cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reconstructive Options of Burn Injuries to the Hand and Upper Extremity

ANY BURN PATIENTS are now surviving their burn injuries as critical care techniques improve, leading to an emphasis on preserving function and decreasing overall morbidity. Despite skin grafting and adequate wound coverage, many burn scars can limit function because of acquired web space contractures and burn syndactylies. Many of the burns that require formal reconstruction are fourth-degree burns that involve extension of the injury zone into underlying structures such as muscle, tendon, and bone. These are extreme injuries and often involve staged reconstructions and occasional amputations. This article focuses on prevention of secondary wound contractures, early reconstruction of burn deformities, as well as later reconstruction. As with any type of reconstructive surgery, initial treatments can limit the degree of reconstruction needed later. PREVENTION The surgeon must begin thinking about functional salvage from the earliest hours of burn care. A critically important preventive strategy to preserve vascularity and diminish excessive tissue pressures is early escharotomy and nerve decompression of the fingers, thumb, and hand. The injury patterns most likely to benefit from early release are electrical injuries, circumferential burns, and combined crush/burns. Median nerve decompression is useful especially in circumferential burns to the hands in clinical situations in which the patient is not able to respond to a sensory examination, or when the patient’s sensation is compromised by the burn itself. Some burn centers release the median nerve
Cotinine and tobacco-specific carcinogen exposure among nondaily smokers in a multiethnic sample

Author(s): Khariwala, Samir S; Scheuermann, Taneisha S; Berg, Carla J; Hayes, Rashelle B; Nollen, Nicole L; Thomas, Janet L; Guo, Hongfei; Ahluwalia, Jasjit S; Benowitz, Neal L | Abstract: BackgroundNondaily smoking has increased among current U.S. smokers during the past decade and is practiced by a significant percentage of smokers. Although research in nondaily smoking has grown, little is known about levels of exposure to tobacco toxicants among nondaily smokers and their variation across ethnic groups.MethodsWe examined urinary levels of cotinine and a tobacco-specific nitrosamine (NNAL) in community participants. Associations between the biomarker data and smoking characteristics were evaluated with Spearman's correlation analysis.ResultsParticipants included 28 Blacks, 4 Latinos, and 25 Whites who smoked at least 1 cigarette on 4-24 days in the past 30 days. Participants averaged 3.3 (SD = 2.1) cigarettes per day (cpd) on days smoked, they smoked an average of 13.0 (SD = 5.4) days in the past month, and they smoked nondaily for 10.5 (SD = 10.5) years. Median levels of creatinine-normalized cotinine and NNAL were 490.9 ng/mg and 140.7 pg/mg, respectively. NNAL and cotinine were highly correlated (r = .84); NNAL and cotinine were modestly correlated with cpd (r = .39 and r = .34; all p values l.05). The number of days smoked per month was not associated with any biomarker levels.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that nondaily smokers are, on average, exposed to significant levels of nicotine and carcinogenic nitrosamines, with exposures of 40%-50% of those seen in daily smokers. This level of exposure suggests a significant health risk. Nicotine and carcinogen exposure is most closely related to number of cigarettes smoked per day but not to number of days per month of smoking.
Diversification in the Tropical Pacific: Comparisons Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems and the Importance of Founder Speciation

Patterns of distribution and processes of differentiation have often been contrasted between terrestrial and marine biotas. The islands of Oceania offer an excellent setting to explore this contrast, because the geographic setting for terrestrial and shallow-water, benthic, marine organisms are the same: the myriad islands strewn across the vast Pacific. The size of species ranges and the geographic distribution of endemism are two biogeographic attributes that are thought to differ markedly between terrestrial and marine biotas in the Pacific. While terrestrial species are frequently confined to single islands or archipelagoes throughout Oceania, marine species tend to have wide to very wide distributions, and are rarely restricted to single island groups except for the most isolated archipelagoes. We explore the conditions under which species can reach an island by dispersal and differentiate. Genetic differentiation can occur either through founder speciation or vicariance; these processes are requisite ends of a continuum. We show that founder speciation is most likely when few propagules enter the dispersal medium and survive well while they travel far. We argue that conditions favorable to founder speciation are common in marine as well as terrestrial systems, and that terrestrial-type, archipelagic-level endemism is likely common in marine taxa. We give examples of marine groups that show archipelagic level endemism on most Pacific island groups as well as of terrestrial species that are widespread. Thus both the patterns and processes of insular diversification are variable, and overlap more between land and sea than previously considered.
Effects of Weight Change on Plasma Leptin Concentrations and Energy Expenditure

