cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A model of pulmonary airway exchange of soluble gases

The conducting airways of the lungs play an important role in heating and humidification of inspired air and the exchange of highly soluble gases. The authors have developed a mathematical model that describes airway heat, water, and soluble gas exchange which has been used to explain the impact that breathing technique and inspired air conditions have on breath alcohol [blood:gas partition coefficient (/spl lambda/)=1760] concentration. The model predicts that alcohol exchanges entirely with the conducting airways and not within the alveoli. On inspiration, the air reaches equilibrium with the partial pressure of alcohol in the bronchial circulation prior to entering the respiratory bronchioles. On expiration, approximately 20-50% of the alcohol absorbed from the airways during inspiration is redeposited to the airways, depending on the breathing manoeuvre. The degree of exchange of gas delivered via the bronchial circulation depends strongly on /spl lambda/ with the most soluble gases equilibrating most efficiently. An in situ isolated dog trachea preparation was used to quantitate the degree of diffusion- and perfusion-limitation to airway gas exchange for incorporation into the model. Although the level of excretion of the six inert gases differed depending on /spl lambda/, the responses of each gas to changes in blood flow were similar, regardless of /spl lambda/. The results show that tracheal gas exchange is limited equally by perfusion and diffusion.
Mating-Related Stimulation Induces Phosphorylation of Dopamine- and Cyclic AMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein-32 in Progestin Receptor-Containing Areas in the Female Rat Brain

Vaginal-cervical stimulation induces a number of physiological and behavioral events, including the facilitation of mating behavior. Although the facilitation of one component of mating behavior, lordosis, by vaginal-cervical stimulation does not require the presence of progesterone, it appears to be mediated by neural progestin receptors. Abundant evidence suggests that dopamine may play a role in the neural circuitry activated by vaginal-cervical stimulation, including the mating-induced release of dopamine in progestin receptor-containing areas of the brain, changes in the activational state of progestin receptors because of dopamine D1 receptor stimulation, facilitation of lordosis by D1 receptor stimulation in estradiol-primed rats via progesterone-independent events, and D1 agonist-induced neuronal responses in progestin receptor-containing areas and cells. We tested the hypothesis that vaginal-cervical stimulation induces phosphorylation of dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein (DARPP-32; Mr = 32,000), a protein phosphorylated predominantly in response to the stimulation of D1 receptors. At 9 d after ovariectomy, female rats were injected subcutaneously with a behaviorally effective dose of estradiol benzoate. At 48 hr later they received vaginal-cervical or control (perineal) stimulation, and they were perfused 1 hr later. Vaginal-cervical stimulation increased the number of cells expressing pDARPP-32 immunoreactivity by 92% in the medial preoptic nucleus, 134% in the caudal ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, 123% in the posterodorsal medial amygdala, and 103% in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. These results suggest that some of the neuronal effects of vaginal-cervical stimulation, and perhaps other social or environmental stimuli, are mediated by phosphorylation of DARPP-32, perhaps via stimulation of D1 receptors, within progestin receptor-containing areas.
Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: Initial Experience With 100 Consecutive Patients

Objective To review early results of endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Patients and Methods The first 100 patients who underwent endovascular repair of AAA (EVAR) between June 26, 1996, and October 31, 2001, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, were studied retrospectively to evaluate technical success, freedom from reinterventions, and early clinical outcome. Results A total of 89 men and 11 women (mean ± SD age, 76±7 years; range, 47-92 years) underwent EVAR. The procedure was successful in 97 patients. There was no early death. Major complications occurred in 25 patients. The 30-day technical success rate was 86% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77%-92%). The median intensive care unit stay was 1 day (range, 1-15 days), and the median hospital stay was 3 days (range, 1-35 days). Median follow-up was 7 months (range, 1-60 months). Endoleak (incomplete seal of the endovascular graft) at discharge was observed in 14 patients; 13 developed endoleak during follow-up. There were 23 reinterventions, 65% of which were percutaneous procedures. One aneurysm ruptured at 5 months, but the patient was successfully treated by open repair. Primary and secondary graft patency rates at 1 year were 83% (95% CI, 74%-93%) and 94% (95% CI, 87%-99%), respectively. The freedom from reintervention rate at 1 year was 71% (95% CI, 59%-84%), with an overall success rate from EVAR of 92% (95% CI, 84%-100%). There were no differences in early patency, reinterventions, and success rates between unibody and modular devices. Conclusion EVAR can be performed with high technical success and low mortality rates; however, nonfatal complications and catheter-based reinterventions are frequent, and EVAR may not prevent aneurysm rupture. Although stent graft repair for high-risk patients is appealing, current data are insufficient to support EVAR as the preferred treatment of AAAs.
Developing S-phase control

