cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of a mobile intracardiac thrombus using ultra-slow low-dose tissue plasminogen activator in combination with heparin.

SummaryWhat is known and objective Free-floating thrombi in the right heart occur in a subset of patients with pulmonary embolism with high rates of mortality if untreated. Treatment of choice is controversial and likely patient specific as studies have failed to consistently show a significant difference in mortality between options. Case summary We present a case of a 45-year-old female with a mobile right heart thrombus treated with ultra-slow, low-dose t-PA infusion in combination with heparin. What is new and conclusion Ultra-slow, low-dose infusion of t-PA may be an option for treatment of mobile intracardiac thrombi.
Reflective Test Review: The First Step in Student Retention

Abstract Test review is an often overlooked strategy for student retention. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide the reader with a step-by-step process of the reflective test review method. Test review is an opportunity for students to review and reflect on their thought processes during the examination and to improve understanding and future decision making. Students have indicated that this method was instrumental in successfully completing the course and, ultimately, graduating.
TID Effects in Reconfigurable MOSFETs Using 2-D Semiconductor WSe 2

We examine total ionizing dose effects in devices that can reconfigure into both n- and p-channel MOSFETs. The devices are fabricated using 2-D transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductor WSe2 and allow better insight into radiation effects than unipolar devices. The central feature of the device is the use of buried gates to create n- and p-type doping. Since doping is not fixed, we can dynamically reconfigure the device to achieve different polarity MOSFETs. In addition, we are able to form doped source and drain contacts using the gates that allow the investigation of the true subthreshold characteristics under proton irradiation.
The role of sensory modalities in producing nonconsumptive effects for a crayfish–bass predator–prey system

The impact of nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) in structuring predator–prey interactions and trophic cascades is a prominent area of ecological research. For NCEs to occur, prey need to be able to det...
A functional link between NAD+ homeostasis and N-terminal protein acetylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential metabolite participating in cellular redox chemistry and signaling, and the complex regulation of NAD+ metabolism is not yet fully understood. To investigate this, we established a NAD+-intermediate specific reporter system to identify factors required for salvage of metabolically linked nicotinamide (NAM) and nicotinic acid (NA). Mutants lacking components of the NatB complex, NAT3 and MDM20, appeared as hits in this screen. NatB is an Nα-terminal acetyltransferase responsible for acetylation of the N terminus of specific Met-retained peptides. In NatB mutants, increased NA/NAM levels were concomitant with decreased NAD+. We identified the vacuolar pool of nicotinamide riboside (NR) as the source of this increased NA/NAM. This NR pool is increased by nitrogen starvation, suggesting NAD+ and related metabolites may be trafficked to the vacuole for recycling. Supporting this, increased NA/NAM release in NatB mutants was abolished by deleting the autophagy protein ATG14. We next examined Tpm1 (tropomyosin), whose function is regulated by NatB-mediated acetylation, and Tpm1 overexpression (TPM1-oe) was shown to restore some NatB mutant defects. Interestingly, although TPM1-oe largely suppressed NA/NAM release in NatB mutants, it did not restore NAD+ levels. We showed that decreased nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (Nma1/Nma2) levels probably caused the NAD+ defects, and NMA1-oe was sufficient to restore NAD+. NatB-mediated N-terminal acetylation of Nma1 and Nma2 appears essential for maintaining NAD+ levels. In summary, our results support a connection between NatB-mediated protein acetylation and NAD+ homeostasis. Our findings may contribute to understanding the molecular basis and regulation of NAD+ metabolism.
The endothelial-metabolic axis: a novel cardiometabolic disease target

Endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) involves cellular phenotypic switching from an endothelial to mesenchymal state. Interest in EndMT has been increasing with the appreciation that it has an important role in several cardiovascular diseases. New evidence indicates that fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and cell metabolism are major factors controlling this process.
Isolating bias in association indices

Association indices have been a mainstay of social behaviour analysis for decades. However, researchers have long recognized that these indices can be biased under certain conditions. In this paper, I develop a process map of the steps necessary to transform social behaviour into estimates of association rates. This helps to distinguish the subject population's behaviour from the researcher's data collection protocol. By doing this, we can isolate the sources of bias. I also show that bias in association indices is often a function of the true association rate. This means that while bias does not affect the ordering of associations, it can impact analysis in unpredictable ways. Performing network analysis with biased association indices can lead researchers to arrive at different conclusions than if they had used unbiased estimators. To simplify the mathematical task of deriving unbiased estimators, I introduce three properties of maximum likelihood estimators that allow one to treat association data as output from a multinomial distribution, then use the functional invariance property of maximum likelihood estimators to solve for estimators. I apply these properties to a selection of common data collection protocols to show that there is no single association index that is appropriate for all cases. Instead, each of the commonly used indices is unbiased under appropriate conditions. Furthermore, when it is possible that some of the individuals are not identified, I introduce some new unbiased estimators. I close with a discussion of nontraditional techniques of collecting data that provide an opportunity to increase the number of outputs from the data collection process. These techniques may ultimately make it possible to specify association behaviour more carefully by allowing for more parameters in the data generation process.
EXPRESS: Intimacy, Contraception, and Pregnancy Prevention in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Are We Counseling Our Patients?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious, life-altering condition. Patients who are diagnosed are often of childbearing potential. Given the well-documented risks associated with this con...
Creativity and Rationale: The Essential Tension

