cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Social and Cultural Factors on the Decision to Consent for Monoclonal Antibody Treatment among High-Risk Patients with Mild-Moderate COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The clinical outcomes of patients who decline anti-spike monoclonal antibody therapies for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is not known. Factors associated with the decision to accept or decline the offer for anti-spike monoclonal antibody therapies are not established. This study aimed to identify factors impacting the decision to consent for monoclonal antibody therapies and assess the differences in clinical outcomes of patients who accepted compared to those who declined these therapies. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 2820 adult patients who were offered monoclonal antibody therapies, bamlanivimab and casirivimab-imdevimab, for COVID-19 at Mayo Clinic in the Midwest between 11/19/2020 and 12/31/2020. The primary endpoint is the decision to accept or decline monoclonal antibody treatment. Secondary endpoints were patient-level factors that could have impacted the decision to accept treatment (age, gender, race, ethnicity, primary language spoken, and medical comorbidities). The main clinical endpoint was hospitalization within 28 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. RESULTS: 59.1% (n = 1669) chose to accept monoclonal antibody therapy, and 40.9% (n = 1151) chose to decline the offer for treatment. Patients were more likely to accept treatment if they were non-Hispanic White, English speaking, identified a spouse or life partner, had a religious affiliation, and possessed more medical comorbidities. Overall, 28-day hospitalization rate was 2.6% (n = 72/2820) and was higher among those who declined (3.3%) than those who accepted monoclonal antibody therapy (2.0%; Rate Ratio = 0.62, 95% Confidence Interval, 0.39-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Despite having more comorbidities, patients who accepted monoclonal antibody treatments had a lower rate of hospitalization compared to patients who declined treatment. Several social and cultural factors were associated with the decision to decline therapy, including race, language, ethnicity, and lack of social support. These findings can inform public health efforts to reduce social disparities in the treatment of COVID-19 and increase utilization of monoclonal antibody therapies in high risk populations.
Automating coastal cliff erosion measurements from large-area LiDAR datasets in California, USA

Abstract Quantifying coastal cliff erosion is critical for improved predictions of coastal change and coastal management. However, few studies have been conducted at a scale (>100 km) and resolution (~1 m) sufficient to constrain regional change. Here, we quantified cliff erosion for 866 km of the California coastline using airborne LiDAR data collected in 2009–2011 and 2016. A semi-automated method was used to map cliff faces. Negative (volume loss) and positive (volume gain) change objects were created by grouping adjacent cells using vertical and areal change thresholds and surface optical signatures. We assessed the performance of five machine learning algorithms to separate erosion and deposition from other changes within the cliff face, notably vegetation loss and growth, and found that discriminant analysis performed best. After applying the classification method to the entire cliff change dataset, the results were visually inspected for quality control, producing a final dataset comprised of 45,699 erosion and 1728 deposition objects. The net volume loss from 2009–2011 to 2016 was 1.24 × 107 m3, equivalent to an erosion rate of 2.47 m3 yr−1 per meter of coastline, and an average cliff retreat rate of 0.06 m yr−1. Eroded volumes ranged from 6.43 m3 to 7.52 × 105 m3 and fit a power-law frequency distribution (β = 0.80; r2 = 0.99). Over this study period, 7% of eroded material remained on the cliff face. Cliff retreat rates varied spatially with the highest rates in Humboldt County (0.18 m yr−1) and the lowest in Orange County (0.003 m yr−1).
Curbing cost overruns in infrastructure investment: has reference class forecasting delivered its promised success?

Infrastructure projects around the world have long been notorious for exceeding their budgets. To address persistent cost overruns, the American Planning Association urged planners to adopt reference class forecasting alongside traditional methods but the practice has not caught on in the U.S. Conversely, the U.K. adopted Kahneman’s Nobel Prize-winning theory to challenge biases in human judgment and mandated reference class forecasting for major projects in 2003. Has reference class forecasting, originally developed to rectify honest mistakes, brought the promised success in the public sector wherein political pressure is significant? Through before-and-after and with-and-without comparisons of 107 major projects, this empirical study examines the practical relevance of reference class forecasting for infrastructure investments. A before-and-after comparison reveals that the average cost overrun declined from 38% to 5% following the introduction of reference class forecasting. A with-and-without comparison also demonstrates that the U.K. surpassed its targeted probability of completing projects within budget by 12% using reference class forecasting, whereas the U.S. underperformed by 17%. Thus, reference class forecasting has engendered notable improvements in estimation in the U.K. This empirical study demonstrates the benefits of supplementing or replacing the current forecasting method. The findings can be used to reduce substantial financial risks for the government as well as social and economic welfare losses for society.
Radiative Transfer in Dynamic Stellar Atmospheres

In order to understand the Be star phenomenon, and move in directions away from ad hoc models, detailed calculations have been made that treat nonlinear hydrodynamics self-consistently with non-L.T.E. radiative transfer.
Zymography and reverse zymography for detecting MMPs, and TIMPs.

