cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robotic NLP vs. Human Subset Language Acquisition.

This extended abstract investigates the appropriateness of natural language processing (NLP) in the context of robot-assisted navigation for the visually impaired. Several assumptions of corpus-based robotics are examined. It is argued that, in the short term, NLP may be inadequate and, in the long term, it may not be necessary to enable robotic guides to solicit route directions from bystanders. Human sublanguage acquisition is presented as one feasible alternative.
The Use of Hematopoietic Growth Factors to Support Cytotoxic Chemotherapy for Patients with Breast Cancer

The rationale for the uses of hematopoietic growth factors in the treatment of breast cancer is reviewed. The historical background of development of these novel therapeutic agents is also summarized as it pertains to patients undergoing myelosuppressive treatments. Important areas of controversy in the clinical uses of hematopoietic growth factors are identified, and future research directions in this field are discussed.
Entry of US Medical School Graduates Into Family Medicine Residencies: 2005-2006 and 3-year Summary

This is the 25th report prepared by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) on the percentage of each US medical school’s graduates entering family medicine residency programs. Approximately 8.4% of the 16,066 graduates of US medical schools between July 2004 and June 2005 were first-year family medicine residents in 2005, compared with 9.2% in 2004 and 9.3% in 2003. Medical school graduates from publicly funded medical schools were more likely to be firstyear family medicine residents in October 2005 than were residents from privately funded schools, 9.9% compared with 5.8%. The Mountain and the West North Central regions reported the highest percentage of medical school graduates who were first-year residents in family medicine programs in October 2005 at 13.3% and 12.7%, respectively; the New England and Middle Atlantic regions reported the lowest percentages at 5.2% and 5.6%, respectively. Nearly half of the medical school graduates (47.3%) entering a family medicine residency program as first-year residents in October 2005 entered a program in the same state where they graduated from medical school. The percentages for each medical school have varied substantially from year to year since the AAFP began reporting this information. This article reports the average percentage for each medical school for the last 3 years. Also reported are the number and percentage of graduates from colleges of osteopathic medicine who entered Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited family medicine residency programs, based on estimates provided by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
Developing the Helmsman Metaphor

The concept of “autonomy as self-rule” that I argued for in the preceding chapter is a concept of autonomy grounded in an understanding of the determination of action along the lines of the “helmsman” metaphor. In making the shift from formal concerns to substantive, the view of autonomy under the metaphor of the helmsman shifts the focus of the concept from “independence” or “self-sufficiency” to that of active evaluative assessment. Autonomy does not require detachment from external influences. Rather, it requires that the agent actively assess these influences rather than simply react to them. External influences do not cause action, but rather provide information (facts) which the agent, as “helmsman”, then steers according to. This understanding of autonomy in terms of acting as helmsman of one’s own behavior requires more specific development. How can we distinguish when a person does and does not act as “helmsman”?
Alcohol and Other Substances of Abuse

Alcohol and other substances of abuse continue to play an important role in the health of patients, cost of medical care, crime, and social problems. The physiological effects of substances of abuse may mimic other medical illnesses (and vice versa). In addition, patients are often reluctant to acknowledge substance abuse, making the diagnosis more difficult. Treatment should occur at many levels including prevention, detoxification, rehabilitation, and relapse prevention. Comorbidity with other psychiatric problems is very common, and thus psychiatrists often play an important role in the care of these patients. The numerous substance-related medical and surgical problems often necessitates consultation from other medical specialists.
Management and Outcomes of Previously Healthy, Full-Term, Febrile Infants Ages 7 to 90 Days

