cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Freezing of perchlorate and chloride brines under Mars-relevant conditions

Abstract Perchlorate and chloride salts on Mars could readily absorb water vapor and deliquesce into aqueous solutions. The deliquescence relative humidity (RH) as well as the efflorescence (recrystallization) RH of several Mars-relevant salts are now well known; however, the conditions that could cause a brine to freeze are not well established. It is often assumed that ice formation will occur whenever the saturation with respect to ice, S ice , of the system is greater than or equal to unity; however, ice nucleation is often hindered due to a kinetic barrier. For ice to form, a critical cluster of the ice crystal must first be achieved, often requiring S ice > 1. Here we use a Raman microscope and an environmental cell to examine the RH and temperature conditions required for Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 and MgCl 2 brines to freeze into ice. By examining the salt phase present both optically and spectrally under different low temperature conditions, it is found that both salts exhibit S ice values much greater than unity, meaning that supersaturation readily occurs and brines can persist under conditions previously thought to lead to freezing. The RH range of ice formation for Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 from 218 to 245 K is 83–95%, respectively, corresponding to S ice = 1.30–1.54. The RH of ice formation for MgCl 2 ranges from 80 to 100% for temperatures between 221 and 252 K, corresponding to S ice = 1.30–1.35. In addition to ice nucleation, the deliquescence and efflorescence relative humidity values for MgCl 2 were determined. Two hydrates for MgCl 2 were observed, and exhibited different deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) values. The DRH for MgCl 2 ·4H 2 O was found to be 12.8 ± 0.3% at 243 K with slightly increasing DRH as temperature decreased. The DRH for MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O was found to be 31.3 ± 0.6% at 242 K with little temperature dependence. The DRH of MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O was measured below the previously reported eutectic, 240 K, suggesting that the eutectic might be incorrect or that there is a different relevant hydration state. The aqueous solutions of MgCl 2 recrystallized to the tetrahydrate at low RH in the range of 3–9% RH at temperatures 265–235 K. Together, the ice nucleation, DRH, and efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) results show that Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 and MgCl 2 brines on present day Mars may have the ability to exist for up to 2 h longer than previously predicted.
ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS AND ADENYLATE CYCLASE IN MEMBRANE PREPARATIONS FROM THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Activation of adenylate cyclases by norepinephrine in rat cerebral cortical slices appears due to both α- and β-adrenergic components. In membrane preparations from rat cerebral cortex only the β-component is detectable even though the membranes contain both α- and β-adrenergic binding sites. The adenylate cyclase in the membrane preparations appears regulated in a complex manner by β-receptors, guanyl nucleotides, gangliosides, and a calcium-dependent activator protein.
A randomized phase 2 study of idarubicin and cytarabine with clofarabine or fludarabine in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND Fludarabine and clofarabine are purine nucleoside analogues with established clinical activity in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS Herein, the authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of idarubicin and cytarabine with either clofarabine (CIA) or fludarabine (FIA) in adults with newly diagnosed AML. Adults with newly diagnosed AML who were deemed suitable for intensive chemotherapy were randomized using a Bayesian adaptive design to receive CIA (106 patients) or FIA (76 patients). Patients received induction with idarubicin and cytarabine, plus either clofarabine or fludarabine. Responding patients could receive up to 6 cycles of consolidation therapy. Outcomes were compared with a historical cohort of patients who received idarubicin and cytarabine. RESULTS The complete remission/complete remission without platelet recovery rate was similar among patients in the CIA and FIA arms (80% and 82%, respectively). The median event-free survival was 13 months and 12 months, respectively (P = .91), and the median overall survival was 24 months and not reached, respectively (P = .23), in the 2 treatment arms. CIA was associated with more adverse events, particularly transaminase elevation, hyperbilirubinemia, and rash. Early mortality was similar in the 2 arms (60-day mortality rate of 4% for CIA vs 1% for FIA; P = .32). In an exploratory analysis of patients aged <50 years, FIA was found to be associated with improved survival compared with idarubicin and cytarabine (2-year event-free survival rate: 58% vs 30% [P = .05] and 2-year overall survival rate: 72% vs 36% [P = .009]). CONCLUSIONS CIA and FIA have similar efficacy in younger patients with newly diagnosed AML, although FIA is associated with a better toxicity profile. Cancer 2017;123:4430-9. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Quinine-Induced Thrombotic Microangiopathy: A Report of 19 Patients.