The duration of S phase in early embryos is often short, and then increases as development proceeds because of the appearance of late-replicating regions of the genome. In the April 1, 2012, issue of Genes & Development, Farrell and colleagues (pp. 714-725) demonstrate that the down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) activity triggers the onset of late-replicating DNA and an increase in S-phase length in Drosophila embryos, revealing an unexpected role for Cdk1 in replication control during development.
A comparative study of pattern recognition techniques for quality evaluation of telecommunications software

The extreme risks of software faults in the telecommunications environment justify the costs of data collection and modeling of software quality. Software quality models based on data drawn from past projects can identify key risk or problem areas in current similar development efforts. Once these problem areas are identified, the project management team can take actions to reduce the risks. Studies of several telecommunications systems have found that only 4-6% of the system modules were complex /spl lsqb/LeGall et al. 1990/spl rsqb/. Since complex modules are likely to contain a large proportion of a system's faults, the approach of focusing resources on high-risk modules seems especially relevant to telecommunications software development efforts. A number of researchers have recognized this, and have applied modeling techniques to isolate fault-prone or high-risk program modules. A classification model based upon discriminant analytic techniques has shown promise in performing this task. The authors introduce a neural network classification model for identifying high-risk program modules, and compare the quality of this model with that of a discriminant classification model fitted with the same data. They find that the neural network techniques provide a better management tool in software engineering environments. These techniques are simpler, produce more accurate models, and are easier to use. >
Design Process Error-Proofing: Engineering Peer Review Lessons From NASA

This report describes the state of design reviews observed at NASA and research into improving review practices. There are many types of reviews at NASA. Formal, programmatic project reviews such as the Preliminary Design Review and Critical Design Review are a required part of every project and mission development. However, the informal and technical engineering peer reviews that support teams’ work on such projects are informal, ad hoc, and inconsistent across the organization. The goal of this work is to identify best practices and lessons learned from NASA’s review experience, benchmark against industry techniques, and develop methodologies to improve the process. Thus far, the research has determined that the organization, composition, scope, and execution, including the use of information technology and structured design methodologies, of reviews all impact the technical, engineering peer reviews to help NASA work towards error-proofing the design process.
The Value of Fast Fashion: Quick Response, Enhanced Design, and Strategic Consumer Behavior

A fast fashion system combines quick response production capabilities with enhanced product design capabilities to both design “hot” products that capture the latest consumer trends and exploit minimal production lead times to match supply with uncertain demand. We develop a model of such a system and compare its performance to three alternative systems: quick-response-only systems, enhanced-design-only systems, and traditional systems (which lack both enhanced design and quick response capabilities). In particular, we focus on the impact of each of the four systems on “strategic” or forward-looking consumer purchasing behavior, i.e., the intentional delay in purchasing an item at the full price to obtain it during an end-of-season clearance. We find that enhanced design helps to mitigate strategic behavior by offering consumers a product they value more, making them less willing to risk waiting for a clearance sale and possibly experiencing a stockout. Quick response mitigates strategic behavior through a different mechanism: by better matching supply to demand, it reduces the chance of a clearance sale. Most importantly, we find that although it is possible for quick response and enhanced design to be either complements or substitutes, the complementarity effect tends to dominate. Hence, when both quick response and enhanced design are combined in a fast fashion system, the firm typically enjoys a greater incremental increase in profit than the sum of the increases resulting from employing either system in isolation. Furthermore, complementarity is strongest when customers are very strategic. We conclude that fast fashion systems can be of significant value, particularly when consumers exhibit strategic behavior. This paper was accepted by Yossi Aviv, operations management.
MicroRNAs and other non-coding RNAs as targets for anticancer drug development

The first cancer-targeted microRNA (miRNA) drug - MRX34, a liposome-based miR-34 mimic - entered Phase I clinical trials in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in April 2013, and miRNA therapeutics are attracting special attention from both academia and biotechnology companies. Although miRNAs are the most studied non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) to date, the importance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is increasingly being recognized. Here, we summarize the roles of miRNAs and lncRNAs in cancer, with a focus on the recently identified novel mechanisms of action, and discuss the current strategies in designing ncRNA-targeting therapeutics, as well as the associated challenges.
Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism in Ovine Fetuses During Asphyxia Resulting in Seizures

Severe fetal asphyxia can cause neurologic damage, but little is known about cerebral oxidative metabolism under these conditions. This study was designed to measure cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption during severe global asphyxia in fetal sheep, asphyxiated to the point at which seizure activity subsequently occurred. Six sheep were chronically instrumented with fetal electrodes, fetal and maternal vascular catheters, and an adjustable occluder on the maternal common hypogastric artery. Measurements were made of fetal arterial blood gases, blood pressure, heart rate electrocorticogram (ECoG), nuchal muscle electromyogram (EMG), and regional blood flow (radioactive microspheres) during control, and at 30 and 60 min after complete occlusion of the maternal hypogastric artery. The ECoG became isoelectric, and the fetuses developed a marked respiratory and metabolic acidosis, the pH falling to 6.99 ± 0.03, the pCO2 rising to 73 ± 11 mm Hg, and base excess falling to −16 ± 1 mEq/L at 60 min of occlusi...
Measurement of optical cavity properties in semiconductor lasers by Fourier analysis of the emission spectrum