Creativity and rationale comprise an essential tension in design. They are two sides of the coin; contrary, complementary, but perhaps also interdependent. Designs always serve purposes. They always have an internal logic. They can be queried, explained, and evaluated. These characteristics are what design rationale is about. But at the same time designs always provoke experiences and insights. They open up possibilities, raise questions, and engage human sense making. Design is always about creativity. This book presents a set of research papers addressing the topic of creativity and rationale in software design. This introductory chapter presents an account of the workshop and review process through which the papers were developed, and thumbnail summaries of the individual papers.
3-Dimensional Tiling for Distributed Assembly by Robot Teams

We consider the assembly of a three dimensional (3D) structure by a team of heterogeneous robots capable of online sensing and error correction during the assembly process. The automated assembly problem is posed as a general 3D tiling problem where the assembly components/tiles consist of various shapes and sizes. For a desired 3D structure, we first compute the partition of the assembly strategy into N c sub-components that can be executed in parallel by a team of N c assembly robots. To enable online error detection and correction during the assembly process, mobile robots equipped with visual depth sensors are tasked to scan, identify, and track the state of the structure. The objective is to enable online detection of missing assembly components and reassignment of these components to the team of assembly robots. We present the development of the planning, sensing, and control strategies employed and report on the experimental validation of these strategies using our multi-robot testbed.
Brief Behavioral Marital Therapy

An impressive body of evidence has accumulated in recent years implicating marital problems with physical health problems (Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 1987; Levenson & Gottman, 1985) and a variety of major psychiatric disorders, including depression, agoraphobia, alcoholism (Jacobson, Holtzworth-Munroe, & Schmaling, 1989), and behavior problems in children (Emery, 1982; Margolin, 1981b). Marital disruption is one of life’s most stressful events (Bloom, Asher, & White, 1978; Holmes & Rahe, 1967), and individuals who are experiencing mar ital difficulties are more likely to report a family history of marital problems (Overall, Henry, & Woodward, 1974). Thus the cost of marital distress to society is enormous, and it is therefore not surprising that there has been great effort spent on developing interventions and techniques designed to alleviate marital distress.
Differences in the Impact of Age on Mortality in Well-Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) is unique in that patient age is part of staging. Several studies have shown a need to increase the age threshold in staging for WDTC, but the separate impact of age on prognosis for papillary and follicular carcinomas has not been examined. We hypothesize that age impacts survival differently for papillary and follicular carcinomas. Patients with invasive papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) between 2004 and 2013 were identified in the National Cancer Database, and were stratified by histologic type. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using multivariable Cox regression, and the Youden index was used to find the optimal age threshold for both histologies. A total of 204,139 patients with WDTC were identified. Ninety-two percent had PTC, while 7.7% had FTC. The average age was 48.4 years and OS was 96.3%, with a median follow-up of 52.7 months. When analyzing age in 5-year increments, 10-year mortality increased incrementally by 30–50% per age group for PTC, from age < 35 to ≥ 70 years, without an obvious inflection point. However, FTC patients experienced a more than threefold increase in 10-year mortality from age 40–44 years (2.5%) to age 45–49 years (7.9%). The same pattern was found on multivariable Cox regression. The Youden index found the optimal age thresholds were 58.5 years for PTC and 46.2 years for FTC. OS for PTC decreases incrementally with age, but OS for FTC decreases significantly in patients aged 45 years and older. A higher age threshold may inappropriately downstage some high-risk follicular cancer patients.
Autoregressive times series methods for time domain astronomy

Celestial objects exhibit a wide range of variability in brightness at different wavebands. Surprisingly, the most common methods for characterizing time series in statistics - parametric autoregressive modeling - is rarely used to interpret astronomical light curves. We review standard ARMA, ARIMA and ARFIMA (autoregressive moving average fractionally integrated) models that treat short-memory autocorrelation, long-memory 1/f^a `red noise', and nonstationary trends. Though designed for evenly spaced time series, moderately irregular cadences can be treated as evenly-spaced time series with missing data. Fitting algorithms are efficient and software implementations are widely available. We apply ARIMA models to light curves of four variable stars, discussing their effectiveness for different temporal characteristics. A variety of extensions to ARIMA are outlined, with emphasis on recently developed continuous-time models like CARMA and CARFIMA designed for irregularly spaced time series. Strengths and weakness of ARIMA-type modeling for astronomical data analysis and astrophysical insights are reviewed.
Malignant pleural effusions: Do race, obesity and comorbidities play a role?