Circulating concentrations of leptin are closely correlated with body fat mass, and may thus constitute an afferent limb of a system regulating body fatness, with efferent limbs that affect energy expenditure and food intake. We studied 50 subjects (27 males, 23 premenopausal females; 31 never-obese, 19 obese) at usual body weight during active weight loss or weight gain and during the maintenance of body weights 10% above usual (Wt 110%) and 10% and/or 20% below usual body weight (Wt 210% and Wt 220%) to test the hypotheses that the dynamic process of weight change and the maintenance of an altered body weight are associated with significant changes in circulating concentrations of leptin and/or the relationship between fat mass and leptin, and such changes in the plasma concentration of leptin are related to changes in energy expenditure at altered body weight. Subjects were admitted to the Rockefeller University Hospital, and energy metabolism (24-h energy expenditure, resting energy expenditure, thermic effect of feeding, and nonresting energy expenditure) and circulating concentrations of leptin and insulin were examined at various weight plateaus (usual body weight, 10% above usual body weight, 10% below usual body weight, and 20% below usual body weight). Plasma leptin was also measured in some subjects during dynamic periods of weight gain or loss. Though both plasma leptin concentrations and fat mass were significantly correlated with resting energy expenditure, only the correlation of fat mass and energy expenditure remained significant in a multiple stepwise linear regression analysis. Neither absolute nor relative changes in plasma leptin between weight plateaus were significantly correlated with any of the observed changes in energy expenditure. Plasma leptin concentrations were significantly lower during weight loss than during weight maintenance at the same body composition. Plasma leptin concentrations, normalized to fat mass, were significantly lower during the maintenance of a reduced body weight in females and higher during the maintenance of an elevated body weight in males than in the same subjects at usual body weight. At all weight plateaus, plasma leptin concentrations normalized to fat mass were significantly higher in females than in males, but gender was not a significant covariate of the relationship between leptin and energy expenditure. Postabsorptive serum concentrations of insulin was a significant covariate of plasma leptin concentration in males, but not females, at Wt initial and Wt 110%. Although plasma leptin is significantly reduced during dynamic weight loss compared with static weight maintenance at the same body weight, the lack of correlation between changes in plasma leptin and changes in energy expenditure between weight plateaus suggests that leptin is not the primary signal that mediates the changes of energy expenditure that accompany the maintenance of an altered body weight in humans. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 82: 3647‐3654, 1997)
The historical biogeography of Mammalia

Palaeobiogeographic reconstructions are underpinned by phylogenies, divergence times and ancestral area reconstructions, which together yield ancestral area chronograms that provide a basis for proposing and testing hypotheses of dispersal and vicariance. Methods for area coding include multi-state coding with a single character, binary coding with multiple characters and string coding. Ancestral reconstruction methods are divided into parsimony versus Bayesian/likelihood approaches. We compared nine methods for reconstructing ancestral areas for placental mammals. Ambiguous reconstructions were a problem for all methods. Important differences resulted from coding areas based on the geographical ranges of extant species versus the geographical provenance of the oldest fossil for each lineage. Africa and South America were reconstructed as the ancestral areas for Afrotheria and Xenarthra, respectively. Most methods reconstructed Eurasia as the ancestral area for Boreoeutheria, Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria. The coincidence of molecular dates for the separation of Afrotheria and Xenarthra at approximately 100 Ma with the plate tectonic sundering of Africa and South America hints at the importance of vicariance in the early history of Placentalia. Dispersal has also been important including the origins of Madagascar's endemic mammal fauna. Further studies will benefit from increased taxon sampling and the application of new ancestral area reconstruction methods.
New insight into damage-related phenomena in Si implanted under extreme conditions

New insight into damage formation in Si(100) during self-ion irradiation is gained from processing under extreme conditions. Dislocations form in the near-surface as a result of lattice relaxation in response to strain produced by precursor defects which are shown to be vacancy-type by positron analysis. A model to account for these defects and their distribution is presented. A novel technique is demonstrated which utilizes a subsequent implantation as a depth specific probe to manipulate the vacancy-type defects. Aspects of damage growth which emerge from the probe results are discussed.
Systems considerations for large percent-bandwidth radar

Several new terms denoting new types of radar waveforms (e.g. impulse, nonsinusoidal, monocycle, baseband, and ultra-wideband) have recently emerged. The author attempts to set all of these waveform types in a consistent perspective and to assess the potential performance available from each. The perspective chosen for the waveform cataloging process is the measure of carrier cycles per pulse, or, alternatively, the percent bandwidth. This approach allows all the waveform types to be viewed on the single-parameter scale of percent bandwidth. The potential performance advantages (or disadvantages) of each waveform are discussed in terms of basic radar performance criteria: target detection, target imaging/identification, clutter rejection, and the influence of interference and the propagation medium. These characteristics are reviewed for each of the waveform cases and the relative merits of each are discussed with the intent of discovering which of these capabilities would require a large percent-bandwidth waveform. Implications for unusual component requirements are also addressed. >
Lamin A/C and emerin are critical for skeletal muscle satellite cell differentiation