We present several observations on a novel method for the evaluation of the internal loss properties in semiconductor lasers. The method we use involves Fourier analysis of the Fabry-Perot mode spectrum when operating the device below lasing threshold. The observation of various structural features in the Fourier transform domain allows us to extract important information on the laser cavity. As one example, the amount of cavity propagation loss/gain, or net gain, can be derived from the decay rate of harmonics of the Fourier spectrum. A comparison between experimental and calculated gain versus wavelength data for lasers fabricated in the AlGaAs, AlGaInP, and AlGaInN material systems is given. As a second example, this method also allows the identification of the density and strength of intracavity scattering centers. This is an important capability for the fabrication of blue diode lasers in the gallium-nitride material system.
Divergence and diversification in North American Psoraleeae (Fabaceae) due to climate change

Past studies in the legume family (Fabaceae) have uncovered several evolutionary trends including differential mutation and diversification rates across varying taxonomic levels. The legume tribe Psoraleeae is shown herein to exemplify these trends at the generic and species levels. This group includes a sizable diversification within North America dated at approximately 6.3 million years ago with skewed species distribution to the most recently derived genus, Pediomelum, suggesting a diversification rate shift. We estimate divergence dates of North American (NAm) Psoraleeae using Bayesian MCMC sampling in BEAST based on eight DNA regions (ITS, waxy, matK, trnD-trnT, trnL-trnF, trnK, trnS-trnG, and rpoB-trnC). We also test the hypothesis of a diversification rate shift within NAm Psoraleeae using topological and temporal methods. We investigate the impact of climate change on diversification in this group by (1) testing the hypothesis that a shift from mesic to xeric habitats acted as a key innovation and (2) investigating diversification rate shifts along geologic time, discussing the impact of Quaternary climate oscillations on diversification. NAm Psoraleeae represents a recent, rapid radiation with several genera originating during the Pleistocene, 1 to 2 million years ago. A shift in diversification rate is supported by both methods with a 2.67-fold increase suggested around 2 million years ago followed by a 8.73-fold decrease 440,000 years ago. The hypothesis that a climate regime shift from mesic to xeric habitats drove increased diversification in affected taxa was not supported. Timing of the diversification rate increase supports the hypothesis that glaciation-induced climate changes during the Quaternary influenced diversification of the group. Nonrandom spatial diversification also exists, with greater species richness in the American Southwest. This study outlines NAm Psoraleeae as a model example of a recent, rapid radiation. Diversification rate shifts in NAm Psoraleeae are not due to current climate regimes as represented by habitat, but instead to past global climate change resulting from Quaternary glaciations. NAm Psoraleeae diversification is a good example of how earthly dynamics including global climate change and topography work together to shape biodiversity.
Feature selection and classifiers for the computerized detection of mass lesions in digital mammography

We have investigated various methods of feature selection for two different data classifiers used in the computerized detection of mass lesions in digital mammograms. Numerous features were extracted from abnormal and normal breast regions from a database consisting of 210 individual mammograms. A step-wise method, a genetic algorithm and individual feature analysis were employed to select a subset of features to be used with linear discriminants. Similar techniques were also employed for an artificial neural network classifier. In both tests the genetic algorithm was able to either outperform or equal the performance of other methods.
Primary dermal melanoma: A unique subtype of melanoma to be distinguished from cutaneous metastatic melanoma: A clinical, histologic, and gene expression–profiling study

Background Primary dermal melanoma (PDM) is a subtype of melanoma confined to the dermis that may be morphologically impossible to distinguish from cutaneous metastatic melanoma (CMM). Objective We sought to better characterize PDM by describing the clinical, histologic, and molecular features of 49 cases of PDM and determine whether a gene expression–profiling test could help distinguish PDM from CMM. Methods We describe 49 cases of PDM and determined whether any clinical or histopathologic features had a statistically significant relationship with outcome. Secondly, we performed a melanoma gene expression–profiling test on a subset of the PDM and CMM cases. Results Overall recurrence was infrequent and seen in 9 of 49 cases. Six patients had locoregional recurrences and 3 patients had distant metastasis. None of the clinical or histologic parameters showed a statistically significant relationship with recurrence. There was a statistically significant association of a class I signature by DecisionDx-Melanoma assay (Castle Biosciences Inc, Friendswood, TX) for PDM whereas CMM were more frequently class II ( P value = .023). Limitations The mean follow-up time was 26 months. Conclusions Most conventional staging parameters used for prognosis in cutaneous melanoma have limited applicability to PDM. The melanoma prognostic assay may be a useful tool for distinguishing PDM from CMM.
Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Species Composition and Potential Aphid Vectors of Plum Pox Virus in Pennsylvania Peach Orchards