Zymography is the electrophoretic separation of proteins through a polyacrylamide gel containing a proteolytic substrate. After denaturing (but nonreducing) electrophoresis, proteins are renatured and incubated in an appropriate buffer for proteolytic activity. Clear zones of lysis in the stained gel indicated active proteinases. Reverse zymography is a similar technique to detect proteinase inhibitors. After renaturing of proteins, the gel is incubated with metalloproteinases which digest the substrate incorporated into the gel. Inhibitors are shown as dark zones of inhibition against a clear background upon staining.
Valuing Black lives: Pentecostalism, charismatic gifts, and human economies in a U.S. inner city

A common trope in recent Black popular literature compares pastors and pimps on the grounds that both collect money from their dependents. We frame this comparison in terms of regimes of value operating in U.S. inner cities, where the commercial economy and legal system commonly fail to affirm the personhood of the racialized poor. Drawing on fieldwork in Buffalo, New York, we show that in eliciting tithes and protection money, pastors and pimps combine care and exploitation in ways that assert the value of their own and others’ lives against heavy odds. We extend the concept of “human economy” developed by David Graeber to these transactions, arguing that pimps and pastors construe the money they gather in terms of its power to recognize the value of the lives of givers, askers, and receivers.
Proactive Project Change-Prediction Tool

AbstractChanges to construction projects present tough and controversial issues. Change is one of the primary reasons for schedule delays and cost overruns, which create negative impacts on project performance and profitability. The liability of change and its consequences are major sources of disagreements between project participants, which often lead to disputes or claims. More research needs to be done on predicting project change and proactive change-management decision-making. This study addresses this important need and develops and tests a proactive change-predictive tool based on empirical formulation. This tool helps industry professionals predict potential change to their projects and benchmark their change performance against a large set of projects. With this tool, better change management will result and the cost effectiveness of the construction industry will be improved.
Multivariate statistical analysis.

General multivariate statistical theory and three statistical models (multi-variate analysis of variance, canonical correlation analysis, and factor analysis) are described. Numerical examples, mathematical notes, an annotated bibliography, and references to computer programs are presented. Multivariate procedures are described as generalizations from univariate statistical theory where possible. The advantages to psychophysiologists of determining the organization of a complicated physiological response system through multivariate statistical procedures are discussed.
Perceptions of self and significant others in assaultive and nonassaultive criminals

Assaultive and nonassaultive inmates at a state correctional facility were compared on the processes and outcomes of evaluation of self and significant others. Respondents were administered a demographics interview and a modified version of the Role Construct Repertory Test. The two groups differed significantly on factors relating to self regard and the perceptual schema employed in evaluating self and others. Assaultives were higher in self regard and exhibited more perceptual rigidity/concreteness while possessing lower levels of discriminability and abstractness.
Mechanical properties of poly-n-octyl methacrylate at low frequencies and in creep; entanglements in methacrylate polymers

Abstract The storage modulus and loss tangent have been measured between 0.06 and 1.6 cycles/sec. in the temperature range from 54° to 140°C. for a fractionated poly-n-octyl methacrylate with molecular weight 3.62 × 106. Creep was measured at 120°C. over a time interval up to 2000 sec. The usual method of reduced variables, using aT factors determined in an earlier study at higher frequencies, failed to give single composite curves for data at different temperatures; the residual anomaly appears most clearly in the loss compliance, the maximum of which shifts upward and to lower frequencies with increasing frequency, as previously observed in the n-butyl and n-hexyl methacrylate polymers. The data for all three polymers in this region can be brought into coincidence, however, by an additional reduction which is formally equivalent to assuming a dissociation of entanglement points with increasing temperature. The apparent heat of dissociation is 2.3 kcal./mole for the butyl and hexyl polymers and 1.6 for the octyl. In the plateau zone of the time scale, both the retardation and the relaxation spectra of poly-n-octyl methacrylate pass through minima at about the same point; the sharpness of curvature makes it necessary to use higher approximations than usual to calculate the spectra. From the width of the plateau zone, the average degree of polymerization between entanglement points at 100°C, is estimated to be 240.
The segmentation clock: converting embryonic time into spatial pattern.

In most animal species, the anteroposterior body axis is generated by the formation of repeated structures called segments. In vertebrate segmentation, a specialized mesodermal structure called the somite gives rise to skeletal muscles, vertebrae, and some dermis. Formation of the somites is a rhythmic process that involves an oscillator—the segmentation clock— driven by Wnt and Notch signaling. The clock ticks in somite precursors and halts when they reach a specific maturation stage defined as the wavefront, established by fibroblast growth factor and Wnt signaling. This process converts the temporal oscillations into the periodic spatial pattern of somite boundaries. The study of somite development provides insights into the spatiotemporal integration of signaling systems in the vertebrate embryo.
Do breastfeeding intentions of pregnant inner-city teens and adult women differ?