Mutations within LMNA, encoding A-type nuclear lamins, are associated with multiple tissue-specific diseases, including Emery-Dreifuss (EDMD2/3) and Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD1B). X-linked EDMD results from mutations in emerin, a lamin A-associated protein. The mechanisms through which these mutations cause muscular dystrophy are not understood. Here we show that most, but not all, cultured muscle cells from lamin A/C knockout mice exhibit impaired differentiation kinetics and reduced differentiation potential. Similarly, normal muscle cells that have been RNA interference (RNAi) down-regulated for either A-type lamins or emerin have impaired differentiation potentials. Replicative myoblasts lacking A-type lamins or emerin also have decreased levels of proteins important for muscle differentiation including pRB, MyoD, desmin, and M-cadherin; up-regulated Myf5; but no changes in Pax3, Pax7, MEF2C, MEF2D, c-met, and beta-catenin. To determine whether impaired myogenesis is linked to reduced MyoD or desmin levels, these proteins were individually expressed in Lmna(-/-) myoblasts that were then induced to undergo myogenesis. Expression of either MyoD or, more surprisingly, desmin in Lmna(-/-) myoblasts resulted in increased differentiation potential. These studies indicate roles for A-type lamins and emerin in myogenic differentiation and also suggest that these effects are at least in part due to decreased endogenous levels of other critical myoblast proteins. The delayed differentiation kinetics and decreased differentiation potential of lamin A/C-deficient and emerin-deficient myoblasts may in part underlie the dystrophic phenotypes observed in patients with EDMD.
The nuclear soft-core potential and cosmic-ray phenomena

It is shown that the soft-core phenomenological potential for the1S0 state is well reproduced by the exchange of an isoscalar vector meson in the framework of the nonlocal field theory, originally introduced to interpret the fireball properties in high-energy cosmic-ray collision.
Magnetic Studies of Conversion Processes in Iron (Oxy)Fluoride Based Electrodes

Fundamental studies of reaction mechanisms in Li-ion batteries are driven by a demand for high energy density and safe electrodes capable of fast lithiation/delithiation reactions. While the current intercalation systems are mostly limited to one Li per red-ox center, conversion systems do not have this limitation. Conversion electrodes are usually nanostructured, which facilitates phase transformations, but makes their characterization quite challenging. In this work we use magnetic methods to investigate conversion and reconversion mechanisms in FeF2, FeOyF2-y and FeF3-based electrodes, which form nano-network of metallic Fe upon Li insertion. Bulk Fe is ferromagnetic at room temperature, while small (< 6-8 nm) nanoparticles become superparamagnetic, meaning that the magnetic moment of the whole particle can flip under the influence of thermal energy. The amount of Fe can be determined from the saturation magnetization (Ms), and the particle size can be estimated from the blocking temperature Tb below which the magnetic moments cannot flip. The crystallinity and presence of defects can be estimated from their effects on the magnetic ordering transition, i.e. antiferromagnetic ordering of FeF2 at 82 K. Magnetization studies have confirmed the initial intercalation processes upon lithiation of FeO0.7F1.3 and FeF3 electrodes, followed by the conversion reaction accompanied by linear magnetization increase due to metallic iron formation. FeF2 system reveals the presence of metallic Fe already at 10% lithiation, meaning that intercalation is minimal, if any, in this system. Upon delithiation, FeO0.7F1.3 shows the best reversibility, i.e. Ms dependences on Li content are essentially the same upon lithiation and delithiation. The studies of superparamagnetic behavior in lithiated samples reveal that small Fe nanoparticles (2-5 nm) observed in the TEM studies are magnetically interacting, forming an interconnecting network over the whole initial (oxy)fluoride crystallite, i.e. 10-15 nm. Evolution of the magnetic properties over long cycling (2nd, 10th and 20th cycles) will be reported and correlated with the electrochemical cycling stability. The differences between these three systems will be discussed, involving the results obtained by other techniques (TEM, PDF, XAS, electrochemistry). This research is supported as part of the Northeastern Center for Chemical Energy Storage, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, and Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0001294.
VPAC1 targeted PET imaging of prostate cancer

