cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gastric acidity and acid breakthrough with twice‐daily omeprazole or lansoprazole

Background: In patients with severe gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), proton pump inhibitors are being used increasingly in twice-daily regimens to improve control of gastric acidity. Few data exist to compare the ability of the most-often used proton pump inhibitors, omeprazole and lansoprazole, to control gastric acid at twice-daily dosage regimens. Nocturnal acid breakthrough, defined as gastric pH 60 min, may compromise treatment goals in patients with GERD. Aim: To compare the effects of omeprazole 20 mg b.d. or lansoprazole 30 mg b.d. on gastric acidity and the relative ability of each dosage regimen to prevent acid breakthrough. Methods: In a crossover pharmacodynamic study, 20 healthy volunteers (10 male, 10 female, mean age 38 years) were given omeprazole 20 mg b.d. or lansoprazole 30 mg b.d. for 7 days each, in a randomized manner. Each dosage regimen was separated by a minimum 7-day period where no medication was administered. On day 7 of each regimen, 24-h intragastric pH-metry was performed. The percentage of time for which gastric pH was below 4.0 and 3.0, the occurrence of daytime and nocturnal acid breakthrough, and the duration of action of each regimen were compared. Non-parametric statistics for paired data were used. Results: The percentage time for which gastric pH was below 4.0 was significantly lower with omeprazole 20 mg b.d. (median 14.8%) than with lansoprazole 30 mg b.d. (median 24.2; P=0.0372). Fourteen subjects showed more effective acid control when taking omeprazole; these were significantly more often H. pylori-negative patients compared with those for whom acid control was better on lansoprazole (P < 0.001). Nocturnal acid breakthrough occurred in seven patients (35%) on omeprazole and in 10 (50%) on lansoprazole (N.S.). Conclusion: In healthy volunteers, twice-daily dosing of omeprazole 20 mg b.d. appears to be significantly more effective than lansoprazole 30 mg b.d. in controlling gastric acidity. The clinical importance of such a difference remains to be defined in GERD patients.
Validity of U.S. Nutritional Surveillance: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Caloric Energy Intake Data, 1971–2010

Importance Methodological limitations compromise the validity of U.S. nutritional surveillance data and the empirical foundation for formulating dietary guidelines and public health policies. Objectives Evaluate the validity of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) caloric intake data throughout its history, and examine trends in the validity of caloric intake estimates as the NHANES dietary measurement protocols evolved. Design Validity of data from 28,993 men and 34,369 women, aged 20 to 74 years from NHANES I (1971–1974) through NHANES 2009–2010 was assessed by: calculating physiologically credible energy intake values as the ratio of reported energy intake (rEI) to estimated basal metabolic rate (BMR), and subtracting estimated total energy expenditure (TEE) from NHANES rEI to create ‘disparity values’. Main Outcome Measures 1) Physiologically credible values expressed as the ratio rEI/BMR and 2) disparity values (rEI–TEE). Results The historical rEI/BMR values for men and women were 1.31 and 1.19, (95% CI: 1.30–1.32 and 1.18–1.20), respectively. The historical disparity values for men and women were −281 and −365 kilocalorie-per-day, (95% CI: −299, −264 and −378, −351), respectively. These results are indicative of significant under-reporting. The greatest mean disparity values were −716 kcal/day and −856 kcal/day for obese (i.e., ≥30 kg/m2) men and women, respectively. Conclusions Across the 39-year history of the NHANES, EI data on the majority of respondents (67.3% of women and 58.7% of men) were not physiologically plausible. Improvements in measurement protocols after NHANES II led to small decreases in underreporting, artifactual increases in rEI, but only trivial increases in validity in subsequent surveys. The confluence of these results and other methodological limitations suggest that the ability to estimate population trends in caloric intake and generate empirically supported public policy relevant to diet-health relationships from U.S. nutritional surveillance is extremely limited.
A cadaveric study on the anatomy of the deltoid insertion and its relationship to the deltopectoral approach to the proximal humerus

Elevation of the deltoid insertion (DI) has been recommended, but little is known about its anatomy or importance for deltoid function. The purpose of this study is to determine the dimensions of the DI with specific reference to the deltopectoral approach. The deltoid was exposed and detached at its origin in 36 cadaveric shoulders. The morphology of the DI was documented, and its relationship with the pectoralis major insertion and the axillary and radial nerves was recorded. The anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid muscle fibers entered into the DI in a V-shaped tendinous confluence with a broad posterior band and a narrow separate anterior band, which accounted for the anterior one fifth of the DI (0.44 cm). The deltoid insertion was separated from the pectoralis major insertion by as little as 2 mm in 31 of 36 specimens. The distance between the axillary nerve and the DI averaged 5.6 cm anteriorly and 4.5 cm posteriorly. The distance between the radial nerve and posterior deltoid insertion averaged 2.4 cm proximally and 1.6 cm distally. Exposure during the deltopectoral approach is most limited by the close proximity of the deltoid and pectoralis major insertions. Our study would suggest that partial anterior DI release (greater than one fifth) could compromise the anterior deltoid. The axillary and radial nerves are not at significant risk when operating in the region of the anterior DI.
Surface engineering of graphene for high performance supercapacitors

