
Housing in the Welfare State: Have Government Interventions Raised Housing Investment and Lowered Housing Costs?

In the postwar period the European welfare states undertook large-scale housing interventions. The primary purpose was to provide all households with housing of a good standard. The proponents of t...
A longitudinally extensive myelopathy in a patient with AIDS

A 42-year-old right-handed African–American woman had been diagnosed with AIDS 11 years before the abrupt onset of numbness and heaviness in her left lower limb. On presentation, her absolute CD4 cell count was 72/mm3 (430–1690) and HIV-1 viral load was 14,972 copies/mm3 (lower detection limit 40) due to antiretroviral non-adherence. Within 24 hours of presentation, the weakness and loss of sensation had spread to her right lower limb. There was no history of preceding trauma or features of infection. She was evaluated at an outside hospital where she was noted to have marked weakness and areflexia in her lower limbs. A spinal cord MRI with gadolinium demonstrated a longitudinally extensive intramedullary lesion with corresponding enhancement at the T3–T5 levels and oedema (figure 1A, B). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis (table 1, LP#1) and an extensive workup for causes of transverse myelitis (Table 2) were unrevealing. The initial diagnosis was of idiopathic transverse myelitis. Following 5 days of intravenous methylprednisolone, there was mild strength improvement in her right lower limb. She was discharged to a rehabilitation facility, but returned to the outside hospital 1 week later due to worsening bilateral lower limb weakness. A repeat spinal cord MRI scan showed similar findings to her original study. MRI scan of the brain with gadolinium showed an area of hyperintensity on the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences in the subcortical white matter of the superior right temporal lobe, with corresponding enhancement on T1 postcontrast sequences (figure 1C–E). View this table: Table 1 Cerebrospinal fluid analyses View this table: Table 2 Serological analysis Figure 1 MR scans of spine and brain with gadolinium contrast. (A) T2 STIR imaging shows significant swelling of the cord and extensive T2 hyperintensity at the thoracic cord. (B) On T1 postgadolinium imaging, a focal intramedullary enhancement and haemosiderin staining in the thoracic cord without …
A King of Beauty as a "Tasty Form":Exploration of the Body Dimension in Ancient Chinese Aesthetics

Setting out from the body,Chinese philosophy not only results in positive affirmation to the life desire of the body from the ancient Chinese People,but also makes the status of "flavor" as "original Tao" be determined further from the "desire" to "food" and then from "food" to "flavor".If we put this understanding into the domain of aesthetic,we can draw such an important conclusion that beauty is more a flavored "tasty form" than a vision of Bell's so-called "significant form".At the same time,this beauty as "tasty form" just like the analysis to "flavor" itself has three main theoretical features of " Personal experience ","All in harmony" and "Tasting".These features suggest that the Ancient Chinese Aesthetic which is consistent with "Tao of Big Yi" in ancient China but differs from the western tradition which has idealism tendency in aesthetical theory represents a kind of human culture which is more faithful to our own lives,and also represents a theory of more original ecological beauty.
Investigation on the source of infection regarding an avian influenza (H5N1) case in Hong Kong that returning from Guangzhou

Objective We conducted an epidemiologic investigation to determine the source of infection on an avian influenza (H5N1) case who returned from Guangzhou,in Hong Kong.Methods Data related to epidemiologic investigation,medical observation on close contacts,Syndromic Surveillance on poultry salesmen,emergency monitoring,detection of the samples,source tracing on potential Avian influenza virus (H5,H7,H9) infected people,situation on environment pollution by avian influenza virus in the markets etc.were gathered.The determination of infection source was through comparing the different genes between the case and positive environmental samples.Results The infected case witnessed the procedure of how a live duck was killed,in market A in Guangzhou during May 17th to 19th.The case was diagnosed as respiratory tract infection in 2 Third-grade-Class A hospitals in Guangzhou on May 23th and 24th.The diagnosis was made as Avian influenza cases on May 26th after going back to Hong Kong.23 close contacts and 34 markets poultry salesmen did not show any ILI related symptoms.However,2 poultry salesmen from the markets nearby the place where the Avian influenza case stayed,were detected having positive H9 avian influenza antibody,with the H9 positive rate as 6.06％ (2/33).Among the environmental samples in the 2 markets nearby home of the patient,chopping block was found to have carried H5,with positive rate as 9.8％(5/51) while poultry cage was found to carry H9,with the positive rate as 2.0％(1/51).A H5 positive sample was found with clade 2.3.2.1,same to the case,from a chopping block at the market B where the sources of poultry was the same as market A.Conclusion The source of infection seemed to come from the markets in Guangzhou,that calling for the strengthening of poultry market management,for avian influenza prevention.History related to contact of poultry should be gathered when a diagnosis of respiratory tract infection was made.Timely sampling and testing should be made to improve the sensitivity of diagnosis. Key words: Avian influenza; Epidemiology investigation; Infection sources
Aneurysm of the internal carotid artery due to closed trauma.

