cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Near-Fatal Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in a Child with Medulloblastoma on High Dose Dexamethasone

A four-year-old female was admitted to a university-based children's hospital with a newly-diagnosed posterior fossa tumor. She was started on famotidine and high-dose dexamethasone and underwent gross total resection of a medulloblastoma. She was continued on dexamethasone and famotidine. She exhibited postoperative posterior fossa syndrome and was started on enteral feeds via the nasoduodenal tube. She had small gastrointestinal bleeds on postoperative days eight, 11, and 18, and was found to have a well-circumscribed posterior duodenal ulcer. On postoperative day 19, she suffered a massive life-threatening gastrointestinal bleed requiring aggressive resuscitation with blood products. She required an emergent laparotomy due to ongoing blood loss and she was found to have posterior duodenal wall erosion into her gastroduodenal artery. She recovered and subsequently began delayed chemotherapy. This case demonstrates a rare and life-threatening complication of high-dose dexamethasone therapy in the setting of posterior fossa pathology despite stress ulcer prophylaxis. We present a historical perspective with the review of the association between duodenal and intracranial pathology and the usage of high-dose dexamethasone in such cases.
Estimation of tile drainage contribution to streamflow and nutrient loads at the watershed scale based on continuously monitored data.

Nitrogen losses from artificially drained watersheds degrade water quality at local and regional scales. In this study, we used an end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) together with high temporal resolution water quality and streamflow data collected in the 122 km2 Otter Creek watershed located in northeast Iowa. We estimated the contribution of three end-members (groundwater, tile drainage, and quick flow) to streamflow and nitrogen loads and tested several combinations of possible nitrate concentrations for the end-members. Results indicated that subsurface tile drainage is responsible for at least 50% of the watershed nitrogen load between April 15 and November 1, 2015. Tiles delivered up to 80% of the stream N load while providing only 15-43% of the streamflow, whereas quick flows only marginally contributed to N loading. Data collected offer guidance about areas of the watershed that should be targeted for nitrogen export mitigation strategies.
Realizability of Graphs and Linkages

We show that deciding whether a graph with given edge lengths can be realized by a straight-line drawing has the same complexity as deciding the truth of sentences in the existential theory of the real numbers, ETR; we introduce the class \(\exists \mathbb{R}\) that captures the computational complexity of ETR and many other problems. The graph realizability problem remains \(\exists \mathbb{R}\)-complete if all edges have unit length, which implies that recognizing unit distance graphs is \(\exists \mathbb{R}\)-complete. We also consider the problem for linkages: In a realization of a linkage, vertices are allowed to overlap and lie on the interior of edges. Linkage realizability is \(\exists \mathbb{R}\)-complete and remains so if all edges have unit length. A linkage is called rigid if any slight perturbation of its vertices that does not break the linkage (i.e., keeps edge lengths the same) is the result of a rigid motion of the plane. Testing whether a configuration is not rigid is \(\exists \mathbb{R}\)-complete.
Improving Resiliency in Healthcare Employees.

Objectives The high prevalence of stress at the workplace has been well documented; however, few studies have investigated the efficacy of worksite resiliency programs. Therefore, the objec- tive of this project was to examine the impact of a worksite resilience training program on improving resiliency and health behaviors in healthcare employees. Methods Between 2012 and 2016, 137 adult wellness center members of a healthcare institution participating in a single-arm cohort study of a 12-week resiliency training program were assessed at baseline, end of intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Results Statistically significant (p ≤ .01) improvements were seen at the end of the intervention and extending to 3 months follow-up for resiliency, perceived stress, anxiety level, quality of life, and health behaviors. Conclusions These results support the premise that worksite programs designed to improve resiliency in healthcare employees have efficacy in improving resiliency, quality of life and health behaviors. Given the importance of stress and burnout in healthcare employees, future randomized studies are warranted to determine more clearly the impacts of this type of resiliency intervention for improving the wellness of healthcare workers.
Patterns of Treatment Failure in Patients with Sinonasal Mucosal Melanoma

Head and neck mucosal melanoma is a locally aggressive tumor with a high recurrence rate. The paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity are the most common primary tumor sites. The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify independent predictors of outcome in sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) and characterize the patterns of treatment failure. This study included 198 patients with SNMM who had been treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1 January 1991 through 31 December 2016. The survival outcomes included overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival. A stepwise regression analysis was used to assess associations in the multivariate models. The 5-year OS, DSS, and DFS rates were 38, 58, and 27%, respectively. Independent predictors of poor OS and DSS were the paranasal sinuses as the primary tumor site [hazard ratio (HR) 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–2.66; and HR 2.12, 95% CI 1.21–3.74, respectively] and the presence of distant metastases at presentation (HR 4.53, 95% CI 2.24–7.83; and HR 3.6, 95% CI 1.12–7.1). Recurrence occurred in 96 patients (48%). The most common cause of treatment failure was distant metastasis in 69 of 198 patients (35%), followed by local [36 (18%)] and regional [22 (11%)] recurrence. The most common cause of treatment failure in SNMM is distant metastasis. The tumor site and the presence of metastatic disease at presentation were the only independent predictors of survival. These data can be used to inform quality improvement efforts and the counseling of high-risk SNMM patients.
The vesicular stomatitis virus-based Ebola virus vaccine: From concept to clinical trials.