Abstract Objective: This study compared the breastfeeding intentions and attitudes of pregnant low-income inner-city teens (age ≤19 years) and non-teens (age ≥20) to determine if age is a significant determinant of intent to breastfeed in this population. Patients and Methods: We used structured interviews to examine the feeding intentions and attitudes of consecutive healthy pregnant women receiving obstetrical care at the Women's Health Center, MacDonald Women's Hospital, Cleveland, OH (June 1–July 31, 2007). The primary outcome measure was rate of intent to breastfeed among teen versus non-teen participants. Attitudes and self-assessed knowledge regarding breastfeeding were compared between teens and non-teens, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of age on breastfeeding intent. Results: We interviewed 176 pregnant women (95% African-American, 94% single marital status, median age 22 years [range, 15–41 years], 46 [26%] teens) at a median of 27 weeks of pregnancy. Th...
Stochastic environmental risk analysis: an integrated methodology for predicting cancer risk from contaminated groundwater

Stochastic environmental risk assessment considers the effects of numerous biological, chemical, physical, behavioral and physiological processes that involve elements of uncertainty and variability. A methodology for predicting health risks to individuals from contaminated groundwater is presented that incorporates the elements of uncertainty and variability in geological heterogeneity, physiological exposure parameters, and in cancer potency. An idealized groundwater basin is used to perform a parametric sensitivity study to assess the relative impact of (a) geologic uncertainty, (b) behavioral and physiological variability in human exposure and (c) uncertainty in cancer potency on the prediction of increased cancer risk to individuals in a population exposed to contaminants in household water supplied from groundwater. A two-dimensional distribution (or surface) of human health risk was generated as a result of the simulations. Cuts in this surface (fractiles of variability and percentiles of uncertainty) are then used as a measure of relative importance of various model components on total uncertainty and variability. A case study for perchloroethylene or PCE, shows that uncertainty and variability in hydraulic conductivity play an important role in predicting human health risk that is on the same order of influence as uncertainty of cancer potency.
Expanding the coordination chemistry of buckminsterfullerene: synthesis and characterization of (N,N′- dimethylethylenediamine-[60]-fullerene)copper(II) bromide

Abstract The chelate (N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine-[60]-fullerene)copper(II) bromide was synthesized in 79% yield by the dropwise addition of a solution of N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine-[60]-fullerene in tetrahydrofuran (THF) to a solution of excess copper(II) bromide in THF. The resulting brown precipitate was characterized by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis.
Examination, Clarification, and Optimization of the Green's Function/ $Z$ -Matrix Models and Calculations for Rectangular Planar Microwave Circuits

In this paper, we examine the Green's function and Z-matrix models commonly used in calculations for microwave planar circuits. We prove, for the first time, the pointwise convergence of the Green's function and the interchangeability of the integration and infinite summation used in deriving the Z-matrix model. We also show the validity of interchanging the order of the double summation of the Z-matrix. In a related vein, we point out some potential problem of performing series rearrangements in evaluating infinite sums. Through computational analysis, we will demonstrate that a stable and efficient algorithm for the Green's function and Z-matrix calculations can be optimally obtained for all practical boundary port configurations of rectangular planar circuits.
Multi-class tumor classification by discriminant partial least squares using microarray gene expression data and assessment of classification models

High-throughput DNA microarray provides an effective approach to the monitoring of expression levels of thousands of genes in a sample simultaneously. One promising application of this technology is the molecular diagnostics of cancer, e.g. to distinguish normal tissue from tumor or to classify tumors into different types or subtypes. One problem arising from the use of microarray data is how to analyze the high-dimensional gene expression data, typically with thousands of variables (genes) and much fewer observations (samples). There is a need to develop reliable classification methods to make full use of microarray data and to evaluate accurately the predictive ability and reliability of such derived models. In this paper, discriminant partial least squares was used to classify the different types of human tumors using four microarray datasets and showed good prediction performance. Four different cross-validation procedures (leave-one-out versus leave-half-out; incomplete versus full) were used to evaluate the classification model. Our results indicate that discriminant partial least squares using leave-half-out cross-validation provides a more realistic estimate of the predictive ability of a classification model, which may be overestimated by some of the cross-validation procedures, and the information obtained from different cross-validation procedures can be used to evaluate the reliability of the classification model.
Assessment of the aversive and rewarding effects of alcohol in Fischer and Lewis rats