Summary Two cases of traumatic aneurysm of the internal carotid artery are presented. The cases are unusual in that they resulted from closed, nonpenetrating trauma. Compression of the vessel against a neighboring bony structure at the time of injury is thought to be the mechanism of aneurysm formation. On radiographic examination, these aneurysms have an appearance indistinguishable from congenital aneurysm. Marked intracranial vascular spasm was present and associated with severe neurologic deficits. The aneurysms were not treated surgically; both patients are alive but show marked disability.
Cultures differ in the ability to enhance affective neural responses.

ABSTRACTThe present study (N = 55) used an event-related potential paradigm to investigate whether cultures differ in the ability to upregulate affective responses. Using stimuli selected from the International Affective Picture System, we found that European-Americans (N = 29) enhanced central-parietal late positive potential (LPP) (400–800 ms post-stimulus) responses to affective stimuli when instructed to do so, whereas East Asians (N = 26) did not. We observed cultural differences in the ability to enhance central-parietal LPP responses for both positively and negativelyvalenced stimuli, and the ability to enhance these two types of responses was positively correlated for Americans but negatively for East Asians. These results are consistent with the notion that cultural variations in norms and values regarding affective expression and experiences shape how the brain regulates emotions.
Severe Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis Is Associated With Poor Growth in Patients With Short Bowel Syndrome

Background: Children with short bowel syndrome (SBS) can vary significantly in their growth trajectory. Recent data have shown that children with SBS possess a unique gut microbiota signature compared with healthy controls. We hypothesized that children with SBS and poor growth would exhibit more severe gut microbiota dysbiosis compared with those with SBS who are growing adequately, despite similar intestinal anatomy. Materials and Methods: Stool samples were collected from children with SBS (n = 8) and healthy controls (n = 3) over 3 months. Gut microbiota populations (16S ribosomal RNA sequencing and metagenomic shotgun sequencing) were compared, including a more in-depth analysis of SBS children exhibiting poor and good growth. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and χ2 tests as appropriate. Results: Children with SBS had a significant deficiency of the commensal Firmicutes order Clostridiales (P = .025, Kruskal-Wallis) compared with healthy children. Furthermore, ch...
Port Site Local Anesthetic Infiltration vs Single-dose Intrathecal Opioid Injection to Control Perioperative Pain in Children Undergoing Minimal Invasive Surgery: A Comparative Analysis.

Objective To compare the efficacy of the intrathecal opiate vs wound site local anesthetic infiltration for perioperative pain control during and after surgery in patients undergoing minimally invasive pediatric urologic procedures. Methods Using an Institutional Review Board-approved registry database, we identified patients who underwent minimally invasive urologic procedures at our institution between 2009 and 2013. We collected all relevant preoperative variables and postoperative outcomes. Patients in intrathecal injection of opioids (ITO) group were matched with patients who received local anesthetic infiltration (LAI) based on age, diagnosis, and procedure. Perioperative analgesic requirements were converted to morphine equivalents standardized to body weight. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, and parametric comparisons were completed to determine difference in morphine equivalents between the 2 groups. Results One hundred thirty children (78 girls and 52 boys) were included in our study. Sixty-six patients underwent ITO and 66 received LAI. Sixty-six patients underwent ureteral reimplantation, 60 underwent pyeloplasty, and 4 underwent nephrectomy. Ages ranged from 0.5 to 19.9 years. There was no significant difference in cumulative morphine equivalents or weight administered between the ITO and LAI groups for the total period of hospitalization (0.76 units vs 0.79 units, P > .05). Multivariate regression analysis predicted that older age corresponds to higher analgesic requirements. Conclusion ITO does not impact total analgesic requirements during the hospital stay compared to LAI following minimally invasive surgery. Considering the potential complications of ITO, LAI may be the preferred modality for pain management for minimally invasive surgery in children.
Network connections, dyadic bonds and fitness in wild female baboons