ABSTRACTThe devastating Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic in West Africa in 2013–2016 accelerated the progress of several vaccines and antivirals through clinical trials, including the replication-compet...
Views of Metaphor

Any theory of metaphor will necessarily involve assumptions and implications about the nature of language and the nature of literal and metaphorical speech, some of which we saw in the first chapter. Accord?ingly, I have classified the major writers on metaphor into groups based on their view of the role metaphor plays in language and on what they believe understanding metaphor involves. Since Black’s analysis in 1962, there have been far too many articles written on metaphor for them all to be examined here; we will concentrate instead on some of the major and more influential approaches.
Multi-institutional analysis of independent predictors for burn mortality in the United States

Previous reports individually identified different factors that predict death after burns. The authors employed the multi-center American Burn Association’s (ABA) National Burn Repository (NBR) to elucidate which parameters have the highest negative impact on burn mortality. We audited data from the NBR v8.0 for the years 2002–2011 and included 137,061 patients in our study. The cases were stratified into two cohorts based on the primary outcome of death/survival and then evaluated for demographic data, intraoperative details, and their morbidity after admission. A multivariable regression analysis aimed to identify independent risk factors associated with mortality. A total of 3.3% of patients in this analysis did not survive their burn injuries. Of those, 52.0% expired within 7 days after admission. Patients in the mortality cohort were of older age (p < 0.001), more frequently female (p < 0.001), and had more pre-existing comorbidities (p < 0.001). Total body surface area (TBSA), inhalation injury, hospitalization time, and occurrence of complications were higher compared to survivors (p < 0.001). Lack of insurance (odds ratio (OR) = 1.84, confidence interval (CI) 1.38–2.46), diabetes (OR = 1.24, CI 1.01–1.53), any complication (OR = 4.09, CI 3.27–5.12), inhalation injury (OR = 3.84, CI 3.38–4.36), and the need for operative procedures (OR = 2.60, CI 2.20–3.08) were the strongest independent contributors to mortality after burns (p < 0.001). Age (OR = 1.07, CI 1.06–1.07) and TBSA (OR = 1.09, CI 1.09–1.09) were significant on a continuous scale (p < 0.001) while overall comorbidities were not a statistical risk factor. Uninsured status, inhalation injury, in-hospital complications, and operative procedures were the strongest mortality predictors after burns. Since most fatal outcomes (52.0%) occur within 7 days after injury, physicians and medical staff need to be aware of these risk factors upon patient admission to a burn center.
Essential Simplices in Persistent Homology and Subtle Admixture Detection

We introduce a robust mathematical definition of the notion of essential elements in a basis of the homology space and prove that these elements are unique. Next we give a novel visualization of the essential elements of the basis of the homology space through a rainfall-like plot (RFL). This plot is data-centric, i.e., is associated with the individual samples of the data, as opposed to the structure-centric barcodes of persistent homology. The proof-of-concept was tested on data generated by SimRA that simulates different admixture scenarios. We show that the barcode analysis can be used not just to detect the presence of admixture but also estimate the number of admixed populations. We also demonstrate that data-centric RFL plots have the potential to further disentangle the common history into admixture events and relative timing of the events, even in very complex scenarios.
“I WISH SOMEONE COULD TELL ME HOW IT FEELS (TO DIE)”: COMMUNICATION ABOUT DEATH AND DYING IN ASSISTED LIVING

Assisted living (AL) is increasingly a site of death, and anxiety about dying has been identified in long-term care residents, their families, and their care staff. Communication about end of life (EOL) in AL has been scripted largely in terms of advanced-care planning and post-death memorialization rather than the dying process itself. To address a gap in knowledge related to desired types of communication, we present a thematic analysis of data from in-depth interviews with 161 participants and 1,098 site visits at 4 diverse AL communities participating in a 5-year NIA-funded study (End-of-Life in Assisted Living: Links between Structure, Process, and Outcomes, R01AG047408-01A1). Interview participants included: 73 residents (mean age 86, 63% female, 62% white), 51 professional caregivers (71% female, 31% white), and 37 informal caregivers (72% female, 72% white). Residents were at least 85 years of age, had multiple chronic conditions, were diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, and/or used hospice. Participants revealed an array of communication behaviors related to resident death and dying (e.g., information seeking, topic avoidance, deflection through jokes). Tensions emerged when there were differences in levels of desire to talk about death and EOL among residents, informal caregivers, and staff. We present a typology of communication styles and delineate areas of participant concordance and discordance, with implications for reducing death anxiety and improving EOL services and supports in AL.
Effect of acute administration of Momordica charantia fruit extracts on blood glucose levels of normoglycemic rats