Background Quinine can cause diverse and severe immune-mediated adverse reactions, including thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Our objective was to describe the presenting features and long-term outcomes of patients with quinine-induced TMA. Study Design A case series of 19 patients with quinine-induced TMA treated with plasma exchange. Setting & Participants Patients with quinine-induced TMA initially suspected of having thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) were identified among patients enrolled in the Oklahoma TTP−Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Registry. Outcomes The clinical course of the initial episode and morbidity and mortality following recovery. Measurements The diagnosis of quinine-induced TMA was confirmed by documentation of quinine-dependent antibodies reactive with platelets or neutrophils and/or by previous quinine-associated systemic symptoms. Clinical data from the initial episode and long-term follow-up were described, focusing on kidney function. Results 19 of the 509 patients enrolled in the registry in 1989 to 2015 had quinine-induced TMA. 18 patients had quinine-dependent antibodies reactive with platelets and/or neutrophils (1 patient died before testing); 8 patients had a history of quinine-associated systemic symptoms. All patients were white; 18 were women. Quinine exposure was in pill form for 18 patients and as tonic water for 1. All patients had microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury. All were initially misdiagnosed as having TTP or hemolytic uremic syndrome, and adverse reactions to quinine were not initially suspected. 1 patient died before treatment began; 17 of the 18 surviving patients required dialysis. 14 patients developed chronic kidney disease, 3 of whom developed end-stage renal disease. 8 patients died. Limitations Patients for whom plasma exchange was not requested were not identified. Conclusions Quinine-induced TMA causes severe acute kidney injury that commonly results in chronic kidney disease.
History of technology: How China sidestepped QWERTY

Raja Adal investigates the 150-year history of a typewriter able to reproduce thousands of characters.
Semiotics as Soteriology: A Different Look at Mediaeval Japanese Buddhism

Language (and sign systems in general) has always been a major focus of both doctrinal and ritual attention in the various Buddhist traditions; this chapter will explore some of the more explicit semiotic components of Buddhist thought, with special emphasis on medieval Japanese Esoteric (or Tantric) Buddhism (mikkyō). First, I will present a general overview of the principal doctrinal themes and ritual methodologies related to language, with special emphasis on different standpoints concerning language (as, variously, an arbitrary symbol, an index, or an icon—to borrow C.S. Peirce’s terminology), the role of translation, and the importance of proliferation of linguistic statements in Buddhism. Next, I will focus on the discourse, explicitly semiotic in nature and content, which was developed by the Shingon tradition of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. In particular, I will discuss, with concrete examples, the role of language in Esoteric soteriology in its connections with ontology, epistemology, and the representation of the sacred in general. Finally, I will conclude by suggesting some possible research directions.
Feeding strategy shapes gut metagenomic enrichment and functional specialization in captive lemurs

Many studies have demonstrated the effects of host diet on gut microbial membership, metagenomics, and fermentation individually; but few have attempted to interpret the relationship among these biological phenomena with respect to host features (e.g. gut morphology). We quantitatively compare the fecal microbial communities, metabolic pathways, and fermentation products associated with the nutritional intake of frugivorous (fruit-eating) and folivorous (leaf-eating) lemurs. Our results provide a uniquely multidimensional and comparative perspective on the adaptive dynamics between host and microbiome. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed significant differential taxonomic and metabolic pathway enrichment, tailored to digest and detoxify different diets. Frugivorous metagenomes feature pathways to degrade simple carbohydrates and host-derived glycosaminoglycans, while folivorous metagenomes are equipped to break down phytic acid and other phytochemical compounds in an anaerobic environment. We used nuclear magnetic resonance based metabolic profiling of fecal samples to link metabolic pathways to fermentation products, confirming that the dissimilar substrates provided in each diet select for specific microbial functions. Fecal samples from frugivorous lemurs contained significantly different profiles of short chain fatty acids, alcohol fermentation products, amino acids, glucose, and glycerol compared to folivorous lemurs. We present the relationships between these datasets as an integrated visual framework, which we refer to as microbial geometry. We use microbial geometry to compare empirical gut microbial profiles across different feeding strategies, and suggest additional utility as a tool for hypothesis-generation.
Capturing the Details of N2 Adsorption in Zeolite X Using Stroboscopic Isotope Contrasted Neutron Total Scattering

Porous materials have widespread industrial applications in adsorption and catalysis, but experimental studies providing atomistic data regarding gas–sorbent interactions under application-relevant conditions are limited. Current analytical methods give information about either the crystal structure or the macroscopic kinetics involved in these processes, but not their interplay. The development of a new combination of stroboscopic, isotope-contrasted neutron total scattering and steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis provides insight into both areas. An advanced data reduction procedure was developed to isolate the differential isotope signal from the stroboscopic neutron diffraction. These data, combined with measurement of adsorption isotherms and theoretical considerations from Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulation, enabled the location of a heterogeneous distribution of nitrogen adsorption sites in calcium exchanged zeolite X under operational conditions (1 atm, 300 K). The nitrogen is fou...
The Impact of Different Postgraduate Year Training in Neurosurgery Residency on 30-Day Return to Operating Room: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Study.