A solvothermal method was used to synthesize functionalized graphene, which exhibits an ultrahigh capacitance. This solvothermal method allows a fine control of the density of functionalities on graphene surface. The structure of resulting functionalized graphene is characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR and Raman. Pseudocapacitance is provided by functionalities on graphene surface, such as carboxyl, carbonyl and hydroxyl. The significance of these functional also includes improving the wetting properties of electrode material, especially for supercapacitors using aqueous electrolyte. However, there is a penalty for functionalities since these oxygen-containing functional groups will disrupt the π-conjugated system and lower the electrical conductivity. Therefore for functionalized graphene as supercapacitor, a tradeoff exists between the high psudeocapacitance and low conductivity, both are arising from the surface functionalities. Our systematic study shows a successful control of the density of functionalities, which is essential to achieve high performance of graphene-based supercapacitors. The capacitance of graphene is measured in a three electrode system using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charging/discharging techniques. At a proper reduction condition, a high capacity of 276 F/g was achieved at a discharging current of 0.1 A/g in H 2 SO 4 solutions. The superior capacitive performance of functionalized graphene demonstrates the importance of surface property engineering, which will greatly promote the study and application of graphene-based supercapacitors.
Implementation of end-to-end abstractions in a network service architecture

To support the increasing diversity of systems and protocols in the Internet, modern routers offer a variety of data path processing functions. Such "network services" are easy to implement on a single node, but a network-wide deployment is difficult. We discuss our implementation of a network service architecture that uses novel end-to-end abstractions to access and control advanced data path functions. To make such functions available to end-system applications, we introduce a "service socket" API. We demonstrate the operation of this network architecture and its socket API in the context of a video distribution scenario that we have implemented on a 60-node Emulab testbed.
Reframing the Argument for National Plant‐Closing Legislation

Many believe that a major problem in today’s economy is the unregulated movement of physical capital. Most other industrialized nations have plant‐closing legislation which prevents this problem from arising. This article explores possible reasons why proponents of such legislation have been unsuccessful in securing its passage in the United States, primarily a value preference for efficiency over equity and a restrictive definition of efficiency. Taking these reasons into consideration, the writer suggests an alternative rationale for plant‐closing legislation which has not been previously voiced arguing that (1) we should focus the debate over plant‐closing laws on whether they are dynamically, not allocatively, efficient, and (2) that we should consider whether the proposed legislation will help protect the most vulnerable members of our society.
Giving Doctors’ Daily Progress Notes to Hospitalized Patients and Families to Improve Patient Experience:

Hospital quality includes excellent physician-patient communication. The objective was to determine effects of distributing physicians' notes to patients. Hospitalized patients or family members on 6 wards at a university hospital received daily a printed copy of their medical team's progress note. Surveys were completed about the benefits and adverse effects of reading the physician notes. In all, 74% to 86% of patients or family members responded favorably that receiving doctors' notes improved understanding of their health condition or gave them more control over their hospital course. Patient concerns about privacy or offense were uncommon, although 16% thought notes were confusing or caused worry. Note distribution had minor effects on physician note writing practice. Having patients and family members read their physicians' progress notes is feasible and enhances patients' understanding of their diagnostic and treatment plan. Notes supplement traditional physician-patient verbal communication practice and have the potential to improve the hospitalized patient experience.
Carotid artery stenting: payment, politics, and equipose.

In the 1990s, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for new devices for coronary and peripheral revascularization was a necessary and sufficient requisite for reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). However, in the new millennium, FDA approval is necessary, but
Simulating application resilience at exascale

The reliability mechanisms for future exascale systems will be a key aspect of their scalability and performance. With the expected jump in hardware component counts, faults will become increasingly common compared to today's systems. Under these circumstances, the costs of current and emergent resilience methods need to be reevaluated. This includes the cost of recovery, which is often ignored in current work, and the impact of hardware features such as heterogeneous computing elements and non-volatile memory devices. We describe a simulation and modeling framework that enables the measurement of various resilience algorithms with varying application characteristics. For this framework we outline the simulator's requirements, its application communication pattern generators, and a few of the key hardware component models.
Towards Weather Forecasting in the Cloud

Scientific applications process a large amount of data and need huge computing power. Traditionally, they are executed in supercomputers, cluster or grid environments. Recently, the cloud also emerged as a feasible execution environment for this kind of application. The viability of using cloud was already extensively validated. In this work, we migrated a weather forecast application to the Microsoft Azure cloud. The intention of our work is to perform an application modernization using the cloud technology. Several pre-and post-processing procedures were modified to decrease or eliminate repetitive tasks. Additionally, the configuration of the application is no longer necessary in the user perspective. We can conclude that with some modification, scientific applications can benefit from cloud technologies, and it is possible to create modern services based on legacy applications.
Integration Aspects and Electrical Properties of SrBi2Ta2O9 for Non-Volatile Memory Applications