Traditional medicinal systems purport that the fruit and leaves of Momordica charantia (MC), also known as cerasse or bitter melon, has antidiabetic properties. The objective of this study was to e...
The z Transform

The z transform is to discrete-time systems what the Laplace transform is to continuous-time systems. For instance, the relationship between the input and output of a discrete-time system involves multiplication of the appropriate z transforms, rather than convolution as for the signals themselves. Poles and zeros can be defined from the z transform and have the same useful role and intuitive appeal as for continuous-time systems. And finally, the frequency response of the system is readily derived from the z transform and can be related to an appropriately defined Fourier transform.
Genomic dose response: Successes, challenges, and next steps

Abstract In recent years, there has been evolution in toxicogenomics from a tool for mechanistic inquiry based on patterns of transcriptional response to one that is more focused on assessment of biological potency (i.e. genomic dose response [GDR]). This evolution is born of several factors including a growing familiarity with the technology, the pioneering work by members of the community that demonstrated the concordance between transcriptomic potency assessments in short-term in vivo studies and those from guideline studies, together with the drive for increased productivity in the risk assessment process. Despite 10 years of GDR research, methods for data analysis, model systems, and the general philosophy shaping GDR approaches continue to evolve. Herein, we will discuss where the GDR-based assessments have demonstrated the prospect of utility in decision-making, the current unresolved issues, and uncertainties that will need to be resolved before we can fully gauge the utility of the approach and where they can provide value. Finally, we consider directions where the science will evolve and how the GDR assessment can potentially become a more complete hazard characterization tool with robust utility for scientific and safety decision makers and contribute to the risk assessment process.
Exotic branes from del Pezzo surfaces

We revisit a correspondence between toroidal compactifications of M-theory and del Pezzo surfaces, in which rational curves on the del Pezzo are related to $\frac{1}{2}$-BPS branes of the corresponding compactification. We argue that curves of higher genus correspond to nongeometric backgrounds of the M-theory compactifications, which are related to exotic branes. In particular, the number of ``special directions'' of the exotic brane is equal to the genus of the corresponding curve. In addition to predicting three new nongeometric backgrounds, we discuss a relation between addition of curves in the del Pezzo and the brane polarization effect.
EBV positive extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma presenting as intestinal lymphoma- A diagnostic challenge

Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes aggressive natural killer (NK)-cell leukemia and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type as Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) associated lymphoproliferative disorders that may have overlapping features and must be distinguished from other T-cell lymphomas. A 35-year-old Hispanic female presented with fever of unknown origin, hemolysis and pancytopenia. Bone marrow biopsy with flow cytometry was negative for malignancy. Jejunal resection was performed due to concern for perforation and demonstrated a high-grade lymphoid neoplasm. Immunohistochemical stains showed that the neoplastic cells are positive for CD3, CD30, CD56 and cytotoxic markers Granzyme and TIA-1. EBV encoded RNA (EBER) was strongly positive in neoplastic cells. The location and immunophenotype first raised consideration of intestinal T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (NOS). However, EBER positivity is characteristic of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type involving the small bowel. The patient soon expired and autopsy demonstrated hepatosplenomegaly with scattered nodules of necrosis with neoplastic cells morphologically similar to those in the jejunum and involving the hepatic sinusoids and splenic red pulp. Overlapping morphology and immunophenotype, lack of specific cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities makes the diagnosis of EBV associated extranodal NK/T cell leukemia/lymphomas challenging. EBER studies are mandatory to differentiate from Intestinal T cell lymphoma NOS. Early diagnosis of this aggressive malignancy is crucial in expediting appropriate treatment.
Epidemiology of Ankle Sprains and Chronic Ankle Instability.

Objective To provide a focused overview of the existing literature on the epidemiology of acute ankle sprains (lateral, medial, and high/syndesmotic) with an emphasis on incidence studies from the ...
The Influence of In-Group Membership on Trust in Health-Care Professionals in Kazakhstan.

Background:Trust in providers is key to positive health outcomes. However, perceptions of trust in health-care professionals can vary by population. Factors beyond the immediate behaviors of health...
A general approach to multicomponent metal-decorated crumpled reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites using a flame-based process