Plum pox, an invasive disease recently identified in Pennsylvania stone fruit orchards, is caused by the aphid-transmitted Plum pox virus (genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae, PPV). To identify potential vectors, we described the aphid species communities and the seasonal dynamics of the dominant aphid species within Pennsylvania peach orchards. Aphids were trapped weekly in 2002 and 2003 from mid-April through mid-November within two central Pennsylvania orchards by using yellow and green water pan traps. In total, 42 aphid species were identified from both orchards over 2 yr. Within orchards, actual species richness ranged from 24 to 30 species. The Abundance Based Coverage Estimator predicted species richness to range from 30 to 36 species, indicating that trap catches were identifying most aphid species expected to occur in the orchard. Three species, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), Aphis spiraecola Patch, and Myzus persicae (Sulzer), were consistently dominant across locations and years. Orchard-trapped populations of these three species peaked in a similar chronological sequence each year. As expected, trap color influenced the total number and distribution of the predominate species collected. However, the same dominant species occurred in both yellow and green traps. Based on the seasonal population dynamics reported here and on published vector efficacy studies, the most probable significant PPV vector was identified as A. spiraecola. If the PPV pathogen escapes current quarantine or if subsequent reintroductions of PPV occur, these data will be useful for developing plum pox management strategies.
Di‐1‐adamantyl‐n‐butylphosphine

[321921-71-5] C24H39P (MW 358.54) InChI = 1S/C24H39P/c1-2-3-4-25(23-11-17-5-18(12-23)7-19(6-17)13-23)24-14-20-8-21(15-24)10-22(9-20)16-24/h17-22H,2-16H2,1H3/t17-,18+,19-,20-,21+,22-,23-,24- InChIKey = HTJWUNNIRKDDIV-FECFBMJZSA-N Alternate Names: cataCXium® A; di-1-adamantylbutylphosphine; diadamantyl-n-butylphosphane. Physical Data: white to yellowish solid. mp 108–110 °C (EtOH).1 Slowly oxidized in air. Solubility: insoluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: white solid; commercially available.
Cathodoluminescence Study of Gadolinium-Doped Yttrium Oxide Thin Films Deposited By Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

A multi–layer gadolinium–doped yttrium oxide thin film was deposited in a combinatorial fashion on a Si (001) substrate using radio–frequency magnetron sputtering. Alternating layers of Y2O3 and Gd were deposited for a total of 9 layers. The film was homogenized in composition by an 850 o C 12 hour thermal treatment producing a range of composition from Y1.96Gd0.04O3 –Y 1.54Gd0.46O3 in a single film. Ultraviolet emission with a peak wavelength at 314-315nm was observed from the gadolinium 8 S7/2 - 6 P7/2 transition via cathodoluminescence (CL) excitation. The CL–induced intensity was found to be maximum at 9 at% Gd (Y1.82Gd0.18O3) and an optimized electron probe of Vacc = 13 keV was determined for the 1 µm thick thin film. Gadolinium activator saturation was observed for sample current density greater than 0.03 µA/cm 2 . Non- radiative decay via thermal pathways is suspected for the observed activator saturation.
Conservative treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

Emphasis again is directed to the variability of coxa plana. Unsatisfactory results continue to occur despite a uniform program of disciplined non-weight-bearing therapy. Abduction-brace support with non-weight-bearing appears to have an advantage over treatment in bilateral shoe traction. Prognosis is most favorable in the younger age group and does not seem to be related to the duration of symptoms at the time of diagnosis or to the duration of therapy.
Plasticity of Brain Feeding Circuits in Response to Food

Feeding and energy expenditure are regulated by neuronal circuits of the brain. Feeding, by definition, occurs in most mammals during waking mandating a tight relationship between systems regulating sleep/wake cycles and energy metabolism. This is accomplished not only by neuronal interactions between brain regions responsible for these functions, but also by sharing intracellular and intercellular signaling modalities. Peripheral hormones associated with energy metabolism not only affect the brain structures that have been classically associated with endocrine and autonomic functions, but also alter the function of higher brain regions, including the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. A better understanding of the mechanism of feeding behavior and energy expenditure associated with brain structures will also enhance our ability to combat disorders such as diabetes and obesity, which are among the most prevalent medical problems of both developed and developing societies.
Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency in the Mouse

SummaryAlbino mice kept on a diet devoid of fat developed the Burr and Burr syndrome. The deficiency could be cured or prevented by the administration of lard.
An Expert System Based on OpenStudio Platform for Evaluation of Daylighting System Design