Highlights and solutions to some of the challenges involved in integrating SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 (SBT) capacitors with Pt electrodes on silicon wafers for non-volatile memory applications are discussed. These include the diffusion of Bi through the Pt bottom electrode during firing, capacitor patterning, and process damage that results from hydrogen containing atmospheres. Next, studies of the temperature dependence of many of the important electrical properties of SBT are presented. These include the remanent polarization (2P r ), the non-volatile polarization (P nv ), and the coercive field (E c ) all of which are studied as functions of the pulse amplitude; fatigue resistance of 2P r and P nv ; the retention; the small signal capacitance versus voltage behavior; and the current versus voltage behavior. These studies demonstrate that SBT looks very promising for ferroelectric non-volatile memories over the consumer application range (0 to 70 °C).
Bracon mellitor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Diapause in the Texas Rolling Plains

Populations of Bracon mellitor Say in the Texas Rolling Plains initiated diapause in cotton squares in early fall, with all of the population entering diapause by late October. High temperatures delayed fall diapause initiation, and photoperiod maintained and terminated diapause. A critical light cycle ranging from 10:10 to 11:05 terminated diapause for females, whereas diapause termination for males occurred at light cycles as short as 10:00 hours. For most individuals, diapause was terminated by 20 February. Spring emergence occurred from late March to mid-May but most individuals emerged between 4 and 26 April. Julian date accounted for more variability in cumulative percentage of emergence than cumulative degree-days. This suggests that the rate of postdiapause development may be dependent upon temperature and intrinsic or extrinsic factors not measured. Multiple regression equations, utilizing both Julian date and cumulative degree-days are presented which may be useful to predict spring emergence patterns.
Is a Pejorative View of Power Assertion in the Socialization Process Justified

Power assertion is foundational to the authoritative parenting style and the authoritative parenting style is consistently acknowledged to be optimal so that a pejorative view of power assertion pe...
Ultracentrifugal Concentration of a Homogeneous Heavy Component from Tissues Diseased with Equine Encephalomyelitis

With the demonstration of the existence of a heavy protein in plant tissues diseased with tobacco mosaic virus1 it became inevitable that similar proteins should be sought in other kinds of virus-infected tissues. Most viruses are more or less unstable towards the chemicals which would naturally be used in efforts to concentrate and purify them. The air-ultracentrifuge2 has, however, furnished a new tool3 which has been successful in extracting and purifying several of the less stable virus proteins causing plant diseases4 and in preparing a similar substance5 from virus-induced rabbit papillomas (Shope). The same type of ultracentrifugal examination has now been made of tissues diseased with the virus of equine encephalomyelitis.∗As in the previous ultracentrifugal concentrations an angle-centrifuged tissue suspension was ultracentrifuged for one to one and a half hours in a maximum field of ca 50,000 times gravity. All but a trace of the virus activity was thus sedimented. The translucent pellet formed ...
A New PM-Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor With Three-Dimensional Trench Air Gap

This paper proposes a new 3-D motor with a trench-shaped air gap. The proposed motor has high torque without rare-earth magnets compared to conventional 2-D single air gap motors due to its multiple air gap and ferrite permanent-magnet-assisted segment rotor poles. First, the practical design is described of the winding and side stator core composition, which increase the air-gap area. Second, the reduction method of eddy-current loss in the side stator core is described. Finally, it is confirmed by finite-element analysis and some experimental data that the motor efficiency is improved without reducing torque output.
BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF GUINEA PIG ANTI-INSULIN ANTIBODIES.

Summary1. Precipitating antibodies to insulin have been demonstrated in the guinea pig. 2. Two types of 7S anti-insulin antibodies were separated by zone electrophoresis and were shown to have different biological activities. The slower moving gamma 2 antibodies provoked hemagglutination and hemolysis in presence of complement. The faster moving gamma 1 antibodies gave PCA reactions in the guinea pig. 3. Oxidized B chain of insulin did not share antigenic determinants with the intact insulin molecule.
141 Q FEVER: A CONTINUING DIAGNOSTIC PROBLEM IN WEST TEXAS AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO.

Background Q fever is a widespread zoonotic infection caused by the pathogen Coxiella burnetii that has both acute and chronic manifestations. Q fever may present as a fever of unknown origin (FUO). We examined three cases of Q fever in west Texas and eastern New Mexico: two chronic and one acute that presented as FUO. Q fever usually occurs following exposure to infected animals. Q fever continues to be a diagnostic possibility in patients with FUO and animal exposure in the southwestern United States. Methods Cases review from medical records at our institution 2000-2006. Results: Discussion Q fever may present as an acute or chronic febrile illness, either of which can have nonspecific symptoms and signs. Serologic studies are necessary for the diagnosis. Phase I and phase II serology will differentiate between acute and chronic disease. Although somewhat slow and costly, these studies are key to appropriate diagnosis and therapy. Conclusion Q fever continues to be a diagnostic problem in west Texas and eastern New Mexico.
Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy and Postoperative Adjuvant Radiation for Pathological Stage C (PCN0) Prostate Cancer from 1976 to 1989: Intermediate Findings