We introduce a general approach for synthesizing multicomponent metal-decorated crumpled reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites using a one-step, continuous flame-based process. Crumpled reduced graphene oxide balls (CGB) were produced from graphene oxide (GO) in a High Temperature Reducing Jet (HTRJ) reactor. Moreover, CGBs were simultaneously decorated with different transition metal nanoparticles, including cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), and palladium (Pd). Various metal alloy-decorated crumpled reduced graphene oxide balls (M-CGBs) including CoPd-, CoNi-, CoPdNi-, and CoNiFe-CGBs were successfully synthesized using a general recipe. The key advantage of the HTRJ system over common flame-based aerosol synthesis methods is the separation of flame and product formation zones, which allows production and/or reduction of nanomaterials that can be reduced by H2 in the presence of H2O. Nanomaterials are produced from aqueous precursors containing low-cost metal salts and dispersed GO. Electron microscopy and other characterization methods show the decoration of the CGBs with sub-4 nm diameter binary and ternary alloy, non-oxide transition metal nanoparticles of controlled compositions. The nanostructures made by this process can potentially be used as electrocatalysts for fuel cells, electrodes in batteries and supercapacitors, conductive inks for printed electronics, catalysts in wastewater treatment, and many other applications where a graphitized carbon-metal nanomaterial is needed.
Who should be screened for osteoporosis

Abstract Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease that has a substantial public health impact. Routine bone density testing is appropriate for women aged 65 and older. Younger postmenopausal women and older men should receive selective screening. Numerous formal risk assessment tools are available to assess osteoporosis risk and help in the selection of candidates for bone mineral density testing. The optimal frequency of bone density testing is unclear. Decisions regarding whom to screen for osteoporosis should be made in the context of comorbidity, life expectancy, and treatment burden.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, Lean, and claims-based quality databases: how does it all make sense?

Purpose of review Healthcare is rapidly evolving toward value-focused objectives, integrating outcomes and cost instead of simply volume. Concepts pertaining to Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), Lean, and claims-based risk-adjusted databases can be used to optimize value, but the application of Lean principles and risk-adjusted outcomes is poorly described in perioperative medicine in perioperative medicine. Recent findings Lean management and process optimization tools allow the consistent application of a perioperative medical framework of ERAS to improve outcomes. Vizient risk-stratified outcomes are often used by hospitals to measure and compare quality. Summary Understanding administrative databases and Lean concepts for change management will allow the perioperative physician to better align medical concepts with health system tools for improving quality and reducing cost.
Exploring dynamics of sports fan behavior using social media big data - A case study of the 2019 National Basketball Association Finals

Abstract No one can deny the importance of fans in spectator sports. Sports fans' tweets are an excellent big data source for investigating large-scale spatial-temporal dynamics of fan behavior. Using tweets related to the 2019 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors, we conducted exploratory analyses of fan behavior dynamics and validated the fan behavior theories. Several behavior patterns were identified. Peak tweeting frequencies happened near the end of each game, after key incidents, and during the daytime the following day. National identity could elevate Canadian viewers' enthusiasm for the games. States/provinces that are geographically close to the teams or have connections to key players had higher tweeting densities. Significant local hot spots of positive tweet percentages towards the Warriors were found near California, which clearly demonstrates the Warriors' fan base. Generally, a team's relative positive percentage of tweets increased after a win, decreased after a loss, and moderated by key incidents. The trends of fans' attitudes associated with the game results in Ontario were consistent with the theoretical fan behavior tendencies, including Basking in Reflected Glory (BIRGing) and blasting. The identified patterns and validated theories are transferable to other spectator sports.
Pecan-Enriched Diets Alter Cholesterol Profiles and Triglycerides in Adults at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in a Randomized, Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND Research indicates that tree nuts are cardioprotective, but studies on pecans are limited. OBJECTIVES We examined the impact of daily pecan consumption on blood lipids and glycemia in adults at-risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS This was a randomized, controlled trial where 56 adults (BMI ≥28 kg/m2 or hypercholesterolemia) were randomly allocated into a control group (n = 18) or 1 of 2 pecan groups. The ADD group (n = 16) consumed pecans (68 g) as part of a free-living diet. The SUB group (n = 18) substituted the pecans (68 g) for isocaloric foods from their diet. At baseline and 8 wk, a high-fat meal was consumed with 4-h postprandial blood draws to determine changes in blood lipids and glycemia. RESULTS There was a significant reduction from baseline to 8 wk in fasting total cholesterol (TC) (204 ± 8.76 to 195 ± 8.12; 205 ± 8.06 to 195 ± 6.94 mg/dL), LDL cholesterol (143 ± 8.09 to 129 ± 7.71; 144 ± 6.60 to 135 ± 6.16 mg/dL), triglycerides (TGs) (139 ± 12.1 to 125 ± 14.6; 133 ± 10.7 to 120 ± 10.3 mg/dL), TC/HDL cholesterol ratio (3.92 ± 0.206 to 3.58 ± 0.175; 4.08 ± 0.167 to 3.79 ± 0.151), non-HDL cholesterol (151 ± 8.24 to 140 ± 7.95; 155 ± 6.87 to 143 ± 6.00 mg/dL), and apolipoprotein B (99.1 ± 5.96 to 93.0 ± 5.35; 104 ± 3.43 to 97.1 ± 3.11 mg/dL) in the ADD and SUB groups, respectively (P ≤ 0.05 for all), with no changes in control. There was a reduction in postprandial TGs (P ≤ 0.01) in ADD, and a reduction in postprandial glucose (P < 0.05) in SUB. CONCLUSIONS Pecan consumption improves fasting and postprandial blood lipids in CVD at-risk adults. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04376632.
A covariant conservation theorem in general relativity