Application of the Fischer–Lewis genetic model of drug abuse to the study of alcohol’s motivational properties has been limited. To assess the aversive and rewarding effects of ethanol in Fischer and Lewis rats. Fischer and Lewis rats underwent a four-trial combined conditioned taste aversion/conditioned place preference procedure (CTA/CPP; 0, 1, 1.25, or 1.5 g/kg IP ethanol). Others received 0, 1, or 1.5 g/kg followed by tail blood sampling at 15-, 60- and 180-min post-injection. In additional groups, hypothermia to 0, 1.5, and 3 g/kg was assessed before and 30- and 60-min post-injection. All alcohol-treated groups except low-dose Lewis acquired CTA after one trial. Fischer rats developed stronger CTAs than Lewis at 1.25 and 1.5 g/kg. Ethanol-induced reward in taste or place conditioning was not evident in either strain. Lewis animals showed overall higher peak blood alcohol concentrations, but hypothermia did not vary by strain. Compared to Fischer, Lewis rats are less sensitive to alcohol’s aversive effects as assessed in the CTA paradigm. The behavioral differences observed are not due to hypothermia, but pharmacokinetic differences may contribute. These data underscore the importance of genetic factors and the aversive effects of initial drug exposures in modeling vulnerability to abuse. In addition to its application with other drugs, the Fischer–Lewis model may be useful for investigating the biobehavioral bases of alcohol abuse.
Swab Absorbability – Effect on Mycoplasma gallisepticum Isolation

Abstract A single strain of commercial Leghorn vaccinated with F strain Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) was used in two trials to determine the effect of swab absorbability on MG isolation. For each of the two trials, 34 birds from each of five 10,000 bird houses were randomly selected and swabbed from the choanal cleft region; 17 birds from each house were swabbed with ethylene-oxide sterilized, 2.4-mm diameter calcium alginate-tipped swabs, while the remaining 17 birds were swabbed with similarly sized and sterilized rayon-tipped swabs. Results of this study indicate swab absorbability does not affect the recovery and subsequent isolation of MG from commercial layers.
Spoken word recognition by eye.

Spoken word recognition is thought to be achieved via competition in the mental lexicon between perceptually similar word forms. A review of the development and initial behavioral validations of computational models of visual spoken word recognition is presented, followed by a report of new empirical evidence. Specifically, a replication and extension of Mattys, Bernstein & Auer’s (2002) study was conducted with 20 deaf participants who varied widely in speechreading ability. Participants visually identified isolated spoken words. Accuracy of visual spoken word recognition was influenced by the number of visually similar words in the lexicon and by the frequency of occurrence of the stimulus words. The results are consistent with the common view held within auditory word recognition that this task is accomplished via a process of activation and competition in which frequently occurring units are favored. Finally, future directions for visual spoken word recognition are discussed.
Impact of wildfire on source water contributions in Devil Creek, CA: evidence from end-member mixing analysis.

A geochemical and end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) is undertaken in Devil Canyon catchment, located in southern California, to further understanding of watershed behaviour and source water contributions after an acute and extensive wildfire. Physical and chemical transformations in post-fire watersheds are known to increase overland flow and decrease infiltration, mainly due to formation of a hydrophobic layer at, or near, the soil surface. However, less is known about subsurface flow response in burned watersheds. The current study incorporates EMMA to evaluate and quantify source water contributions before, and after, a catchment affected by wildfires in southern California during the fall of 2003. Pre- and post-fire stream water data were available at several sampling sites within the catchment, allowing the identification of contributing water sources at varying spatial scales. Proposed end-member observations (groundwater, overland flow, shallow subsurface flow) were also collected to constrain and develop the catchment mixing model. Post-fire source water changes are more evident in the smaller and faster responding sub-basin (interior sampling point). Early post-fire storm events are dominated by overland flow with no significant soil water or groundwater flow contribution. Inter-storm streamwater in this smaller basin shows an increase in groundwater and a decrease in soil water. In the larger, baseflow-dominated system, source water components appear less affected by fire. A slight increase in lateral flow is observed with only a slight decrease in baseflow. Changes in the post-fire flow regimes affect nutrient loading and chemical response of the basin. Relatively rapid recovery of the chaparral ecosystem is evidenced, with active re-growth and evapotranspiration evidenced by the fourth post-fire rainy season. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Depression, SSRIs, and the Supposed Obligation to Suffer Mentally

Within both popular and academic literature, concerns have been expressed about the implications of antidepressant use on character development. In this paper, I identify specific versions of these worries and argue that they are misguided. I begin by arguing that the obligation to suffer if it will bring about a noble character is imagined. Legitimate concerns about character enhancement remain, but they do not count against most antidepressant use. Thus there is no moral prohibition against antidepressant use. Furthermore, some of the calls for caution about antidepressant use, such as those expressed by the President's Council on Bioethics, are overstated.
Modification of Ti6Al4V Substrates with Well-defined Zwitterionic Polysulfobetaine Brushes for Improved Surface Mineralization