Simulation tools can provide valuable information for daylighting system design while optimization methods can determine feasible solutions from a number of uncertain design parameters. However, optimization methods allow for limited interactivity and only consider several performance criteria. Therefore, to utilize experts’ domain knowledge, this research presents a rule-based expert system based on OpenStudio platform, which integrates daylighting and thermal simulations. The expert system can interpret and compare different design changes and options based on the pre-defined rules and simulation results, and can provide possible solutions in the case of failure to meet design performance criteria. The users can interactively provide alternative design options to the expert system for evaluation based on users’ knowledge. The expert system can provide guidance to evaluate daylighting design.
A Culture Medium for Rapid Growth of Pasteurella Tularensis

A pressing need for large amounts of dense suspensions of P. tularensis has resulted in the formulation of a new modification of Francis' original cystine-dextrose agar. A medium was wanted that could be prepared quickly and that would support a rapid and abundant growth of this fastidious and rather delicately growing organism. After many trials the present medium was adopted as the most satisfactory one in these respects, and during the past two years its routine use has simplified the matter of obtaining a large quantity of antigen.
Comparative studies on the carbohydrate-containing membrane components of normal and adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate-treated Chinese-hamster ovary cells

1. We investigated some of the changes in plasma-membrane composition that accompany the alteration in cell growth and morphology induced by treating Chinese-hamster ovary cells with dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (dibutyryl cyclic AMP). 2. A double-labelling technique was employed in which normal cells were given (14)C-labelled precursor, and those treated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP were given (3)H label. l-Leucine, d-glucosamine, and l-fucose were used to label the membranes. 3. After 3 days growth, the two populations of cells were harvested by trypsin treatment, the cells were pooled, and plasma membranes isolated. Proteins and glycoproteins of the membranes were separated by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gels, and the radioactive profiles for (14)C and (3)H and the staining patterns with Amido Black were compared. 4. Although certain components of the membrane from treated cells showed marked quantitative changes, there was neither major addition nor major deletions of components. 5. Complete proteolysis of the mixed membranes, of the material released from the cell surface by trypsin, and of the glycoproteins released from the cells into the medium, gave a series of radioactive glycopeptides when either fucose or glucosamine was employed as precursor. 6. After such glycopeptides were fractionated on columns of Sephadex G-50, marked differences in the elution profiles of (3)H and (14)C were noted. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP evidently causes alterations in the overall composition of the carbohydrate components of the cell surface. It was not possible to decide whether this was solely the result of the same glycoproteins being formed but in different proportions, or the result of modifications of oligosaccharide side chains on some of the glycoproteins. 7. Some of the changes were not unlike the reverse of those that accompany the transformation of fibroblasts by oncogenic viruses, and our results lend credence to the idea that the lowered amount of cyclic AMP noted in transformed cells is responsible for their altered surface properties.
Monte Carlo Study of Effective Decay Time of High-Frequency Phonons

Anharmonic interaction of acoustic phonons satisfying hν»kBT (T being the ambient temperature) is highly frequency dependent. The decay probability of phonons proportional to ν5T0 has been predicted by nonlinear elasticity theory [1]. This ν5-law is characteristic to the spontaneous two-phonon decays and applicable to both the LA and TA phonons in anisotropic solids [2]. With the use of an optical technique of tunable phonon detection BAUMGARTNER et al. [3] have verified experimentally this strong frequency dependence of the down-conversion rate of the phonons. The observed phonon lifetime is, however, not the one being calculated directly from the anharmonic Hamiltonian. This is because there exists strong mass-defect scattering of the phonons in CaF2:Eu2+ sample used in the experiment [3]. In the experimental frequency range (1–3 THz) this elastic scattering time is shorter than the inelastic scattering time and the population of the TA phonons should dominate the LA-phonon population. The lifetime of the TA phonons is generally considered to be very long by the kinematical reason and usually assumed to be infinite. The purpose of this paper is to study by the Monte Carlo method the effective down-conversion time of high-frequency phonons. The presence of strong mass-defect scattering and TA phonon decay will be explicitly taken into account.
The Acquisition of Noun and Verb Morphology in 18–24 Month Old Spanish Speaking Children

This study attempts to document three children’s early morphological development by: (1) investigating the development of the children’s verb morphology and person inflections of the paradigm; (2) use of inflections on nouns and their modifiers, and (3) use of gender inflection on nouns and their modifiers. A degree of grammatical development was noted in the children’s production of both “regular” and “irregular” verbs. This investigation also found incidences of morphological development in the children’s production of inflections of nouns and their modifiers as well as gender inflections on nouns and their modifiers.
Discerning quality: an analysis of informed consent documents for common cardiovascular procedures

