cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recovery of Metal Values from Low Grade Copper Sulfide Ores

Abstract In the United States approximately 12 percent of the new copper produced comes from dump leaching of low grade waste rock from open pit mining. While this amount of copper is significant it is unusual, even for massive dumps, for steady-state recovery rates to exceed 20 percent. Basic physical and chemical features important in leaching typical copper porphyry waste rock have been determined in laboratory studies in tests involving up to several tons of waste rock. The important findings of such tests including chemistry of extraction, laboratory modeling, energy implications, and recovery from dilute streams are presented. Special emphasis is given to important rate limiting features of waste rock leaching including the role of autotrophic bacteria in the oxidation sequence. Difficulties in scale up from the laboratory to practice are discussed.
Underground globalization: mapping the space of flows of the Internet adult industry

This paper develops a case study of the Internet adult industry in order to study the ways in which electronic commerce interacts with geography. Digital products, low barriers to entry, cost differentials, and sensitivity to regulation have created a pervasive and complex geography of models, webmasters, and consumers around the globe. With a series of specially developed datasets on the location of content production, websites, and hosting it is shown that the online adult industry offers people and places outside major metropolitan areas opportunities to become active purveyors of this type of electronic commerce. The roles of these actors, however, are not simply determined by a spaceless logic of cyber-interaction but by histories and economies of the physical places they inhabit. In short, the 'space of flows' cannot be understood without reference to the 'space of places' to which it connects. This geography also provides a valuable counterpoint to mainstream electronic commerce and highlights the ability of socially marginal and underground interests to use the Internet to form and connect in global networks.
The Nitrogen Budget of Thoreau's Bog

Dinitrogen fixation and atmospheric deposition are the dominant sources of nitrogen to Thoreau's Bog, contributing °1.0 and 0.7 g·m—2°yr—1, respectively. Denitrification must compete with nitrate uptake and the reduction of NO3— to NH4+; the latter process accounts for the fate of °25% of nitrate input to the bog. Gaseous ammonia is not an input, but appears to be lost in small amounts from the bog surface. Organic N is deposited into the peat by plants at an annual rate of almost mg/m2. About a third of this amount is "permanently" deposited, and the balance is recycled through mineralization and uptake. Compared to other ecosystems, the bog processes nitrogen in a parsimonious fashion. Annual fluxes are small compared to total N stored in the ecosystem, and nearly 80% of annual N input is retained with the system. See full-text article at JSTOR
Beyond valence and activity in the emotional connotations of music

In the scaling of emotions in general, and their application to music in particular, the valence (good/bad) and activity or arousal dimensions are ubiquitous. Naive intuition and critics' writings have assumed a greater profundity in music's ability to express emotions than this would imply. Five experiments were performed to show that music is capable of expressing a greater detail in emotional range than can be captured by these two dimensions. The basic paradigm had participants rank order sets of emotions with respect to how well they applied to brief, unfamiliar instrumental selections. People did so rapidly, with significant reliability, even when the affective compass of the emotions to be ranked was restricted to enforce attention to subtle withindimension distinctions, or expanded to allow attention to subtle distinctions.
Hardware accelerated sequence alignment with traceback

Biological sequence alignment is an essential tool used in molecular biology and biomedical applications. The growing volume of genetic data and the complexity of sequence alignment present a challenge in obtaining alignment results in a timely manner. Knownmethods to accelerate alignment on reconfigurable hardware only address sequence comparison, limit the sequence length, or exhibit memory and I/O bottlenecks. A space-efficient, global sequence alignment algorithm and architecture is presented that accelerates the forward scan and traceback in hardware without memory and I/O limitations. With 256 processing elements in FPGA technology, a performance gain over 300 times that of a desktop computer is demonstrated on sequence lengths of 16000. For greater performance, the architecture is scalable to more processing elements.
Behavioral and Histological Changes in the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Induced by the Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor Noviflumuron

This study describes the behavioral and histological changes of the molting process in Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki caused by the chitin synthesis inhibitor noviflumuron. Termites exposed to noviflumuron initiated ecdysis as untreated individuals did; however, peristalsis contractions were weak and the expansion of the dorsal breach of the exoskeleton did not occur. Treated termites could not complete their molting process and died after the initiation of the ecdysis. Histological observations showed that the process of voiding the gut protozoa during premolting was not affected by the noviflumuron treatment. However, the formation of the new cuticle was disrupted resulting in the loss of integrity of the cuticle. The alteration of the cuticle was visible in the gizzard (foregut), the thoracic pleurons, and most of the exoskeleton. Muscles were partially able to reattach to the incompletely formed new cuticle, and muscle contractions resulted in tearing off the cuticle. Because the integrity of the newly formed cuticle was compromised by the noviflumuron treatment, we concluded that termites' death was caused primarily by the loss of hemolymph as a result of the damage done by the muscle contractions on the exoskeleton during the peristalsis. As the physiological homeostasis was disrupted, termites were too weak to shed their old cuticle, ultimately resulting in termite dying during the molting process.
Procore and flexible 19 gauge needle can replace trucut biopsy needle