In many social mammals, females who form close, differentiated bonds with others experience greater offspring survival and longevity. We still know little, however, about how females' relationships are structured within the social group, or whether connections beyond the level of the dyad have any adaptive value. Here, we apply social network analysis to wild baboons in order to evaluate the comparative benefits of dyadic bonds against several network measures. Results suggest that females with strong dyadic bonds also showed high eigenvector centrality, a measure of the extent to which an individual's partners are connected to others in the network. Eigenvector centrality was a better predictor of offspring survival than dyadic bond strength. Previous results have shown that female baboons derive significant fitness benefits from forming close, stable bonds with several other females. Results presented here suggest that these benefits may be further augmented if a female's social partners are themselves well connected to others within the group rather than being restricted to a smaller clique.
Device issues in the integration of analog/RF functions in deep submicron digital CMOS

System on a Chip (SOC) integration is being driven by the need for cost reduction in many applications such as wireless cell phones, mass storage, DSL modems, cable modems, short distance wireless, and digital still camera. This paper discusses the device issues with the integration of analog and RF functions together with deep submicron digital CMOS.
Crossing the Aisle: Party Switching by U.S. Legislators in the Postwar Era.

In Crossing the Aisle, the first book dedicated to examining party switching in the U.S. Congress, Antoine Yoshinaka makes important theoretical and empirical contributions to our understanding of ...
Mobile cognitive assessment battery (MCAB) for assessment of cancer-related cognitive changes.

9571 Background: A majority of patients with cancer report cognitive decline associated with cancer treatments. Traditional cognitive measures may lack adequate sensitivity to these cognitive diffi...
Late Cretaceous crustal hydration in the Colorado Plateau, USA, from xenolith petrology and monazite geochronology

Formation and subsequent modification processes of lower crust play important roles in evolution and rheological models for continental lithosphere. In the last two decades, numerous xenolith studies have documented metasomatism of continental mantle in the Rocky Mountain region of North America. However, much less attention has been paid to whether and to what extent these processes may have affected the crust. We address the nature and timing of hydrous alteration of extant deep Proterozoic crust in the Colorado Plateau through a petrological and geochronological study of a xenolith from the Red Mesa diatreme in the 30–20 Ma Navajo volcanic field. Fluid-related alteration is widespread in sample RM-21, with the main features recorded by breakdown effects in feldspar, garnet, and allanite, and the production of secondary assemblages characterized by lower Ca plagioclase (or albite) + muscovite + biotite + calcite + monazite + zoisite at estimated conditions of 0.8–0.7 GPa (or ∼27 km depth) and 480 °C. Th-Pb dating by ion probe reveals a period of monazite crystallization at 70–65 Ma, interpreted to reflect late alteration of the high-temperature metamorphic assemblage with hydrous fluid introduced by the shallowly subducting Farallon slab. Similar to previous suggestions involving mantle hydration, the growth of low-density hydrous phases at the expense of high-density, anhydrous minerals, which are abundant in unaltered Proterozoic crust, if sufficiently widespread, could have contributed to elevated topography in the Colorado Plateau and regionally across the Rocky Mountains and High Plains.
Liver lacerations as a complication of CPR during pregnancy.

Abstract Aim Cardiac arrest in peripartum patients is a rare but devastating event; reported rates in the literature range from 0.019% to 0.0085%. In the general population, a well-described complication of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), liver laceration and injury, is reported at a rate of between 0.5–2.9% after CPR. Liver laceration rate among peripartum patients receiving CPR has not been well-studied. We sought to find the rate of liver lacerations in the peripartum population associated with CPR, with the hypothesis that the rate would be higher than in the general population. Methods We identified pregnancies complicated by cardiac arrest by performing a retrospective medical record review from 2011 to 2016 at a single tertiary referral hospital. We then compared the rate of liver lacerations in this group to the rate in the general population as found in the literature. Results Eleven of 9408 women in the peripartum period suffered cardiac arrest. Return of spontaneous circulation occurred in seven of eleven (64%) women. Three of these seven women suffered clinically significant liver laceration (43%). Overall mortality rate among women suffering cardiac arrest was 82% (9/11).Even after return of spontaneous circulation, the mortality rate was 72%(5/7) including two of three women suffering liver laceration. Conclusions Based on a small retrospective study, liver lacerations requiring intervention occurred in 43% of gravidas patients that survived CPR, and is significantly higher than published rates (0.6–2.1%) for the general patient population. Further studies are indicated to determine the incidence of liver injury after peripartum CPR.
Can Triple Stimulation Technique Detect Proximal Conduction Block Improvement Following IVIg Therapy in MMN? (P07.180)