Informed consent provides a powerful opportunity to build trust between the patient and clinician while supporting patient autonomy, transparency and shared decision-making.1 ,2 However, it is often relegated to a perfunctory task, performed as an ethical-legal formality minutes prior to a procedure.3–5 As such, basic elements necessary for achieving the espoused goals of informed consent may be missing or suboptimally implemented, undermining patient-centred, high-quality decision-making. The types and extent of gaps in quality have not been systematically studied, limiting efforts to improve implementation. Our aim was to assess variation in quality of informed consent documents associated with three commonly performed cardiovascular procedures: left heart catheterisation, transesophageal echocardiography and implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator. We focused on basic elements of consent documents with the goal of illuminating opportunities to establish minimum standards for informed consent. Between 1 April and 30 June 2014, we conducted a medical chart review of informed consent documents associated with three electively performed cardiovascular procedures performed at a large, urban hospital: left heart catheterisations (not associated with acute coronary syndrome or in the context of another acute illness; n=79), transesophageal echocardiography (n=39) and implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator (n=36). We developed an abstraction tool to rate basic components of consent documents that a reasonable patient would deem important for decision-making, derived from reliable sources that patients could access on the internet. The final tool assessed presentation (legibility of handwritten information, assessed subjectively as ‘legible’, ‘barely …
Postdural puncture headache after continuous spinal anesthesia with 18-gauge and 20-gauge needles.

Background and objectives. To evaluate the incidence of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) associated with continuous spinal anesthesia, 200 male patients (mean age 65 years) were randomly assigned to receive spinal anesthesia in one of three ways: group 1, 50 patients with an 18-gauge Tuohy-Schliff needle/20-gauge catheter combination; group 2, 50 patients with a newly developed 20-gauge Quincke point needle/24-gauge catheter combination; and group 3, 100 patients (control group, single injection spinal anesthesia) with a 22-gauge Quincke point needle. Methods. Every patient was followed up for 7 days postoperatively. Results. The incidence of PDPH was 6% with each continuous technique and 2% in the control group (difference not statistically significant). One group 1 patient who required an initial dose of 35 mg of tetracaine and 100 mg of lidocaine has a persistent, incomplete S4-5 sensory nerve deficit. Conclusions. The incidence of PDPH associated with continuous spinal anesthesia is acceptable in appropriate clinical circumstances, but large initial doses of local anesthetic should not be administered.
Causation, Probability, and the Continuity Bind

AbstractAnalyses of singular (token-level) causation often make use of the idea that a cause increases the probability of its effect. Of particular salience in such accounts are the values of the p...
Infectious Disease and Contaminants in Urban Wildlife: Unseen and Often Overlooked Threats

Urbanization drastically reduces and fragments wildlife habitat, but it can also generate less obvious effects that influence wildlife populations and communities. Two important influences that are often imperceptible without intense scientific investigation are infectious disease and contaminants. In its broadest sense, disease (“dis” and “ease,” or the lack of ease) includes the effects of contaminants, but here we will use the term disease to refer to infectious diseases caused by living organisms, including microparasites, (e.g., bacteria and viruses) and macroparasites (e.g., arthropods and worms). Disease and contaminant effects can be cryptic, unless there are large, conspicuous die-offs. Furthermore, diseased animals are hard to find (unless radio-tracked), and even if they are found, lack of clear symptoms, lack of interest in cause of death, or lack of resources make diagnosis difficult.
Associations of Weight Gain From Early to Middle Adulthood With Major Health Outcomes Later in Life.

Importance Data describing the effects of weight gain across adulthood on overall health are important for weight control. Objective To examine the association of weight gain from early to middle adulthood with health outcomes later in life. Design, Setting, and Participants Cohort analysis of US women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1976-June 30, 2012) and US men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986-January 31, 2012) who recalled weight during early adulthood (at age of 18 years in women; 21 years in men), and reported current weight during middle adulthood (at age of 55 years). Exposures Weight change from early to middle adulthood (age of 18 or 21 years to age of 55 years). Main Outcomes and Measures Beginning at the age of 55 years, participants were followed up to the incident disease outcomes. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death were confirmed by medical records or the National Death Index. A composite healthy aging outcome was defined as being free of 11 chronic diseases and major cognitive or physical impairment. Results A total of 92 837 women (97% white; mean [SD] weight gain: 12.6 kg [12.3 kg] over 37 years) and 25 303 men (97% white; mean [SD] weight gain: 9.7 kg [9.7 kg] over 34 years) were included in the analysis. For type 2 diabetes, the adjusted incidence per 100 000 person-years was 207 among women who gained a moderate amount of weight (≥2.5 kg to Conclusions and Relevance In these cohorts of health professionals, weight gain during adulthood was associated with significantly increased risk of major chronic diseases and decreased odds of healthy aging. These findings may help counsel patients regarding the risks of weight gain.
CoRPORATE: cortical reconstruction by pruning outliers with Reeb analysis and topology-preserving evolution

In this paper we propose a novel system for the accurate reconstruction of cortical surfaces from magnetic resonance images. At the core of our system is a novel framework for outlier detection and pruning by integrating intrinsic Reeb analysis of Laplace-Beltrami eigenfunctions with topology-preserving evolution for localized filtering of outliers, which avoids unnecessary smoothing and shrinkage of cortical regions with high curvature. In our experiments, we compare our method with FreeSurfer and illustrate that our results can better capture cortical geometry in deep sulcal regions. To demonstrate the robustness of our method, we apply it to over 1300 scans from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).We show that cross-sectional group differences and longitudinal changes can be detected successfully with our method.
Intrinsic Orbital Angular Momentum States of Neutrons.