Objective Because of the health care initiative on quality improvement projects in academic medicine, this study explores the impact of different postgraduate years (PGYs) on unexpected re-operation rates. Methods Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2005–2014, adult neurosurgical cases were divided into subspecialties: spine, open vascular, cranial, and functional. Comparison groups were cases involving junior residents (PGY 1–PGY 3), mid-level residents (PGY 4 + PGY 5), and senior residents (PGY 6 + PGY 7). Comorbidity disease burden was measured by frailty index. The primary outcome measure was 30-day unintended return to the operating room. Results Of the 9782 cases, re-operations were higher for those cases featuring a senior resident (5.6%) compared with mid-level resident (4.1%) and junior resident (3.8%) (P = 0.001). Although senior residents operated on patients with a statistically significantly higher neurologic disease burden, greater relative value units, longer operative times, and more 30-day postoperative adverse events, the level of resident training did not have an impact on revision surgery after multivariable logistical regression. The strongest predictors of return to the operating room included the frailty index (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] = 5.18, P Conclusions Resident participation in neurosurgical cases does not affect 30-day unplanned re-operation rates, which were affected by frailty index, functional subspecialty, and wound class.
Competitive facility location with random attractiveness

Abstract Customers’ perception of a particular facility’s attractiveness is likely to be heterogeneous. However, existing competitive facility location models assume that facilities’ attractiveness levels are fixed. We extend the gravity model assuming randomly distributed facilities’ attractiveness. We propose two effective solution methods. One is based on discretizing the attractiveness level distribution. The second is based on the concept of an “effective” attractiveness. Effective attractiveness is the level of fixed attractiveness whose calculated optimal market share approximately equals the expected optimal market share under random attractiveness. We show how effective attractiveness is calculated.
G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) deficiency induces cardiac remodeling through oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the unfavorable changes in cardiac function and remodeling that occur after ovarian estrogen loss. Using ovariectomized rat models, we previously reported that the cardioprotective actions of estrogen are mediated by the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). Here, in 9-month-old, female cardiomyocyte-specific GPER knockout (KO) mice vs sex- and age-matched wild-type (WT) mice, we found increased cardiac oxidative stress and oxidant damage, measured as a decreased ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione, increased 4-hydroxynonenal and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-DG) staining, and increased expression of oxidative stress-related genes. GPER KO mice also displayed increased heart weight, cardiac collagen deposition, and Doppler-derived filling pressure, and decreased percent fractional shortening and early mitral annular velocity compared with WT controls. Treatment of GPER KO mice for 8 weeks with phosphonium [10-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-methyl 3,6-dioxo-1,4-cyclohexadien-1-yl)decyl] triphenyl-,mesylate (MitoQ), a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, significantly attenuated these measures of cardiac dysfunction, and MitoQ decreased 8-oxo-DG intensity compared with treatment with an inactive comparator compound, (1-decyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide (P <0.05). A real-time polymerase chain reaction array analysis of 84 oxidative stress and antioxidant defense genes revealed that MitoQ attenuates the increase in NADPH oxidase 4 and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 and the decrease in uncoupling protein 3 and glutathione S-transferase kappa 1 seen in GPER KO mice. Our findings suggest that the cardioprotective effects of GPER include an antioxidant role and that targeted strategies to limit oxidative stress after early noncancerous surgical extirpation of ovaries or menopause may help limit alterations in cardiac structure and function related to estrogen loss.
Establishing mesh topology in multi-material cells: Enabling technology for robust and accurate multi-material simulations

Abstract Real world problems are typically multi-material, combining materials such as gases, liquids and solids that have very different properties. The material interfaces may be fixed in time or can be a part of the solution, as in fluid-structure interactions or air-water dynamics, and therefore move and change shape. In such problems the computational mesh may be non-conformal to interfaces due to complexity of these interfaces, presence of small fractions of materials, or because the mesh does not move with the flow, as in the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) methods. In order to solve problems of interest on such meshes, interface reconstruction methods are usually used to recover an approximation of material regions within the cells. For a cell intersecting multiple material regions, these approximations of contained subregions can be considered as single-material subcells in a local mesh that we call a minimesh . In this paper, we discuss some of the requirements that discretization methods have on topological information in the resulting hierarchical meshes and present an approach that allows incorporating the buildup of sufficiently detailed topology into the nested dissections based PLIC-type reconstruction algorithms (e.g. Volume-of-Fluid, Moment-of-Fluid) in an efficient and robust manner. Specifically, we describe the X-MOF interface reconstruction algorithm in 2D, which extends the Moment-Of-Fluid (MOF) method to include the topology of minimeshes created inside of multi-material cells and parent-child relations between corresponding mesh entities on different hierarchy levels. X-MOF retains the property of being local to a cell and not requiring external communication, which makes it suitable for massively parallel applications. We demonstrate some scaling results for the X-MOF implementation in Tangram, a modern interface reconstruction framework for exascale computing.
Infantile Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia

Infantile autism, schizophrenia with childhood onset, and other forms of pervasive developmental psychopathology are disorders that pose major challenges for therapeutic intervention. Because of the early onset and the pervasive nature of the disorders, these children typically are severely impaired in multiple domains of functioning: cognitive, affective, social, and so on. Intervention must therefore be of an equally broad-ranging nature, addressing the full gamut of the developmental processes that can go awry.
Is It a Challenge or a Threat? A Dual-Process Model of Teachers' Cognition and Appraisal Processes During Conceptual Change

What accounts for well-meaning teachers' lack of implementation of subject-matter reforms, such as making one's classroom centered on problem solving, even when they positively value the reform and believe they are implementing it in their classrooms? Teachers' subject-matter beliefs may constrain them from adopting practices that conflict with those beliefs. The purpose of this article is to propose a theoretical model, the Cognitive–Affective Model of Conceptual Change, that integrates key findings from overly cognitive models of belief change with motivational and affective factors found in social psychology theory and research. This model explains why teachers' beliefs about instruction are resistant to reforms that challenge their existing beliefs, and it provides a conceptual framework within which to devise a better means of advancing teachers' beliefs and supporting them in the process of implementation.
Role of Krüppel-like factor-2 in kidney disease.

Kruppel-like factor-2 (KLF2) is a transcription factor that plays a major role in the regulation of endothelial cell function. KLF2 protects against endothelial cell injury through its anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and anti-angiogenic effects to maintain the normal vascular integrity. Our recent data indicate that KLF2 is down-regulated in glomerular endothelial cells of patients with diabetic kidney disease and that endothelial cell-specific reduction in KLF2 expression in experimental model of diabetic kidney disease exacerbates glomerular endothelial cell injury and accelerates the disease progression. KLF2 is a key transcriptional regulator of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and its renoprotective function may be mediated through the increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression. As KLF2 expression is stimulated by shear stress, we also investigated the role of KLF2 in the nephrectomy mouse model, in which the endothelial KLF2 expression would be increased through glomerular hyperfiltration in the remnant kidney. Reduction of endothelial KLF2 led to increased glomerular endothelial cell injury and progressive kidney disease in uninephrectomized mice. Interestingly, KLF2 expression is also reduced in nephrectomy patients with progressive kidney disease as compared to those with the non-progressive disease. Together, these studies indicate a critical role of KLF2 in maintaining normal glomerular endothelial cell function and that deficiency of KLF2 leads to more progressive kidney disease.
Evolutionary Responses to Climate Change

Biological responses to contemporary climate change are abundantly documented. We know that many species are shifting their geographic range and altering traits, including the timing of critical life history events such as birth, flowering and diapause. We also know from comparative studies of species found across the earth that a strong relationship exists between a species trait and the climatic conditions in which it is found. Together, these observations suggest that ongoing climate change may lead to evolutionary responses. Where examined, evolutionary responses have been uncovered in most cases. The effort needed to disentangle these genetic contributions to responses is substantial and so examples are few. In general, the documented evolutionary responses feature traits that are likely to alter responses to seasonal change or to change tolerance to environmental conditions. Currently available research provides hints that climate-mediated evolutionary responses are likely to be enormously diverse. It is clear, that the current presumption of many climate change scientists, that evolution can be safely ignored, does not have a basis in evidence. Key Concepts: Biological responses to changing climate are well documented but the role of evolutionary mechanisms is typically unknown. Parsing the genetic from the nongenetic contributions to climate change responses is challenging. Evolution is rapid enough that natural selection is a plausible response to contemporary climate change. In the small number of cases where it has been evaluated, there is evidence supporting evolutionary responses to changing climate. Documented evolutionary responses to changing climate are diverse, but feature traits presumed to alter phenological responses or tolerance of changing climatic conditions. Keywords: adaptation; extinction; phenology; plasticity; range shift; thermal
A Multifaceted Outreach Model for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences in Buffalo, NY

Startling national statistics continue to illuminate the need for increasing the number of underrepresented minority students graduating with degrees in the geosciences. With increasing minority populations in the U.S., diversity becomes a key issue for the sustained success of college geoscience departments. The under-funded Buffalo Public School system struggles to provide quality science education to underrepresented students, which leads to few minorities pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degrees in local colleges and universities. The Buffalo Geosciences Program (BGP) was created to provide opportunities for these underrepresented groups to participate in geoscience activities in Western New York. Our current program model (through many modifications) has now resulted in success of this objective by offering science education and outreach programming to a broad variety of public institutions at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary grade levels. During these interactions, ...
Guiding of visible photons at the ångström thickness limit.