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is routinely performed for establishing tissue diagnosis in patients with gastrointestinal tumors. The concept of delivering chemotherapy based on molecular markers and the ability to establish a reliable diagnosis in lieu of an onsite cytopathologist has fuelled the recent trend in procuring core tissue by means of EUS-guided fine needle biopsy. To overcome the technical limitations induced by the rigidity of the Trucut biopsy needle, a new ProCore needle with reverse bevel technology has been developed. Recent data suggests that the newly developed flexible 19 gauge needle can also procure core tissue and has easy maneuverability when navigating the transduodenal route. Irrespective of the needles being used, the best clinical outcomes can be attained only by practicing evidence-based techniques, procuring adequate quantity of sample for ancillary studies, and processing the specimens appropriately.
Regional Perspectives on Mortuary Analysis

Stimulated by the American Anthropological Association’s Social Dimensions of Mortuary Practices symposium organized by James Brown in 1966 and its follow-up publication (Brown 1971), archaeologists embarked on field programs and other investigations worldwide that addressed a range of issues dealing with the social and biocultural meaning of treatment of deceased. Far from establishing a simple set of rules that govern burial of the dead in human societies, these investigations revealed that by virtually any measure—body treatment, orientation, artifact accompaniments, demographic composition, temporal and cultural association, and social complexity—mortuary behavior is highly variable. The contributors to this book tackle some of this variability and by doing so demonstrate the continued growth in our comprehension of human behavior as it is represented in the archaeological record of mortuary activity. The study of mortuary behavior in past societies has become recognized as an important—if not indispensable—avenue for documenting and understanding social behavior and organization.
The Effect of Fossil Fuel Prices on Flexible CO2 Capture Operation

Coal consumption for electricity generation produces over 30% of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions, but coal is also an available, secure, and low cost fuel that is currently utilized to meet roughly half of America’s electricity demand. While the world transitions from the existing fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure to a sustainable energy system, carbon dioxide capture and sequestration (CCS) will be a critical technology that will allow continued use of coal in an environmentally acceptable manner. Techno-economic analyses are useful in understanding the costs and benefits of CCS. However, typical techno-economic analyses of post-combustion CO2 capture systems assume continuous operation at a high CO2 removal, which could use 30% of pre-capture electricity output and require new capacity installation to replace the output lost to CO2 capture energy requirements. This study, however, considers the inherent flexibility in post-combustion CO2 capture systems by modeling power plants that vary CO2 capture energy requirements in order to increase electricity output when economical under electricity market conditions. A first-order model of electricity dispatch and a competitive electricity market is used to investigate flexible CO2 capture in response to hourly electricity demand variations. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electric grid is used as a case study to compare plant and grid performance, economics, and CO2 emissions in scenarios without CO2 capture to those with flexible or inflexible CO2 capture systems. Flexible CO2 capture systems can choose how much CO2 to capture based on the competition between CO2 and electricity prices and a desire to either minimize operating costs or maximize operating profits. Coal and natural gas prices have varying degrees of predictability and volatility, and the relative prices of these fuels have a major impact on power plant operating costs and the resulting plant dispatch sequence. Because the chosen operating point in a flexible CO2 capture system affects net power plant efficiency, fuel prices also influence which CO2 capture operating point may be the most economical and the resulting dispatch of power plants with CO2 capture. Several coal and natural gas price combinations are investigated to determine their impact on flexible CO2 capture operation and the resulting economic and environmental impacts at the power plant and electric grid levels. This study investigates the costs and benefits of flexible CO2 capture in a framework of a carbon-constrained future where the effects of major energy infrastructure changes on fuel prices are not entirely clear.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Handbook of mammals of Kansas

E. Raymond Hall. Handbook of Mammals of Kansas. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publications No. 7, pages 1–303, 99 numbered figures and other illustrations, December 13, 1955. Paper bound, $1.50 postpaid ($4.00 cloth). This is one of the most complete and elaborate handbooks ever to be prepared for the mammals from one state, and treats individually 79 species of native mammals known to occur in Kansas since the advent of white man into the state. In addition, three introduced species are also considered. Taxonomically, each kind is classified to order, family, genus and species. Appropriate keys are provided from order to species. The account of each species is headed by the common name, followed by the scientific name and author. There is a drawing of the animal immediately under the title. There then follows a section on life history, habits, behavior, economic importance, etc. This section is good and is probably the most interesting and valuable …
No Taxation of Elites, No Representation State Capacity and the Origins of Representation

Does state weakness lead to representation via taxation? A distinguished body of scholarship assumes that fiscal need forced weak(ened) states to grant rights and build institutions. The logic is t...
Research on Deadbeat Control in the Active Power Filter

