cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of a Physician Awareness Group and the First Year of Training on Hematology-Oncology Fellows

Purpose: To assess the impact of a Balint-like physician awareness group on hematology-oncology fellows’ attitudes and measure changes in attitudes during the first fellowship year. Patients and Methods: We used a modified crossover design in which one half of a fellowship class at a time was exposed to the group intervention over a 2-year period (2000 to 2002). Two 14-fellow classes were followed for 1 year each and were given three “attitudes” questionnaires, at the beginning, middle, and end of the academic year. Results: Forty Balint group sessions were held during the 2-year study period; 82 questionnaires of the 84 administered (98%) were recovered. Instrument content and criterion validity were demonstrated, as was topic domain reliability. Overall, mean attitude scores increased following the group intervention, from 3.6 (95% CI, 3.5 to 3.7) to 3.7 (95% CI, 3.6 to 3.8; P = .09). Within domains, scores increased in a “fellow’s views of him/herself as a physician,” from 3.8 (95% CI, 3.6 to 3.9) to 4...
Identifying Experimental Techniques in Biomedical Literature

Named entity recognition of gene names, protein names, cell-lines, and other biologically relevant concepts has received significant attention by the research community. In this work, we considered named entity recognition of experimental techniques in biomedical articles. In our system to mine gene and disease associations, each association is categorized by the techniques used to derive the association. Categories are used to weight or remove associations, such as removing associations derived from microarray experiments. We report on a pilot study to identify experimental techniques. Three main activities are discussed: manual annotation, lexicon-based tagging, and document classification. Analysis of manual annotation suggests several interesting linguistic characteristics arise. Two lexicon-based tagging approaches demonstrate little agreement, suggesting sophisticated tagging algorithms may be necessary. Document classification using abstracts and titles is compared with full-text classification. In most cases, abstracts and titles show comparable performance to full-text.
Jimsonweed toxicity and treatment

Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) is an annual herb that grows wild through out the United States and which can cause severe anticholinergic poisoning. A report of a case of jimsonweed poisoning in a 16-year-old male is presented. The prevalence of such exposures and the potentially toxic components of the plant are described. The clinical presentation and treatment of this patient are de scribed. Treatment options are discussed; they are primarily symptomatic. Toxicity typically lasts about 24 hours.
On a new non-Shannon-type information inequality

Makarychev, Makarychev, Romashchenko and Vereshchagin (2001) discovered a new non-Shannon-type information inequality involving 5 random variables which can be viewed as a generalization of the ZY98 inequality of Zhang and Yeung (1998). We give a simple proof of this new inequality and explain its information theoretical meaning by formulating two information theoretical problems.
Fast generalized subset scan for anomalous pattern detection

We propose Fast Generalized Subset Scan (FGSS), a new method for detecting anomalous patterns in general categorical data sets. We frame the pattern detection problem as a search over subsets of data records and attributes, maximizing a nonparametric scan statistic over all such subsets. We prove that the nonparametric scan statistics possess a novel property that allows for efficient optimization over the exponentially many subsets of the data without an exhaustive search, enabling FGSS to scale to massive and high-dimensional data sets. We evaluate the performance of FGSS in three real-world application domains (customs monitoring, disease surveillance, and network intrusion detection), and demonstrate that FGSS can successfully detect and characterize relevant patterns in each domain. As compared to three other recently proposed detection algorithms, FGSS substantially decreased run time and improved detection power for massive multivariate data sets.
Plasmids and Bacteriocins in Caulobacter Species

A survey of wild-type Caulobacter strains revealed naturally occurring plasmids in three species. Further analysis showed instances of naturally occurring antibiotic resistance and bacteriocin production.
When Duty Calls: A Pragmatic Standard of Humanitarian Intervention

When should the United States and other members of the international community intervene to stop a government from harming its own citizens? Since World War II, the main standard for intervention has been the high bar of genocide, although the international community has rarely acted to stop it. The main alternative—the “responsibility to protect”—would set the bar so low that virtually every instance of anarchy or tyranny would create unbounded obligations beyond the capacity of states to fulfill. A new standard—the pragmatic standard of humanitarian intervention—can help guide decisionmakers on when to intervene to stop governments from targeting their own citizens. The standard has three requirements: (1) an ongoing campaign of mass homicide sponsored by the government; (2) a viable plan for intervention with reasonable estimates of low casualties for the intervening forces; and (3) a workable strategy for creating lasting local security for the threatened population. The pragmatic standard was met in ...
Nutritional Advice for the Patient With Heart Disease What Diet Should We Recommend for Our Patients