OBJECTIVE: Case-report demonstrating improvement of proximal conduction block(CB) in a subject with multifocal motorneuropathy(MMN) following a loading dose of 2g/kg/over 5 days of intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIg),using triple stimulation technique(TST). BACKGROUND: In MMN,muscle strength shows improvement following high dose IVIg.Changes in electrodiagnostic(EDX) parameters can be sometimes useful in tracking treatment response.In some patients with clinical features consistent with MMN,routine EDX cannot demonstrate the presence of CB.Proximal-CB can be present in such patients.Demonstration of proximal-CB is difficult using routine EDX.TST is sensitive tool for detecting proximal-CB.We describe a case-report using TST in MMN with proximal-CB before and after IVIg. DESIGN/METHODS: The subject, a 38 year old right handed man,with bilateral arm weakness, starting in the left 1st and 2nd digits in 2000.Weakness subsequently involved left 4th & 5th digits.Hand and forearm muscles were wasted with cramps and twitching.On examination,MMST revealed weakness in left triceps,wrist flexion,wrist extension,extensor digitorum communis(EDC),flexor pollicis longus(FPL),flexor digitorum profundus index(FDI),pronatora following the infusion.Right ulnar nerve with no conduction block showed similar(±10%) TST ratios before and after the infusion. CONCLUSIONS: Following IVIg,TST showed two nerves with atleast 25% improvement.All nerves with accompanying TST improvement of>20%also showed increased MEP amplitudes.We demonstrate TST as a potentially useful tool for the identification of proximal-CB & monitoring therapeutic effects of IVIg in MMN. Disclosure: Dr. Remanan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shahbazi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Panchal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lange received financial support for research activities from CSL Behring, GlaxoSmithKline, and Cytokinetics.
On the relative importance of the driving forces of plate motion

Summary. In a very ingenious paper, Forsyth & Uyeda used observed plate shapes and speeds to compute the ratios of the eight rms torques which eight different types of plate force exert on 12 crustal plates. We describe one resolution of the conceptual problems arising in Forsyth & Uyeda’s estimates for the values and uncertainties of those ratios. We confirm Forsyth & Uyeda’s conclusion that equilibrium is mainly between the negative buoyancy of descending slabs and the viscous resistance to their descent; the other six kinds of torque are smaller by at least an order of magnitude. We find the combined rms fractional error in the data and theory to lie between 9 and 16 per cent, at the 1 per cent confidence level. This error prevents determination of the other six torque ratios; so the absolute magnitudes of the eight torques cannot be found by multiplying the magnitude of one of them by the torque ratios.
Assessing Mentorship Experiences of Faculty at a Military Academic Center: Challenge and Opportunity.

ObjectivesMentor relationships are a key component of professional development within academic medicine. To date, there are no investigations into the prevalence and effects of mentor relationships within military academic medicine. This quality improvement initiative aimed to establish the prevalen
On the Validity of Mortality Data

We have seen that one important source of epidemiologic information is available in the mortality statistics published in most civilized lands, and we have considered the diagnostic subdivisions of CVD as they are classified in this regard. Some benefits and drawbacks of mortality data have already been mentioned, but the most important question to answer is how reliable are the data — to what extent can we equate death certificates with the diseases they purport to represent.
How to Use Power Modulation in MICS

Safety and efficiency in phacoemulsification can conflict. Comparisons, such as percent power, are meaningless if not standardized. The incidence of wound burn can vary from 0.2 to 0.03% depending on approach and ultrasound power modulation. Machine-indicated parameters may not be very accurate. The control of anterior chamber depth associated with post-occlusion surge can vary dramatically depending on the parameters chosen, between machines and between patients, even when using the same machine and parameters.
Measurement of Temperature-Dependent Bound Water in Clays

Heating of clay under drained conditions results in thermal expansion of the soil minerals and pore water and can also cause a change in the soil fabric, producing irrecoverable deformations. These deformations are most pronounced for normally and lightly overconsolidated clays that undergo significant net compression and have been attributed to changes of the adsorbed or bound water layer with temperature. The current article quantifies the change in bound water content through laboratory measurements of temperature dependence in the specific gravity of solid particles while accounting for the thermal expansion of the soil constituents. The experiments compare changes for three representative clays of differing mineralogy at temperatures ranging from 20°C to 38°C. The laboratory experiments confirm that the specific gravity of clay decreases with temperature consistent with the conversion of bound water to free water, while accounting for the thermal expansion of the pore water. The density of oven-dried solid particles obtained from gas pycnometer measurements is also lower than the value obtained from typical water submersion methods because of the existence of the bound water layer. We interpret the experimental measurements assuming a mass density of bound water and an exponential decay of bound water content with temperature. Using these assumptions, we show that the thickness of the bound water layer decreases from 9 A at 20°C to 6 A at 40°C for three clays of widely differing mineralogy.
Cardiac Risk Factors and Complications After Spinal Fusion for Idiopathic Scoliosis in Children