AbstractBetween 1976 and 1989, 114 patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection for prostatic adenocarcinoma were found to have stage PcNO lesions. Postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy without hormonal treatment was given to 95 of these patients (83%): 26 (27%) with stage Cl, 37 (39%) with stage C2 and 32 (34%) with stage C3 disease. The median radiation dose was 45Gy. given at 180cGy. daily. Median followup was 4.4 years (range 1.4 to 13.3). The overall 5 and 10-year actuarial survival rates for the patients were 94% and 70%, respectively. Disease-specific 5 and 10-year actuarial survival rates were 99% and 78%, respectively. At 5 and 10 years the chance of clinical recurrence was estimated as 6% and 13%, respectively, and the chance of recurrence (clinical or indicated by prostate specific antigen levels) was estimated to be 34% and 46%, respectively. Patients with high Gleason scores (8 to 10) and seminal vesicle involvement (stage C3) fared worst....
Direct biphasic effects of danazol on gonadotropin-dependent differentiation of cultured rat granulosa cells

The direct effects of danazol on granulosa cell differentiation were studied in vitro over a broad concentration range with a primary culture of rat granulosa cells. Whereas treatment with low-dose (defined herein as -6 M) danazol by itself was without significant effect on basal steroid secretion, combined treatment with low-dose danazol (10 -7 M) and a minimally effective dose of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH, 20ng/ml) resulted in a substantial augmentation of the FSH effect. Although independent of the FSH dose employed, the effect of danazol proved dose- and time-dependent, with an apparent median effective dose of 3.6±0.3×10 -8 M. In contrast, high-dose danazol (defined herein as>10 -6 M) produced dose-dependent inhibition of FSH (250 ng/ml) -supported steroid secretion. Taken together, our findings indicate that the effects of danazol on granulosa cell differentiation may be biphasic in nature, displaying a stimulatory low-dose component, followed by inhibition at higher dose levels.
Hamilton-Jacobi Equations

In this chapter we discuss numerical methods for the solution of general Hamilton-Jacobi equations of the form $${\phi _t} + H\left( {\nabla \phi } \right) = 0$$ (5.1) where H can be a function of both space and time. In three spatial dimensions, we can write $${\phi _t} + H\left( {{\phi _x},{\phi _y},{\phi _z}} \right) = 0$$ (5.2) as an expanded version of equation (5.1). Convection in an externally generated velocity field (equation (3.2)) is an example of a Hamilton-Jacobi equation where H(∇φ) = 0056;↦ ·∇φ. The level set equation (equation (4.4)) is another example of a Hamilton-Jacobi equation with H(∇φ) = V n |∇φ| Here V n can depend on 0078;↦, t, or even ∇φ /|∇φ|.
Localized surface plasmon polariton resonance in holographically structured Al-doped ZnO

In this paper, we studied the localized surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonance in hole arrays in transparent conducting aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO). CMOS-compatible fabrication process was demonstrated for the AZO devices. The localized SPP resonance was observed and confirmed by electromagnetic simulations. Using a standing wave model, the observed SPP was dominated by the standing-wave resonance along (1,1) direction in square lattices. This research lays the groundwork for a fabrication technique that can contribute to the core technology of future integrated photonics through its extension into tunable conductive materials.
Evaluation of Tau Imaging in Staging Alzheimer Disease and Revealing Interactions Between β-Amyloid and Tauopathy

Importance In vivo tau imaging may become a diagnostic marker for Alzheimer disease (AD) and provides insights into the pathophysiology of AD. Objective To evaluate the usefulness of [18F]-AV-1451 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to stage AD and assess the associations among β-amyloid (Aβ), tau, and volume loss. Design, Setting, and Participants An imaging study conducted at Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. A total of 59 participants who were cognitively normal (CN) (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] score, 0) or had AD dementia (CDR score, >0) were included. Main Outcomes and Measures Standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) of [18F]-AV-1451 in the hippocampus and a priori–defined AD cortical signature regions, cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42, hippocampal volume, and AD signature cortical thickness. Results Of the 59 participants, 38 (64%) were male; mean (SD) age was 74 (6) years. The [18F]-AV-1451 SUVR in the hippocampus and AD cortical signature regions distinguished AD from CN participants (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve range [95% CI], 0.89 [0.73-1.00] to 0.98 [0.92-1.00]). An [18F]-AV-1451 SUVR cutoff value of 1.19 (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 86%) from AD cortical signature regions best separated cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42-positive (Aβ+) AD from cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42-negative (Aβ−) CN participants. This same cutoff also divided Aβ+ CN participants into low vs high tau groups. Moreover, the presence of Aβ+ was associated with an elevated [18F]-AV-1451 SUVR in AD cortical signature regions (Aβ+ participants: mean [SD], 1.3 [0.3]; Aβ− participants: 1.1 [0.1];F = 4.3,P = .04) but not in the hippocampus. The presence of Aβ+ alone was not related to hippocampal volume or AD signature cortical thickness. An elevated [18F]-AV-1451 SUVR was associated with volumetric loss in both the hippocampus and AD cortical signature regions. The observed [18F]-AV-1451 SUVR volumetric association was modified by Aβ status in the hippocampus but not in AD cortical signature regions. An inverse association between hippocampal [18F]-AV-1451 SUVR and volume was seen in Aβ+ participants (R2 = 0.55;P Conclusions and Relevance Use of [18F]-AV-1451 has a potential for staging of the preclinical and clinical phases of AD. β-Amyloid interacts with hippocampal and cortical tauopathy to affect neurodegeneration. In the absence of Aβ, hippocampal tau deposition may be insufficient for the neurodegenerative process that leads to AD.
High-performance power BJTs in 4H-SiC