Osteoconductive mineral coatings are beneficial for improving the osteointegration of metallic orthopedic/dental implants, but achieving adequate structural integration between the surface minerals and underlying metallic substrates has been a significant challenge. Here, we report covalent grafting of zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (pSBMA) brushes on the Ti6Al4V substrates to promote the surface-mineralization of hydroxyapatite with enhanced surface mineral coverage and mineral-substrate interfacial adhesion. We first optimized the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) conditions for synthesizing pSBMA polymers in solution. Well-controlled pSBMA polymers (relative molecular weight up to 26kD, PDI = 1.17) with high conversions were obtained when the ATRP was carried out in trifluoroethanol/ionic liquid system at 60 °C. Applying identical polymerization conditions, surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) was carried out to graft zwitterionic pSBMA brushes (PDI <...
Auditory-motor integration of subliminal phase shifts in tapping: Better than auditory discrimination would predict

Unilateral tapping studies have shown that adults adjust to both perceptible and subliminal changes in phase or frequency. This study focuses on the phase responses to abrupt/perceptible and gradual/subliminal changes in auditory–motor relations during alternating bilateral tapping. We investigated these responses in participants with and without good perceptual acuity as determined by an auditory threshold test. Non-musician adults (nine per group) alternately tapped their index fingers in synchrony with auditory cues set at a frequency of 1.4 Hz. Both groups modulated their responses (with no after-effects) to perceptible and to subliminal changes as low as a 5° change in phase. The high-threshold participants were more variable than the adults with low threshold in their responses in the gradual condition set. Both groups demonstrated a synchronization asymmetry between dominant and non-dominant hands associated with the abrupt condition and the later blocks of the gradual condition. Our findings extend previous work in unilateral tapping and suggest (1) no relationship between a discrimination threshold and perceptible auditory–motor integration and (2) a noisier sub-cortical circuitry in those with higher thresholds.
Short-time-evolved wave functions for solving quantum many-body problems

The exact ground state of a strongly interacting quantum many-body system can be obtained by evolving a trial state with finite overlap with the ground state to infinite imaginary time. In many cases, since the convergence is exponential, the system converges essentially to the exact ground state in a relatively short time. Thus a short-time evolved wave function can be an excellent approximation to the exact ground state. Such a short-time-evolved wave function can be obtained by factorizing, or splitting, the evolution operator to high order. However, for the imaginary time Schr\"odinger equation, which contains an irreversible diffusion kernel, all coefficients, or time steps, must be positive. (Negative time steps would require evolving the diffusion process backward in time, which is impossible.) Heretofore, only second-order factorization schemes can have all positive coefficients, but without further iterations, these cannot be used to evolve the system long enough to be close to the exact ground state. In this work, we use a newly discovered fourth-order positive factorization scheme which requires knowing both the potential and its gradient. We show that the resulting fourth-order wave function alone, without further iterations, gives an excellent description of strongly interacting quantum systems such as liquid ${}^{4}\mathrm{He},$ comparable to the best variational results in the literature. This suggests that such a fourth-order wave function can be used to study the ground state of diverse quantum many-body systems, including Bose-Einstein condensates and Fermi systems.
Timing of Anticipatory Responses following an Isometric Contraction

The effects on timing of anticipation following an isometric contraction were investigated. Using a Bassin timer, 35 subjects performed 10 trials for each of 4 forewarning periods at 3 stimulus spe...
Have we fallen off target with concerns surrounding dual RAAS blockade

A misinterpretation of the results from ONTARGET (Ongoing Telmisartan alone and in combination with ramipril Global Endpoint Trial) has sparked both efficacy and safety concerns within the nephrology community regarding the utilization of dual RAAS blockade to achieve more desirable renal outcomes. Two important considerations are requisite prior to interpreting these results, specifically: the context of the cohort studied (non-proteinuric CKD patients at low risk of progression) and the inadequate power of the study to assess renal outcomes. The cardiac and renal protection afforded from dual RAAS blockade in select populations, particularly proteinuric CKD and CHF, is supported by literature. Moreover, the response to dual RAAS blockade involving different combinations of ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and direct renin inhibitors, may not be uniform amongst all patient populations. Will we continue to withhold the appropriate medical therapy from certain individuals based on misconstrued data? The proceedings provide a critical analysis of the ONTARGET study and an evidence-based substantiation for the utilization of various forms of dual RAAS blockade in proteinuric kidney disease and beyond.
A NEW PHYLLODIAL-LEAVED SAGITTARIA (ALISMACEAE) FROM ALABAMA

A new species,Sagittaria secundifolia, is described from Alabama and is compared to the other species of its taxonomic complex.
K252a-potentiation of EGF-induced neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells is not mimicked or blocked by other protein kinase activators or inhibitors