The transformation of the Hamilton action integral of general relativity under infinitesimal co-ordinate transformations is used to derive a tensorial conservation theorem for the gravitational field. The total gravitational field is split into two parts: a «background» field (assumed to be given) and a perturbative part. The resulting conservation theorem is exact, covariant and of the Poynting type,i.e. only first derivatives of the perturbative field appear in it.
One‐bit sigma‐delta quantization with exponential accuracy

One-bit quantization is a method of representing bandlimited signals by ±1 sequences that are computed from regularly spaced samples of these signals; as the sampling density λ ∞, convolving these one-bit sequences with appropriately chosen filters produces increasingly close approximations of the original signals. This method is widely used for analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, because it is less expensive and simpler to implement than the more familiar critical sampling followed by fine-resolution quantization. However, unlike fine-resolution quantization, the accuracy of one-bit quantization is not well-understood. A natural error lower bound that decreases like 2−λ can easily be given using information theoretic arguments. Yet, no one-bit quantization algorithm was known with an error decay estimate even close to exponential decay. In this paper, we construct an infinite family of one-bit sigma-delta quantization schemes that achieves this goal. In particular, using this family, we prove that the error signal for π-bandlimited signals is at most O(2−.07λ). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Just Who Are These “Bad Guys” Anyway? An Attempt at Redirecting Children's Aggressive Play

Twenty-four kindergarten children were observed in their classroom during several periods of free play. Particular attention was given to the occurrences of aggression in their play and the circumstances surrounding them. Different strategies were implemented in an effort to redirect the aggressive acts. Results showed a slight decline in the children's aggressive play.
Assessing Personality and Psychopathology with Projective Methods

Research findings, which are often ignored, clearly demonstrate that projective tests have value in the assessment process. This chapter addresses their value within a broad overview, incorporating projective tests and methods within a single domain. Simplified and misleading models for projective testing, such as the “blank screen” and “X-ray” models, are examined. Bias against projective testing is reviewed from an historical perspective. In response to these misunderstandings about projective testing, the chapter provides a new behavioral, response process model for projective testing. Ironically, this behavioral response processing model, in which the personality processes are inferred by comparing input versus output, is very similar to the original descriptions about projective processes offered some 70 years ago. Based on information processing and problem solving, the model integrates both content/self-expressive and structural/organizational components. In doing so, some common misperceptions about projective tests are corrected. The complexity and freedom of the projective stimulus situation and the richness and variety of the projective test responses are the foundation for the generalizability, validity, and interpretation of these tests. It follows necessarily that projective testing interpretation is synthetic and individualized so that projective tests allow one to personalize and contextualize group findings. Keywords: assessment; behavioral; process; projective; response; testing; tests
Derivation and validation of the In-hospital Mortality for PulmonAry embolism using Claims daTa (IMPACT) prediction rule.

AbstractIntroduction:Existing prediction rules for prospectively prognosticating early mortality following pulmonary embolism (PE) require clinical and/or laboratory data, and are rarely suitable for claims database analyses. We sought to develop a claims-based prediction rule that retrospectively classifies PE patients into low- or higher-risk in-hospital mortality categories.Materials and methods:We randomly assigned MarketScan database patient admitted for PE between April 2010 and September 2013 into derivation (80%) and validation (20%) cohorts. A prediction rule (In-hospital Mortality for PulmonAry embolism using Claims daTa or IMPACT) was derived using multivariable logistic regression, with in-hospital mortality as the dependent variable and demographic/comorbidity data available in claims databases as independent variables. In-hospital mortality rates for low- and higher-risk patients were compared across the derivation and validation cohorts, and prediction rule performance was assessed by evalu...
Purification of large quantities of coxiella burnetii rickettsia by density gradient zonal centrifugation.

Abstract The purification of large quantities of inactivated, phase II Coxiella burnetii by isopycnic zonal centrifugation for use as diagnostic antigen and as a vaccine is described. The fractionation of egg yolk sac-derived C. burnetii vaccine resulted in the separation of two distinct populations of organisms, each devoid of microscopically and serologically recognizable components of egg yolk sac. One population of organisms, characterized by an equilibrium density of 1.240, was rod shaped (1.0 by 0.5 μmole) with a thick, densely strained wall and prominent central body. The second population, with an equilibrium density of 1.280, had a coccobacillary shape (approximately 1 μmole in diameter), granular, sometimes fibrillar cytoplasm, thin cellular walls, and lacked a prominent nucleoid.
A Clinical Consideration of Systemic Embolism Complicated to Infective Endocarditis in Korea