In this paper, we summarize recent progress in 4H-SiC BJTs at Purdue University. For 50 /spl mu/m collector devices, BV/sub CEO/>3,200 V is achieved. Large devices (active area=1.05 mm/sup 2/) exhibit common emitter current gain /spl beta/ of around 15, and. specific on-resistance R/sub ON,SP/ of 78 m/spl Omega//cm/sup 2/. Smaller devices (active area=0.0072 mm/sup 2/) have /spl beta/ of 20 and R/sub ON,SP/ of 28 m/spl Omega//cm/sup 2/. For 20 /spl mu/m collector devices, /spl beta/s greater than 50 and R/sub ON,SP/ around 26 m/spl Omega//cm/sup 2/ are observed. The blocking voltage is low (500-700 V) for these devices because of aluminum spiking during the base contact anneal. The observed positive temperature coefficient of R/sub ON,SP/ and negative coefficient of /spl beta/ show that 4H-SiC BJTs can be safely operated in parallel connection. We also observe that /spl beta/ decreases as the spacing between base contact implant and emitter finger is reduced. We attribute this to recombination at defect sites in the p+ implanted base contact.
DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The author analizes conditions in Serbian agriculture, especialy the aspect of choice of actual model of development of agricultural sector. In this study dominates issues on the type of organization in agriculture and measure that guarantee materialization of selectied aims of development. Special place in orientation for the selection of strategy of development in agriculture have the measures in agricultural policy, problems in Serbian agriculture and strategic options necessary for determination in global agricultural strategy. At the end, the choice of development strategy that prefers export of agricultural products is optimal solution for our country, but it`s necessary that state change relation to this sector of doing business.
32. Dickinson’s the Soul Selects Her Own Society

(1945). 32. Dickinson’s the Soul Selects Her Own Society. The Explicator: Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 31-31.
Abstract 247: Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and MicroRNA Expression in Bicuspid and Tricuspid Aortic Valve Patients: miR143/145 and miR133a/b Correlate with VSMC Phenotypic Change and CTGF Expression

Introduction. Altered microRNA (miRs) expression plays a role in vascular remodeling by regulating smooth muscle cells (VSMC) phenotype and Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Recently, miR 29 has been linked to thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) development by affecting the structural integrity of the vascular wall. TAA occurs in patients with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) earlier and more rapidly than in those with a Trileaflet Aortic Valve (TAV). We have recently observed that TAV-TAA aorta is characterized by accumulation of VSMC with synthetic phenotype, ECM disorganization and cellular loss. In contrast BAV-TAA aorta shows accumulation of contractile VSMC. In addition, CTGF, a molecular determinant of VSMC phenotype, is elevated in non-dilated BAV aorta and in both BAV and TAV aneurismal tissues. Hypothesis. We hypothesized that a selective miRs expression may correlate with CTGF levels and VSMC phenotype in the ascending aorta of BAV and TAV patients with and without aneurysm. Methods. A bioinformatics analysis followed by miR143/145, 133a/b and 29a expression tested by quantitative real-time PCR was performed in aortic tissues collected from 16 BAV and TAV patients with and without TAA (n=4 patients/group). Results. We identified a direct correlation between altered miRs expression, CTGF levels and VSMC phenotype in BAV and TAV patients with and without aneurysm: miR-143 was significantly downregulated in TAV-TAA tissues where we observed an accumulation of synthetic VSMC, while was upregulated in BAV non dilated aorta. miR-143/145 expression was upregulated in BAV non dilated and dilated tissues, where we observed an accumulation of contractile VSMC, while was not significantly changed in TAV-TAA tissues. miR-133a/b, recently described as suppressors of CTGF expression, were downregulated in BAV and TAV aneurismal tissues and in BAV non dilated aorta where CTGF levels are strongly upregulated. miR29a, recently reported as a regulator of aortic wall structure, was downregulated in TAV-TAA while no significantly changed in BAV non dilated and dilated tissues. Conclusions. The characterization of miR143/145 and miR133a/b in the tissue of BAV and TAV patients, and their ability to regulate CTGF and VSMC phenotype is a novel risk stratification tool for patients at high risk to develop TAA.
Technique for embedding current measurement and ringing suppression within multichip modules