A compound harmonic current detection of the active power filter(APF),including the load current detection and the source current detection is proposed.A novel deadbeat control strategy is proposed for the APF with four-bridge topology.Based on the analysis of the topology of the system,a complete mathematical model is established.The coupling a-mong the output harmonic currents of every phase in the APF is analyzed,and the decoupling method is presented.The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed compound harmonic current detection method and the deadbeat control strategy.
Aging Immunocytes and Immunity: Characteristics and Significance

With aging, many aspects of immune function change. Despite the greater complexity of problems and increased numbers of variables that attend research involving aged individuals, certain fundamental alterations in immune reactivity appear associated with aging. These alterations have important biologic implications. The immune changes in "healthy" octogenarians can have significant clinical effects when these individuals suffer stress or disease.
Fate of mouse carcasses in a Northern Woodland

1. Small, vertebrate carrion is a significant input into terrestrial ecosystems. The relative importance of different recyclers of carrion is poorly understood because of seasonal and habitat variation and methodological differences among studies. Many studies, in particular, do not account adequately for the activity of burying beetles (Nicrophorus spp.). 2. The present work, utilising a previously unstudied woodland, addresses this concern by: placing only two carcasses in the field at one time, using microsites only once, and providing a means to easily recover successful burying beetles. 3. Burying beetles buried 77.5% of experimental mouse carcasses over their breeding season, and typically did so within three activity periods after placement (30 of 31 burials). 4. The results and a brief review suggest that burying beetles are the dominant summer competitor for small, vertebrate carrion in mid- and northern latitude woodlands. Information on the age of carcasses utilised by burying beetles also provides an ecological context for laboratory studies of behaviour, life history, and microbial interactions.
Cocaine‐induced neurodevelopmental deficits and underlying mechanisms

Exposure to drugs early in life has complex and long-lasting implications for brain structure and function. This review summarizes work to date on the immediate and long-term effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. In utero cocaine exposure produces disruptions in brain monoamines, particularly dopamine, during sensitive periods of brain development, and leads to permanent changes in specific brain circuits, molecules, and behavior. Here, we integrate clinical studies and significance with mechanistic preclinical studies, to define our current knowledge base and identify gaps for future investigation. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 108:147-173, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lower Extremity Paralysis

Severe hypokalemia in the absence of other electrolyte abnormalities, the result of diarrhea, caused striking electrocardiographic changes, generalized weakness, flaccid paralysis of the lower extremities, and biochemical evidence of mild skeletal and cardiac rhabdomyolysis in a 33-year-old man. Repletion of potassium reversed all abnormalities in 24 hours.
Abstract 12550: Persistent Relative Hypochromia is Associated With Adverse Outcomes in Non-anemic Patients With Heart Failure

Background: We previously reported that functional iron deficiency, assessed by low mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), has been associated with adverse outcomes in non-anemic patients with HF. Yet, the effect of change in MCHC levels on outcomes has not been studied before. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 1,579 subjects with HF undergoing coronary angiography, with 5-year follow-up. Blood indices [hemoglobin (Hb), MCHC, MCV, RDW] were assessed on enrollment and after 6 months of follow up by reviewing medical records. Anemia was defined as Hb levels Results: In our population (age 66 ± 10 years, male 65%, CAD 75%), most patients were non-anemic (n=1,161, 73.5%). In non-anemic patients, mean Hb and median (IQR) MCHC were 13.3±1.2 g/dL and 34.2 (33.43-34.9) g/dL, respectively. Non-anemic HF patients with lower MCHC had higher mortality risk [Q1 vs Q4 Hazard ratio (HR) (95%CI) of 2.5(1.9-3.2), p Conclusion: Relative hypochromia is an independent predictor of increase mortality in patients with HF, even in the setting of normal hemoglobin levels.
Anterior temporal lobe and the representation of knowledge about people.

Patients with semantic dementia (SD), a neurodegenerative disease affecting the anterior temporal lobes (ATL) (1), present with striking cognitive deficits: they can have difficulties naming objects and familiar people from both pictures and descriptions (2, 3). Furthermore, SD patients make semantic errors (e.g., naming “horse” a picture of a zebra), suggesting that their impairment affects object knowledge rather than lexical retrieval. Because SD can affect object categories as disparate as artifacts, animals, and people, as well as multiple input modalities, it has been hypothesized that ATL is a semantic hub (4) that integrates information across multiple modality-specific brain regions into multimodal representations. With a series of converging experiments using multiple analysis techniques, Wang et al. (5) test the proposal that ATL is a semantic hub in the case of person knowledge, investigating whether ATL: ( i ) encodes multimodal representations of identity, and ( ii ) mediates the retrieval of knowledge about people from representations of perceptual cues. Wang et al. (5) asked 50 participants to learn biographical information (name, age, marital status, occupation, city of residence, and the appearance of their house as presented in a photograph) about four fictitious people over 2 d of training. On the third day, participants completed an fMRI experiment in which they were shown images of the four people’s faces (pictured from different viewpoints with respect to the training), their names (written in a different font and color), their houses (pictured from different viewpoints), and images of objects associated with their occupation. Multimodal representations of … [↵][1]1Email: anzellot{at}mit.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Cause-specific neonatal mortality of white-tailed deer in Wisconsin, USA