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States (the Table).1 The question stated in the title of this patient page is one of the most commonly asked queries by patients with cardiovascular disease in the offices of primary care physicians and cardiologists. Similarly, residents often ask, “What diet should we order for our inpatients with atherosclerosis?” Clearly, the American public believes that we are what we eat. It is not surprising that in our society, with its abundant supply of inexpensive, high-calorie food, this is a subject of consummate interest. View this table: Table. Heart Disease Facts From the AHA There can be little doubt that the Western diet is closely tied to the development of atherosclerosis. The mechanisms leading to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, involve, among other factors, elevated blood lipid (fat) values that, in part, reflect both the quantity and quality of fat in an individual's diet. Large amounts of saturated fat in the diet, combined with obesity, predict elevated blood lipids and a high chance of developing atherosclerotic vascular disease, which leads to heart attacks and strokes. For more than 50 years, population studies and experiments in animals have supported the idea that the Western diet, rich in saturated fat, was a major factor leading to atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and stroke. When the relationship between diet and atherosclerosis was first understood, cardiologists, internists, family physicians, and dieticians recommended that all Americans, and particularly those with elevated blood lipid values or a family history of coronary heart disease at younger ages, follow a diet reduced in saturated fat and cholesterol. Later studies demonstrated that it was the degree of saturated fat more than the amount of cholesterol in the diet that led to atherosclerosis. The amount of cholesterol in the diet was shown …
Fault simulation of interconnect opens in digital CMOS circuits

We describe a highly accurate but efficient fault simulator for interconnect opens, based on characterizing the standard cell library with SPICE; using transistor charge equations for the site of the open; using logic simulation for the rest of the circuit; taking four different factors, that can affect the voltage of an open, into account; and considering the oscillation and sequential behavior potential of opens. A novel test technique based on controlling the die surface voltage is also described. We present our simulation results of ISCAS85 layouts using stuck-at and IDDQ test sets.
Salmonella collected from nest run cart shelves in commercial shell egg processing facilities

Salmonella, a member of the bacterial family Enterobacteriaceae, may be recovered from foods and processing facilities. High levels of Enterobacteriaceae in the processing plant environment can be an indication of inadequate sanitation. This experiment was designed to determine if nest run egg carts serve as reservoirs for Salmonella. Eggs that are produced by hens not housed in buildings connected to the processing plant are referred to as nest run. Many of these eggs are transported to a central processing facility before they are washed, graded, and packed. Two plants in the Southeastern United States were sampled; one was a mixed operation and the other was an off-line operation. On each of 3 visits, 5 shelves on each of 5 carts were sampled (n = 25/visit). A 12 × 12 cm area on each shelf was swabbed with a sterile gauze pad moistened with PBS and transported on ice back to the laboratory. Each swab was preenriched in buffered peptone at 37°C for 24 h, selectively enriched using TT and Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth at 42°C overnight, then plated onto brilliant green sulfa and XLT-4 incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Presumptive colonies were transferred to lysine iron agar and triple sugar iron slants for 24 h at 37°C. Isolates with presumptive reactions were confirmed using commercial polyclonal antisera. After initial confirmation, serogrouping was performed using commercial antisera. Mixed-operation swab samples were 12% positive for Salmonella, whereas off-line samples were 36% positive for Salmonella; isolates were confirmed as serogroups B, C1, and C2. Kauffman-White serotyping was performed by a contract laboratory. Serotypes (n = 30) recovered were Anatum, Heidelberg, Infantis, Kentucky, Mbandanka, and Typhimurium. This work demonstrated that nest run egg carts may serve as reservoirs for Salmonella in the shell egg processing environment.
Bradykinin-Stimulated Cyclooxygenase Activity Stimulates Vas Deferens Epithelial Anion Secretion In Vitro in Swine and Humans

Epithelia lining the male reproductive duct modulate fertility by altering the luminal environment to which sperm are exposed. Although vas deferens epithelial cells reportedly express high levels of cyclooxygenases (Ptgs), and activation of bradykinin (BK) receptors can lead to upregulation of PTGS activity in epididymal epithelia, it remains unknown whether BKs and/or PTGSs have any role in modulating epithelial ion transport across vas deferens epithelia. Porcine and human vas deferens epithelial cell primary cultures and the PVD9902 cell line responded to lysylbradykinin with an increase in short circuit current (ISC; indicating net anion secretion), an effect that was 60%–93% reduced by indomethacin. The BK effect was inhibited by the B2 receptor subtype (BDKRB2) antagonist HOE140, whereas the B1 receptor subtype agonist des-Arg9-BK had no effect. BDKRB2 immunoreactivity was documented in most epithelial cells composing the native epithelium and on Western blots derived from cultured cells. Gene expression analysis revealed that the PTGS2 transcript is 20 times more abundant than its PTGS1 counterpart in cultured porcine vas deferens epithelia and that BDKRB2 mRNA is likewise highly expressed. Subsequent experiments revealed that prostaglandin E2, 1-OH prostaglandin E1 (prostaglandin E receptor 4 [PTGER4] agonist) and butaprost (PTGER2 agonist) increase ISC in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas sulprostone (mixed PTGER1 and PTGER3 agonist) produced no change in ISC. These results demonstrate that autacoids can affect epithelial cells to acutely modulate the luminal environment to which sperm are exposed in the vas deferens by enhancing PTGS activity, leading to the production of prostaglandins that act at PTGER4 and/or PTGER2 to induce or enhance anion secretion.
Biological Control Activities of Rice-Associated Bacillus sp. Strains against Sheath Blight and Bacterial Panicle Blight of Rice