It has been shown that single-particle wave functions, of both photons and electrons, can be created with a phase vortex, i.e., an intrinsic orbital angular momentum (OAM). A recent experiment has claimed similar success using neutrons [C. W. Clark et al., Nature, 525, 504 (2015)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature15265]. We show that their results are insufficient to unambiguously demonstrate OAM, and they can be fully explained as phase contrast interference patterns. Furthermore, given the small transverse coherence length of the neutrons in the original experiment, the probability that any neutron was placed in an OAM state is vanishingly small. We highlight the importance of the relative size of the coherence length, which presents a unique challenge for neutron experiments compared to electron or photon work, and we suggest improvements for the creation of neutron OAM states.
Time Course of Onset of Phantom Pain in Male and Female Amputees (P5.334)

Objective: To investigate whether there were differences in the time of onset of Phantom limb pain between men and women and how soon symptoms started. Background: Phantom limb pain (PLP) is the perception of pain in a missing limb and experienced by up to 80% of amputees. It usually starts soon after the amputation. However, the time course of onset and differences between male and female amputees remain unclear. We examined a cohort of amputees to determine whether there were differences in the time of symptom onset between men and women and how soon symptoms started. Design/Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study of a convenience sample of persons with loss of at least one limb was part of a study that collected both self-reported survey data and blood samples from volunteers for the purpose of identifying genetic variations associated with PLP. Results: Among the 430 males involved in this review 47% experienced PLP immediately after waking up from surgery, 20.8% reported pain onset within a week, 17.88% within 1 month, 6.2% within 3 months, 4.38% within 1 year and 3.65% over a year. Close results were noticed among the 230 females involved where 47% experienced the pain immediately, and 22.75% reported the pain started within the first week, 10.58% within 1 month, 8.99% within 3 months, 6.87% within 1 year and 3.7 over a year Conclusions: Phantom limb pain usually starts within a month following major limb amputation. The Variation in onset time between men and women was not significantly different. This has clinical implications, as treatment for pain will most likely be required early after limb loss and symptoms affect both men and women equally Disclosure: Dr. Aboud has nothing to disclose. Dr. Deep has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pryweller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pasquina has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tsao has nothing to disclose.
Operative Outcomes of Grade 3 Turf Toe Injuries in Competitive Football Players.

Background:Turf toe is a term used to describe a hyperextension injury to the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Although the vast majority of turf toe injuries can be treated successfully without op...
Reporter Gene Assays in Candida albicans

Reporter systems are used in Candida albicans in three major experimental areas. These include gene expression, promoter analysis, and protein expression/localization. Heterologous expression in C. albicans is either not effective or inefficient due to the alternative codon usage in Candida, particularly CTG. Consequently, several reporter genes have been constructed by optimizing codons for expression in Candida. The reporter systems include lacZ, luciferase, and GFP. Generally, PCR site directed mutagenesis has been used to construct the modified reporter. Reporter gene vectors are not commercially available for Candida, but they can normally be requested from the laboratories that developed the constructs.
Flag Algebras: An Interim Report

For the most part, this article is a survey of concrete results in extremal combinatorics obtained with the method of flag algebras. But our survey is also preceded, interleaved and concluded with a few general digressions about the method itself. Also, instead of giving a plain and unannotated list of results, we try to divide our account into several connected stories that often include historical background, motivations and results obtained with the help of methods other than flag algebras.
Hemopoietic origin of B cells in the mouse.

T cells are produced in mice by passage of hemopoietic stem cells derived from bone marrow (1,2) and also embryonic liver, blood or yolk sac (3) through the thymus. These cells are subsequently seeded to the peripheral tissues (1–3). These T cells, derived from hemopoietic precursors, display all the known T cell functions (2–4) and also some surface isoantigens characteristic for T cells (2,5). A proportion of these T cells is a rapidly dividing cell population (6) and can be detected in metaphase by the presence of the T6 chromosome marker (1–4).
Continuous measurement of blood gases in vivo by mass spectrography.