Species’ population dynamics are tied to neonatal survival. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn survival varies according to spatially explicit patterns of natural (e.g., starvation, predation) and human-caused mortalities (e.g., vehicle collision). Our objective was to compare fawn survival under different, though representative, ecological conditions in Wisconsin USA. We identified 2 ecologically distinct study areas: the northern forest (NF) and the eastern farmland (EF). Beginning in May (2011–2013), we fitted fawns in both areas with radio-collars and tracked their survival daily until 31 August of the capture year. We obtained daily weather data for each study area to model weather effects on survival. We captured 89 (NF), and 139 (EF) fawns, and observed 42 (NF) and 43 (EF) mortalities. Predation mortality was higher than other mortality causes in the NF, and mortality due to natural causes other than predation was higher for fawns in the EF. Female fawns had higher survival than males, and fawns in 2011 in the NF had lower survival than fawns in 2012 or 2013. During the first 40 days of life, occurrence of precipitation associated with a threefold increase in daily hazard of death in the EF, but effects of daily low temperatures were trivial. In the NF, precipitation had little effect, but a decrease in daily low temperature by 0.56°C increased the daily hazard of mortality by 5%. Because risks facing fawns vary with ecological context, understanding specific factors that affect fawn survival is important for predicting local outcomes of white-tailed deer management. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Apolipoprotein E: the resilience gene

The apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene has been implicated in various conditions, most notably Alzheimer's disease and coronary artery disease. A predisposing role of the apoE4 isoform and a protective role of apoE2 isoform in those diseases have been documented. Here we investigated the role of apoE in resilience to trauma. Three hundred and forty-three US veterans were genotyped for apoE and were assessed for their lifetime trauma exposure (trauma score, T) and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PCL). The ratio PCL/T indicates sensitivity to trauma; hence, its inverse indicates resilience, R, to trauma. We found a significantly higher resilience in participants with apoE genotype containing the E2 allele (E2/2, E2/3) as compared to participants with the E4 allele (E4/4, E4/3). In addition, when the categorical apoE genotype was reexpressed as the number of cysteine residues per apoE mole (CysR/mole), a highly significant positive association was found between resilience and CysR/mole, such that resilience was systematically higher as the number of CysR/mole increased, from zero CysR/mole in E4/4 to four CysR/mole in E2/2. These findings demonstrate the protective role of the CysR/mole apoE in resilience to trauma: the more CysR/mole, the higher the resilience. Thus, they are in accord with other findings pointing to a generally protective role of increasing number of CysR/mole (from E4/4 to E2/2) in other diseases. However, unlike other conditions (e.g., Alzheimer's disease and coronary artery disease), resilience to trauma is not a disease but an adaptive response to trauma. Therefore, the effects of apoE seem to be more pervasive along the CysR/mole continuum, most probably reflecting underlying effects on brain synchronicity and its variability that we have documented previously (Leuthold et al., Exp Brain Res 226:525-536, 2013).
Lipidomic Evaluation of Feline Neurologic Disease after AAV Gene Therapy.

GM1 gangliosidosis is a fatal lysosomal disorder, for which there is no effective treatment. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy in GM1 cats has resulted in a greater than 6-fold increase in lifespan, with many cats remaining alive at >5.7 years of age, with minimal clinical signs. Glycolipids are the principal storage product in GM1 gangliosidosis whose pathogenic mechanism is not completely understood. Targeted lipidomics analysis was performed to better define disease mechanisms and identify markers of disease progression for upcoming clinical trials in humans. 36 sphingolipids and subspecies associated with ganglioside biosynthesis were tested in the cerebrospinal fluid of untreated GM1 cats at a humane endpoint (∼8 months), AAV-treated GM1 cats (∼5 years old), and normal adult controls. In untreated GM1 cats, significant alterations were noted in 16 sphingolipid species, including gangliosides (GM1 and GM3), lactosylceramides, ceramides, sphingomyelins, monohexosylceramides, and sulfatides. Variable degrees of correction in many lipid metabolites reflected the efficacy of AAV gene therapy. Sphingolipid levels were highly predictive of neurologic disease progression, with 11 metabolites having a coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.75. Also, a specific detergent additive significantly increased the recovery of certain lipid species in cerebrospinal fluid samples. This report demonstrates the methodology and utility of targeted lipidomics to examine the pathophysiology of lipid storage disorders.
Listen before you leap: Sri Lankan health professionals' perspectives on m-health.