1393 Objectives For diagnosis of prostate cancer (PC), histology for which invasive biopsies must be performed remains a mainstay. However >65% of the 1.5 million PC biopsies performed each year in the USA, find benign pathology. The need is unmet for a method to image primary PC, localize metastatic lesions and to stage the disease. VPAC1 genomic receptors are expressed on PC cells at the onset of PC. We designed a Cu-64 labeled peptide (Cu-64-TP3805) specific for VPAC1, and evaluated it in mice bearing human PC xenografts, and with spontaneously grown PC. The objective here is to determine the use of Cu-64-TP3805 to image PC in humans. Methods In an ongoing study, six males (Gleason 7, 61.6±5.6 YO, 56-70 Y) scheduled for prostatectomy and who signed informed consent were given i.v., 4±0.2 mCi (3.6-4.3 mCi), Cu-64-TP3805. PET/CT whole body images were obtained at 30 min and 2 hr post injection. A blinded physician divided cross sectional PET/CT images of each prostate gland (n=6) into 3 equal horizontal and 4 equal vertical sections (total, n=12) and determined SUVs in each. SUVs were then corroborated with histologic results of 12 core biopsies (n=72) performed pre-imaging for each prostate. Results SUVs, 3.1±0.8 (1.9-4.3), corroborated with all (n=28) pathological lesions. There were 37 additional sections with SUV 3.1±1.0 (1.6-6.5) to be corroborated with whole mount histology. Thus Cu-64-TP3805 delineated 65 lesions from a total of 72 sections, (90%) with SUVs >1.5, as compared to 28 lesions in 72, (39%) by histology, which is known to miss >66% of PC lesions. From 30 min and 2 hr images, there was no significant change (increase n=34, P=0.12), (decrease n=34, P=0.2) in SUVs. In the remaining sections (n=4) SUVs were unchanged. There were no adverse events. Further work continues. Conclusions Data suggest Cu-64-TP3805 is worthy of further investigation in PET imaging of PC. Research Support NIH 1, R01 CA157372-01 (MLT)
Is Research Reproducibility the New Data Management for Libraries

EDITOR'S SUMMARY With reproducibility of research becoming a leading issue in academia, libraries are examiningtheir role in promoting data and information transparency. The National Science Foundation's requirement for data management plans in research projects, grant applications stressing evidence of unbiased results and scholars' demands for standards for reproducibility together highlight the need for attention to the issue.Libraries increasingly seek staff with skills to support their data repositories, curation and data management services, and library and information science programs are responding to the growing need for specialization, including courses in research reproducibility. A ready solution may be for librarians to develop best practices for research transparency and methods to document research workflow. As the demand grows for evidence that research can be replicated, libraries are well positioned not only to manage research data properly but also to enable it to be analyzed for reproducibility.
Chemical synthesis of low-coercivity, silica/Co composites for high-frequency magnetic components

Abstract The paper reports correlation between processing, structural and magnetic properties of cobalt nanoparticles dispersed in an insulating oxide matrix. High-temperature, chemical decomposition approach was utilized to achieve highly-dispersed, ultra-fine cobalt nanoparticles in silica matrix. Synthesis parameters such as precursor to passivating agent ratio were designed to control the metal-to-oxide ratio so as to promote magnetic interactions between the metal particles while keeping the cobalt particle size in sub-nanometer. High-resolution TEM and XRD studies were carried out to demonstrate face-centered phase of single-crystal cobalt particles of size ∼8–10 nm monodispersed in thin silica matrix. The particle size variation as a function of precursor to passivating agent ratio was also studied to yield process conditions for ultra-fine nanoparticles. Composites with sub-10 nm metal particles showed superior soft magnetic properties with a lowest coercivity of 10 Oe. The reduction in coercivity with such fine particles is attributed to the transition to superparamagnetic regime. Larger particles showed higher saturation magnetization and higher coercivity of 100 Oe. The coercivity decreased with further increase in particle size from ∼50 nm to 80 nm because of the transition from single domain to multi-domain structures.
Diffraction of Partially Coherent Radiation on Media with Spatially Periodic Structure

In classical theory of diffraction of X-rays in crystals, the beams are generally assumed to be spatially coherent. We present extension to situations when the beams are of any state of spatial coherence.
Characterizing Routing with CoTS Radio-to-Router Information in an Airborne Network

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the DoD to build an on-demand airborne network for communications relay. To that end, several high capacity, long-range military radios were developed to address the need for a high capacity airborne backbone. While radios build links thus forming the basic elements of connectivity, platforms generally employ multiple stove-piped, non-interoperable radio systems that make internetworking to build multi-hop end-to-end paths, di‐cult. While simulations and emulation tests can provide a baseline for how systems will perform in a controlled environment, fleld-tests are crucial to demonstrate capabilities in real-world operating environments. In this paper, we present measurement results from a fleld test involving two airborne platforms forming an airbridge between two ground assets with various radio systems as part of the Joint Expeditionary Forces Experiment (JEFX) 2010 exercise. We present per link performance, radio-to-router interface performance, and multi-hop network performance results with prototype software on open source platforms as well as beta software running on commercial routers. Additionally, key lessons learned and recommendations are given. The assets participated in the exercise formed a high capacity, dynamically routed aerial IP backbone made of heterogeneous radio technologies over 300 nautical miles (Nm), allowing the passing of military operational tra‐c. a
Studies in tuberculosis immunity. I. Diagnostic and sensitizing properties of some new derivatives of tuberculin.