Potential biological control agents for two major rice diseases, sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight, were isolated from rice plants in this study. Rice-associated bacteria (RABs) isolated from rice plants grown in the field were tested for their antagonistic activities against the rice pathogens, Rhizoctonia solani and Burkholderia glumae, which cause sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight, respectively. Twenty-nine RABs were initially screened based on their antagonistic activities against both R. solani and B. glumae. In follow-up retests, 26 RABs of the 29 RABs were confirmed to have antimicrobial activities, but the rest three RABs did not reproduce any observable antagonistic activity against R. solani or B. glumae. According to16S rDNA sequence identity, 12 of the 26 antagonistic RABs were closest to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, while seven RABs were to B. methylotrophicus and B, subtilis, respectively. The 16S rDNA sequences of the three non-antagonistic RABs were closest to Lysinibacillus sphaericus (RAB1 and RAB12) and Lysinibacillus macroides (RAB5). The five selected RABs showing highest antimicrobial activities (RAB6, RAB9, RAB16, RAB17S, and RAB18) were closest to B. amyloliquefaciens in DNA sequence of 16S rDNA and gyrB, but to B. subtilis in that of recA. These RABs were observed to inhibit the sclerotial germination of R. solani on potato dextrose agar and the lesion development on detached rice leaves by artificial inoculation of R. solani. These antagonistic RABs also significantly suppressed the disease development of sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight in a field condition, suggesting that they can be potential biological control agents for these rice diseases. However, these antagonistic RABs showed diminished disease suppression activities in the repeated field trial conducted in the following year probably due to their reduced antagonistic activities to the pathogens during the long-term storage in -70C, suggesting that development of proper storage methods to maintain antagonistic activity is as crucial as identification of new biological control agents.
Mechanisms of Passenger Kinetic Energy Absorption During Collision and Role of SECURUS™ Fiber

A new revolutionary fiber (SECURUS) that is offered by Honeywell to the automotive industry suitable for use in safety belts is able to absorb a passenger's kinetic energy without the passenger being subjected to excessive forces. This paper analyses thoroughly the mechanisms of the energy dissipation during an automotive accident. Such analysis shows the role of the belt and its characteristics in the process of energy dissipation. We have shown that there are two interacting mechanisms: one by the vehicle (energy absorbing elements) and another by the belt itself. We built simple and useful mathematical models of the process and showed quantitatively (using the belts of real characteristics and dimensions) how the remarkable characteristics of SECURUS fiber allow the force reduction. In this paper the models are simple enough to keep the major effects transparent to the observer. First, we proposed a general iterative algorithm that describes mathematically the body-belt interaction during an accident. Then we obtained a quantitative solution for a simple system of a block on a sled with a damper, the block restricted by a belt, with all parameters of the model similar to a typical automotive sled test. And finally, we considered a model of an "infinite" impulse with a two-dimensional model of seat-belt arrangement where the clear advantage of using SECURUS fiber has been demonstrated quantitatively.
The relation between language, non-verbal cognition and quality of life in people with aphasia

Background: People with aphasia (PWA) display a variety of non-linguistic cognitive profiles of impairments and strengths that interact not only with their specific profiles of language impairments and strengths, but also their potential for positive response to communication treatment, and potentially to their quality of life (QOL) post stroke. While researchers have investigated how severity of aphasic language impairment affects QOL, very few studies have examined how impairments in non-verbal cognition in PWA affect their QOL.Aims: The specific aims of this project were to further explore the relation between non-verbal cognitive and linguistic abilities in a group of PWA who were in the chronic phase post onset and to evaluate how impairments in these two domains related to QOL.Methods & Procedures: A group of 28 individuals with aphasia were tested with a language battery, a non-verbal cognition battery and an aphasia-friendly measure of QOL. The statistical analysis used an all-possible-subsets reg...
Increased Smad2/3 phosphorylation in circulating leukocytes and platelet-leukocyte aggregates in a mouse model of aortic valve stenosis: Evidence of systemic activation of platelet-derived TGF-β1 and correlation with cardiac dysfunction.