This paper introduces a technique for adding two complementary features to power electronics circuits based on multi-chip power modules: high-bandwidth current measurement and ringing suppression. The design of the “CT-snubber” device, which can be viewed as an extension of the traditional current transformer, incorporates an additional filter network which can be tuned to mitigate the undesirable parasitic-induced ringing of the type commonly observed in wide band-gap applications during high-edge-rate switching transients. Preliminary empirical results from a prototype CT-snubber designed as part of this effort indicate that this concept is viable both as a current measurement apparatus, as well as a means for improving the transient response of power electronics applications. Further, it is believed that this type of circuit could be readily integrated into the housing of multi-chip modules, thereby simultaneously realizing improved dynamic performance and in-situ current sensing suitable for application control.
My climate change crisis

Reading former Vice President Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth in college awakened me to the widespread threat of climate change. Spurred to action, I joined a lab to develop alternative energy technologies. The result was an undergraduate project studying magnetic materials, which are important for
Reversibility of the catalytic ketonization of carboxylic acids and of beta-keto acids decarboxylation

Abstract Decarboxylation of beta-keto acids in enzymatic and heterogeneous catalysis has been considered in the literature as an irreversible reaction due to a large positive entropy change. We report here experimental evidence for its reversibility in heterogeneous catalysis by solid metal oxide(s) surfaces. Ketones and carboxylic acids having 13C-labeled carbonyl group undergo 13C/12C exchange when heated in an autoclave in the presence of 12CO2 and ZrO2 catalyst. In the case of ketones, the carbonyl group exchange with CO2 serves as evidence for the reversibility of all steps of the catalytic mechanism of carboxylic acids ketonic decarboxylation, i.e. enolization, condensation, dehydration and decarboxylation.
Ensemble Knowledge Transfer for Semantic Segmentation

Semantic segmentation networks are usually learned in a strictly supervised manner, i.e., they are trained and tested on similar data distributions. Performance drops drastically in the presence of domain shifts. In this paper, we explore methods for learning across train and test distributions that dramatically differ in scene structure, viewpoints, and objects statistics. Motivated by the proliferation of aerial drone robotics, we consider the target task of semantic segmentation from aerial viewpoints. Inspired by the impact of Cityscapes [11], we introduce AeroScapes, a new dataset of 3269 images of aerial scenes (captured with a fleet of drones) annotated with dense semantic segmentations. Our dataset differs from existing segmentation datasets (that focus on ground-view or indoorscene domains) in terms of viewpoint, scene composition, and object scales. We propose a simple but effective approach for transferring knowledge from such diverse domains (for which considerable annotated training data exists) to our target task. To do so, we train multiple models for aerial segmentation via progressive fine-tuning through each source domain. We then treat these collections of models as an ensemble that can be aggregated to significantly improve performance. We demonstrate large absolute improvements (8.12%) over widely-used standard baselines.
Numerical study on maximum reinforcement tensile forces in geosynthetic reinforced soil bridge abutments

Abstract This paper presents a numerical study of maximum reinforcement tensile forces for geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutments. The backfill soil was characterized using a nonlinear elasto-plastic constitutive model that incorporates a hyperbolic stress-strain relationship with strain softening behavior and the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The geogrid reinforcement was characterized using a hyperbolic load-strain-time constitutive model. The GRS bridge abutments were numerically constructed in stages, including soil compaction effects, and then loaded in stages to the service load condition (i.e., applied vertical stress = 200 kPa) and finally to the failure condition (i.e., vertical strain = 5%). A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effects of geogrid reinforcement, backfill soil, and abutment geometry on reinforcement tensile forces at the service load condition and failure condition. Results indicate that reinforcement vertical spacing and backfill soil friction angle have the most significant effects on magnitudes of maximum tensile forces at the service load condition. The locus of maximum tensile forces at the failure condition was found to be Y-shaped. Geogrid reinforcement parameters have little effect on the Y-shaped locus of the maximum tensile forces when no secondary reinforcement layers are included, backfill soil shear strength parameters have moderate effects, and abutment geometry parameters have significant effects.
Vertical electron density profiles from digisonde ionograms. The average representative profile

Profile calculations from ionograms using the Huang-Reinisch technique arrive at a set of boundary values and coefficients that describe the profile. From an ensemble of such sets an Average Representative Profile (ARP) is derived which is again expressed in terms of boundary values and coefficients.
A PPP Variational-Perturbation Calculation of Hyperpolarizabilities of Conjugated Chains

It is well known that conjugated systems are promising materials for the development of nonlinear optical devices due to the anisotropy and high polarizability of their π-electron distribution 1-2. In addition, in recent years the investigation of the effect of conformational changes on the optical properties of polymers has become a point of interest: for example, the dramatic color change observed in polydiacetylene (PDA) solutions as a result of variations of concentration or temperature has been attributed to a planar-nonplanar conformational transition involving individual polymer chains.3
Psychiatry — Partner in the Administration of Justice