This study, preliminary to a series of investigations in tuberculosis immunology, represents an attempt to prepare from tuberculin an active principle which may be of value in the early diagnosis of tuberculosis, particularly in connection with a wider range of specificity for the bovine type of tubercle bacillus; secondly, it is concerned with the sensitizing properties of these derivatives.Up to the present time no substance has been isolated or prepared from tuberculin such that it will sensitize the animal body to subsequent injections of the the same material, or to its native unaltered tuberculin. The requisite for atypical skin reaction with tuberculin is an infection with tuberculosis. Believing that the specific substance which produces a local tuberculin susceptibility is present in the tubercle bacillus and in tuberculin and is the same element in either case, I have investigated certain derivatives with a view to identify a possible antigenic “nucleus”. The failure of tuberculin to develop sus...
Effect of remote aryl substituents on the conformational equilibria of 2,2-diaryl-1,3-dioxanes: importance of electrostatic interactions.

The conformational preference of a variety of 2,2-diaryl-1,3-dioxanes bearing remote substituents on the phenyl rings has been studied via equilibration of configurationally isomeric 2,2-diaryl-cis-4,6-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane epimers, X-ray crystallography, 1H NOESY analysis, and B3LYP/6-311+G* calculations. When the aryl ring bears a remote electron-withdrawing substituent, the isomer having both the higher dipole moment and the electron-withdrawing group in the equatorial phenyl ring and/or an electron-donating group in the axial ring has the lower energy. These results differ from the conclusions reported in a previous study of similar systems. The conformational energy differences of para-substituted 2,2-diaryl-1,3-dioxanes are linearly related to the Hammett σ values with a slope (ρ) of 0.6. In addition, there is a trend toward longer bond lengths between the C(2) ketal center and the aryl ring as the electron-withdrawing nature of the para-substituent is increased. Electrostatic interactions, rather th...
Causes analysis of amino acid level change in jaundice neonates and premature low-birth-weight neonates

Objective To discuss and analyze the change and causes of amino acid level in jaundice neonates and premature low-birth-weight neonates.Methods By utilizing the tandem mass spectrometry(TMS),the derivative method was adopted to measure 18 kinds of amino acid in dried blood spot(DBS).The amino acid levels were compared between the initial DBS and the recalled DBS by t-test.The causes of amino acid concentration variation in neonatal dried blood spot were analyzed.Results(1)In 38 jaundice neonates,except Asp and Cit,the concentrations of Ala,Glu,Met,Phe,Tyr,Leu,Trp,Val,Gly,Orn,His,Sern,Thr and Pro in the recalled DBS were significant decreased compared with the initial DBS(P0.05),while the concentrations of Gln and Arg in the recalled DBS were significant increased compared with the initial DBS(P0.05).(2)In 48low-birth-weight neonates,except Glu,Cit,Gln and His,the concentrations of other amino acids in the recalled DBS were significant decreased compared with the initial DBS(P0.05).Conclusion Neonatal jaundice and premature low-birth-weight seriously affect the change of amino acid levels in DBS.So the laboratory judgement on the screening results of amino acid genetic metabolic diseases should combine with the neonatal history and exclude the false positive,thus alleviate the pressure of neonatal screening workers and mental burden of parents.
Biochemical Identification of Membrane Receptors: Principles and Techniques

Since the earliest pharmacological studies, the cell membrane has been considered a likely site of drug interaction (Clark, 1933). Yet only within the past decade has considerable progress been made in the identification and purification of a variety of membrane-localized hormone receptors. This chapter will not attempt a comprehensive summary of all such studies completed to date; rather, an attempt will be made to elaborate on a few specific studies which, it is felt, will not only illustrate the general approaches that can be used to study ligand-membrane interactions but will also reveal some of the successes and pitfalls of these approaches. Examples will be drawn largely from work done in this laboratory, primarily because of our familiarity with the intimate details of these studies, both published and unpublished. Furthermore, examples will deal only with several of the polypeptide hormones and with catecholamines and will thus omit a large body of work on cholinergic receptors and on membrane receptors for an enlarging number of polypeptide hormones and other compounds. Studies on cytoplasmic for steroids are considered beyond the scope of this discussion. For details of these studies, the reader is referred to review articles elsewhere (Hall, 1972; Cuatrecasas, 1973a, 1974; Lis and Sharon. 1973; Hollenberg and Cuatrecasas, 1975a).
Effects of stretching the scalene muscles on slow vital capacity

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine whether stretching of the scalene muscles would improve slow vital capacity (SVC). [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study were 20 healthy female students to whom the study’s methods and purpose were explained and their agreement for participation was obtained. The SVC was measured using spirometry (Pony FX, COSMED Inc., Italy). The intervention used was stretching of the scalene muscles. Stretching was carried out for 15 min, 10 times at per each portion of scalene muscles: the anterior, middle, and posterior parts. [Results] Expiratory vital capacity (EVC) and tidal volume (Vt) noticeably increased after stretching. However, there were no changes in any of the SVC items in the control group. [Conclusion] This study demonstrated that stretching of the scalene muscles can effectively improve SVC. In particular, we confirmed that stretching of the scalene muscles was effective in increasing EVC and Vt, which are items of SVC.
Utopian Hopes or Dystopian Fears? Exploring the Motivational Underpinnings of Moralized Political Engagement.