Given the increasingly widespread use of mobile phones in the developing world, the application of this technology for healthcare (also referred to as m-health) has tremendous potential. However, t...
Social Mechanisms for Weight-related Behaviors among Emerging Adults.

Objective The purpose of this research was to qualitatively assess young people's perceptions about how friends' impact eating and physical activity (PA) behaviors. Methods Emerging adults (N=52; mean age=18.7±0.6 years; 50% female) attending a large 4-year college campus in the southwest were enrolled in focus groups (N=10). Following saturation, the research team met to establish consensus and co-create a codebook from which two researchers independently coded each focus group. Coders continually discussed themes to ensure consistency of coding. Results Initially, youth reported that their friends' did not influence their eating/PA. The major social facilitators identified by students were encouragement, social cues, celebrations, shared experiences, pressure. Conclusion Several social facilitators impacted eating and PA. These factors should be considered when designing obesity interventions with emerging adults.
Spectrophotometric and Mass Spectroscopic Methods for the Quantification and Kinetic Evaluation of In Vitro c-di-GMP Synthesis

The expression and activity of diguanylate cyclase (DGC) and phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzymes are responsible for modulating and maintaining the intracellular concentration of the bacterial second messenger cyclic diguanosine-monophosphate (c-di-GMP). Here, we describe an in vitro method for the spectrophotometric detection and quantification of DGC catalyzed c-di-GMP synthesis through adaptation of the EnzChek® Pyrophosphate Assay Kit. We also outline a method for the quantification of c-di-GMP produced in this in vitro reaction using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). These methods can be leveraged for a number of experimental applications including the evaluation of enzyme activity for the in vitro synthesis of c-di-GMP, examination of how molecular signals impact these activities, identifying the catalytic properties of hybrid DGC-PDE proteins, and the development of DGC inhibitors.
Distinguishing Embryos from Non-embryos

This chapter considers several techniques recently developed to obtain human pluripotent stem cells, without, apparently, disaggregating human embryos: reprogramming somatic cells (to obtain induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells), altered nuclear transfer combined with oocyte-assisted reprogramming, and parthenogenesis (naturally occurring or chemically activated). On what basis can one determine whether a product of a reproductive technique is a human embryo or not? This chapter proposes a criterion: does the entity produced have the genetic–epigenetic state, and overall organization, such that it will develop itself to the mature stage of a human organism (an organism with a brain that can provide experience suitable to be the substrate of conceptual thought), provided a suitable environment and nutrition? This chapter briefly defends that criterion and applies it to various types of biological entities.
Combined Sign Coherent Factor and Delay Multiply and Sum Beamformer for Plane Wave Imaging

Plane wave imaging is a relatively new technique in ultrasound imaging. However, in traditional methods, the coherent information of different emissions and different elements are not considered. In fact, the sign coherent factor (SCF) can improve the lateral resolution of the imaging greatly. In addition, the delay multiply and sum (DMAS) beamformer is mainly based on the spatial correlation of background scattering signals, it has higher contrast and resolution, but suffers from energy loss at great depths. In this paper, combining the advantages of SCF and DMAS, the sign coherent factor delay multiply and sum (SCF-DMAS) beamformer for plane wave imaging is proposed. Unlike the traditional plane wave imaging, the proposed SCF-DMAS beamformer is based on the 2-D echo data set, which improves the imaging speed greatly. Finally, we simulated the point targets and the cyst phantom to evaluate the performance of proposed method. Compared with the traditional plane wave imaging, the lateral resolution of SCF-DMAS beamformer improves greatly for the point targets, and for the cyst phantom the contrast ratio (CR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) increased by 96.97 and by 79.98% respectively without reducing the frame rate.
Feasibility of robotic exoskeleton ambulation in a C4 person with incomplete spinal cord injury: a case report

To determine whether an individual with C4 incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) with limited hand functions can effectively operate a powered exoskeleton (Ekso) to improve parameters of physical activity as determined by swing-time, up-time, walk-time, and total number of steps. A 21-year-old male with incomplete chronic (>1 year postinjury) SCI C4, participated in a clinical exoskeleton program to determine the feasibility of standing up and walking with limited hand functions. The participant was invited to attend 3 sessions including fitting, familiarization and gait training separated by one week intervals. Walk-time, up-time and total number of steps were measured during each training session. A complete body composition assessment using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the spine, knees and hips was conducted before training. Using a platform walker and cuffing both hands, the participant managed to stand up and ambulate successfully using exoskeleton. Over the course of 2 weeks, maximum walk-time increased from 7 to 17 min and number of steps increased from 83 to 589 steps. The total up-time increased from 19 to 31 min. Exoskeleton training may be a safe and feasible approach for persons with higher levels of SCI after effectively providing a supportive assistive device for weight shifting. The current case study demonstrates the use of a powered exoskeleton for an individual with high level tetraplegia (C4 and above) and limited hand functions.
Modeling the contributions of calcium channels and NMDA receptor channels to calcium current in dendritic spines