e18679Background: Malignant pleural effusions (MPE) are a common complication of many neoplasms. No research to date has identified the impact of demographics, comorbidities, and lifestyle choices ...
A Brief Provider Training Video Improves Comfort With Recommending the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

The American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 3 created a 20-minute training video targeting barriers to strong provider recommendation of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The video included clinical vignettes featuring pediatricians modeling counseling techniques with vaccine-hesitant families. Ninety-six multidisciplinary providers (including pediatric residents) at 6 sites viewed the video and completed baseline and posttest questionnaires assessing their vaccine knowledge, attitudes toward vaccination, and comfort with skills needed to facilitate vaccination. Following the intervention, providers had substantial and statistically significant ( P < .05) improvements in multiple areas assessed, particularly knowledge of the burden of HPV-related disease in males and changes in vaccine response with age; likelihood of "strongly agreeing" that vaccination should not be delayed beyond preadolescence and that HPV vaccine is safe; and feeling "very comfortable" counseling vaccine-hesitant parents and facilitating vaccine completion. This cost-effective and easily disseminated training modality shows promise in increasing provider comfort with HPV vaccine counseling.
Modular, part-based control of gene expression response time using protein degradation tags

A fundamental principle of cellular signal processing is the encoding of information within the temporal dynamics of regulatory circuits. If synthetic circuits are to achieve the versatility and effectiveness of naturally-occurring circuits, it is necessary to develop simple, effective methods for the control of the dynamical properties of genetic circuits. However, current approaches to dynamical control often require extensive rewiring of circuit architecture, which hinders their implementation in a variety of systems. Therefore, it is essential that simple, modular, genetic parts-based frameworks are created to control the dynamical properties of circuits. Here we address this need by implementing a modular, genetic parts-based system which tunes the response time of a gene9s expression by tuning its degradation rate via the application of protein degradation tags with various affinities to their protease. This system provides a simple, easily-applicable framework for controlling the temporal aspects of genetic circuit behavior.
Broadband (0–5 Hz) Fully Deterministic 3D Ground‐Motion Simulations of a Magnitude 7.0 Hayward Fault Earthquake: Comparison with Empirical Ground‐Motion Models and 3D Path and Site Effects from Source Normalized Intensities

Author(s): Rodgers, AJ; Pitarka, A; Anders Petersson, N; Sjogreen, B; McCallen, DB; Abrahamson, N | Abstract: We report on high-performance computing (HPC) fully deterministic simulation of ground motions for a moment magnitude (Mw) 7.0 scenario earthquake on the Hayward fault resolved to 5 Hz using the SW4 finite-difference code. We computed motions obeying physics-based 3D wave propagation at a regional scale with an Mw 7.0 kinematic rupture model generated following Graves and Pitarka (2016). Both plane-layered (1D) and 3D Earth models were considered, with 3D subsurface material properties and topography interpolated from a model of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The resulting ground-motion intensities cover a broader frequency range than typically considered in regional-scale simulations, including higher frequencies relevant for engineering analysis of structures. Median intensities for sites across the domain are within the reported between-event uncertainties (τ) of ground-motion models (GMMs) across spectral periods 0.2-10 s (frequencies 0.1-5 Hz). The within-event standard deviation ϕ of ground-motion intensity measurement residuals range 0.2-0.5 natural log units with values consistently larger for the 3D model. Source-normalized ratios of intensities (3D/ 1D) reveal patterns of path and site effects that are correlated with known geologic structure. These results demonstrate that earthquake simulations with fully deterministic wave propagation in 3D Earth models on HPC platforms produce broadband ground motions with median and within-event aleatory variability consistent with empirical models. Systematic intensity variations for the 3D model caused by path and site effects suggest that these epistemic effects can be estimated and removed to reduce variation in site-specific hazard estimates. This study motivates future work to evaluate the validity of the USGS 3D model and investigate the development of path and site corrections by running more scenarios.
Comparison of Carotid Endarterectomy and Stenting for Symptomatic Internal Carotid Artery Near-Occlusion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Carotid near-occlusion is defined as severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery with partial or full collapse of the distal vessel wall. The major studies evaluating carotid revascularization excluded patients with carotid near-occlusion. Given the paucity of data in the literature, we attempted to evaluate the safety of carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting in carotid near-occlusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective data base review was performed from January 2010 to December 2018 to identify patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting for symptomatic ICA near-occlusion and had 1-month clinical and imaging follow-up with carotid sonography. The medical records and imaging studies of patients with ICA near-occlusion were selected for analysis. RESULTS: Forty-five patients met the criteria for ICA near-occlusion, of whom 39 were included in the study, given insufficient 1-month follow-up on 6 patients. Of the 39 patients, 25 underwent carotid endarterectomy and 14 underwent carotid artery stenting. All patients had technically successful immediate revascularization of the ICA. Most (33 of 39) had 1-year follow-up postoperatively. Patients with carotid artery stenting had 20% restenosis and 79% vessel maturation rates, while patients with carotid endarterectomy had 17.4% restenosis and 84% vessel maturation. There was no significant difference in periprocedural complication rates between the 2 procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid artery stenting shows similar outcomes in restenosis and vessel maturation rates compared with carotid endarterectomy for ICA near-occlusion. There were no major differences between the 2 treatments in clinical outcomes or periprocedural complications. Carotid artery stenting is a revascularization option for carotid near-occlusion if the patient is considered at high risk for carotid endarterectomy.
Repair Strategies in Conversational Kickapoo