Abstract Background Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of aortic valve stenosis (AS). There is, however, little direct evidence for a role of active TGF-β1 in AS due to the sensitivity of current assays. We searched for evidence of plasma TGF-β1 activation by assaying Smad2/3 phosphorylation in circulating leukocytes and platelet-leukocyte aggregates (PLAs) in a mouse model of AS (Reversa). Methods Echocardiography was used to measure AS and cardiac function. Intracellular phospho-flow cytometry in combination with optical fluorescence microscopy was used to detect PLAs and p-Smad2/3 levels. Results Reversa mice on a western diet developed AS, had significantly increased numbers of PLAs and more intense staining for p-Smad2/3 in both PLAs and single leukocytes (all p Conclusions p-Smad2/3 staining is more intense in leukocytes of hypercholesterolemic mice that developed AS, suggesting increased circulating active TGF-β1 levels. Leukocyte p-Smad2/3 may be a valuable surrogate indicator of circulating active TGF-β1.
Thermal Evolution of Magnetic Properties and Crystal Structure in Compositionally Modulated Al/Ni Thin Films

Periodic multilayer thin films of the form (xAl/yNi)n were grown by alternate deposition of pure Al and Ni using dc-magnetron sputtering. The thicknesses of the individual Al and Ni layers are given by x and y, respectively, and the total number of bilayer units is n. For this set of experiments, x was fixed at 3.5 nm while y was systematically varied from 2.4 to 154 nm. The films were tested in as-deposited and annealed states for magnetic properties using a vibrating sample magnetometer and for crystal structure by x-ray diffraction. In both the as-deposited and annealed samples the magnetization per unit volume of Ni declined as the Ni layer thickness decreased. This result can be interpreted in terms of a magnetically ‘dead’ layer at the Al/Ni interfaces. The width of the dead layer increased from 2.9 nm to 5.8 nm on annealing. Magnetic properties were correlated with crystal structure experiments by x-ray diffraction. As-deposited films yielded a Ni(111) texture. The Ni (111) peak decreased in intensity and broadened as the Ni thickness declined. Annealing produced evidence for the growth of the intermetallic NiAl3.
Mechanical Properties of Composition Modulated Copper-Nickel-Iron Thin Films

The enhanced elastic modulus effect was found in composition modulated Cu/NiFe foils. Young’s modulus was measured via tensile testing on thin foils containing short-wavelength composition modulations of 1.4–10. nm. The foils, of 53% Cu — 40% Ni — 7% Fe composition, were produced by vapor deposition using a three-source evaporator. As compared with homogeneous foils of the same average composition, the modulated foils exhibited an appreciable increase (up to 300%) in modulus for two distinct ranges of compositon wavelength: 2.1–2.7 nm and 3.6–4.1 nm. Results of x-ray diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy studies suggest the concept of interfacial coherency, accommodating the lattice misfit between the composition layers, is the underlying structural feature responsible for the enhanced modulus effect.
New Magnetic Materials Produced By The Sol-Gel Process: A Possibility Of Producing Exotic Devices

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra of an iron-oxide thin film with a thickness of 70 A were recorded between 100 and 410 K at 9.5 GHz after heat treatment at about 500 °C in hydrogen atmosphere. The FMR-signal of this film consisted of two components (A and B) when the film plane was oriented parallel to the external field. The intensity of these components is not proportional to T3/2 in the range from 100 to 410 K. The line width of the A-component is determined by inhomogeneities in the magnetic structure. The line width of the B-component may be influenced by the spin-spin relaxation mechanism and skin effect. The temperature behavior of the resonance field of the A- and B-components was tentatively attributed to variation of the local fields with the temperature of measurements.
Further observations on urethral chromaffin cells: an electron microscopic study.

The urethra of the rat was examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Under a transmission electron microscope flask-shaped chromaffin cells containing membrane-bound osmiophilic granules were seen to possess microvilli at their apical surfaces. The microvilli projected into large extracellular spaces which were apparently in continuity with the lumen of the urethra. Using scanning electron microscopy, a surface view of the lumen of the urethra was obtained. It showed a gently undulating surface with distinct intercellular boundaries. Scattered over the surface were numerous deep depressions between individual cells. These were thought to correspond with the large extracellular spaces into which microvilli had been seen to project. It is suggested that urethral chromaffin cells may “trigger” the afferent part of a reflex causing contraction of the urethral longitudinal muscle.
Nonchromophoric halide ligand variation in polyazine-bridged Ru(II),Rh(III) bimetallic supramolecules offering new insight into photocatalytic hydrogen production from water.

The new bimetallic complex [(Ph2phen)2Ru(dpp)RhBr2(Ph2phen)](PF6)3 (1) (Ph2phen = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline; dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine) was synthesized and characterized to compare with the Cl– analogue [(Ph2phen)2Ru(dpp)RhCl2(Ph2phen)](PF6)3 (2) in an effort to better understand the role of halide coordination at the Rh metal center in solar H2 production schemes. Electrochemical properties of complex 1 display a reversible RuII/III oxidation, and cathodic scans indicate multiple electrochemical mechanisms exist to reduce Rh(III) by two electrons to Rh(I) followed by a quasi-reversible dpp0/– ligand reduction. The weaker σ-donating ability of Br– vs Cl– impacts the cathodic electrochemistry and provides insight into photocatalytic function by these bimetallic supramolecules. Complexes 1 and 2 exhibit identical light-absorbing properties with UV absorption dominated by intraligand (IL) π → π* transitions and visible absorption by metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transitions to include ...
Improvement of Liquid Bacillus subtilis Rec-assay Method for Detection of Volatile Chlorinated Organic Compounds