A model of a dentate granule cell that explicitly included all dendritic spines was used to explore the relative contributions of voltage-gated calcium channels and NMDA receptor channels to calcium influx in dendritic spines following tetanic stimulation. Up to 10 T, N, or L calcium channels were placed in each dendritic spine. It was found that calcium currents through calcium channels in spines had a much shorter duration than the NMDA calcium current, except for T channels, and had an amplitude that was in many cases comparable in magnitude to the NMDA calcium current.
Educational Innovation Brief: Educating Graduate Nursing Students on Value Based Purchasing

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implemented value-based purchasing to raise the bar on quality care and patient satisfaction in healthcare facilities. The time has come to educate graduate nursing students on the reality of quality indicators and the impact that advanced practice nurses will have on these initiatives. This educational brief describes implementation of an educational session developed for graduate nursing students on VBP and the APN role. The content for the education was derived from an extensive literature review, The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing, and the clinical experience of the author. The education was presented to 12 Master’s in nursing students utilizing a presentation with a pre-/post-test, followed by a question and answer session. Pre/post test scores showed an average increase in mean score of 17 points. Students’ enthusiasm indicated that the content would be of benefit to them as they transitioned to the APN role. Consistent with The Essentials of Master’s Education in Nursing, specific to Essential III (Quality Improvement and Safety), it is recommended that current quality initiatives specific in the APN role be integrated into the curriculum. Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge Judy Murphy Phd, RN, CNE and Cynthia Padula, Phd, RN CNS for all their guidance and collaboration in the development of this educational brief. Table of
Young's modulus and hardness of human trabecular bone with bisphosphonate treatment durations up to 20 years.

Bone modulus from patients with osteoporosis treated with bisphosphonates for 1 to 20 years was analyzed. Modulus increases during the first 6 years of treatment and remains unchanged thereafter. Bisphosphonates are widely used for treating osteoporosis, but the relationship between treatment duration and bone quality is unclear. Since material properties partially determine bone quality, the present study quantified the relationship between human bone modulus and hardness with bisphosphonate treatment duration. Iliac crest bone samples from a consecutive case series of 86 osteoporotic Caucasian women continuously treated with oral bisphosphonates for 1.1–20 years were histologically evaluated to assess bone turnover and then tested using nanoindentation. Young’s modulus and hardness were measured and related to bisphosphonate treatment duration by statistical modeling. All bone samples had low bone turnover. Statistical models showed that with increasing bisphosphonate treatment duration, modulus and hardness increased, peaked, and plateaued. These models used quadratic terms to model modulus increases from 1 to 6 years of bisphosphonate treatment and linear terms to model modulus plateaus from 6 to 20 years of treatment. The treatment duration at which the quadratic–linear transition (join point) occurred also depended upon trabecular location. Hardness increased and peaked at 12.4 years of treatment; it remained constant for the next 7.6 years of treatment and was insensitive to trabecular location. Bone modulus increases with bisphosphonate treatment durations up to 6 years, no additional modulus increases occurred after 6 years of treatment. Although hardness increased, peaked at 12.4 years and remained constant for the next 7.6 years of BP treatment, the clinical relevance of hardness remains unclear.
Tachycardia with alternating pacemaker spikes: Is it pacemaker malfunction?

Abstract A 67 year old female with diabetes mellitus type 2, chronic kidney disease, ischemic cardiomyopathy, status post biventricular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator presented to the Heart Failure clinic for routine follow up with a tachycardia with alternating pacemaker spikes.
Quality improvement in gynecologic oncology: Current successes and future promise

Quality improvement in healthcare has accelerated over the past two decades, including in gynecologic oncology. Improvements have been made on a practice, institution, system and national scale, and efforts have focused on improving safety, efficiency, and cost of care. Gynecologic oncology practitioners ought to engage in this work to improve patient outcomes, comply with federal regulation, and continue to meet required educational requirements of training programs. In gynecologic oncology there are already many examples of successful quality improvement initiatives that have resulted in improved patient care, including the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery programs, reduction in blood transfusion, and increases in guideline adherent cancer care. Quality improvement methodology is born out of industrial engineering and includes Six Sigma and Lean; both are frameworks for implementing quality improvement as a process and can be adopted in healthcare settings to achieve the desired outcomes. Six Sigma is a system that aims to have a 99.9997% defect free process, and uses the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) framework to guide stakeholders in their work. Lean is a concept aimed at reducing waste in process. Regardless of methodology used, the most important aspect of successful quality improvement is the use of change-management theory to achieve stakeholder buy-in and institutional participation. The physician champion is a key element to this. Finally, once a project has been completed, successfully or not, it is important to disseminate the experience. This will allow for adoption and replication in other institutions. It also can serve as a mechanism for academic recognition and advancement. Quality improvement is an important and growing field in medicine, and has an important role in the future of gynecologic oncology.
Automatic breast segmentation in digital mammography using a convolutional neural network