Syntactic repair is one strategy used by participants in conversations to take or maintain turns, to correct usage errors, or to replace an element with a contextually more appropriate element. Two types of syntactic repairs, recyclings and replacements, used by an elderly native Kickapoo speaker in narratives about her ancestors are examined here. Recycled repairs include the repetition of already uttered elements of the sentence and it is proposed here that the speaker uses this strategy to delay as she searches for lexical items needed later in the sentence. The replacement repairs made by this speaker are interesting for the morphological structures of the repaired and repairing items and for what those structures indicate about the morphology of polysynthetic languages.
Bone Marrow Failure in Children: Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment

Bone marrow failure has many different etiologies, including genetic defects which manifest with specific syndromes, as well as acquired conditions as a result of insults to the bone marrow leading to aplasia. The clinical picture is varied and clues for the underlying cause may or may not be evident at the time of presentation, frequently leading to a complex workup with a battery of tests often done to rule out genetic defects. The treatment approach for bone marrow failure is very dependent on the underlying cause, which makes it all the more critical to have an accurate diagnosis. First line management essentially consists of either hematopoietic stem cell transplant or immunosuppressive therapy. In this review authors will provide a broad look at the causes of bone marrow failure, the stepwise diagnostic algorithm and the approach to decision making for treatment. Fine details of each cause, and of each treatment modality are beyond the scope of this review which aims to provide an overview.
Acoustic manifestations of ``narrow focus'' in Apurímac Quechua vowels

This paper investigates the acoustic manifestations of “narrow focus” on the vowels of Apurimac Quechua. Specifically, the three acoustic correlates of duration, intensity, and mean F0 in the vowels of stressed syllables were measured to see how narrow focusis expressed and if it would have a significant enhancing effect on the target vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/. 180 tokens were used in this experimental study, 90 in “focus” condition and 90 in “non-focus” condition (30 for each vowel in both conditions). Paired t-tests were conducted for each correlate, and the results show that duration is significantly longer (p < 0.01) in focus condition (mean = 47.22 ms, SD = 10.84) compared to non-focus condition (mean = 47.22 ms, SD = 10.84). The same pattern is found for intensity where vowels in focus condition (mean = 66.44 dB, SD = 4.85) were a significantly louder (p < 0.01) than the vowel in non-focus condition (mean = 63.02, SD = 5.27). Finally, the mean F0 for vowels in focus condition (mean = 135.41 Hz, SD = 16.45) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the non-focus condition (mean = 117.41). While all correlates show significant increase as a result of being in a focus condition, the duration correlate did not cross the “Just Noticeable Difference” (JND) threshold of 10 ms. On the other hand, intensity and F0 crossed the JND of 3 dB and 1 Hz, respectively. These findings suggest that Apurimac Quechua is a syllable-timed language that does not rely on duration as a primary acoustic correlate of “narrow focus.”This paper investigates the acoustic manifestations of “narrow focus” on the vowels of Apurimac Quechua. Specifically, the three acoustic correlates of duration, intensity, and mean F0 in the vowels of stressed syllables were measured to see how narrow focusis expressed and if it would have a significant enhancing effect on the target vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/. 180 tokens were used in this experimental study, 90 in “focus” condition and 90 in “non-focus” condition (30 for each vowel in both conditions). Paired t-tests were conducted for each correlate, and the results show that duration is significantly longer (p < 0.01) in focus condition (mean = 47.22 ms, SD = 10.84) compared to non-focus condition (mean = 47.22 ms, SD = 10.84). The same pattern is found for intensity where vowels in focus condition (mean = 66.44 dB, SD = 4.85) were a significantly louder (p < 0.01) than the vowel in non-focus condition (mean = 63.02, SD = 5.27). Finally, the mean F0 for vowels in focus condition (mean = 135.41 Hz, SD = ...
Observing flare stars below 100 MHz with the LWA