The application of the mass spectrometer to the continuous monitoring of blood gases in humans is described. At the heart of the system is an intravascular catheter consisting of a cannula impermeable to gas tipped with a membrane whose special gas permeability characteristics permits accurate calibration. Expressions are presented which describe gas flow through the membrane in response to a step increase in gas concentration; characterize thermal effects on gas diffusion and illustrate the effect of the cannula and carrier tubing on steady state gas flow. The system has been successfully employed in the study of arterial nitrogen washout and the determination of human cerebral blood flow by the nitrous oxide technique.
A Novel Gaussian Mixture Approximation for Nonlinear Estimation

A novel adaptive nonlinear estimator is presented to accurately incorporate nonlinear/non-Gaussian measurement in a Bayesian framework. The underlying algorithm relies on a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to approximate the probability density function (pdf) of the state conditioned on all current and past measurement. Automatic mixture components refining is performed to ensure that the posterior GMM approximation of the pdf accurately represents the true distribution.
Economic Evaluation of the 2016 Chinese Guideline and Alternative Risk Thresholds of Initiating Statin Therapy for the Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

The 2016 Chinese guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia recommended mixed rules that centered around a 10% 10-year risk threshold to initiate statins for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The present study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the guideline statin-initiation strategy and alternative strategies. A decision analytic model using discrete event simulation with event probabilities based on a validated ASCVD risk prediction tool for Chinese was constructed. Risk factor inputs were from the dataset of a nationally representative survey of middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Data of statin treatment effectiveness were from a published meta-analysis. Other key input data were identified from the literature or relevant databases. The strategies we evaluated were the guideline strategy, a 15% 10-year risk threshold strategy and a 20% 10-year risk threshold strategy. After excluding any extended dominance strategies, the incremental costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained of each strategy was calculated. The 20% 10-year risk threshold strategy was an extended dominance option. The incremental costs per QALY gained from the 15% 10-year risk threshold strategy compared with no treatment and the guideline strategy compared with the 15% 10-year risk threshold strategy were CN¥69,309 and CN¥154,944, respectively. The results were robust in most sensitivity analyses. The guideline strategy and the 15% 10-year risk threshold strategy are optimal when using the three times and the two times the gross domestic product per capita willingness-to-pay standards, respectively.
Treatment of pulmonary thromboembolism with edoxaban in a cancer patient with borderline fulfillment of the dose reduction criteria.

Venous thromboembolism is the most common cause of death in cancer patients with venous thrombosis. Treatment of venous thrombosis is important in cancer patients, as it can have a major impact on ...
Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates and Neurodevelopment in the CHAMACOS Cohort

Background: Previous studies suggest that prenatal exposure to phthalates, ubiquitous synthetic chemicals, may adversely affect neurodevelopment. However, data are limited on how phthalates affect ...
Luminescent Pt(2,6-bis(N-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine)X+: a comparison with the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of Pt(tpy)X+ (X = Cl, CCPh, Ph, or CH3).

A series of platinum(ii) pincer complexes of the formula Pt(mbzimpy)X+, 1(a-d), (mbzimpy = 2,6-bis(N-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine; X = Cl; (a), CCPh; (b), Ph; (c), or CH3; (d), CCPh = phenylacetylide, and Ph = Phenyl) have been synthesized and characterized. Electronic absorption and emission, as well as electrochemical properties of these compounds, have been investigated. Pt(tpy)X+ analogs (tpy = 2,2';6'2''-terpyridine), 2(a-d), have also been investigated and compared. Electrochemistry shows that 1 and 2 analogs undergo two chemically reversible one-electron reduction processes that are shifted cathodically along the a < b < c < d series. Notably, these reductions occur at slightly higher negative potentials in the case of 1. The absorption spectra of 1 and 2 in acetonitrile exhibit ligand-centered (1LC) transitions (e ≈ 104 M-1 cm-1) in the UV region and metal-to-ligand-charge transfer (1MLCT) transitions (e ≈ 103 M-1 cm-1) in the visible region. The corresponding visible bands of 1b and 2b have been assigned to 1(LLCT/MLCT) mixed state (LLCT: ligand-to-ligand-charge transfer). The preceding 1LC and 1MLCT transitions of 1 occur at lower energies than that of 2. These 1LC transitions have distinctly been blue-shifted along a < c < d in 2, but occur at nearly identical energies in 1. Conversely, 1MLCT transitions are red-shifted along a < c < d in both the analogs. The 77 K glassy solutions of 1 and 2 exhibit an intense vibronically-structured emission band at λmax(0-0) in the 470-560 nm range. This band is red-shifted along b < a ≤ c < d in 1 and along a ≤ d ≈ c ≪ b in 2. The main character of these emissions is assigned to 3LLCT emissive state in 1b and 2b, whereas to 3LC in the rest of the compounds. Relative stabilization of these spin-forbidden emissive states is discussed by invoking configuration mixing with the higher-lying 3MLCT state.
Bouteflika, l’histoire secrète: by Farid Alilat, Monaco, Éditions du Rocher, 2020, 400 pp., €22.90 (softcover), ISBN 978-2-268-10318-1

This is the striking story of the exceptional rise and fall of Abdelaziz Bouteflika, unusual because it happened twice in one lifetime. In 1963, at the tender age of 26, Bouteflika became the young...