Abstract Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has recently been shown to cause certain strains of PC12 cells to extend short neurites. This EGF-induced differentiation of PC12 was found to be potentiated by the protein kinase inhibitor, K252a, in that PC12 cells treated with both EGF and K252a extended long branched neurites similar to those induced by nerve growth factor (NGF). As reported here no other protein kinase inhibitor or activator mimicked or blocked the effect of K252a on EGF-induced PC12 differentiation. Cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) also potentiated EGF-induced neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells, but the mechanism of this potentiation was different from that of K252a. Cells that had been exposed to EGF and then stripped of their neurons extended neurites again when retreated with EGF in the absence of RNA synthesis or when treated with NGF in the absence of RNA synthesis. Thus EGF can prime PC12 cells for either EGF or for NGF, a finding that further suggests that EGF and NGF use similar signaling pathways to induced neuronal differentiation of PC12.
Modeling of Multiphase Flow Boiling in Meso-Channels

Modeling two-phase heat transfer coefficients and corresponding surface temperatures can be difficult. In macro flows, the Chen and Bennett model showed good agreement with experimental data from various researchers. This model was derived from the original Chen model and is primarily based on physical properties with some empiricism. The purpose of this paper is to present a method of modifying a macro-boiling model to predict surface temperatures and heat transfer coefficients associated with meso-channel flow boiling and augmented boiling associated with spray cooling in mesochannels. In order to validate the model, experimental data was gathered. The spray module consisted of 17 sloped channels each having an inlet and exit hydraulic diameter of 1.55 mm and 1.17 mm respectively and a plan length of 33 mm. The heat flux was in the range of 11 – 61kW/m2 and the mass flux was 80 kg/m2 -s. The quality of fluid (PF5050) ranged from 0 – 75%. The fluid inlet temperature was 29°C and the saturation temperature was 34°C. The modified model shows good agreement with the experimental data with deviations on the order of 10%.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The importance of strong evaluation standards and procedures in training residents

A strong evaluation process in a residency offers faculty an opportunity to strengthen the educational program, to help residents know what is expected of them, and to remove with minimum difficulties those residents who are not progressing satisfactorily and do not appear to be salvageable. Despite these advantages, the evaluation of residents during their training is often done poorly or not at all. The author describes the kinds of standards and procedures that constitute a sound, strong evaluation process, proposes criteria for academic probation and due process when a resident is performing unacceptably, and describes the role that the medical school administration should play in the evaluation process, one that is flexible enough to allow each program to comply and still have program-specific procedures. The author closes with statistics on how few residents are dismissed for incompetency or unacceptable behaviors, and inquires how many more might be found if strong evaluation processes were more widely used. Even so, in the attempt to evaluate residents and to foster protection from legal problems, residency program directors must keep in mind the importance of letting residents make mistakes and learn from them; a good evaluation system strikes a balance that fosters the learning process and benefits the residents, the medical school, and the community.
Instrument development for health belief model constructs

Research was conducted to develop valid and reliable scales to test the Health Belief Model (HBM). The dependent variable chosen for scale development was frequency of breast self-examination. Independent variables were constructs related to the HBM: susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, and health motivation. Analyses for construct validity and theory testing included factor analysis and multiple regression. Chronbach Alpha and Pearson r were used to compute reliabilities. Scales that were judged valid and reliable were susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, and health motivation.
Adversity and the Ironies of Assistance

In February 1912, Cliff and Myrtle Jennings, siblings then respectively 13 and 11 years old, left New York City for Wheeler, Arkansas, where they first encountered cows, chickens, pigs, and farm li...
Prophylactic thyroidectomy in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A.

BACKGROUND Medullary thyroid carcinoma is the most common cause of death in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A (MEN-2A) or type 2B or familial medullary thyroid carcinoma. We sought to determine whether total thyroidectomy in asymptomatic young members of kindreds with MEN-2A who had a mutated allele of the RET proto-oncogene could prevent or cure medullary thyroid carcinoma. METHODS A total of 50 patients 19 years of age or younger who were consecutively identified through a genetic screening program as carriers of a RET mutation characteristic of MEN-2A underwent total thyroidectomy. Five to 10 years after the surgery, each patient was evaluated by physical examination and by determination of plasma calcitonin levels after stimulation with provocative agents. RESULTS In 44 of the 50 patients, basal and stimulated plasma calcitonin levels were at or below the limits of detection of the assay (proportion, 0.88; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.76 to 0.95). Two patients had basal and stimulated plasma calcitonin levels above the normal range. Stimulated plasma calcitonin levels had increased but remained within the normal range in four patients. The data suggest that there was a lower incidence of persistent or recurrent disease in children who underwent total thyroidectomy before eight years of age and in children in whom there were no metastases to cervical lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS In this study, young patients identified by direct DNA analysis as carriers of a RET mutation characteristic of MEN-2A had no evidence of persistent or recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma five or more years after total thyroidectomy. A longer period of evaluation will be necessary to confirm that they are cured.
Effect of Method, Instructions, and Age on Stimulus “preference” Assessments