People are more likely to become politically engaged (e.g., vote, engage in activism) when issues are associated with strong moral convictions. The goal of this research was to understand the under...
Serious Fall Injuries Before and After Initiation of Hemodialysis Among Older ESRD Patients in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Because initiation of dialysis therapy often occurs in the setting of acute illness and may signal worsening health and functional decline, we examined whether rates of serious fall injuries among older hemodialysis patients differ before and after dialysis therapy initiation. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of claims data from the 2 years spanning dialysis therapy initiation among patients initiating dialysis therapy in 2010 to 2012. Setting & Participants Claims from 81,653 Medicare end-stage renal disease beneficiaries aged 67 to 100 years. Predictor Post– versus pre–dialysis therapy initiation periods, defined as on or after versus before dialysis therapy initiation. Outcomes Serious fall injuries were defined using diagnostic codes for falls in combination with fractures, brain injuries, or joint dislocation. Incidence rate ratios (overall and stratified) for post– versus pre–dialysis therapy initiation periods were estimated using generalized estimating equation models with a negative binomial link. Results Overall, 12,757 serious fall injuries occurred in the pre– and post–dialysis therapy initiation periods. Annual rates of serious fall injuries were 64.4 (95% CI, 62.7-66.2) and 107.8 (95% CI, 105.4-110.3) per 1,000 patient-years, respectively, in the pre– and post–dialysis therapy initiation periods (incidence rate ratio, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.56-1.67). Relative rates of serious fall injuries in the post– vs pre–dialysis initiation periods were of greater magnitude among patients who were younger ( 3g/dL, were able to walk and transfer, did not need assistance with activities of daily living, and were not institutionalized compared with relative rates among their counterparts. Limitations Potential misclassification due to the use of claims data and survival bias among those initiating hemodialysis therapy. Conclusions Among older Medicare beneficiaries receiving hemodialysis, serious fall injuries are common, the post–dialysis initiation period is a high-risk time for falls, and dialysis therapy initiation may be an important time to screen for fall risk factors and implement multifactorial fall prevention strategies.
Instrumentation (Techniques, File Systems, File Types, and Techniques)

The success of non-surgical endodontic root canal treatment requires the use of files and instruments to remove necrotic and infected tissues. The cleaning and shaping are separate concepts but are always performed together. The goal of cleaning the root canal is the removal of necrotic pulp and infected tissues. The goal of shaping the canal is to maintain the apical foramen as small as possible in its original anatomic position. A good endodontic treatment outcome is dependent on the removal of necrotic pulp and infected tissues to a low level that cannot cause a flare up which will require retreatment. After a straight-line access cavity has been cut to allow direct access of the instruments into the root canals, and the orifices of the root canals have been identified. The next step is to instrument the root canals. The instrumentation process can be simplified by dividing the procedure in a series of steps. The majority of teeth are approximately 19-25 mm in length. Most roots are 9-15mm and most crowns are 10mm in length. An easy concept is to divide the root canal into three regions; coronal, middle and apical. Each of these regions is likely to be between 3-5mm in length. Dividing the root canal into three regions is a helpful strategy for instrumenting complicated calcified root canals with a challenging morphology. It is necessary to accurately measure tooth length in order to carry out and fulfill the basic tenets of root canal therapy. This measurement should be 0.5mm to 1mm short of the radiographic apical foramen, to create an apical stop within the tooth structure in order to confine instrumentation and the filling material. The radiograhic length is the length of the tooth as it appears on the radiograph. The estimated working length is the radiographic length minus 1mm. The final working length is -1mm substracted from the anatomical apex measure from the working length radiograph. NiTi rotary instruments have proved to be extremely successful for cleaning and shaping root canals, but they should not be used when the dentinal walls are extremely thin to avoid perforation of the root canal. Curved canals are the most challenging to instrument, because the distortion of the files and instruments will cut into the curve to reduce its angle, and place pressure on the cutting tips in an opposite direction, thereby increasing the risk of cutting a perforation. The risk of cutting a perforation in curved canals increases when larger file sizes are used. To avoid perforations, the concept of anti-curvature filing is to prepare a straight line access through the root canal to the apical region, by filing away the bulky root structure to create a displacement space, and by not touching the thin root walls which are in danger of being perforated. When a perforation occurs, it should be repaired immediately using restorative materials, with a thin liner of MTA being placed against the vital periodontal tissues or bone. The prognosis of a perforated tooth depends on the size, location, and the time taken to repair it.
Large decadal-scale changes in uranium and bicarbonate in groundwater of the irrigated western U.S