Abstract Background Cardiac risk factors pose challenges in pediatric posterior spinal fusion (PSF). Differences in risk according to etiology of cardiac disease are unclear. We investigated outcomes of PSF according to presence of congenital heart defect compared to cardiomyopathy. Methods Elective PSF for idiopathic scoliosis in patients aged 0-18 y was identified in the 2012-2015 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric. Cardiac risk factors were classified as: no cardiac risk factors or minor cardiac risk factors without congenital heart defect; minor cardiac risk factors because of congenital heart defect; major cardiac risk factors because of congenital heart defect; major cardiac risk factors because of cardiomyopathy. Multivariable logistic regression compared surgical site infection, wound dehiscence, hospital length of stay ≥30 d, and unplanned readmission across these categories. Results The analysis included 5395 girls and 1691 boys, aged 14 ± 2 y. Among these, 140 patients had minor cardiac risk factors because of congenital heart defect, 144 had major cardiac risk factors because of congenital heart defect, and 20 had major cardiac risk factors because of cardiomyopathy. Rates of any complication were significantly higher among patients with cardiomyopathy (40%) compared to patients with major cardiac risk factors because of congenital heart defect (10%), minor cardiac risk factors because of congenital heart defect, or other minor or no cardiac risk factors (5%; chi-square P Conclusions Cardiomyopathy is a rare but significant risk factor for complications after pediatric PSF, whereas congenital heart defects did not independently contribute to risk of complications after this procedure.
In Situ Measurement of Phase Boundary Kinetics during Initial Lithiation of Crystalline Silicon through Picosecond Ultrasonics

Studying the kinetics of phase transformation and phase boundary propagation during initial lithiation of silicon electrodes in lithium ion batteries is relevant to understanding their performance. Such studies are usually challenging due to the difficulties in measuring the phase boundary velocity in the interior of the sample. Here we introduce a non-invasive, in situ method to measure the progression of the phase boundary in a planar specimen geometry while maintaining well-controlled lithium flux and potential. We developed an apparatus integrating an electrochemical cell with picosecond ultrasonics to probe the propagating phase boundary in real time. Phase propagation during initial lithiation of crystalline silicon, which is an example of a high capacity anode, is investigated. The primary objective of this manuscript is to report on the experimental technique development and some preliminary results. For lithiation normal to the (100) plane, we observe the phase boundary velocity to be approximately 12 pm/s and x to be 3.73 in LixSi under galvanostatic lithiation with a current density of 40 μA/cm2. The growth rate of the lithiated phase and the reaction rate coefficient are examined using a Deal-Grove type model.
Thermal Expansion Anisotropy in Injection-Moulded Natural-Fibre Composites

Recently much effort has been devoted to the development of natural-fibre composites produced via injection moulding. Although several processing-cost benefits may be associated with the injection ...
Depression: Beyond Description As an Important Comorbidity in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension—The Next Steps

The recent identification of depression as an important comorbidity in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)1,2 is leading to a broad array of efforts to further refine our understanding of this di...
Anticipating and responding to changes in the mobility sector

Abstract A broad cross-section of thought leaders argue we live in a new era. Digital technologies—including mobile technology, cloud-based storage, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things—are reshaping every aspect of the economy, especially employment. This chapter focuses on the efforts of Pima Community College, a public, 2-year college in Tucson, Arizona, to respond to, anticipate, and leverage changes in the economy for the benefit of its students and the people of its region. Pima, located in the fast-growing aviation, logistics, and transportation hub of Tucson, Arizona, 60 miles from the Mexico border, has an opportunity to be a key player in the economic development of our transnational region, and especially in the transportation sector.
Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Tetralogy of Fallot: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Abstract Background Although there are robust data about the pathophysiology and prognostic implications of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in patients with acquired heart disease, similar prognostic data about LV systolic dysfunction are sparse in the tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) population. The purpose of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of all studies that assessed the relationship between LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and cardiovascular adverse events (CAEs) defined as death, aborted sudden death, or sustained ventricular tachycardia. Methods We used random-effects models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Of the 1,809 citations, 7 studies with 2,854 patients (age 28 ± 4 years) were included. During 5.6 ± 3.4 years' follow-up, there were 82 deaths, 17 aborted sudden cardiac deaths, and 56 sustained ventricular tachycardia events. Overall, CAEs occurred in 5.1% (144 patients). As a continuous variable, LVEF was a predictor of CAE (HR 1.29, 95% CI, 1.09-1.53, P = 0.001) per 5% decrease in LVEF. Similarly, LVEF Conclusions LV systolic dysfunction was an independent predictor of CAE, and we observed a 30% increase in the risk of CAE for every 5% decrease in LVEF, and a 3-fold increase in the risk of CAE in patients with LVEF
Sudden unexpected death in asymptomatic infants due to PPA2 variants.