Optical waveguides are vital components of data communication system technologies, but their scaling down to the nanoscale has remained challenging despite advances in nano-optics and nanomaterials. Recently, we theoretically predicted that the ultimate limit of visible photon guiding can be achieved in monolayer-thick transition metal dichalcogenides. Here, we present an experimental demonstration of light guiding in an atomically thick tungsten disulfide membrane patterned as a photonic crystal structure. In this scheme, two-dimensional tungsten disulfide excitonic photoluminescence couples into quasi-guided photonic crystal modes known as resonant-type Wood’s anomalies. These modes propagate via total internal reflection with only a small portion of the light diffracted to the far field. Such light guiding at the ultimate limit provides more possibilities to miniaturize optoelectronic devices and to test fundamental physical concepts. A monolayer WS2 membrane patterned as a photonic crystal sustains guided optical modes that propagate via total internal reflection.
Predictors of functional outcome after peripheral nerve injury and compression

Abstract Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Introduction Upper-extremity peripheral nerve injuries can impact long-term pain, work performance, and disability, yet there are few studies evaluating treatment outcomes for a large sample of patients with varying peripheral nerve pathology. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to identify outcomes of care and predictors of disability and health status in adults with peripheral nerve injuries. Methods We explored medical records from 364 patients treated by a plastic surgeon over a three-year period. Descriptive and inferential statistics compared the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, Short-Form 8, and routine intake data between baseline and discharge, diagnosis, and intervention group. Multivariate linear regression models predicted disability, work disability, and physical and mental health at discharge. Results We found significant improvements in disability, work disability, pain, depression, and stress. Health status changed minimally. Disability decreased most in patients who were working and who had symptoms fewer than six months. Outcomes were not statistically different between surgical and nonsurgical patients. Disability was the highest in patients with brachial plexus injuries. Multivariate models predicted 35 to 55% of the variance in the outcome measures. Factors that were highly predictive of functional outcomes included work status, household management, pain, depression, stress, and difficulty sleeping. Conclusions Patients with peripheral nerve injuries experience improved pain and disability whether treated surgically or nonsurgically. Maintaining engagement in meaningful home and work roles may improve outcomes. Helping patients manage pain remains important, along with combatting stress, depression, and sleep deprivation.
CHAPTER XIII – Spectral Calibration

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the experimental characterization or calibration of the spectral aspects of a remote sensor of radiant flux and the problem of estimating the precision or repeatability of such measurements. Problems of spectral purity arise in a calibration exercise from the unique properties of a blackbody radiation, which is illustrated in the case of the calibration of a long-wave infrared circular-variable filter spectrometer. The chapter also highlights the out-of-band leakage, which is typical of higher-order resonance modes in a thin-film interference filter. Ordinarily, higher-order blocking is achieved by depositing the interference layer upon substrate materials that provide absorption blocking. The chapter describes the calibration techniques that permit the detection of leakageand the methods of minimizing the impact of leakage on obtaining an absolute calibration.
Scalable Multiple Changepoint Detection for Functional Data Sequences.

We propose the Multiple Changepoint Isolation (MCI) method for detecting multiple changes in the mean and covariance of a functional process. We first introduce a pair of projections to represent the high and low frequency features of the data. We then apply total variation denoising and introduce a new regionalization procedure to split the projections into multiple regions. Denoising and regionalizing act to isolate each changepoint into its own region, so that the classical univariate CUSUM statistic can be applied region-wise to find all changepoints. Simulations show that our method accurately detects the number and locations of changepoints under many different scenarios. These include light and heavy tailed data, data with symmetric and skewed distributions, sparsely and densely sampled changepoints, and both mean and covariance changes. We show that our method outperforms a recent multiple functional changepoint detector and several univariate changepoint detectors applied to our proposed projections. We also show that the MCI is more robust than existing approaches, and scales linearly with sample size. Finally, we demonstrate our method on a large time series of water vapor mixing ratio profiles from atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer measurements.
Correlation of Body Mass Index and Age with Osteoporosis Probability in Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Abstract Objective Currently, there are limited markers to predict the osteoporosis probability in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. We studied the relationship between various parameters and results of DXAs at various skeletal sites. Methods Retrospective review of data for 218 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism was performed. Age, BMI, bone mineral density, serum total calcium, ionized calcium, intact parathyroid hormone, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, phosphate, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D, 24-hour urinary calcium levels and parathyroid tumor weight were analyzed. Two different statistical models- linear regression and multivariate logistic regression were performed. Results At the lumbar spine, with the linear model, BMI (P At the femoral neck, BMI (P At the total hip, BMI (P Conclusion In patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, BMI strongly correlated with T scores and probability of osteoporosis.
Appendiceal tumors with glandular and neuroendocrine features exhibiting peritoneal metastases - Critical evaluation of outcome following cytoreductive surgery with perioperative chemotherapy