OBJECTIVES Infective endocarditis is still one of the important fatal diseases in Korea, especially when systemic embolisms are supervene. So, identification of patients who are in the high risk of embolism and who can be helped by early surgical intervention is very important. Considering these, we tried to elaborate the risk factors for the systemic embolism in patients with an infective endocarditis and the influence of systemic embolism on the mortality and morbidity in patients with an infective endocarditis. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 97 patients who were admitted with the infective endocarditis between January 1983 and October 1993. RESULTS Among 97 patients, 80 patients met our diagnostic criteria. The mean age of patients was 38 years old. There were 43 males and 37 females. The mean duration of fever since the fever developed by history was 38 days. Valvular heart disease was the most frequent underlying heart disease. Mitral regurgitation and aortic regurgitation were the most common among valvular heart diseases. Pneumonia and acute pharyngotonsillitis were the most frequent predisposing factors of infective endocarditis. Blood cultures were positive in 51 patients (63.8%). Streptococcus viridans was the organism isolated most frequently, and Staphylococcus aureus was the second most frequently isolated one. Vegetations were detected in 58 patients (76.3%) by an echocardiography. Mitral valve and aortic valve were the most frequently involved incidence rate of embolism was 50% and the most frequent embolism site was the central nervous system and extremities were the next. Embolism occurred at the mean of 37 days after onset of fever. Overall in-hospital mortality rate was 26.3% and a cardiac-origin was the major cause of death. The only statistically significant risk factor for mortality was systemic embolism. The analysis of the relation between an incidence of embolism and the multivariables (age, presence of vegetation, location of vegetation, size of vegetation, causative organisms) showed that only the growth of Staphylococcus aureus had a significant trend toward a risk of subsequent systemic embolism. CONCLUSION This study suggests that systemic emboli increases the mortality rate in patients with infective endocarditis. Age of patients, presence of vegetation, size and location of vegetation are not the risk factors for embolism, while certain organism, especially Staphylococcus aureus, could be a risk factor for the systemic embolism.
Democracia en tierras indígenas: Las elecciones en Los Altos de Chiapas (1991‐1998)

Democracia en tierras indigenas: Las elecciones en Los Altos de Chiapas (1991-1998) Juan Pedro Viqueira and Willibald Sonnleitner. coordinadores (Mexico, D.F.: Centro de Irrvestigaciones. Estudios Superiores en Antropologi'a Social, Kl Colegiode Mexico, and Instituto Federal Electoral, 2000)
Application of neural networks in segmentation of range images

A Kohenen self-organizing neural-network-based approach to range image segmentation is presented. Orthogonal Zernike moments are computed locally to extract discriminatory surface features. These features are fed to a 1-D Kohonen neural network (NN) to provide final grouping pixels. Preliminary results show that NN-based clustering outperforms or at least performs as well as traditional clustering methods of segmenting range data. >
The History of Economic Thought as Intellectual History

Economic thought is a branch of intellectual history. While there is no alchemy involved in seeing the history of economics as intellectual history and although the two aspects obviously run together and are not always readily or conclusively disentangled, there are aspects of the subject which derive from it being the history of economics and aspects which derive from it being the history of ideas; aspects, that is, which reflect the nature (or differential perceptions) of the economy and aspects which reflect the impact of and assume the character of ideational systems. The general objective of this article is to suggest opportunities for creative research that flow from contemplating the history of economic thought as intellectual history. It is primarily concerned with the form rather than the content of the history of economic thought, with characteristics which inform and channel economic enquiry but represent modes of thought rather than economic analysis per se. More specifically, the article attempts to set forth some of the diverse facets that confront the historian of economic thought who considers the subject a branch of intellectual history. A second and correlative objective is to suggest a strategy of inquiry that promises to enrich both the work of the historian of economic thought and the discipline of economics.
Genetic evidence for three discrete taxa of Melampsora (Pucciniales) affecting willows (Salix spp.) in New York State

Rust fungi in the genus Melampsora (Pucciniales) are the most important pathogens of shrub willows (Salix spp.) cultivated for biomass in New York State and temperate regions worldwide. The taxonomy and species identification of these fungi historically have been problematic as they are morphologically indistinguishable on willow and often have complex life histories. Melampsora of Salix in North America, therefore, have been circumscribed to the collective species Melampsora epitea Thum. and further delineated to formae speciales by aecial host. Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) data was obtained from 75 collections/isolates of Melampsora in NY State affecting either native and cultivated Salix spp. or suspected alternate hosts. Maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP), and Bayesian (BI) analyses were conducted on three data partitions (individual and concatenated): complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and partial large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences for all collections. Analyses of the ITS and concatenated ITS-LSU sequences revealed that Melampsora on native and cultivated willows in NY State consisted of three phylogenetically delineable taxa (phylotaxa); monophyly for each phylotaxon was strongly supported by ML, MP, and BI credibility values. Phylotaxa were also delimited phylogenetically by aecial host: Alpine currant (Ribes alpinum), eastern larch (Larix laricina), or balsam fir (Abies balsamea).
Scholarly Communication in East and Southeast Asia: Traditions and Challenges