BACKGROUND: There is considerable variation in the approach to infants presenting to the emergency department and outpatient clinics with fever without a source. We set out to describe the current clinical practice regarding culture acquisition on febrile young infants and review the outcomes of infants with and without cultures obtained. METHODS: This study analyzed Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s electronic medical record to identify all febrile, full term, previously healthy infants born between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2013, presenting for care between 7 and 90 days of age. RESULTS: During this 3-year study, 96 156 full-term infants were born at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. A total of 1380 infants presented for care with a fever with an incidence rate of 14.4 (95% confidence interval: 13.6–15.1) per 1000 full term births. Fifty-nine percent of infants 7 to 28 days old had a full evaluation compared with 25% of infants 29 to 60 days old and 5% of infants 61 to 90 days old. Older infants with lower febrile temperatures presenting to an office setting were less likely to have a culture. In the 30 days after fevers, 1% of infants returned with a urinary tract infection. No infants returned with bacteremia or meningitis. CONCLUSIONS: Fever in a medical setting occurred in 1.4% of infants in this large cohort. Forty-one percent of febrile infants did not have any cultures including 24% less than 28 days. One percent returned in the following month with a urinary tract infection. There was no delayed identification of bacteremia or meningitis.
Genre Innovation: Evolution, Emergence, or Something Else?

In trying to understand genre innovation and the appearance of what seem to be “new genres” in both new and old media, researchers have relied heavily on the concepts of “evolution” and “emergence,” without theorizing these concepts. These terms are usually associated with science, to analyze biological and physical processes, and both carry entailments worth examining. What work does each model of change do and what work does each keep us from doing? When we adopt the language of evolution or emergence, what do we import to our conceptualization of genres, of large-scale rhetorical action, and of the rhetorical organization of culture? Evolution is anti-essentialist, while emergence allows for the phenomenology of essence; both are terministic screens in Burke’s sense and thus incomplete and partial. There may be no general conceptual model adequate to the variety of cultural phenomena and domains in which genres are of interest, but we can continue to learn by testing our observations of particular examples against these useful concepts. We should be conscious of the assumptions we make about essences and relationships, of how and why we identify something as a genre; we should also be alert to the differences between classification by abstraction and classification by descent.
Chapter 29 – The Architecture of a Mind-Machine

Chapter Summary In this chapter, we take bold step and propose the unthinkable: The genesis of a Customizable Mind-Machine. Thought that stems from the mind is deeply seated in a biological framework of neurons. The biological origin lies in the marvel of evolution over the eons and refined ever so fast, faster than in the prior centuries. Three (a, b, and c), triadic objects are ceaselessly at work. At a personal level (a) mind, knowledge, and machines have been intertwined like inspiration, words, and language since the dawn of the human evolution and more recently, (b) technology, manufacturing, and economics have formed a hub of progress, (c) wealth, global marketing, and insatiable needs of humans and civilization. These triadic cycles of nine essential objects of human existence are spinning quicker and quicker every year. The Internet offers the mind no choice but to leap and soar over history and over the globe. Alternatively, human mind can sink deeper and deeper into ignorance and oblivion. More recently, the Artificial Intelligence at work in the Internet had challenged the natural intelligence at the cognizance level in the mind to find its way to breakthroughs and innovations. We integrate functions of the mind with the processing of knowledge in the hardware of machines by freely traversing the neural, mental, physical, psychological, social, knowledge, and computational spaces. The laws of neural biology and mind, laws of knowledge and social sciences, and finally the laws of physics and mechanics in each of the spaces are unique and executed by distinctive processors for each space. Much as mind rules over matter, the triad of mind, space, and time creates a human-space that rules over the Relativistic-space of matter, space, and time.
Use of Tissue Metabolite Analysis and Enzyme Kinetics To Discriminate between Alternate Pathways for Hydrogen Sulfide Metabolism.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenously synthesized signaling molecule that is enzymatically metabolized in mitochondria. The metabolism of H2S maintains optimal concentrations of the gasotransmitter and produces sulfane sulfur (S0)-containing metabolites that may be functionally important in signaling. Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQOR) catalyzes the initial two-electron oxidation of H2S to S0 using coenzyme Q as the electron acceptor in a reaction that requires a third substrate to act as the acceptor of S0. We discovered that sulfite is a highly efficient acceptor and proposed that sulfite is the physiological acceptor in a reaction that produces thiosulfate, a known metabolic intermediate. This model has been challenged by others who assume that the intracellular concentration of sulfite is very low, a scenario postulated to favor reaction of SQOR with a considerably poorer acceptor, glutathione. In this study, we measured the intracellular concentration of sulfite and other metabolites in mammal...
Effects of Ca and RE Additions on the Precipitation and Microstructure of As-Cast AZ91 Alloy