Abstract Background A rare appendiceal malignancy is characterized by both glandular and neuroendocrine histology. It often presents with dissemination of the perforated tumor to peritoneal surfaces. Current treatments involve systemic chemotherapy, cytoreductive surgery and perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Methods The impact of clinical, histological and treatment-related characteristics on survival were evaluated and subjected to univariate statistical analyses. All patients had stage IV disease and were treated by a uniform treatment strategy. Survival was determined from onset of disease until death or most recent follow-up. Results There were 47 patients available for study of whom 17 were male. Median age was 48 with a range of 27–65. None or a single symptom vs. 2 or more symptoms had a significant effect on survival. Median survival of the entire cohort was 45 months and 34.88% and 8.72% of patients survived 5 and 10 years, respectively. The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed no impact on survival. Patients with a peritoneal cancer index (PCI) of 0–20 as compared to PCI > 20 survived longer (p = 0.012). The survival of patients able to have a complete resection as compared to an incomplete resection of disease was significant (p = 0.0087). The type of perioperative chemotherapy did not alter survival. Conclusions These data show that patients with a lesser extent of disease with a complete cytoreduction had an improved prognosis. No benefit from systemic or perioperative regional chemotherapy was apparent. With long-term follow-up, patients with the combined glandular and neuroendocrine histology exhibiting peritoneal metastases have a guarded prognosis.
Comparable Pursuits of Hold Out and De Facto Parentage: Tweaking the 2017 Uniform Parentage Act

In July 2017, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Law (NCCUSL) approved and recommended for enactment in all states a new Uniform Parentage Act (2017 UPA). This act follows the 1973 and 2000 UPAs of the NCCUSL which have been widely adopted in both state statutes and common law rulings. The 2017 UPA has already been introduced in early 2018 in three American state legislatures. Unfortunately, the 2017 UPA needs some tweaking. This article focuses on two sections of the 2017 UPA, the “holding out” and “de facto” parentage sections. The article urges that “de facto” parentage be more comparably treated to “holding out” parentage, so that in each setting parentage may be pursued by those beyond the alleged parents. Under the 2017 UPA, only alleged “de facto” parents can pursue “de facto” parentage. A broader array of petitioners can pursue “holding out” parentage. The difference is weakly defended in the comments to 2017 UPA, varies from many current American state laws, and, most importantly, disserves children and those who raise them, in both childcare and child support settings. Suggestions on greater comparability are made.
The influence of industry sponsorship and conflict of interest on results and conclusions of systematic reviews regarding treatment of knee osteoarthritis

Abstract Objective To assess the influence of industry sponsorship and authors’ conflicts of interest on the favorability of results and conclusions of systematic reviews regarding osteoarthritis of the knee. Design We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews on June 26, 2020 for systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses focusing on treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Author COI were collected from the systematic review’s COI disclosure statement, the CMS Open Payments Database, Dollars for Profs, Google Patents, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as previously published COI disclosure statements. Study sponsorship was determined using information provided in each systematic review’s funding statement. Results Our study included 53 systematic reviews conducted by a total of 279 authors. Thirty-one authors (of 279; 11.1%) had one or more COI. Fourteen systematic reviews (of 53; 26.4%) had one or more conflicted authors. Of these reviews, only two (of 14; 14.3%) reported narrative results favoring the treatment group, whereas five (of 14; 35.7%) reported conclusions favoring the treatment group. Our results showed no statistically significant association between the presence of COI and the favorability of results (P= 0.11) and conclusions (P= 0.73). Because our sample only included one industry-sponsored systematic review, we were unable to adequately assess for a relationship between industry-sponsorship and favorability of results and conclusions. Conclusion We found no association between the favorability of systematic review results and conclusions with either the presence of author’s conflicts of interest or industry-sponsorship.
Study of Patients’ Characteristics and Mutual Impact Between Covid-19 and Hyperglycemia at a Community Hospital in Central Brooklyn