We observed the flare stars AD Leonis, Wolf 424, EQ Pegasi, EV Lacertae, and UV Ceti for nearly 135 hours. These stars were observed between 63 and 83 MHz using the interferometry mode of the Long Wavelength Array. Given that emission from flare stars is typically circularly polarized, we used the condition that any significant detection present in Stokes I must also be present in Stokes V at the same time in order for us to consider it a possible flare. Following this, we made one marginal flare detection for the star EQ Pegasi. This flare had a flux density of 5.91 Jy in Stokes I and 5.13 Jy in Stokes V, corresponding to a brightness temperature $1.75 \times 10^{16}(r/r_*)^{-2}$ K.
High-scatter lymphocytes in the blood of erythrodermic cutaneous T cell lymphoma: evidence for large cell transformation?

Abstract Erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (E-CTCL) consists of erythrodermic mycosis fungoides (E-MF) and Sezary syndrome (SS). Previous studies have indicated that very large Sezary cells (> 14 μm diameter) or the presence of aneuploid cells in the blood might reflect large cell transformation (LCT) with corresponding poor prognosis. In this retrospective study of E-CTCL with 2 parameter flow cytometry gated on lymphocytes, high-scatter lymphocytes (HSL) were detected in initial blood samples from 10 of 19 patients with SS, 1 of 13 patients with E-MF, and no patient with non-neoplastic inflammatory conditions. A significant correlation was found between HSLs and very large Sezary cells (> 14 μm diameter) and histopathologic evidence of LCT. Moreover, the presence of HSLs connotes a poor prognosis even for patients with advanced disease. We propose that HSLs are often large transformed neoplastic/Sezary cells that may be detected in patients with clinically unapparent LCT.
Predictive value of TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-10 for tuberculosis among recently exposed contacts in the United States and Canada.

We examined cytokine immune response profiles among contacts to tuberculosis patients to identify immunologic and epidemiologic correlates of tuberculosis. We prospectively enrolled 1272 contacts of culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis patients at 9 United States and Canadian sites. Epidemiologic characteristics were recorded. Blood was collected and stimulated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture filtrate protein, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) concentrations were determined using immunoassays. Of 1272 contacts, 41 (3.2%) were diagnosed with tuberculosis before or the median were associated with co-prevalent tuberculosis (P < .01 for each); female sex (P = .03) and smoking (P < .01) were associated with incident tuberculosis. In algorithms combining young age, positive skin test results, and elevated CFPS TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-10 responses, the positive predictive values for co-prevalent and incident tuberculosis were 40 and 25%, respectively. Cytokine concentrations and epidemiologic factors at the time of contact investigation may predict co-prevalent and incident tuberculosis.
Finding the Narrative in the Numbers: Long-Term Investors’ Demand for Accounting Information

I study the MD&A section of 10-K filings and use disclosed numbers within the text of corporate narratives to proxy for the qualities of information that are demanded by long-term investors. I hypothesize and show that the prevalence of quantitative information in firms’ written communication is strongly and positively linked to long-term institutional ownership. Numbers capture a dimension of business communication that is opposite in direction to a short-term disclosure horizon. Exploiting language that surrounds numbers, I study topical narratives that are directly related to firm value and confirm the importance of numeric information to long-term shareholders in the relevant contexts of investment and forward-looking sentences.
Ultrasound-Guided Hematoma Block for a Clavicular Fracture

Abstract Background Clavicular fractures are commonly encountered in the emergency department (ED). Fracture pain is usually treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and opioids; however, both of these drug classes have potentially significant side effects that limit their use in certain patient populations. Hematoma blocks are safe and effective alternatives for pain control. Case Report We present the case of a 39-year-old healthy man that presented to the ED with a clavicular fracture after a fall from a motorized scooter. He received minimal pain relief from hydrocodone-acetaminophen. A hematoma block was subsequently performed, with significant improvement in his pain. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Hematoma blocks are safe and effective treatments for clavicular fracture pain in the ED without the potentially significant side effects of NSAIDs and opioids.
Finding beauty in the beast: Pandemic meditations and the humanities in social work

An editorial is presented to the article images of tiny orbs studded in cluster-bouquets of red, blue, or purple, flood the internet Topics include the microscopic organisms have transmitted as aerosols like so pixie dust, ejected with every utterance, sneeze, or outgoing breath;and how to make sense of death and disruption wrapped in such beguiling and atmospheric packaging
Controlling magnetostructural transition and magnetocaloric effect in multi-component transition-metal-based materials