Outlines the tradition of scholarly communication in four East and Southeast Asian countries. Compares the similarities and differences in history and current conditions of research and publication practices in China, Japan, Korea, and Myanmar. Highlights challenges brought up by the advances of information and communication technologies. By analyzing existing imbalances in the development, the paper evaluates various solutions implemented or proposed by these countries. It discovers that each country has its own characteristics of scholarly communication, making the world diverse and colorful.
Development of metabolic response in male quail brain during sexual maturation

Abstract Seasonal reproductive activities of Japanese quail Coturnix japonica are induced most obviously by stimulatory effects of long-day photoperiod. This study addressed the metabolic response, as measured by 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG), in brain of male quail during sexual maturation. At 7 weeks of age, reproductively quiescent quail exposed to a short photoperiod of 6L:18D, received 2-DG on day 0 and +3, +6, +9, +12, +15 and +18 days after onset of 16L:8D. Brains were processed for autoradiography; serum testosterone was measured to indicate reproductive response to photoperiod. Circulating testosterone remained low until day 9, then rose sharply, reaching maximum levels at day 18. Heavily labeled nuclei were identified in some discrete neural pathways: both tectofugal and thalamofugal visual pathways, ascending auditory pathway, efferent vocalization pathway, and limbic structures. Metabolic activity of the terminal nucleus (ectostriatum) of the tectofugal pathway increased significantly by day 18, but in the terminal nuclei (the Wulst) of the thalamofugal visual pathway activity did not change significantly. Energy metabolism of some nuclei of the auditory pathway rose significantly by day 3, although in the vocal pathway it did not show augmentation until days 15–18. The metabolic activity of limbic structures also increased. These results suggest that, in Japanese quail, sensory nuclei and some of their integrative areas become sensitive to environmental cues in response to long-day photoperiod. It is possible that the external environmental cues that affect the reproductive activities of quail act through sensory systems.
Determinants of thyroxine-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice.

Thyroxine was administered to mice to determine whether the cardiac hypertrophy which accompanies experimental thyrotoxicosis is a result of circulatory changes produced by thyroxine, or the result of a hormonal effect on myocardial growth. When mice were fed both reserpine and thyroxine they developed as much cardiac hypertrophy as those fed thyroxine alone, although the circulatory changes associated with thyrotoxicosis were greatly reduced by reserpine treatment. In addition, when mice were injected with synthetic l -thyroxine, the rate of cardiac protein synthesis was increased before any definite circulatory changes were observed. The results suggest an effect of thyroid hormone on cardiac protein synthesis that is independent of the effects of the hormone on the general circulation.
Determining the Reorder Point, Protection Level and Lead Time Demand of an Inventory Item

It is obvious that an inventory item's lead time demand is affected by the length of the lead time as well as the actual demand on each day during the lead time. In a situation where the lead time and the daily demand are both stochastic, the probability distribution of an item's lead time demand is then determined by the probability distributions of the item's daily demand and lead time. This article presents a computationally simple method for determining the lead time demand's probability distribution from estimations of the item's daily demand and lead time probability distributions; no restriction is placed on the distribution forms of the daily demand, the lead time and the lead time demand. After obtaining the lead time demand distribution, this article illustrates the computation of “reorder points” and “protection levels” for an inventory item.
Observations on the Functional Properties of U.S. Land‐Processed Surimi

Several methods were used to evaluate the quality of ship-processed and U.S. land-processed surimi. The fold test is useful to distinguish between high and low quality surimi but lacks the sensitivity to discriminate between surimi samples having similar yet different functional properties as measured by the punch test and torsional shear test. Moisture content of U.S. land-processed surimi was linearly correlated with several functional properties. Much work is still required to determine the relationship of the results of the various tests to the quality and sensory properties of finished products.
A sharp peak in the performance of sputtered platinum fuel cells at ultra-low platinum loading

Abstract Proton exchange membrane fuel cells were fabricated by direct sputter deposition of platinum on the surface of Nafion 117 membranes. A sharp spike in the performance of these sputtered platinum fuel cells was observed at ultra-low platinum thickness values of 5–10 nm. Within this narrow thickness range, the power output capability of sputtered platinum fuel cells is several orders of magnitude better than the performance produced by thinner or thicker coatings. The spike in performance is explained by rapid changes in the sputtered film microstructure at the nanometer thickness level. When the membrane surface is deliberately modified by abrasion prior to sputtering, this sharp peak is not seen. Instead, a broad plateau is observed, where the performance is insensitive to the amount of sputtered platinum. This behavior stems from how surface roughening affects the sputtered catalyst layer continuity. The performance of a sputter-deposited membrane with a platinum loading level of 0.04 mg/cm2 is compared to a commercial membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with a platinum loading of 0.4 mg/cm2. The maximum power output of the sputtered cell is three-fifths that of the commercial MEA, but uses one-tenth the platinum.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Micro-Particle Detachment and Resuspension From Surfaces in Turbulent Flows