Background: Studies have shown that poorly-controlled hyperglycemia worsens the outcomes in patients with COVID-19 (C-19) and C-19 may damage pancreatic islets via ACE2 receptors causing acute hyperglycemia The major population we serve at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center (KJMC) are underprivileged with many of them having multiple comorbidities Methods: This is a retrospective study wherein patients, admitted from February 2020 to April 2020 with hyperglycemia, were selected and divided into 2 groups based on presence or absence of C-19 Data include demographics, comorbidities, blood glucose level, serum osmolality, serum bicarbonate, anion gap, acute kidney injury (AKI), serum creatinine, ICU admission, length of stay (LOS) and mortality Data were analyzed using descriptive study and T-test Results: 100 patients were included in the C-19 group (CG) and 88 patients were included in the Non C-19 group (NCG) Major comorbidities were similar in both groups including HTN, DM, CKD followed by ESRD Mean age of patients (years) was 65 68 in CG and 61 17 in NCG 61% were male in CG and 53 41% were male in NCG 16% and 9% developed DKA and HHS in CG, and 13 64% and 6 82% developed DKA and HHS in NCG respectively 15% in CG had combined DKA H0 0001) Mean anion gap was 17 93 (SD±7 6) in CG and 13 10 (SD±7 2) in NCG (pl0 0001) 56% in CG and 37% in NCG developed AKI respectively (p=0 01) Mean serum creatinine (mg/dl) was 4 22 in CG and 1 65 in NCG (p=0 004) 55% of CG were admitted to ICU and 34% of NCG were admitted to ICU (p=0 003) Median LOS (days) in discharged patients was 8 in CG and 5 in NCG (p=0 02) Mortality was 40% in CG and 3 41% in NCG (pl0 0001) 12 patients in CG and 2 patients in NCG developed new-onset diabetes In the subset of DKA, interestingly, mean age (years) was 61 63 (SD±17 73) in CG and 39 67 in NCG (SD±13 39) (p=0 001) Conclusion: In our study, patients in the CG carry worse laboratory parameters, unfavorable clinical outcomes and strikingly higher mortality We discovered increased incidence of new-onset diabetes and elderly DKA in CG In an inner city population like ours, the burden of DM with significant social and health care disparities is quite severe Diabetic patients with concurrent C-19 infection can have particularly negative outcomes and C-19 possibly damages the pancreatic islets resulting in acute hyperglycemic crisis Further research on larger population is required References: (1)https://dx doi org/10 1016%2Fj diabres 2020 108142(2) https://doi org/10 2337/dc20-0723(3)https://www nejm org/doi/full/10 1056/NEJMc2018688
Time-resolved particle image velocimetry analysis and computational modeling of transient optically induced electrothermal micro vortex.

Trapping, sorting, transportation, and manipulation of synthetic microparticles and biological cells enable investigations in their behavior and properties. Microfluidic techniques like rapid electrokinetic patterning (REP) provide a non-invasive means to probe into the nature of these micro and nanoparticles. The opto-electrically induced nature of a REP micro vortex allows tuning of the trap characteristics in real-time. In this work, we studied the effects of transient optical heating on the induced electrothermal vortex using micro-particle image velocimetry (μ-PIV) and computational modeling. A near infra-red (980 nm) laser beam was focused on a colloidal suspension of 1 μm polystyrene beads sandwiched between two parallel-plate electrodes. The electrodes were subjected to an AC current. The laser spot was scanned back-and-forth in a line, at different frequencies, to create the transient vortex. This phenomenon was also studied with a computational model made using COMSOL Multiphysics. We visualize fluid flow in custom-shaped REP traps by superposing multiple axisymmetric (spot) vortices and discuss the limitations of using superposition in dynamically changing traps.
Vacuum Formed Coils for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging is an important diagnostic tool that uses resonant RF receivers to create an image. Prior work has shown that bringing these receivers closer to the subject dramatically improves the signal to noise ratio. Here, we describe a method of patterning coil arrays on complex three dimensional surfaces using vacuum forming, sandblasting, and electroless copper plating. To account for the deformation of vacuum forming, we developed a graphical simulation to predistort trace designs. Our process produces coils with quality factors similar to coils made with copper tape.
Bishop's Norms: Commentary and Evaluation

In November 2002, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priest or Deacons ("Norms") in response to allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic Church ("Church") officials. This Article examines the Norms on the basis of canonical traditions and the concepts, propositions, and positions contained with them. It strives to find the meaning of the individual norms within the broader context of the life and beliefs of the Church and its need to have structures that prevent corruption and promote healthy growth. The author argues that the Norms are not enough to bring local churches back to good health. Genuine healing can only come from the internal resources of the Church's body through a renewed vision of the Church as a community endowed with gifts which are authenticated and coordinated by the Church hierarchy.
Appendix R: Reference Frequency Spurs

This appendix contains sections titled: Leakage Current Pulse Offset ?> ?> Modulation Effect of ?> ?> Modulation on Pulse Offset Spurs Effect of ?> ?> Modulation on Leakage Spurs Effects of Resampling
A web-accessible digital atlas of the distribution of nitric oxide synthase in the mouse brain.