Proper coupling between structural and magnetic transitions is critical for the emergence and control of magnetocaloric effects in solids. We examine the influence of minor substitutional doping (replacing Mn by Cr and Al by Sn) and interstitial doping with B on the magnetic, structural, and magnetocaloric properties of recently discovered Mn0.5Fe0.5NiSi0.94Al0.06 alloy exhibiting a giant magnetocaloric effect near room temperature. We demonstrate that magnetocaloric properties of the base compound can be controlled and, in some cases, improved by chemical substitutions. First-principles computations elucidate how small changes in the composition affect properties in this family of compounds and, thus, provide useful guidance for the selection of suitable doping elements for such materials. The magnetic-field-induced entropy change measured for Mn0.5Fe0.5NiSi0.94Al0.06B0.005 is −22 J/kg K near room temperature for the applied magnetic field of 2 T, and it is among the highest known values for this class of materials.
Brace for impact! COVID-19, lockdown and the initial reaction and adaptability of Flemish travel consumers

Purpose: To determine the influence of COVID-19 and the first 2020 lockdown on Flemish people's initial travel behaviour perceptions, a hypothetical scenario was posed to respondents where they were asked to keep in mind a situation where they might be able to travel again during the summer of 2020 (July/August). This research had two main aims: i) the pre-lockdown travel plans for summer 2020 were determined; ii) the extent to which respondents would adapt their travel behaviour if they were hypothetically allowed to travel again by summer 2020. Methods: This exploratory research was done by means of an online quantitative questionnaire of which 1803(n) complete responses were obtained through convenience and snowball sampling. Results: The results revealed that respondents did have initial travel plans for the 2020 summer (July/August) period, but that they adjusted their planning to mostly travelling nationally/locally, potentially benefitting the local tourism industry. These findings (i) indicate the importance of directing marketing efforts towards the local travel market and (ii) contribute to literature regarding the resilience of the (local) tourism industry. Additionally, the research unveils how the industry should do long-term planning by taking the immediate travel behaviour changes of the Flemish travel consumers into account through regular intervals of consumer research so that it can pick up on possible behavioural trends and ready itself. Implications: Government, together with the industry, can work towards policies that act as a safety net during possible future industry disasters to minimize the negative impacts and foster a swift recovery.
Differential responses in brachial and ankle blood pressure during blood pressure reactivity tests

Blood pressure (BP) reactivity has been assessed by a variety of stimuli, including physical, psychological, and physiological perturbations, that can be further classified into cardiac or vascular...
Ramanujan and Partitions

The theory of partitions, founded by Euler in the mid-eighteenth century, underwent a glorious transformation under the magic touch of Ramanujan in the early twentieth century. The discussion includes the revolutionary work of Ramanujan on partition congruences, the Hardy–Ramanujan asymptotic formula for the partition function, and the Rogers–Ramanujan identities, and story of their discoveries. Also included is a discussion of the current state of research on partitions and the continuing influence of Ramanujan’s ideas in this area.
Complications and survival associated with operative procedures in patients with unresectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

Background Unresectable tumors of the pancreatic head are encountered in up to 20% of patients taken for resection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the complications and outcome associated with palliative surgical procedures to help guide management decisions in these patients. Methods Patients with pancreatic head adenocarcinoma taken to the operating room with curative intent who did not undergo pancreatectomy were evaluated. Results From 1997 to 2013, 50 patients were explored and found be unresectable due to M1 disease (n = 27, 54.0%) or vascular invasion (n = 23, 46.0%). Among unresectable patients, 34 (68.0%) had a palliative procedure performed including double bypass (n = 13), biliary bypass (n = 7), gastrojejunostomy (n = 5), or cholecystectomy (n = 9). Complications occurred in 22 patients (44.0%), and patients who had a palliative operation had a longer hospital stay and more major complications. Overall survival was reduced in patients treated with a palliative operation. Conclusions Despite advancements in endoscopic palliation, operative bypasses are still commonplace in patients with unresectable pancreatic head cancer. In this study, patients treated with operative procedures had a high rate of complications without a notable improvement in outcome. These findings highlight the importance of identifying unresectable disease prior to surgery and support a selective approach to palliative operations. J. Surg. Oncol 2014; 109:697–701. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interpolations in the Pauline Letters

Victor Paul Furnish notes that ‘hypotheses about textual glosses and the presence of even longer interpolated units [in the Pauline letters] have long been a part of textual and literary criticism’.2 Indeed, some have asserted that the letters as a whole have been heavily interpolated. First advanced in nineteenth-century Germany and particularly the Netherlands,3 this view was revived in the 1920s and 1930s by such scholars as P.-L. Couchoud4 and Alfred F. Loisy5 and, in the United States in the 1940s, by Robert Martyr Hawkins.6 More recently, J.C. O’Neill has proposed that both Galatians and Romans contain numerous glosses and interpolations, some inadvertently included by copyists but many deliberately added,7 and Winsome Munro has argued for an extensive stratum of ‘Pastoral’ interpolations in the Pauline corpus as a whole (and in 1 Peter).8 Finally, Darrell J. Doughty has maintained that the letters ‘can only be understood as complex redactional compositions, that may include appropriations of early Pauline material, but most certainly include an abundance of later material as well’; thus, in his view, the burden of proof rests with the claim that any of the material in the letters is authentically Pauline.9
Isolation of inhibitory factor in raw milk whey active against propionibacteria.