Digital mammography (DM) has been considered as the primary modality for breast cancer screening. The relative amount of breast fibroglandular tissue, referred to as percent breast density (PD), has been considered as an important factor associated with breast cancer. We have developed and tested a robust method to accurately segment the pectoral muscle and the breast area using a deep learning approach. We use a U-Net architecture with a ResNet decoder to increase the depth of features. The architecture is trained using 555 DM images and tested and validated on an independent set of 555 images. The results show that our network achieves an average and standard deviation dice coefficient of 94.86% ± 1.93%, respectively, and sensitivity of 96.31% ± 1.87%. The method present here can be considered as the first step toward the automatic estimation of PD.
Psychiatric Comorbidity and Outcomes After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation for End-Stage Heart Failure

Abstract Background Psychiatric comorbidities play a key role in patient selection for left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), but their impact on clinical outcomes is unknown. Objectives The goal of this study was to examine the clinical impact of psychiatric illness on outcomes in patients receiving LVADs for end-stage heart failure (HF). Methods The study identified adults in the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support with psychiatric comorbidities (history of alcohol abuse, drug use, narcotic dependence, depression, and other major psychiatric diagnoses) receiving continuous-flow LVADs from 2008 to 2017. Demographic characteristics, survival, adverse events, and quality of life scores were compared for patients with and without each psychiatric comorbidity. Results Over the study period, the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities was low: alcohol abuse, n = 1,093 (5.5%); drug use, n = 1,077 (5.4%); narcotic dependence, n = 96 (0.5%); depression, n = 401 (2.0%); and other major psychiatric illnesses, n = 265 (1.4%). Narcotic dependence (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.2 to 3.0; p = 0.004) and other major psychiatric illnesses (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.0 to 1.9; p = 0.02) were associated with increased risk of mortality, whereas alcohol abuse, drug use, and depression were not. All comorbidities except narcotic dependence were associated with increased risk of rehospitalization and device-related infection (both p Conclusions Despite a low prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities among LVAD recipients, these conditions were associated with mortality risk, adverse events, and poorer quality of life. Further study is needed to understand how specific psychiatric conditions affect outcomes and how to best manage this vulnerable patient population.
Practice Habits, Knowledge, and Attitudes of Hepatologists to Alcohol Use Disorder Medication: Sobering Gaps and Opportunities.

The prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol-associated liver disease is increasing in the United States. Efficacious AUD pharmacotherapies, while available, are, for protean reasons, underutilized. Hepatology providers may be in a position to bridge the pharmacotherapeutic gap between availability and utilization of AUD pharmacotherapies. Our aim was to ascertain the current practice, knowledge and attitudes of hepatology physicians in the United States, and identify opportunities on how to increase AUD medication prescribing. Methods A web-based survey, developed by an expert panel, was administered to hepatology physicians working at all transplant centers in the United States. Results The survey response rate was 131/658 (20%). There was significant support (two-thirds of respondents) for hepatology providers prescribing AUD medications; however, only 1 in 4 was comfortable prescribing these medications. The majority felt additional education is needed to prescribe AUD medications. The practice of hepatology providers prescribing AUD medications is common, with >50% of respondents having done so. Baclofen was the most popular medication prescribed. Hepatology providers perceived suboptimal ancillary addiction services. Although AUD prescribers had higher rates of AUD pharmacotherapy knowledge compared with nonprescribers, approximately 50% still had inadequate knowledge. Conclusions AUD medication prescribing is a common practice among hepatology providers who appear eager to increase this practice through more education as they attempt to bridge the pharmacotherapeutic gap. This informative survey provides guidance for professional societies on how best to disseminate the requisite education required to optimize the care of patients with AUD.
Physicochemical Factors That Influence the Biocompatibility of Cationic Liposomes and Their Ability to Deliver DNA to the Nuclei of Ovarian Cancer SK-OV-3 Cells

Cationic liposomes composed of 3-[N-(N’,N’-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol (DC-chol) and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) have previously been shown to have applications in gene delivery. Our study aims to explore the effects of inclusion of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and using different molar ratios of DC-chol/DOPE on size, zeta potential, cytotoxicity and DNA delivery of DC-chol/DOPE liposomes. Our results show that PEGylation reduces the cytotoxicity of DC-chol/DOPE liposomes, and, furthermore, PEGylated liposome-DNA lipoplexes are smaller in size and more uniform in size distribution than those that are not PEGylated. Additionally, toxicity against ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells decreases with the amount of cationic DC-chol present in the formulation; however, decreased delivery of DNA to cellular nuclei is also observed. Transfection with the PEGylated liposomes was successfully demonstrated using plasmid DNA with a known functional outcome. These results offer further insight into physicochemical properties important for cationic liposomes as vehicles for DNA delivery and demonstrate the potential of PEGylated DC-chol/DOPE liposomes as systemic delivery carriers for DNA-mediated ovarian cancer therapy.
P2S5 Reactive Flux Method for the Rapid Synthesis of Mono- and Bimetallic 2D Thiophosphates M2-xM'xP2S6.