Background Sudden death in children is a tragic event that often remains unexplained after comprehensive investigation. We report two asymptomatic siblings who died unexpectedly at approximately 1 year of age found to have biallelic (compound heterozygous) variants in PPA2. Methods The index case, parents, and sister were enrolled in the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Registry and Research Collaborative, which included next-generation genetic screening. Prior published cases of PPA2 variants, along with the known biology of PPA2, were also summarized. Results Whole exome sequencing in both siblings revealed biallelic rare missense variants in PPA2: c.182C > T (p.Ser61Phe) and c.380G > T (p.Arg127Leu). PPA2 encodes a mitochondrially located inorganic pyrophosphatase implicated in progressive and lethal cardiomyopathies. As a regulator and supplier of inorganic phosphate, PPA2 is central to phosphate metabolism. Biological roles include the following: mtDNA maintenance; oxidative phosphorylation and generation of ATP; reactive oxygen species homeostasis; mitochondrial membrane potential regulation; and possibly, retrograde signaling between mitochondria and nucleus. Conclusions Two healthy and asymptomatic sisters died unexpectedly at ages 12 and 10 months, and were diagnosed by molecular autopsy to carry biallelic variants in PPA2. Our cases add additional details to those reported thus far, and broaden the spectrum of clinical and molecular features of PPA2 variants.
Una lectura quijotesca de "San Manuel Bueno, Mártir", de Miguel de Unamuno

This article offers a quixotic reading of San Manuel Bueno, Martir (1931) in an attempt to show the major influence that Miguel de Cervantes’s masterpiece Don Quixote of La Mancha had in this novella by Miguel de Unamuno. I will use the concept of the «horizons of expectations», proposed by Hans Robert Jauss, to show the multiple parallels that exist between the protagonists of Don Quixote of La Mancha and San Manuel Bueno, Martir, as well as the narrative techniques employed in both literary works.
Measuring Recommender System Effects with Simulated Users

Imagine a food recommender system -- how would we check if it is \emph{causing} and fostering unhealthy eating habits or merely reflecting users' interests? How much of a user's experience over time with a recommender is caused by the recommender system's choices and biases, and how much is based on the user's preferences and biases? Popularity bias and filter bubbles are two of the most well-studied recommender system biases, but most of the prior research has focused on understanding the system behavior in a single recommendation step. How do these biases interplay with user behavior, and what types of user experiences are created from repeated interactions? In this work, we offer a simulation framework for measuring the impact of a recommender system under different types of user behavior. Using this simulation framework, we can (a) isolate the effect of the recommender system from the user preferences, and (b) examine how the system performs not just on average for an "average user" but also the extreme experiences under atypical user behavior. As part of the simulation framework, we propose a set of evaluation metrics over the simulations to understand the recommender system's behavior. Finally, we present two empirical case studies -- one on traditional collaborative filtering in MovieLens and one on a large-scale production recommender system -- to understand how popularity bias manifests over time.
Abstract PR-01: Real-time, point-of-care pathology diagnosis via embedded deep learning

There is an urgent need for widespread cancer diagnosis in low resource settings, especially in contrast to areas with developed healthcare systems. According to a study in The Lancet, in the U.S. there is one pathologist for every 20,000 individuals, while in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is only one for every million. In addition, current telepathology systems for cancer diagnosis mostly rely on pathologists performing remotely, which is low-throughput and requires more time and resources. With the growth of telepathology, remote diagnosis becomes a viable solution to address the lack of skilled pathologists in developing regions. Here, we present a cost-efficient device that incorporates embedded deep learning to achieve real time, point-of-care diagnosis of whole pathology slides. We achieve this with a low-cost, 3D-printable microscope that uses the Raspberry Pi and camera module to capture high-resolution images of slides. Then, using a weakly-supervised deep-learning model run on the NVIDIA Jetson Nano, the device is able to accurately classify the whole slide without any pixel-level annotations. Furthermore, the model’s attention-based approach to diagnosis allows us to generate human-interpretable heatmaps displaying the regions most influential to the model’s diagnosis. Our device also incorporates a touch screen and batteries to increase accessibility as an easy-to-use and low maintenance device while still maintaining an efficient runtime given the available resources. Overall, we demonstrate that the device is capable of achieving accurate, high-throughput, and interpretable cancer diagnoses in low resource settings. Citation Format: Bowen Chen, Max Lu, Jana Lipkova, Faisal Mahmood. Real-time, point-of-care pathology diagnosis via embedded deep learning [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Diagnosis, and Imaging; 2021 Jan 13-14. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2021;27(5_Suppl):Abstract nr PR-01.
3-D generated anatomic custom talar cement spacers: case reports, technical tips and literature review.