The effect of Ca and RE metal additions on the precipitation and microstructure of as-cast AZ91 alloy was systematically investigated. It was found that Ca and RE additions could result in phase and microstructure changes. The XRD pattern showed the crystallite phase of as-cast AZ91 alloys consists of α-Mg matrix and β-Mg17Al12, however, after adding 1.5wt. % Ca and 0.8wt. % RE (0.5wt. % Sm and 0.3wt. % La), peaks coincident with Al2Ca, Al2Sm and Al11La3 intermetallic compounds were found, suggesting the generation of relative precipitates. The SEM images indicated that in as-cast alloys, the Al2Ca intermetallic compound was located at grain boundaries with a lamellar structure, and the Al2Sm intermetallic compound was homogeneously distributed in the α-Mg matrix or near the grain boundaries with a polygonal structure, and the Al11La3 intermetallic compound was located at grain boundaries with a needlelike structure. These intermetallic compounds could reduce the amount of β-Mg17Al12 and refine the microstructure of as-cast AZ91 alloy.
Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency Department: What Is the Prognosis?

Miro and colleagues report the development of a tool to predict 30-day mortality in patients with acute heart failure presenting to the ED. The editorialist discusses the findings and notes the nee...
Instrumentation and Techniques for Translabial and Transperineal Pelvic Floor Ultrasound

This chapter describes instrumentation and techniques for pelvic floor ultrasound with translabial and transperineal approaches. The reader will learn about the specific equipment, image orientation and optimization, and details of 2D and 3D/4D imaging techniques. The chapter also describes different applications of the translabial and transperineal imaging for evaluation of pelvic floor dysfunction, including pelvic floor biometry, pelvic floor hiatus and pelvic floor muscles evaluation, anal and urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Polydipsia-hyponatraemia syndrome : epidemiology, clinical features and treatment.

The polydipsia-hyponatraemia syndrome (PHS) occurs in about 5 to 10% of institutionalised, chronically psychotic patients, 80% of whom have schizophrenia. Major clinical features are polydipsia and dilutional hyponatraemia. Complications of PHS include delirium, generalised seizures, coma and death.Nonpharmacological interventions are fluid restriction, diurnal bodyweight monitoring, behavioural approaches, and supplemental oral sodium chloride administration. These interventions require an experienced and dedicated multidisciplinary staff.A number of pharmacological treatments have been assessed for PHS including the combination of lithium and phenytoin, demeclocycline, propranolol, ACE inhibitors, selective serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) reuptake inhibitors, typical antipsychotic drugs, clozapine and risperidone. Of these agents, the most promising are the combination of lithium and phenytoin, and clozapine.Integrated treatment requires a highly informed multidisciplinary staff, meticulous monitoring of diurnal weight gain and serum sodium level, and careful record keeping. Acute interventions of observation by trained staff, fluid restriction, water-free areas and supplemental sodium chloride administration are based on diurnal weight gain employing a monthly weight chart and a base weight method. Intravenous hypertonic saline is used briefly and administered in a highly controlled manner when patients with PHS present with generalised seizures and coma. Long term strategies include behavioural interventions and the combination of lithium and phenytoin, and clozapine.
Computed tomographic analysis of the sagittal orbit-globe relationship

Identifying the normal relationship of the orbital rims to the globes is critical in planning surgical correction of craniofacial deformities affecting the orbit. This article illustrates a technical proof of principle and mathematical basis for a computed tomography-based measurement of the sagittal orbit-globe relationship. The technique does not require subject cooperation and is, therefore, optimal for pediatric craniofacial surgical treatment planning and outcome evaluation.
A model-based prediction of droplet shape evolution during additive manufacturing of aligned fiber-reinforced soft composites