Samples collected about one decade apart from 1105 wells from across the U.S. were compiled to assess whether uranium concentrations in the arid climate are linked to changing bicarbonate concentrations in the irrigated western U.S. Uranium concentrations in groundwater were high in the arid climate in the western U.S, where uranium sources are abundant. Sixty-four wells (6%) were above the U.S. EPA MCL of 30μg/L; all but one are in the arid west. Concentrations were low to non-detectable in the humid climate. Large uranium and bicarbonate increases (differences are greater than the uncertainty in concentrations) occur in 109 wells between decade 1 and decade 2. Similarly, large uranium and bicarbonate decreases occur in 76 wells between the two decades. Significantly more wells are concordant (uranium and bicarbonate are both going the same direction) than discordant (uranium and bicarbonate are going opposite directions) (p<0.001; Chi-square test). The largest percent difference in uranium concentrations occur in wells where uranium is increasing and bicarbonate is also increasing. These large differences occur mostly in the arid climate. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that changing uranium concentrations are linked to changes in bicarbonate in irrigated areas of the western U.S.
Analysis of temperature effects on performance of interior permanent magnet machines

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and investigate the influence of temperature variation on the characteristics and performance of interior permanent magnet (IPM) machines. The impact of temperature variation on the materials of IPM machines is discussed to show the sources of performance variation. The flux linkages and torque output capability variation as functions of the temperature of are analyzed and discussed. The paper also shows the influence of temperature variation on key IPM machines performance including constant torque curves, voltage limit ellipses, maximum torque per ampere and maximum torque per volt trajectories and torque-speed curves. The results and trends shown in this paper set a foundation for developing control algorithm which takes the temperature effects into consideration, especially in the applications where operating temperature varies significantly.
Security by compilation: an automated approach to comprehensive side-channel resistance

We explain how formal verification and program synthesis can be used to (1) detect side-channel leaks of software code running on portable devices, (2) prove the absence of side-channel leaks, and (3) transform software to eliminate such leaks. We use power side-channel leaks in cryptographic software as examples, but the underlying techniques are applicable to other types of side channels and software systems as well.
In vivo bioluminescence imaging of labile iron accumulation in a murine model of Acinetobacter baumannii infection

Iron is an essential metal for all organisms, yet disruption of its homeostasis, particularly in labile forms that can contribute to oxidative stress, is connected to diseases ranging from infection to cancer to neurodegeneration. Iron deficiency is also among the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide. To advance studies of iron in healthy and disease states, we now report the synthesis and characterization of iron-caged luciferin-1 (ICL-1), a bioluminescent probe that enables longitudinal monitoring of labile iron pools (LIPs) in living animals. ICL-1 utilizes a bioinspired endoperoxide trigger to release d-aminoluciferin for selective reactivity-based detection of Fe2+ with metal and oxidation state specificity. The probe can detect physiological changes in labile Fe2+ levels in live cells and mice experiencing iron deficiency or overload. Application of ICL-1 in a model of systemic bacterial infection reveals increased iron accumulation in infected tissues that accompany transcriptional changes consistent with elevations in both iron acquisition and retention. The ability to assess iron status in living animals provides a powerful technology for studying the contributions of iron metabolism to physiology and pathology.
Avoiding the Trap of Misdiagnosis: Valuable Teaching Points Derived from a Case of Longstanding Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES), a condition predominantly affecting young individuals, is a rare clinical entity that can result in significant morbidity. The presence of lower limb pain and claudication in young, physically active individuals should prompt consideration for PAES. Early diagnosis and management is crucial to prevent long-term complications; however, diagnosis is fraught with challenges due to the rarity of the disease and its similar clinical presentation with more common conditions. We present a case of a young female with PAES who was misdiagnosed and underwent a tarsal tunnel release for suspected tarsal tunnel syndrome and subsequent fasciotomies for presumed chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) without any relief. We outline the insidious undiagnosed course of her condition over a period of 12 years, discuss teaching points of how to recognize key differences of PAES and associated conditions, and provide recommendations for how to make the right diagnosis.
Dietary Fiber Intake and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to review previously published meta-analyses on the effectiveness of dietary fiber on type 2 diabetes. Methods An umbrella review of all published meta-analyses was performed. A PubMed search from January 1, 1980, to April 30, 2017, was conducted using the following search strategy: (fiber OR glucan OR psyllium) AND (meta-analysis OR systematic review). Only English-language publications that provided quantitative statistical analysis on type 2 diabetes, fasting blood glucose concentrations, or glycosylated hemoglobin were retrieved. Results Sixteen meta-analyses were retrieved for inclusion in this umbrella review. In the meta-analyses comparing highest versus lowest dietary fiber intake, there was a statistically significant reduction in the relative risk (RR) of type 2 diabetes (RR = 0.81-0.85), with the greatest benefit coming from cereal fibers (RR = 0.67-0.87). However, statistically significant heterogeneity was observed in all of these meta-analyses. In the meta-analyses of supplementation studies using β-glucan or psyllium fibers on type 2 diabetic participants, statistically significant reductions were identified in both fasting blood glucose concentrations and glycosylated hemoglobin percentages. Conclusion This review suggests that those consuming the highest amounts of dietary fiber, especially cereal fiber, may benefit from a reduction in the incidence of developing type 2 diabetes. There also appears to be a small reduction in fasting blood glucose concentration, as well as a small reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin percentage for individuals with type 2 diabetes who add β-glucan or psyllium to their daily dietary intake.
Thesaurus of Engineering and Scientific Terms