Abstract We have produced a digital atlas of the distribution of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the mouse brain as a reference source for our studies on the roles of nitric oxide in brain development and plasticity. NOS was labeled using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPHd) histochemistry. In addition, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunocytochemistry was used to identify cholinergic cells because many of the NADPHd positive cells were thought to colocalize acetylcholine. Some sections were also labeled with antibodies to either the neuronal (nNOS) or endothelial (eNOS) isoforms of NOS. Series of sections from 11 C57/BL6 mice were collected and labeled for NADPHd and/or ChAT. We collected two types of data from this material: color digital photographs illustrating the density of cell and fiber labeling, and computer/microscope plots of the locations of all the labeled cells in selected sections. The data can be viewed as either a series of single-section maps produced by combining the plots with the digital images, or as 3-D views derived from the cell plots. The atlas of labeled cell maps, together with selected color photographs and 3-D views, is available for viewing via the World Wide Web ( http://nadph.anatomy.lsumc.edu ). Examination of the atlas data has revealed several points about the distribution of NOS throughout the mouse brain. Firstly, different populations of NADPHd-positive neurons can be distinguished by different patterns of staining. In some brain areas neurons are intensely stained by the NADPHd technique where label fills the cell bodies and much of the dendritic trees. In other brain regions labeling is much lighter, is principally confined to the cytoplasm of the cell soma, and extends only a short distance within proximal dendrites. Intense labeling is typical of neurons in the caudate/putamen and mesopontine tegmental nuclei. Most of the labeled neurons in the cortex also stain this way. Lighter, “granular” label is found in many other nuclei, including the medial septum, hippocampus, and cerebellum. In addition to staining pattern, we have also noted that different subpopulations of NOS-neurons can be distinguished on the basis of colocalization with ChAT. Substantial overlap of the distributions of these two substances was observed although very little colocalization was found in most cholinergic cell groups except the mesopontine tegmental nuclei. Other points of interest arising from this project include the apparent lack of NADPHd labeling in
Correlations and fluctuations in hardonic multiciplicity distribution: The meaning of KNO scaling

Abstract Charged hadronic multiplicity distributions at Fermilab, ISR and collider energies are shown to be described by generalized Bose-Einstein distributions of the type encountered in quantum optics. Systematic energy-dependent deviations from KNO scaling are well described by simple cases of this formula, which in the limit of large n have a simple and explicit scaling form, valid to a few percent at the CERN collider energy. It is suggested that this framework is generic, i.e., practically independent of dynamical details. The essential feature is that the field variables of the “radiant surface” for hadronic emission are distributed as gaussian random varibles (with k effective sources) as suggested by a typical central limit theorem argument. In order to bring the lower energy data into a form easily comparable with higher energy data, particularly for the crucial large multiplicity events ( n/ n ⪢ 1 , it is essential to remove the two charges of the “leading” particles from the counting rules. The long tail of the KNO distribution is to be identified with coherent fluctuations analogous to those occuring in the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss effect.
Issues in native American archives

Native American communities face extreme challenges in the archival preservation of their historical documents. For many tribal repositories, a lack of funding, insufficient archival training, and the lack of clear collection development have meant that critical documentation of the tribal historical record is at risk. This paper describes the author's 1998 summer internship at the Hatathli Museum at Dine College on the Navajo Reservation and expands on her experiences there to discuss these larger issues. The article examines some of the archival community's responses to these challenges and makes suggestions for further research.
The Demise of Feminist Communitarianism

Abstract As second-wave feminism crested in the 1980s, feminist intellectuals began to radically reappraise liberalism by developing a communitarian “ethic of care” that promised to remake American society and politics. The new communitarianism, however, could not be reconciled with feminist defenses of abortion rights. This tension became increasingly untenable in the late 1980s as Roe v. Wade faced new political challenges. Feminist communitarians responded by re-embracing liberalism, especially its emphasis on autonomy and independence. This history suggests that many feminist intellectuals regard their support for abortion rights as something that is prior to their larger philosophical commitments, such as liberalism and communitarianism.
The Evolution of Animal Play, Emotions, and Social Morality: On Science, Theology, Spirituality, Personhood, and Love

My essay first takes me into the arena in which science, spirituality, and theology meet. I comment on the enterprise of science and how scientists could well benefit from reciprocal interactions with theologians and religious leaders. Next, I discuss the evolution of social morality and the ways in which various aspects of social play behavior relate to the notion of “behaving fairly.” The contributions of spiritual and religious perspectives are important in our coming to a fuller understanding of the evolution of morality. I go on to discuss animal emotions, the concept of personhood, and how our special relationships with other animals, especially the companions with whom we share our homes, help us to define our place in nature, our humanness. It is when we take the life of another being in the ritual of compassionately euthanizing them (“putting them to sleep”) that who we are in the grand scheme of things comes to the fore. I end with a discussion of the importance of ethological studies, behavioral research in which a serious attempt is made to understand animals in their own worlds, inquiries in which it is asked, “What is it like to be another species?” Species other than nonhuman primates need to be studied. I plead for developing compassionate, heartfelt, and holistic science that allows for interdisciplinary talk about respect, grace, spirituality, religion, love, Earth, and God.