(1) 枯草菌rec-assay液体法において, Pre-incubation時の被験物質の漏れを防ぐ為に密栓状態で行うこと, 致死感受性の指標である生存率の測定に, 生菌数を用いることの2点の改良を行い揮発性有機塩素化合物 (TCE, PCE) の検出の可能性について検討した。その結果, 供試した枯草菌2株がPCEに対して従来法に比べて低濃度で感受性を示すことがわかり, 揮発性有機塩素化合物を被験物質とした場合に本研究の改良が有効であると考えられた。(2) TCEでは, H17株 (rec+) とM45株 (rec-) の間に生存率の違いは見られなかった。これに対しPCEでは, H17, M45両株の間に生存率の差が認められ, DNA損傷性を有することがわかった。しかし, 環境基準 (PCE: 0.01mg/l以下) の範囲の検出に本法を適用するのは困難であることもわかった。
Redox regulation of autophagy in skeletal muscle

Autophagy is a cellular degradative pathway that involves the delivery of cytoplasmic components, including proteins and organelles, to the lysosome for degradation. Autophagy is implicated in the maintenance of skeletal muscle; increased autophagy leads to muscle atrophy while decreased autophagy leads to degeneration and weakness. A growing body of work suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important cellular signal transducers controlling autophagy. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases and mitochondria are major sources of ROS generation in skeletal muscle that are likely regulating autophagy through different signaling cascades based on localization of the ROS signals. This review aims to provide insight into the redox control of autophagy in skeletal muscle. Understanding the mechanisms by which ROS regulate autophagy will provide novel therapeutic targets for skeletal muscle diseases.
The return on investment for undergraduate degrees in hospitality and tourism management

Increasing concerns regarding the value of higher education in the United States have motivated several organizations to calculate the return on investment (ROI) for college education by employing ...
Thyroid eye disease.

Thyroid eye disease remains one of the most common orbital abnormalities encountered by ophthalmologists. While the maintenance of thyroid function remains of paramount importance to the patient's health, the appearance of the orbit, including the eyelid position and position of the globe, proptosis, remains of paramount importance to the patient. Following stabilization of the condition of the globe in the patient with thyroid eye disease, attention is then focused on the rehabilitation of the thyroid orbit. The etiology, diagnosis, and management of thyroid eye disease are discussed.
Long-Term Unmaintained Remissions after Aggressive Multidisciplinary Treatment of Advanced Non-Seminomatous Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

AbstractFive patients with disseminated non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumors are described. These patients have been clinically free of disease for 25 to more than 99 months and may be cured, since the interval after last treatment ranges from 13 to more than 76 months. Two patients, including 1 with pure choriocarcinoma, represent chemotherapeutic successes. In 3 patients the advantages of an individualized, multidisciplinary approach with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are shown. The benefits of continued aggressive treatment using residual therapeutic modalities despite prior failure with other therapy are documented.
CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY IN THE FERRET INCREASES EXPRESSION OF THE NA+-K+-ATPASE ALPHA 1- BUT NOT ALPHA 3-ISOFORM

Work overload alters expression of the Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) multigene family in the myocardium. However, due to lack of an appropriate animal model, very little is known regarding regulation of the alpha 3-isoform. We previously reported that adult ferret myocardium expresses the alpha 1- and alpha 3-isoforms of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. In the current study we examined the relative abundances of these isoforms in a recently developed ferret model of pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. Ferrets with abdominal aortic constriction (Coarc) developed significant left ventricular hypertrophy based on altered morphometric measurements and switching of the myosin heavy chain isoforms. Western and Northern blotting analyses showed that in hypertrophied left ventricles of Coarc ferrets the abundance of alpha 1-protein increased (27%), whereas that of alpha 1-mRNA remained unchanged. In nonhypertrophied right ventricles of Coarc ferrets abundance of alpha 1-protein remained unchanged. Expression of the alpha 3-isoform in left ventricles of Coarc ferrets remained unchanged at both protein and mRNA levels. By contrast, abundance of beta 1-mRNA increased significantly (31%), whereas beta 1-protein remained unchanged. Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity, estimated by K(+)-dependent nitrophenyl phosphatase activity, did not differ between left ventricular homogenates from Coarc and sham-operated ferrets. In conclusion, these studies indicate that in hypertrophied ferret heart Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase isoforms are differentially regulated at pretranslational, as well as at translational-posttranslational levels.
WE‐AB‐204‐03: Increasing Access to Medical Physics Education and Research Excellence (AMPERE)