(1969). Thesaurus of Engineering and Scientific Terms. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 154-154.
Competency Model Design and Assessment: Findings and Future Directions

Competency models offer potential for defining effective and/or superior performance and then aligning curriculum and other learning opportunities with individual development goals. However, barrie...
Cephalosporins: Recent Developments

Cephalosporin antibiotics have attained a significant role in managing bacterial diseases. The author discusses the second- and third-generation cephalosporins in this review.
Equivalence Relations and Quotient Spaces

In many situations in physics and mathematics it is reasonable to consider two different objects as equivalent in some sense. For example, in quantum mechanics the state of a particle or system of particles can be described by a nonzero vector in a complex Hilbert space (the state vector). But two vectors ψ and ψ′ proportional to each other are physically equivalent, that is, they describe the same state. Likewise, an electromagnetic field can be described by a vector potential, but two potentials A μ ′ (x) and A µ (x) that differ by a gauge transformation (that is, that satisfy A μ ′ (x) = A μ (x) + ∂ μ λ(x)) are physically equivalent.
Bending the Curve of History through Multiple Modes of Change: Reconstructive Presidential Leadership in a Constrained Environment

Modern reconstructive presidents face an institutional environment that affords defenders of the status quo historically strong veto possibilities, making today’s politics resistant to the “order shattering” and “order creating” mode of change most frequently associated with the leadership type. This paper responds to the possibility that these conditions portend the end of reconstructive leadership. It applies fresh insights gleaned from new institutionalist scholarship to discuss the full range of change strategies available to presidents inheriting the opportunity to reshape the political order. Examples, drawn from the constrained presidency of Ronald Reagan, demonstrate how displacement, layering, conversion, and drift were used to institutionalize a new political regime. Application of new theory recalibrates expectations and reveals reconstructive politics to be part of a multi-level game, wherein presidents can aim to revitalize the system by altering pathways of development and bending the curve of history.
A Novel Report of Nivolumab-Induced Parsonage-Turner Syndrome Associated with Hourglass-like Constriction of the Anterior Interosseous Nerve (P2.437)

Objective: NA Background: Parsonage-Turner Syndrome (PTS), also known as neuralgic amyotrophy, is an inflammatory peripheral nerve disorder, classically presenting with severe pain followed by weakness in one or more nerve territories, often including the anterior interosseous nerve (AIN). PTS is often associated with an antecedent event such as infection, surgery, vaccination, or medication. Surgical and high resolution nerve ultrasound (HRUS) studies have demonstrated focal, hourglass-like constriction in some cases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of PTS occurring in association with nivolumab, as well as the first report of hourglass-like HRUS findings in chemotherapy-associated PTS. Design/Methods: NA Results: Case Report: A 71-year-old male with lung adenocarcinoma presented one week following cycle 2 of nivolumab therapy with severe acute bilateral proximal upper extremity pain with subsequent recognition of hand weakness and numbness. The patient’s pain improved over 1 week, but he was left with residual weakness of the right hand, including marked difficulty grasping objects between his index finger and thumb. Physical exam revealed 1/5 strength of the right flexor pollicis longus and right flexor digitorum profundus, localizing to the right AIN. MRI of brachial plexus was unremarkable. Ultrasound of the right median nerve demonstrated an enlarged hypoechoic fascicle branching off the median nerve at the antecubital fossa consistent with an enlarged AIN. In addition to segmental enlargement, an area of focal constriction was seen in long-axis views, consistent with an hourglass-like constriction. EMG studies were consistent with an anterior interosseous mononeuropathy. Conclusions: The authors report the first known case of neuralgic amyotrophy due to nivolumab therapy, although this phenomenon is seen in the setting of other neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. This case is also notable for the ultrasonographic appearance of an hourglass-like constriction, a finding increasingly reported in neuralgic amyotrophy, particularly involving the AIN, although as of yet not in this clinical setting. Disclosure: Dr. Porambo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sedarsky has nothing to disclose. Dr. Elliott has nothing to disclose. Dr. Theeler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Smith has nothing to disclose.