Abstract The objective of this paper is to develop a mathematical model capable of predicting the temporal shape evolution of a droplet during the additive manufacturing of aligned fiber-reinforced soft composites. Given the ellipsoidal shape of the droplets encountered during the additive manufacturing process, the three time-dependent output parameters of interest include the height of the droplet (H), and its two relevant diameters D// and D⊥ that are measured in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the fiber axis, respectively. The model calculations start with a substrate parametrization step involving a characterization of the diameter of the fibers, fiber bundles and fiber spacing encountered in the printing zone. This coupled with the knowledge of the inkjet printing parameters and the fluid properties of the ink allow for the subsequent calculations. The droplet shape is parametrized as an ellipsoidal cap. For every discrete time-step calculation, the model uses the equations of energy and volume conservation as well as an experimentally calibrated relation for the ratio D / / H . The model also involves a free energy barrier calculation at every time increment that checks for the pinning of the D⊥ diameter. The validation experiments involved single droplet impingement studies using three inks under distinctly different inkjet printing conditions and substrates profiles. In general, the model prediction errors are observed to be under 7%. The free energy barrier calculation is a critical component of the model. In some cases, it contributes to a >50% reduction in the model prediction errors.
Photoaging and the skin : the effects of tretinoin

The appearance of photoaged skin is cosmetically unacceptable to many in our society. Ostensibly, avoidance of ultraviolet light and sunlight from early childhood is most desirable but not likely to happen in our culture. Tretinoin is the only pharmacologic compound shown to partially reverse some signs of photoaging. Improvement with tretinoin therapy has been quantified clinically and histologically. A major degree of improvement occurs in 6 to 12 months, and maintenance treatment one to three times per week may continue this response. Tretinoin therapy should optimally be used with daily moisturizer and sunscreen applications. Psychosocial benefits of tretinoin therapy, use of tretinoin for intrinsically aged or non-Caucasian skin, and higher-strength tretinoin therapy for severely photoaged skin need to be further explored. It is possible that some subsets of patients with photoaged skin may respond better than others.
Laboratory Diagnosis of Cushing’s Disease and Syndrome

With continued clinical studies of patients suspected of having hypercorticism, it has become evident that laboratory testing is essential to distinguish those who may have suggestive signs and symptoms, but may prove to be eucorticoid, from those patients who actually have increased corticosteroid production. In the latter group, it is further necessary to distinguish patients with Cushing’s disease from those with either adrenal or ectopic ACTH-producing tumors.
Extraction of benzothiazole and thiophene from their mixtures with n-heptane using tetrahexylammonium bromide-based deep eutectic solvents as extractive denitrogenation and desulfurization agents

Abstract The liquid-liquid extraction of a sulfur-nitrogen compound using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) was studied for the first time in this work. Benzothiazole (which contains both nitrogen and sulfur) and thiophene (which only contains sulfur) were separated from n-heptane using two tetrahexylammonium bromide-based DESs. Solubility data for benzothiazole and thiophene in the DESs and the DESs' constituents were determined at 298 K and atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, pseudo-ternary LLE data for the four systems {n-heptane + benzothiazole/thiophene + DES 1/DES 2} were determined at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 298 K. The consideration of a pseudo-ternary system was validated showing that none of the DES′ constituents appears in the raffinate phase’ in the abstract. Both benzothiazole and thiophene were selectively extracted from their mixtures with n-heptane, but benzothiazole showed even higher affinity towards both DESs than thiophene due to the presence of nitrogen in benzothiazole. From the results derived from the experimental data, the selectivities and distribution ratios of benzothiazole and thiophene were calculated. These calculated values were able to show the potency of the DESs for both desulfurization and denitrogenation. In order to validate the experimental data, the equilibrium data were correlated with the NRTL model using ASPEN Plus. The modeled results showed a strong correlation with the experimental results.
Exceptionally Selective Substrate Targeting by the Metalloprotease Anthrax Lethal Factor