Abstract Preparative isolation of the active component(s) in skim milk whey inhibitory for propionibacteria was made by using (NH4)2SO4 salt fractionation. The crude preparation was further purified by Sephadex G-100 column separation. Disc-gel electrophoresis of the active peak from the Sephadex elution pattern (peak I) showed that this fraction contained almost all of the immune globulin in the column sample. The biologically inactive peaks did not contain any immune globulin. Starch-gel electrophoresis of the active peak revealed the presence of three separate immune globulin fractions. A correlation was also observed between hemolytic reaction of propionibacterial strains and relative resistance to whey inhibition. The investigation showed that one of the immune globulins of milk, pseudoglobulin, was mainly responsible for the suppressive activity of whey.
Chapter 4 Chromatography — The bridge to environmental space and biological sciences

Publisher Summary Over the past three decades, developments in analytical chemistry have increased the understanding of life and environmental effects on the basis of molecular chemistry. Trace amount of compounds affecting the very basics of life processes have been detected and quantitated. The existence and persistence of some industrial and agricultural chemicals since 1960 had caused concern in the reproduction and longevity of higher food chain animals. The discovery and innovation of progressive analytical procedures have allowed scientists and consequently government regulators to develop chemistries and to implement enforcement guidance that are harmonious with nature and beneficial to mankind and wildlife environment. Two significant developments in analytical separation techniques had a large impact on the environmental regulatory process. J.E. Lovelock, in 1958, observed a physical characterization of noble gases ionized by radioactive beta emitters. This characteristic was quenched by electrophilic compounds passing through the gaseous plasma, which led to the development of the argon-ionization detector, followed by the electron-capture detector.
Interpretation of Normalized Spectral Heart Rate Variability Indices In Sleep Research: A Critical Review

The normalized spectral heart rate variability (HRV) measures low-frequency (LF)nu and high-frequency (HF)nu are frequently used in contemporary sleep research studies to quantify modulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. The purpose of this tutorial and methodologic critique is to concisely demonstrate the structural algebraic redundancy inherent in the normalized spectral HRV measures with respect to each other, and also with respect to the well-known HRV index of sympathovagal balance, LF:HF ratio. The statistical problems and interpretational paradoxes related to the mathematical definitions of LFnu and HFnu are briefly outlined. Examples of use of normalized spectral HRV measures in recent articles from the sleep-relevant research literature are critically reviewed. LFnu, HFnu, and LF:HF ratio should be considered equivalent carriers of information about sympathovagal balance.
Parallel iterative image restoration algorithms

Three parallel iterative image restoration algorithms with and without preconditioning are proposed and analyzed. The first algorithm corresponds to a coarse-grained general-purpose multiprocessor computer, the second to a massively parallel computer with synchronization, and the third to a massively parallel computer without synchronization. It is shown that the second and third algorithms can give a speed-up proportional to the number of processors when proper assumptions are satisfied, while the first one performs the best when simulated by a uniprocessor computer. >
Racial and Ethnic Determinants of Interracial and Ethnic Trust

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to discern which individual factors are associated with interracial/ethnic trust among a national probability sample of African Americans, Latinos, and non-Hispanic whites. Using national data from the 2000 Community Benchmark Survey, the multiple regression results indicate that, even after controlling for education and income, African Americans and Latinos reported significantly lower levels of interracial/ethnic trust than did non-Hispanic whites. Additionally, separate regression equations indicate that predictors associated with interracial/ethnic trust varied by racial and ethnic group. Implications and future research are discussed.
Comparative Clinical Experience with Porcine Bioprosthetic and St. Jude Valve Replacement

From 1976 to 1984, 656 patients underwent aortic, mitral, or double valve replacement with a Hancock or Carpentier-Edwards porcine bioprosthesis (POR; n=293) or with a St. Jude bileaflet valve (SJ; n = 363). Recipients of the St. Jude valve were of more advanced NYHA class preoperatively, required smaller prosthetic sizes, and more often had associated coronary artery disease necessitating bypass grafting (p
Invasive mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure in children with cystic fibrosis: outcome analysis and case-control study.