Justice is a concept which every administration tries to achieve according to its political philosophy, the legal tradition it has evolved over the years or inherited from earlier dominant powers, the economic circumstances, etc. It is out to protect the individual and also the community.
Formulation for Cracks in Plate Bending

The derivation of the boundary integral equations for plate bending (Lecture 22) is based on the presumption that the moment and shear resultants remain bounded near the boundary origin point. However, in a number of significant problems the stress resultants do indeed become unbounded, for example at the base of a through crack or more generally at a reentrant corner. In these cases the singular behavior of the stress resultants are frequently themselves a focus of interest.
Geomechanical Analysis of Salt Caverns Used for Underground Storage of Hydrogen Utilised in Meeting Peak Energy Demands

The geomechanical design of a H2 storage salt cavern subjected to diurnal and seasonal storage operating cycles has been investigated. The investigations provided a better understanding of the geomechanical response of H2 storage caverns by employing coupled thermo-mechanical numerical analyses. A salt cavern, located at a depth of 1.8 km, has been investigated by employing non-linear elasto-visco-plastic thermo-mechanical analyses by considering: the characteristics of the geological formations around the cavern, the changes in temperature and stress concentrations related to the H2 storage operations and the in situ geostatic stresses that characterise the cavern’s location. This work has proven the importance of using a coupled thermo-mechanical analysis to assess the geomechanical integrity of H2 storage caverns.
Investigating physical security in stealthy lattice wireless sensor networks using k-barrier coverage

Abstract Any unauthorized access to a critical space is a physical breach in our society that can be viewed as a physical security problem. It is essential to build a barrier that prevents any intruder's attempt to cross it and access a critical area. In this paper, we address the problem of physical security in stealthy lattice wireless sensor networks using a belt of sensors around a critical area. Precisely, we propose a theoretical framework to analyze the k-barrier coverage problem, where any path that crosses this belt intersects with the sensing range of at least k sensors, k ≥ 1. Precisely, we analyze the k-barrier coverage problem from a tiling perspective, where the sensors’ sensing disks are tangential to each other. We study two deterministic sensor deployment strategies, which yield square lattice and hexagonal lattice wireless sensor networks, respectively. First, we introduce the concept of intruder's abstract paths along a k-barrier covered sensor belt region, and compute their number. Second, we propose a polynomial representation of all abstract paths. Third, we compute the number of sensors deployed over a k-barrier covered sensor belt region for both lattices. Fourth, we define the concept of weakly k-barrier covered path crossing a k-barrier covered sensor belt region, and compute its length for both lattices. Also, we define the observability of intruder's abstract path, and compute its value for both lattices. Fifth, we generalize our results for random intruder's moves across a k-barrier covered sensor belt region. Sixth, we corroborate our analysis with simulation results.
Mitigating clinical waste in the trauma intensive care unit: Limited clinical utility of cardiac troponin testing for trauma patients with atrial fibrillation.

Abstract Background The clinical significance of obtaining cardiac troponin (cTn) levels among trauma patients with new onset arrhythmias is unknown. We aimed to assess whether cTn levels actually influence clinical decision making or represent an inappropriate use of resources. Methods Trauma patients admitted from 2013 to 2014 diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) were retrospectively reviewed using the institutional trauma database. Demographics, cTn levels, and myocardial infarction (MI) diagnosis data were recorded. Standard univariate tests were used to compare data between patients with and without cTn. Results There were 258 patients included of which 126 patients had cTn levels obtained (48.8%, TEST group). The remaining 132 patients (51.2%) were untested (noTEST group). Among TEST patients, use of echocardiography nearly doubled and cardiology consultations increased (all p Conclusions Obtaining cTn values in trauma patients with new-onset AF resulted in increased resource utilization without clinical utility.
Gastric perforation in a dog: Postmortem computed tomography and forensic autopsy findings

Abstract The aim of this case report is to describe the postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and forensic autopsy investigation findings of a case of antemortem gastric perforation in a dog. A 13-year-old, spayed female, pit bull type dog with a recent history of limping, anorexia, and lethargy, was treated with unknown doses of an unknown corticosteroid, grapiprant (a veterinary nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug [NSAID]), and omeprazole, prior to euthanasia. PMCT was subsequently completed, followed by confirmatory forensic autopsy. On PMCT images, a full thickness gastric wall discontinuity with confluent luminal and extraluminal gas (pneumoperitoneum) was identified. In the absence of expected additional sites of postmortem intracavitary gas accumulation (pleural, peri-cardial, and intra-articular) the pneumoperitoneum was attributed primarily to antemortem gastric rupture, which precipitated patient decline and subsequent euthanasia. Forensic autopsy revealed gastric ulceration with perforation. Histological evaluation of the perforation site revealed suppurative inflammation and an early healing response. The combined findings of the PMCT and autopsy were compatible with antemortem gastric perforation attributable to the historical concurrent administration of a NSAID and corticosteroid. Given adequate radiologist knowledge and training, antemortem gastric perforation may be differentiated from postmortem gastromalacia with rupture.
Changing Nature of Organic Carbon over the United States.