We report a reactive flux technique using the common reagent P2S5 and metal precursors developed to circumvent the synthetic bottleneck for producing high-quality single- and mixed-metal two-dimensional (2D) thiophosphate materials. For the monometallic compound, M2P2S6 (M = Ni, Fe, and Mn), phase-pure materials were quickly synthesized and annealed at 650 °C for 1 h. Crystals of dimensions of several millimeters were grown for some of the metal thiophosphates using optimized heating profiles. The homogeneity of the bimetallic thiophosphates MM'P2S6 (M, M' = Ni, Fe, and Mn) was elucidated using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Rietveld refinement. The quality of the selected materials was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements. We report two novel bimetallic thiophosphates, MnCoP2S6 and FeCoP2S6. The Ni2P2S6 and MnNiP2S6 flux reactions were monitored in situ using variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction to understand the formation reaction pathways. The phases were directly formed in a single step at approximately 375 °C. The work functions of the semiconducting materials were determined and ranged from 5.28 to 5.72 eV.
Adsorption of urease as part of a complex protein mixture onto soil and its implications for enzymatic activity

Abstract Understanding adsorption of important proteins as part of a complex protein mixture onto surfaces such as soil is critical for numerous environmental applications. In this study, we investigated the adsorption of urease as part of a total bacterial protein extract from Sporosarcina pasteurii onto soil mixtures, including sand and silt, and the resulting enzymatic activity. Proteomics analysis of the proteomes revealed that larger proteins were preferentially adsorbed onto the soil surfaces regardless of the type of soil; the median molecular weight of the proteins over-represented in the supernatant and soil fractions were 29.4 kDa and 36.6 kDa, respectively. In addition, the majority of total ureases (86.2–97.2%) was present in the soil fractions of soil mixtures containing silt. Adsorbed urease exhibited enzymatic activity up to 0.2 U/mg protein in the soil fractions at a substrate concentration of 1.67 mM. Additionally, urease activity in the soil correlated with the total amount of protein adsorbed and the amounts of adsorbed urease. Although the soil-adsorbed urease retained measurable activity, an overall loss of activity was observed in all samples. Understanding the dynamics of protein adsorption onto soil surfaces can aid in improved designs for engineering applications that utilize enzymatic activities.
Transitive Models of Set Theory

Let E be a binary relation over a class M. We call 𝔐 = (M, E)* a model (of the language of set theory), and define, for every formula φ (x 1,..., x n ), $$\varphi ({a_1},...,{a_n})\quad ({a_1},...,{a_n} \in {\rm M})$$ (10.1)
Commonly used rat strains

It is critical that genetically defined animals be used in immunological studies so that data can be adequately compared both within and between strains to examine the genetic effects on the phenomena being studied. This appendix lists some of the most commonly used rat strains and their immunogenetic properties.
Women, Law, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Early Harford County

Martha Griffith filed suit in 1794 against the executors of her late husband's estate. His will had left her a large, waterfront plantation on Swan Creek for the remainder of her life, but she wanted more. The suit demanded a large share of the family's working capital, specifically, livestock, supplies, farm equipment, and the slave labor force that made plantations prosperous in those times. The people and property involved in this case were for the most part members of a closely knit Harford County community, but the legal battle and its outcome had some larger implications.The decision in Griffith v. Griffith's Executors, rendered by the General Court and affirmed by the Court of Appeals, constitutes a significant piece of the legal history of early America. First, it re-established the undisputed rights of Maryland widows to a share of both the real and personal property of their deceased husbands. Second, it forced leading judges and lawyers in Maryland to undertake a deep historical and logical analysis of the authority of British legal precedents. What law would apply in cases where post-Revolutionary Maryland legislation was unclear? Third, the judgment silently affirmed that slaves in Maryland fell under the regime of personal property with respect to inheritance.The events surrounding the suit are particularly revealing of how law in action affected women with respect to inheritance and property. Despite many inequalities that affected women under the old common law in early Maryland, women had a dear legal right to own property and to use the courts of law to secure their rights, A widow's right to a reasonable share of her husband's property extended back into Anglo-Saxon times, and was one of the guarantees written into the Magna Carta. "Dower" is the old common law name for a widow's share. Customarily dower consisted of the use of and profit from one third of the deceased husband's real estate for the widow's lifetime, and one third of his personal estate after his debts were paid, But dower could also be fixed by a formal agreement.