Many efforts have been made to increase diversity in the science workforce. In order for us to be competitive in innovation and ingenuity we need to reach out to any source of intellectual talent. Having greater diversity can only increase the creativity in medical physics. In order for students to succeed academically they need role models and mentors with whom they can identify. Literature has shown that racial and ethnic diversity has both direct and indirect positive effects on the educational outcomes, career advancement and motivation of students. Diversity not only focuses on race, ethnicity and gender, but it can also include socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and more. Underrepresented populations have had low numbers over the years not only in medical physics but also in the sciences in general. With the rapidly changing face of our country we need to address how we attract and train the next generation of scientists to stay competitive. It is necessary to examine the role that diversity and inclusion play in the long term goals of institutions, workplaces and classrooms. To increase innovation we must engage people from all walks of life with different perspectives and life experiences to solve the problems that we will face. Diversity should be viewed as a strategy to achieve our goals instead of acts of good citizenship. Many of today's businesses and corporations have discovered that embracing diversity prepares future leaders in today's global market. This lecture will provide insight to how differences within our society can drive innovation. We will provide an overview of the role diversity and inclusion plays in the clinic, education and research to develop the future workforce in medical physics. Learning Objectives: 1.Understanding the role diversity and inclusion plays in medical physics. 2.The importance of developing education and research strategies for a global workforce. 3.How to develop a roadmap to diversity excellence within AAPM.
Powder Injection Molding (Pim) Of Titanium Alloys - Ripe For Expansion

(2000). Powder Injection Molding (Pim) Of Titanium Alloys - Ripe For Expansion. Materials Technology: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 295-299.
Friction, Wear, and Nanomechanical Properties of Virgin and Damaged Rat Skin and Pig Skin With and Without a Common Cream Treatment

The surface roughness, contact angle, and nano- and macroscale friction data of rat skin are presented first, followed by that of pig skin.
How to improve influenza vaccine coverage of healthcare personnel

Influenza causes substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide each year. Healthcare-associated influenza is a frequent event. Health care personnel (HCP) may be the source for infecting patients and may propagate nosocomial outbreaks. All HCP should receive a dose of influenza vaccine each year to protect themselves and others. This commentary will discuss the study recently published in the IJHPR by Nutman and Yoeli which assessed the beliefs and attitudes of HCP in an Israel hospital regarding influenza and the influenza vaccine. Unfortunately, as noted by Nutman and Yoeli in this issue many HCP in Israel choose not to receive influenza immunization and many harbor misconceptions regarding their risk for influenza as well as the benefits of influenza vaccine. We also discuss proven methods to increase acceptance by HCP for receiving an annual influenza vaccine.
The state of environmental protection in the Russian Federation: a review of the post-Soviet era

In the 25 years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, sweeping political, economic, and social changes have profoundly influenced environmental protection in Russia, the world’s largest countr...
AN AMBIGUOUS BEGINNING: AL-ẒĀHIR WA-AL-BĀṬIN IN IBN KHALDŪN'S PREFACE TO THE MUQADDIMA

Ever since the rediscovery of Ibn Khaldūn's Muqaddima in modern times, debates have been ongoing regarding his identity as a scholar: was he a revolutionary thinker in the modern sense of the word, breaking away from classical and medieval modes of thinking, or was he in fact a conservative Muslim scholar who did not venture far from his traditional Muslim horizons? Through a careful examination of the preface to the Muqaddima, this article shows what he thought about the nature of his project and why he thought it necessary. Accordingly, it builds the case that Ibn Khaldūn is indeed a revolutionary – but not in the modern sense of the word – who did not shy away from challenging tradition in order to reform society's moral and political horizons. An examination of the preface alone will not provide a definitive answer to the question of Ibn Khaldūn's radical vs. conservative thought, but it does put his conservatism (apparent and real) in context.
Mosaicism in Preimplantation Human Embryos: When Chromosomal Abnormalities Are the Norm

Along with errors in meiosis, mitotic errors during post-zygotic cell division contribute to pervasive aneuploidy in human embryos. Relatively little is known, however, about the genesis of these errors or their fitness consequences. Rapid technological advances are helping to close this gap, revealing diverse molecular mechanisms contributing to mitotic error. These include altered cell cycle checkpoints, aberrations of the centrosome, and failed chromatid cohesion, mirroring findings from cancer biology. Recent studies are challenging the idea that mitotic error is abnormal, emphasizing that the fitness impacts of mosaicism depend on its scope and severity. In light of these findings, technical and philosophical limitations of various screening approaches are discussed, along with avenues for future research.
Field/peripheral stimulation: Surgical indications and technique

Abstract Peripheral stimulation, similar to spinal cord stimulation, is a form of neuromodulation that aims to treat chronic pain by directly targeting peripheral nerves, and thus altering peripheral pain pathways leading to pain relief. Implantation is performed within two stages. The first stage, or trial phase, is performed under local anesthesia and attempts to identify the appropriate peripheral nerve causing pain. The second stage, performed under general anesthesia, involves placement of an internal battery/generator for the implanted electrode. Indications for peripheral stimulation includes the following: migraine, occipital neuralgia, cluster headache, neuropathic facial pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and chronic lower back pain.
To Improve Financial Reporting, We Need to Disclose More Relevant Information