Micro-particle adhesion, detachment and resuspension from surfaces have attracted considerable attention due to their numerous applications in semiconductor, xerographic, and pharmaceutical industries, and, more recently, in understanding indoor air quality. However, most earlier studies have focused on idealized spherical particles and smooth surfaces, and the effects of particle irregularities and surface roughness on the rate of particle removal and resuspension are not well understood. In this work, a Monte Carlo simulation of particle resuspension from a surface under turbulent flow conditions was developed and resuspension of nearly spherical and irregular shaped particles with rough surfaces from substrates under turbulent flow condition was studied. Following our earlier approach, compact irregular shaped particles were modeled as spherical particles with a number of hemispherical bumps. It was assumed that the bump surfaces also have fine roughness. The extended Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) adhesion theory for rough surfaces was used to model the particle adhesion and detachment.A number of assumptions were made to apply the model. It was assumed that the particles have a Gaussian size distribution. The number of bumps of the irregular particles and surface roughness values of particle are assumed to be random, respectively, with Poisson and log-normal distributions. For particle detachment from the surface, the theory of critical moment was used. The effects of particle size, turbulent flow, particle irregularity and surface roughness on particle detachment and resuspension were studied for different cases. The Monte Carlo model predictions show probabilistic distributions of the particle resuspension. The simulation results are compared with the available experimental data and good agreement was found. The study provided information on the random nature of particle resuspension due to the randomness in the airflow, particle size distribution and surface roughness.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Enhancement of Prediction for Hip Fractures Using Stochastic Assessment of Bone Mineral Density Distribution From DXA Images

Hip fractures are among the most common types of osteoporotic fractures that affect one in three women and one in six men over the age of 50 [1]. It is well known that loss of bone mass, quantified by bone mineral density using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), is associated with the increasing risk of bone fractures. However, bone mineral density (BMD) alone cannot fully explain changes in fracture risks [2, 3]. In particular, BMD is not able to predict fracture risks for women with osteopenia, in which a BMD T-score is between −1.0 and −2.5. This suggests additional factors (i.e., bone quality) should be considered in predicting fracture risks [4].Copyright © 2013 by ASME
A General and Flexible Synthesis of Transition-Metal Polyphosphides via PCl3 Elimination

We report a straight-forward, solvent-free moderate temperature synthetic method for the production of several phosphorus-rich transition-metal phosphides (orthorhombic FeP2, cubic CoP3, cubic NiP2, monoclinic CuP2, and monoclinic PdP2). Notably, this synthetic approach provides facile access to the high-temperature/high-pressure cubic phase of NiP2. The general synthetic strategy involves the direct reaction of anhydrous metal dichloride pressed pellets with molecular P4 vapor or solid−solid reactions between the metal dichloride and red phosphorus that are intimately mixed into pellets. Both of these reaction strategies involve the evolution of a volatile PCl3 byproduct and produce crystalline MPx (x ≥ 2) at moderate temperatures of 500−700 °C. The pellets remain intact throughout the synthesis, and the macrostructure of the MPx products resembles that of the reactant pellets. By varying the phosphorus source, the percentage of the pellet precursor mass that is retained in the final metal phosphide pell...
Bulk viscosity, chemical equilibration and flow at RHIC

Abstract We study the effects of bulk viscosity on p T spectra and elliptic flow in heavy ion collisions at RHIC. We argue that direct effect of the bulk viscosity on the evolution of the velocity field is small, but corrections to the freezeout distributions can be significant. These effects are dominated by chemical non-equilibration in the hadronic phase. We show that a non-zero bulk viscosity in the range ζ / s ≲ 0.05 improves the description of spectra and flow at RHIC.
Rapid quantitation of desmosine content in tissue hydrolysates by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract The lysine-derived crosslinks in elastin, desmosine, and isodesmosine, are quantitated in tissue hydrolysates by monitoring high-performance liquid chromatography eluents at 275 nm. The results from this method compare favorably with results from the amino acid analyzer. However, this more sensitive method (1) eliminates ninhydrin-positive artifacts which elute with the desmosines from some tissue hydrolysates on the amino acid analyzer, and (2) makes possible elastin quantitation in a tissue with the minimum amount of manipulations.
Event-related potential (ERP) indices of infants' recognition of familiar and unfamiliar objects in two and three dimensions.

We measured infants’ recognition of familiar and unfamiliar 3-D objects and their 2-D representations using event-related potentials (ERPs). Infants differentiated familiar from unfamiliar objects when viewing them in both two and three dimensions. However, differentiation between the familiar and novel objects occurred more quickly when infants viewed the object in 3-D than when they viewed 2-D representations. The results are discussed with respect to infants’ recognition abilities and their understanding of real objects and representations. This is the first study using 3-D objects in conjunction with ERPs in infants, and it introduces an interesting new methodology for assessing infants’ electrophysiological responses to real objects.