The outcome for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients requiring intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) due to acute respiratory failure (ARF) has been poor. Mortality rates have been reported as high as 60-90%. However, a review of mortality in children has not been published in 20 years. Our objectives were to study outcomes in CF patients requiring IMV due to ARF between 1988-1998, compare recent outcomes with those previously reported, and identify risk factors associated with poor outcome. We additionally attempted to identify factors suggesting an increased risk of developing ARF requiring IMV. A retrospective cohort study design was used, comparing IMV survivors and nonsurvivors with a nested case-control study to identify risk factors for ARF leading to IMV. All patients cared for at our Center who required IMV for ARF between 1988-1998 were identified. Outcome, age, steroid use, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expired volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)), microbiology, nutritional status, CF-related diabetes (CFRD), liver dysfunction, and history of major hemoptysis (HEM) or pneumothorax (PTX) were recorded. Cases were matched for gender and age with CF controls identified through a clinical database.Thirty-eight episodes of IMV due to ARF were reported in 33 patients. Three subjects underwent IMV on two or more occasions, but only the first episode was included in analysis. Older age was the only factor that was significantly associated with mortality: 9 subjects were or=5 years of age suffer significantly higher mortality. Malnutrition and a history of HEM are important risk factors for having an episode of ARF requiring IMV.
Object resizing and reclamation through the use of hardware bit-maps

Abstract The memory intensive nature of object-oriented languages such as C++ and Java has created the need of a high-performance dynamic memory management. Object-oriented applications often generate higher memory intensity in the heap region. Thus, high-performance memory manager is needed to cope with such applications. As today's VLSI technology advances, it becomes more and more attractive to map software algorithms such as malloc(), free(), realloc(), and garbage collection into hardware. This paper presents hardware designs of realloc function and sweeping function (for mark and sweep garbage collection) that fully utilize the advantages of combinational logic. In our scheme, the reallocation on the original block can be done in constant time. If the reallocation on the original block is not possible, the previously proposed malloc() and free() can be used to move the contents to a new location. For the sweeping function, the bit-sweeper can detect and sweep the garbage in constant time. Since the sweeping phase often consumes more time than the marking phase, the garbage collection time can be substantially improved. The hardware complexity of proposed scheme (i.e. X-Unit, RS-unit, ESG-unit, and bit-sweeper) is O(n), where n represents the size of bit-map.
Genetic relatedness, coalitions and social behaviour of white-nosed coatis, Nasua narica

Abstract The white-nosed coati, Nasua narica , lives in large social groups, called bands, and displays a variety of complex cooperative behaviours. These behavioural patterns, such as coalition support, may influence the ability of an individual to gain access to limited resources and have attracted theoretical attention because they may be maintained by reciprocal altruism. To better understand the mechanisms influencing cooperation, coalition dynamics and time individuals spend away from the band, the relationship between kinship and specific social behaviours was assessed. The genetic relationships of individuals from six coati bands were estimated by measuring the similarity of multilocus DNA fingerprints. Results showed that coati bands primarily consist of highly related individuals. The variance in relatedness was high, however, and four bands contained some individuals that were unrelated to other band members. Males who monopolized access to band females during the breeding season did not sire most offspring. Unrelated individuals spent more time away from the group than did band members with close relatives in the band. Moreover, unrelated individuals received more aggression from band members and received less coalition support than did individuals with close relatives in the band.
Physician Staffing Patterns Correlates of Nursing Home Care: An Initial Inquiry and Consideration of Policy Implications

BACKGROUND: To determine, post-OBRA 1987, medical organization in nursing facilities (ie, medical director and staff profile, closing of medical staff, use of physician contract); structural correlates of medical organization; and links between medical organization, especially closed staffing, and medical care. METHOD: Mail survey of New York state nursing facility administrators (63% response). Survey consisted of open and closed end items that focused on facility and staff demographics, medical organization, and markers of medical care delivery, ie, physicians' daily presence, average response time to emergency calls, cross coverage for acute conditions and emergencies, attendance at care conferences, and offering of in-services. RESULTS: On average, facilities had 8.6 attending physicians, 32 residents per physician, 70% of residents cared for by non-staff physicians, no daily physician presence (60%), and no cross coverage. Most medical directors were from family (42%) or internal (55%) medicine, had a tenure of 7.5 years, did not have a certificate of added qualification in geriatrics (73%), and attended residents (66%). Forty-three percent of facilities had closed medical staffs, and 12% had physician contracts. Closed staffs were more likely in facilities that were larger, had more Medicaid residents, used physician extenders, and had more residents per nurse. Facilities with closed medical staffs had fewer physicians, more residents per physician, reported medical care practice patterns that would be associated with quality of care. These effects were independent of nursing and facility characteristics. Physician contract was unrelated to care. CONCLUSIONS: Medical organization and practice patterns emerge as important factors in considerations of nursing home quality. Results argue that, as in acute settings, limiting practice privileges in nursing homes may be a useful organizational strategy to improve quality of care.