The goal of financial reporting is to provide useful information for decision makers. Effective financial reporting is essential for efficient financial markets and provides transparency and accountability. Globally, there are two primary financial reporting systems. The United States, uses generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). Outside the United States, the rest of the world uses international financial reporting standards (IFRS). Both systems require both financial and non-financial disclosures for companies that issue financial statements. One required disclosure for both GAAP and IFRS is for companies to calculate earnings per share (EPS). This is an important financial ratio, but it is not the only important financial ratio. However, it is currently the only financial ratio that is required in company annual reports both in GAAP and in IFRS. In this paper, we recommend additional financial disclosures including a recommended set of financial ratios. These additional disclosures would be inexpensive but would provide relevant additional information to investors and thus would improve the quality of financial reporting.
Parental Incarceration and the Transition to Adulthood

The growing literature on the intergenerational consequences of incarceration generally neglects to consider how paternal and maternal incarceration structures offspring's transition to adulthood, a fundamental life course stage that has become increasingly unequal. In this article, the authors use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to explore the relationship between parental incarceration and both subjective (e.g., respondent feels older compared to others his or her age) and behavioral (e.g., respondent is a parent) indicators of adulthood transitions among respondents younger than age 24 (N = 10,937). The results suggest that both paternal and maternal incarceration is positively associated with the number of subjective and behavioral adulthood transitions. The results also suggest that parental incarceration is associated with some individual indicators, especially subjective indicators, of adulthood. Taken together, these findings highlight that the high incarceration rate in the United States has transformative intergenerational consequences.
A Novel and Successful Repair of a Left Atriogastric Fistula After Esophagectomy

Atriogastric fistulas remain a rare adverse event in patients who undergo esophagectomy with gastric pullthrough. The presentation of an atriogastric fistula ranges from self-limited gastrointestinal bleeding to life-threatening hemorrhage, end-organ dysfunction from septic emboli, or both. These fistulas are associated with significant mortality. Previous reports describe successful repairs of gastrocardiac fistulas with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. This report describes a patient with a significant burden of cerebral embolic disease, which therefore required a unique approach to fistula repair.
Analysis and Design Recommendations to Mitigate Demagnetization Vulnerability in Surface PM Synchronous Machines

A design approach is presented to mitigate demagnetization vulnerability in surface permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machines by the proper selection and design of stator windings and rotor configurations. First, a comparative analysis of the stator demagnetizing magnetomotive forces (MMFs) and leakage inductances for surface PM machines equipped with integral-slot distributed windings (ISDW) and fractional-slot concentrated windings (FSCW) is performed under the constraint of equal magnet flux linkage. Finite element analysis is used to build confidence in the predicted variation of flux density over the magnet surfaces in the two machines. The higher leakage inductance in the FSCW machine reduces the negative impact of its higher peak demagnetizing MMF, but not enough to offset the ISDW machine's advantage of lower demagnetizing MMF. Subsequently, two convenient metrics are proposed to evaluate the relative amplitude of the peak demagnetizing MMF and potential rotor temperature rise due to eddy-current losses. This study shows that the higher peak demagnetizing MMF applied by the stator winding currents and rich spatial harmonics that increase rotor losses makes the FSCW-PM machine more vulnerable to rotor demagnetization compared with the ISDW-PM machine. Finally, it is shown that the FSCW-PM machines with slot-per-phase-per-pole values of ½ offer appealingly low values for both defined demagnetization metrics.
SplinectomeR Enables Group Comparisons in Longitudinal Microbiome Studies

Longitudinal, prospective studies often rely on multi-omics approaches, wherein various specimens are analyzed for genomic, metabolomic, and/or transcriptomic profiles. In practice, longitudinal studies in humans and other animals routinely suffer from subject dropout, irregular sampling, and biological variation that may not be normally distributed. As a result, testing hypotheses about observations over time can be statistically challenging without performing transformations and dramatic simplifications to the dataset, causing a loss of longitudinal power in the process. Here, we introduce splinectomeR, an R package that uses smoothing splines to summarize data for straightforward hypothesis testing in longitudinal studies. The package is open-source, and can be used interactively within R or run from the command line as a standalone tool. We present a novel in-depth analysis of a published large-scale microbiome study as an example of its utility in straightforward testing of key hypotheses. We expect that splinectomeR will be a useful tool for hypothesis testing in longitudinal microbiome studies.
Equilibrium and non-equilibrium free carrier dynamics in 2D Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes: THz spectroscopy study