BACKGROUND With today's expanding use of total ankle arthroplasty, the ever-present trauma patient, and patients with uncontrolled comorbid conditions, surgeons face significant challenges for lower extremity reconstruction. These patients highlight some of those who may present with unique anatomy, bone loss, infection, and various other local and systemic factors that affect treatment options for successful outcomes. Three dimensional (3-D) printing for medical devices is allowing for new and customized ways to meet patient and surgeon goals of limb salvage and reconstruction. CASE PRESENTATIONS While the majority of 3-D printing is done for the purpose of implantation, we present a technical tip for designing a 3-D printed mold from which to create an antibiotic cement spacer for implantation. With two case illustrations including a talus fracture nonunion and infected subtalar arthrodesis nonunion, we describe the process of patient selection, implant design, fabrication, and implantation of a custom molded antibiotic cement talus. DISCUSSION Case illustrations present two successful limb salvage patients while giving a thorough explanation of our technique, learned tips and tricks. This applied technology builds on prior use of antibiotic cement in limb salvage of the lower extremity, most of which are joint sacrificing. 3-D printing the mold for an anatomic talus cement spacer results in a joint sparing limb salvage solution. Innovative 3-D printing technology is merged with current, pertinent literature regarding antibiotic cement to offer surgeons expanded options for temporary or definitive reconstructive techniques in some of the most challenging patients.
Off-Policy Evaluation in Partially Observed Markov Decision Processes

We consider off-policy evaluation of dynamic treatment rules under the assumption that the underlying system can be modeled as a partially observed Markov decision process (POMDP). We propose an estimator, partial history importance weighting, and show that it can consistently estimate the stationary mean rewards of a target policy given long enough draws from the behavior policy. Furthermore, we establish an upper bound on its error that decays polynomially in the number of observations (i.e., the number of trajectories times their length), with an exponent that depends on the overlap of the target and behavior policies, and on the mixing time of the underlying system. We also establish a polynomial minimax lower bound for off-policy evaluation under the POMDP assumption, and show that its exponent has the same qualitative dependence on overlap and mixing time as obtained in our upper bound. Together, our upper and lower bounds imply that off-policy evaluation in POMDPs is strictly harder than off-policy evaluation in (fully observed) Markov decision processes, but strictly easier than model-free off-policy evaluation.
Transcranial Doppler (TCD/TCCS) and Cerebral Blood Flow: Applications in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography represents a noninvasive method to evaluate flow velocities through the basal cerebral arteries. By evaluating the flow velocity spectrum of the cerebral arteries, transcranial Doppler ultrasound can provide information on the direction of flow, patency of vessels, focal stenosis, and cerebrovascular reactivity, and estimates of cerebral blood flow.
The Expected Norm of a Sum of Independent Random Matrices: An Elementary Approach

In contemporary applied and computational mathematics, a frequent challenge is to bound the expectation of the spectral norm of a sum of independent random matrices. This quantity is controlled by the norm of the expected square of the random matrix and the expectation of the maximum squared norm achieved by one of the summands; there is also a weak dependence on the dimension of the random matrix. The purpose of this paper is to give a complete, elementary proof of this important inequality.
The Characterization of PG0228 in Porphyromonas gingivalis W83

x INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Periodontal Disease 1 1.2. Oral Microflora 4 1.3. Porphyromonas gingivalis 5 1.4. Gene Regulation in Porphyromonas gingivalis 6 1.5. Regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) 7 1.6. Sm Family of RNA-Associated Proteins 9 1.7. Hfq Protein 10 1. MATERIALS AND METHODS 21 2.1. Project Aims 21 2.2. Bacterial Strains and Plasmids 25 2.3. Growth Conditions and Media 25 2.4. Generation of P. gingivalis Mutant Strains 29 2.5. Generation of Δ0228 Mutant Porphyromonas gingivalis Strain 29 2.6. Generation of 0228-HaLo Porphyromonas gingivalis Strain 35 2.7. Growth Curve of Δ0228 Mutant 39 2.8. Microarray Analysis of Δ0228 Mutant 39 2.9. Survival of Δ0228 Mutant Strain with Eukaryotic Cells 45 2.10. Immunoprecipitation with 0228-HaLo Tagged Strain 46 2.11. Bioinformatics 51 RESULTS 52 3.1. Sequence Alignment with PG0228 52 3.2. Generation of Δ0228 Mutant Strain 55 3.3. Generation of 0228-HaLo tagged Porphyromonas gingivalis Strain 62 3.4. Evaluation of Δ0228 Growth Compared to Wild Type W83 71 3.5. Differential Expression Using Microarray Analysis 74 3.6. Analysis of Δ0228’s Ability to Survive with Host Cells 83 DISCUSSION 88
Library Instruction vs. Information Competency: It's Not Just Bibliographic Instruction Anymore