Total organic carbon (TOC) mass concentrations are decreasing across the contiguous US (CONUS). We investigate decadal trends in organic carbon (OC) thermal fractions (OC1 (volatilizes at 140 °C), ...
The Function of the Oral Microbiome in Health and Disease

It is now well established that the oral microbiome plays a critical role in the health status of not only the oral cavity but other body sites away from the mouth. A transition from a commensal to a pathogenic oral microbiome causes an imbalance of oral homeostasis, a phenomenon called dysbiosis, which is a crucial concept to understand most oral diseases. In the present chapter, we briefly summarize the current knowledge on the function that oral microbes play in health and disease. We have divided the chapter into three major sections. In the first section, we cover the oral microbiome in health, where we describe the ecological forces that shape the microbial community as well as the composition and function of the commensal oral microbiome. In the second section, we focus on the transition from a commensal to a dysbiotic microbiome in the major oral diseases: caries and periodontal diseases. Finally, in the third section, we describe the role of members of the oral microbiome in systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Aortic dissection and multimodality imaging

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening emergency warranting expeditious diagnosis. Computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is the established gold standard test but is not always fool proof. We report the case of an 18-year-old male patient with traumatic type A aortic dissection which was not evident on the CTA, suggestive on the transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and eventually confirmed with a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). When the clinical suspicion for dissection is high and in the presence of complications of type A dissection, such as aortic regurgitation, it would be prudent to obtain further imaging with a TTE/TEE to rule in or rule out the diagnosis.
Place of Death for Persons With and Without Cognitive Impairment in the United States

Background/objectives There is increasing recognition that place of death is an important component of quality of end-of-life care (EOLC) and quality of death. This study examined where older persons with and without cognitive impairment die in the United States, what factors contribute to place of death, and whether place of death influences satisfaction with EOLC. Design Cross-sectional secondary data analysis. Setting In-person interviews with community-dwelling proxy respondents. Participants Data were collected from 1,500 proxies for deceased participants in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally-representative sample of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older. Measurements Study variables were obtained from the NHATS "last month of life" interview data. Survey weights were applied to all analyses. Results Persons with cognitive impairment (CI) most often died at home, while cognitively healthy persons (CHP) were equally likely to die at home or in a hospital. Persons with CI who utilized the Medicare Hospice Benefit were 14.5 times more likely to die at home than in a hospital, and 3.4 times more likely to die at home than a nursing home. CHP who use this benefit were over six times more likely to die at home than in a hospital, and more than twice as likely to die at home than a nursing home. Place of death for CHP was also associated with age and race. Proxies of persons with CI who died at home rated EOLC as more favorable, while proxies of CHP rated in-home and hospital care equally. Conclusion Findings add to the scant literature identifying factors associated with place of death for older adults with and without CI and results suggest that place of death is a quality of care indicator for these populations. These findings may inform EOLC planning and policy-making and facilitate greater well-being at end-of-life.
Pandemic Deepens Social and Political Cleavages

The coronavirus crisis has inflamed cleavages in democratic societies which will be difficult to heal.
Rarefied gas transport in heterogeneous shale matrix using a practical apparent permeability model and fuzzy statistical method

Abstract A new shale gas transport model is derived to characterize the matrix structural heterogeneity impact on the gas apparent permeability (AP). The developed analytical model is built upon two steps: first, the homogeneous AP model is formulated by assigning the Knudsen-number-parameterized weight coefficients to flow mechanisms based on the analyses of representative rarefied gas transport models; then, the homogeneous model is improved to the heterogeneous model with the help of fuzzy statistical method to assess the structural heterogeneity influences. More specifically, the homogeneous AP model incorporates the multilayer adsorption, surface diffusion, real gas effect, and pore confinement effect. The physical terms in the apparent permeability including the rarefaction coefficient and multilayer adsorption model are simplified to facilitate the large-scale simulation. Meanwhile, the heterogeneous AP model is quantified by the distribution of porosity, tortuosity, and pore size. It is demonstrated that the developed AP model can reproduce the experimental and numerical experiments for five types of gases. It is concluded that the rarefaction in nanopores could be reasonably characterized by the weighted Knudsen diffusion and viscous flow mechanisms. Moreover, it is noticed that the surface diffusion and Knudsen diffusion cannot be ignored in nanopores with radius smaller than 3 nm at low reservoir pressures. In contrast, the viscous flow plays a significant role in shale gas transport in nanopores with radius larger than 75 nm. In addition, the fuzzy statistical method in the proposed heterogenous model provides the indicators to evaluate the impact of structural heterogeneity on the AP. It is observed that the heterogeneous model can accurately predict the realistic apparent permeability as the heterogeneity increases to σ = 0.15. However, the accuracy decreases when the matrix heterogeneity increases.