MXenes is an emerging class of 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides which exhibit large conductivity, ultrahigh volumetric capacitance, high threshold for light-induced damage and nonlinear optical transmittance, making them attractive candidates for a variety of optoelectronic and electrochemical applications. Here, we report on equilibrium and non-equilibrium free carrier dynamics of Ti3C2T x gleaned from THz spectroscopic studies for the first time. Ti3C2T x showed high (~2 × 1021 cm−3) intrinsic charge carrier density and relatively high (~34 cm2 V−1 s−1) mobility of carriers with an exceptionally large, ~46 000 cm−1 absorption in the THz range, which suggests that Ti3C2T x is well suited for THz detection. We also demonstrate that Ti3C2T x conductivity and THz transmission can be manipulated by photoexcitation, as absorption of near-infrared, 800 nm pulses is found to cause transient suppression of the conductivity that recovers over hundreds of picoseconds. The possibility of control over THz transmission and conductivity by photoexcitation suggests the promise for application of Ti3C2T x Mxenes in THz modulation devices and variable electromagnetic shielding.
Near infrared spectroscopy confirms recruitment of specific lumbar extensors through neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Background: Lumbar multifidus impairments are associated with low back pain (LBP), with sustained impairments thought to contribute to recurrence and chronicity of pain. Ability to regain muscle fu...
Schedule-controlled behaviors as determinants of drug response.

Schedule-controlled performances began to be used in assessing the behavioral effects of drugs because of practical advantages over other techniques for studying behavior. Schedule-controlled behavior is, however, of fundamental importance in behavioral pharmacology. It has been found repeatedly that the effects of many drugs depend critically upon the patterns of responding engendered by different schedule contingencies. These dependencies of the effects of drugs on schedule-controlled behavior occur because ongoing behavior is itself an important determinant of drug action.—Morse, W. H. Schedule-controlled behaviors as determinants of drug response. Federation Proc. 34: 1868–1869, 1975.
Methods for Whole Cell Detection of Microorganisms

Microbes are ubiquitous, and can be found occupying nearly every imaginable niche on Earth. These include organic and inorganic surfaces, interfacial boundaries and within macroscopically solid matrices, such as the pore space of rocks. Because phylogenetically divergent microbes may be visually indistinguishable, understanding the species distribution and ecological significance of environmental microbes requires diagnostic tools that extend beyond simple phenotypic description. Methods for microbial diagnostics can be divided into two broad categories: cellular and acellular. Acellular techniques, such as the polymerase chain reaction or certain immunoassay formats may be effective at detecting molecular, structural or biochemical targets associated with specific cell types, but this information is provided out of its "natural", and arguably most meaningful context - that of the individual microbial cell. In contrast, cellular methods have the potential to preserve an abundance of valuable information. Apart from molecular identity, this includes information regarding cell morphology and other physiological characteristics, cell number and distribution within a sample, and physical or spatial associations with other cell types. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of whole cell methods for microbial detection, including both existing approaches and those still in development. The tools described here are expected to find wide application for the detection of microbes on surfaces or within complex matrices across a number of parallel or allied fields, including environmental, food and clinical microbiologies.
Indigenous Protest and the Roots of Sustainable Forestry in Bolivia

AbstractIn the mid-2000s, Bolivia emerged as a leader in sustainable tropical forestry, in large part because of Ley 1700, the 1996 forestry law. The 1996 forestry law reformed Bolivian forestry by...
Flow and acoustics of an isothermal supersonic 2:1 rectangular jet with an adjacent surface

In integrated airframe/propulsion system configurations, additional noise sources can be created from the interactions between the jet flow and the adjacent airframe surfaces. Another situation of surfaces of close proximity occur during takeoff and landing when the ground is close enough to cause the jet-surface interference. The impact of a plate oriented parallel to the axis of a 2:1 rectangular supersonic jet (De = 20.65mm) at the minor axis side is studied. Plate offset (h) distances of h = 0, 1, 2, and 3 equivalent diameters from the nozzle lip to the surface are included. The impact of the plate is studied at nozzle pressure ratios (NPRs) of 2.5–4.5 when the design Mach number is 3.67, at a temperature ratio of TR = 1.1. Mean and turbulent flow field data are acquired using streamwise particle image velocimetry (PIV). Trends of shock cell spacing, potential core length, and shear layer development are analyzed. Near and far field data are taken and correlated with the flow field details. The offset from the nozzle is shown to vary flow and acoustic properties and impact screech tones.
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide: Postnatal development in multiple brain stem respiratory-related nuclei in the rat.

The pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) plays an important role in anterior pituitary hormone secretion, neurotransmission, and the control of breathing. Mice lacking PACAP die suddenly mainly in the 2nd postnatal week, coinciding temporally with a critical period of respiratory development uncovered by our laboratory in the rat. The goal of the current study was to test our hypothesis that PACAP expression is reduced during the critical period in normal rats. We undertook immunohistochemistry and optical densitometry of PACAP (specifically PACAP38) in several brain stem respiratory-related nuclei of postnatal days P2-21 rats, and found that PACAP immunoreactivity was significantly reduced at P12 in the pre-Botzinger complex, nucleus ambiguus, hypoglossal nucleus, and the ventrolateral subnucleus of the nucleus tractus solitarius. No changes were observed in the control, non-respiratory cuneate nucleus at P12. Results imply that the down-regulation of PACAP during normal postnatal development may contribute to the critical period of vulnerability, when the animals' response to hypoxia is at its weakest.