Depuis 23 ans, la bibliotheque agricole de l'universite de Kentucky forme ses utilisateurs a l'utilisation de la bibliotheque. Ce programme de formation lance en 1973, offrait des ateliers de formation sur demande, incluant un module pour les etudiants du 1 er cycle universitaire, des ateliers pour les etudiants du 2 e cycle et des sessions pour le personnel de vulgarisation. Vers 1988, il est devenu plus pro-actif et offrait des presentations individualisees et un melange de supports imprimes et electroniques. En 1994, ce programme a ete remplace par le programme d'introduction a l'information qui vise un plus grand nombre de groupes cibles, et collabore avec d'autres secteurs. Ce changement d'instruction pour les etudiants du 1 er cycle a eu lieu apres la revision du programme de formation du college agricole. Le programme d'introduction a l'information de 1994 met l'accent sur la capacite d'utiliser un systeme d'information en general. Actuellement, l'accent est aussi mis sur le developpement des competences en information, afin de permettre a l'utilisateur de choisir le systeme approprie pour une utilisation appropriee de l'information. Pour atteindre ce but, la formation doit repondre aux demandes des utilisateurs et etre flexible.
Localization of collagen prolyl hydroxylase to the hepatocyte. Studies in primary monolayer cultures of parenchymal cells from adult rat liver.

Abstract Significant levels of prolyl hydroxylase activity (prolyl-glycyl-peptide, 2-oxoglutarate: oxygen oxidoreductase; EC 1.14.11.2) have been found in freshly isolated hepatocytes prepared from normal or regenerated adult rat liver and primary non-proliferating monolayer cultures of these cells. Four days after partial hepatectomy, the intact regenerated liver contained two times the normal level of prolyl hydroxylase activity. Freshly isolated hepatocytes contained 24% of the total prolyl hydroxylase activity in normal liver and 47% of that in regenerated liver. Upon incubation of hepatocytes for 24 h in a chemically defined culture medium containing insulin, prolyl hydroxylase activity rose 2- to 3-fold, and gradually declined during the next 48 h. The rise in prolyl hydroxylase activity was blocked by addition of cycloheximide to the culture medium. The presence of prolyl hydroxylase activity in hepatocyte cultures was not likely due to contamination with non-parenchymal liver cells. The latter cells contained less than 20% of the total enzyme activity recovered in all cells isolated from the liver. Furthermore, prolyl hydroxylase was localized by immunofluorescence uniformly to the hepatocytes in culture. Cultured hepatocytes converted [14C]proline to [14C]hydroxyproline at rates comparable to those reported for whole liver. However, only a small portion of the hydroxyproline containing product was present as collagen protein, suggesting its rapid degradation in culture. We conclude that the liver parenchymal cell may actively participate in collagen synthesis and possibly in collagen degradation.
Neural network design using Voronoi diagrams: preliminaries

A novel approach based on the construction of a Voronoi diagram is proposed to determine the number of layers, the number of neurons in each layer, and their connection weights for a particular implementation of a neural network. The neural network has a multilayer feedforward topology, and is designed to classify patterns in the multidimensional feature space. To illustrate the procedure, an example is given of the classification of patterns that are not linearly separable in feature space. >
Monetary morphs into fiscal: the Fed's great adventure

Post 2008 US economic policy has centered on Quantitative Easing, QE. The expectation, or ostensible hope, was that injections of money would stimulate economic recovery and growth in the real sector. However, seven years later, the economy languishes. Monetary measures have not brought recovery to the real sector. It has generally escaped notice, but QE has had the effect of a tax increase on savers, retirees, and those with fixed or inelastic wages. Absent prospects for profitable investment in plant and equipment, industry will not invest even with historically low interest rates. Those who might save if interest returns rewarded it have incentive to spend and to borrow instead, but have not done enough to launch recovery.