Summary Two experiments were conducted to examine whether two types of cue preference assessment procedures involve different response processes. In Experiment 1, children were administered a Matching-to-Sample dimensional preference test and a two-stimulus preference test. The results indicated that only about half of the children chose the same cue consistently in either task, and only a few children chose the same cue in both preference tests. That these results were, in part, a result of Matching-to-Sample instructions that eliminated the set to match stimuli on the basis of perceived similarity was demonstrated in Experiment 2. Only when the children were instructed to make similarity judgments did they choose consistently in a Matching-to-Sample preference test. When they were not so instructed, only those children with strong attentional habits (who were few in number) chose the same cue consistently.
Effect of Heart Rate Increase on Dorsal Aortic Flow in the Stage 24 Chick Embryo

We evaluated the effect of increased heart rate on cardiac output and stroke volume in the stage 24 chick embryo (day 4 of a 21-day incubation). Blood flow was measured with a 20 MHz pulsed-Doppler flowmeter. Heart rate was increased by pacing with square wave stimuli (1 ms duration, less than 4 mA). The sinus venosus was paced from bipolar Teflon-coated silver electrodes in eight embryos and the ventricular apex was paced in three embryos. The pacing rates were at the intrinsic heart rate (P:I); 125% of intrinsic heart rate (P:125%I); and 150% of intrinsic heart rate (P:150%I). Physiologic measurements during pacing were compared to those obtained at the control intrinsic rate (I). We also evaluated the velocity profile of atrioventricular inflow and conotruncal outflow at intrinsic rate and during sinus venosus and ventricular pacing. With sinus venosus pacing, mean dorsal aortic blood flow was similar at control (1.07 +/- 0.05 mm3/s) and P:I (1.06 +/- 0.06 mm3/s) (mean +/- SEM). However, at P:125%I and P:150%I, mean dorsal aortic blood flow decreased significantly (P:125%I, 0.88 +/- 0.05 mm3/s; P:150%I, 0.67 +/- 0.07 mm3/s) (p less than 0.05). Stroke volume per beat also decreased with increasing heart rates (I, 0.41 +/- 0.02 mm3; P:I, 0.39 +/- 0.02 mm3; P:125%I, 0.28 +/- 0.02 mm3; P:150%I, 0.18 +/- 0.02 mm3) (p less than 0.05). With rapid sinus venosus pacing, the atrioventricular blood flow velocity profile showed a rate-dependent decrease in passive ventricular filling while active filling remained the same or increased slightly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
SOCIAL FAMILIARITY AND NIP DOMINANCE IN MALE SWORDTAILS (XIPHOPHORUS HELLERI) AND PLATYS (XIPHOPHORUS MACULATUS)

Sumnzary.-Male swordtails and plarys (ns = 12) were tested tor nip dominance among familiar (mnkmate) and unfamiliar (nontankrnate) conspecific pairs in four round robin contests conducted at weekly intervals. Stable dominance relationships were found for both species, with less aggression manifested between familiar swordtail pairs, and to a lesser extent, between familiar platy pairs, than between nonfamiliar pairs. Significant correlations between physical size and dominance status were also found for both species. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, an attempt was made to ascertain the role of recent interanimal familiarity upon the stability of dominance relationships. It wzs hypothesized that, since dominance relations between suange pairs of animals can only be determined by immediate conditions, whereas prior interactions may also play a role between members of familiar pairs, changes in dominance status would be slower among familiar animals, with their hierarchy more stable over time. That dominance hierarchies for a variety of species are quite stable has been noted by Van Kreveld (1970), and it is presently argued that interanimal familiarity is at least in part responsible for this. In addition, it was felt that dominance displays would be fewer among familiar animals, and that relationships, once established, would be characterized by less overt aggressive behavior. Whatever the mechanism, this would be adaptive for a species in that less time and energy need be devoted to statusregulating behavior. Secondly, the possibility of differences in the stability of dominance relationships between two closely related species of fish was investigated. Noble and Borne (1940) reported dominance relationships in swordtails (Xzphophmm hellerk) to be stable for periods of up to 6 mo., whereas Braddock (1942) reports that the mean duratioc of dominance in pairs of male platys (Xiphophorr.4~ mculatw) to be only 5.8 days. Though there were methodological differences between the two experiments, and comparison is very difficult because the findings for swordtails have been reported only in an abstract, the species may indeed differ in this regard In addition, since physical size has been widely reported to be a correlate of dominance in other species, e.g., rhesus monkeys (Warren & Maroney, 1958) and golden hamsters (Drickamer, Vandenbergh, & Colby, 1973), an attempt was made to ascertain its role for these species as well.
Consistency of cosmic-ray source abundances with explosive nucleosynthesis

Certain results regarding the ratio of cosmic-ray sources (CRS) and Solar System abundances are the same as those obtained from explosive nucleosynthesis. Such a model is consistent with the fact that in the Solar System Mg, Si, and Fe are believed to be produced by explosive nucleosynthesis, whereas C and O are mainly products of other processes. The model considered explains the carbon-to-oxygen ratio in the cosmic rays.
In vivo and in vitro deactivation rates of PTFE-coupled glucose oxidase.

Abstract The deactivation of immobilized enzymes is a major lifetime limiting factor in several types of potentially implantable biosensors. The deactivation rate of covalently immobilized glucose oxidase was examined in vitro in mock physiologic environments and in the peritoneal cavity of mice. A first order deactivation model describes the observed exponential decay of the enzyme. Deactivation rate constants ranging from 0·198 to 1·3 per day were measured depending on experimental conditions. Enzymes immobilized on PTFE (Teflon) substrate in the peritoneal cavity of mice exhibited greater catalytic lifetimes than control samples kept in glucose solution in vitro .
Anti‐Individualism and Fregeanism

Attribuant au fregianisme le test de la dubitabilite differentielle pour le contenu des croyances, et examinant la position anti-individualiste defendue par T. Burge, l'A. montre que le fregianisme est incompatible avec les arguments classiques en faveur de l'anti-individualisme. Examinant l'experience de pensee de l'arthrite developpee par Burge, et analysant les presupposes semantiques et metaphysiques de la notion de contenu asociee a Frege, l'A. montre, grâce a la methodologie de l'identite et de la difference du contenu, qu'une structure fregienne est contradictoire avec la conception anti-individualiste du contenu, d'une part, et que les partisans de l'anti-individualisme doivent rejeter le fregianisme, d'autre part
Cognitive and Behavioral Dysfunction in Children With Hypothalamic Hamartoma and Epilepsy

Hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) syndrome comprises the clinical triad of epilepsy, developmental retardation, and central precocious puberty. A predominant opinion has been that the acquired cognitive and behavioral disorders observed in children with this syndrome are a direct effect of their seizure activity. A review of the recent literature suggests that this opinion needs to be revised because it is only partially supported by the data. The size of the HH and its anatomic attachment/location, in addition to the seizure history, appear to contribute to the cognitive and behavioral disturbances in children with HH. Small sample sizes and the inability to use standard neuropsychological testing scales in more severely affected HH patients complicate the study of causality. The present literature, however, suggests that multiple factors contribute to the cognitive and behavioral problems of these children.
Documentation and treatment of hypertension: quality of care and missed opportunities in a family medicine resident clinic

Background In the USA, uncontrolled hypertension contributes to 1000 deaths a day. However, little is known about the quality of hypertension management in family medicine resident clinics. Objectives To examine rates of documentation and treatment of elevated blood pressure, and to identify missed opportunities to address hypertension. Study design A cross-sectional chart review of 1011 adult patient visits between 2 January and 4 February 2013 was performed in a resident-run federally qualified health centre. For patients with elevated blood pressure at time of visit, we noted whether or not the residents had documented a diagnosis or discussion of hypertension and the presence or absence of a treatment plan. We compared these rates with those from a national sample of primary care physicians. Results 262/1011 (26%) of adult patients had elevated blood pressure at time of visit. Of those, 115/262 (44%) had documentation and a plan for treatment, 79/262 (30%) had documentation but no plan, and 68/262 (26%) had neither documentation nor plan. Nationally, 45% of patients are diagnosed and treated compared with 44% of study visits with documentation and treatment. Conclusions Fewer than half of visits of patients with elevated blood pressure resulted in both documentation and a treatment plan. Nevertheless, these rates are comparable to national providers. Elevated blood pressure was more likely to be missed during acute visits and in patients with less elevated blood pressure.
Pediatric Metatarsus Adductus and Skewfoot Deformity

Skewfoot is a rare condition that is often missed early in a child's development. Mild and flexible forms can be successfully treated with cast immobilization and shoe therapy. In more severe forms, surgical intervention is indicated if there are underlying neuromuscular conditions or the individual is affected on a daily basis because of the deformity. Careful evaluation and proper surgical procedures selection can realign the foot, resulting in favorable long-term outcomes. This article presents clinical and radiographic evaluation techniques and treatment options.
Non-linear creep buckling with random temperature variations

Abstract The effect of randomness in temperature on non-linear creep buckling — particularly the predictions of time to onset of instability of a column under compressive loads and a long thin cylindrical shell under uniform external pressure is investigated. Using the statistical properties of lognormal random processes, a qualitative estimate of how uncertainties in critical time are related to randomness in temperature is presented. It is found that the critical times are significantly reduced due to variations in temperature.
Noninvasive sensors in critical care medicine: near-infrared spectroscopy for the detection of altered microvascular blood flow in severe sepsis and septic shock

It is estimated that 750,000 cases of severe sepsis occur in the United States annually, at least 225,000 of which are fatal, resulting in significant utilization of healthcare resources and expenses. Significant progress in the understanding of pathophysiology and treatment of this condition has been made lately. Among the newer treatment strategies for critically ill patients are the administration of early goal directed therapy, and Recombinant Human Activated Protein C (Drotrecogrin alfa (activated) [DTAA]) for severe sepsis. However, mortality remains unacceptably high.