The zinc-dependent metalloprotease anthrax lethal factor (LF) is the enzymatic component of a toxin thought to have a major role in Bacillus anthracis infections. Like many bacterial toxins, LF is a secreted protein that functions within host cells. LF is a highly selective protease that cleaves a limited number of substrates in a site-specific manner, thereby impacting host signal transduction pathways. The major substrates of LF are mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MKKs), which lie in the middle of three-component phosphorylation cascades mediating numerous functions in a variety of cells and tissues. How LF targets its limited substrate repertoire has been an active area of investigation. LF recognizes a specific sequence motif surrounding the scissile bonds of substrate proteins. X-ray crystallography of the protease in complex with peptide substrates has revealed the structural basis of selectivity for the LF cleavage site motif. In addition to having interactions proximal to the cleavage site, LF binds directly to a more distal region in its substrates through a so-called exosite interaction. This exosite has been mapped to a surface within a non-catalytic domain of LF with previously unknown function. A putative LF-binding site has likewise been identified on the catalytic domains of MKKs. Here we review our current state of understanding of LF-substrate interactions and discuss the implications for the design and discovery of inhibitors that may have utility as anthrax therapeutics.
Fliess Series Method for Riccati Differential Systems

We propose an algebraic combinatoric approach to solve matrix Riccati differential equations. Functional series solutions for matrix Riccati differential equation are computed by formal power series method using Fliess operators. Finite escape time of the Riccati differential system is determined from such series solutions. Sufficient conditions for the nonexistence of finite escape time are also presented. Results are compared with solutions obtained by numerical integration and closed form solutions when they exist.
Acoustically Forced Droplet Combustion of Liquid Fuel with Reactive Aluminum Nanoparticulates

This experimental study explores the effects of acoustic excitation on burning droplets of liquid ethanol loaded with reactive aluminum nanoparticles (nAl). Continuously fed fuel droplet combustion...
Tipping the scales: overcoming obstacles to support school readiness for all in low- and middle-income countries

ABSTRACTDespite evidence for the substantial benefits of school readiness among children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), most lack access to any pre-primary education at all, let alone...
The evaluation and management of female sexual dysfunction

Female sexual dysfunction has complex physiologic and psychological components that require a detailed screening, history, and physical examination. Our goal in this review is to provide family physicians with insights and practical advice to help screen, diagnose, and treat female sexual dysfunction, which can have a profound impact on patients' most intimate relationships.
AMOEBA clustering revisited

A description of the clustering, classification, and image display program AMOEBA is presented. Using a difficult high resolution aircraft-acquired MSS image, the steps the program takes in forming clusters are traced. A number of new features are described here for the first time. Usage of the program is discussed. The theoretical foundation (the underlying mathematical model) is briefly presented. The program can handle images of any size and dimensionality.
An Evaluation of Health Numeracy among Radiation Therapists and Dosimetrists

Abstract Purpose Medical errors in radiation oncology sometimes involve tasks reliant on practitioners’ grasp of numeracy. Numeracy has been shown to be suboptimal across various health care professionals. Herein, we assess health numeracy among American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) members. Methods and materials The Numeracy Understanding for Medicine instrument (NUMi), an instrument to measure numeracy in the general population, was adapted to oncology for this study and distributed to ASRT members (n = 14,228) in 2017. Per NUMi scoring, health numeracy scores were categorized as low (0-7), low average (8-12), high average (13-17), or high (18-20). The impact of cGy versus Gy on numeracy performance was investigated. Spearman’s rho and a Wilcox-Mann-Whitney test were used for comparisons between the different groups. Results A total of 662 eligible participants completed the instrument and identified as radiation oncology professionals. In the cGy and Gy NUMi scores, approximately 2% of respondents scored low-average, approximately 40% scored high-average, and approximately 58% scored high, with a median score of 18.0. Although the optimum NUMi score for ASRT members is unknown, one might expect our cohort to have numeracy skills at least as high as college freshmen. Roughly one-sixth of our study group scored at or below the average score of college freshmen (NUMi = 15). In the subset analysis of NUMi questions pertaining to radiation dose unit (cGy vs Gy), respondents performed better with cGy (mean score: 2.94; range, 2-3) versus Gy (mean: 2.91; range, 0-3; P = .011). Conclusions In this study of limited sample size, overall numeracy is quite good compared with the general population. However, the range of scores is wide, and some respondents have lower scores that may be concerning, suggesting that numeracy may be an issue that requires improvement for a subset of the studied cohort. Performance was superior with the unit cGy; thus, the adoption of cGy as the standard unit is reasonable.
Transfer learning enables prediction of CYP2D6 haplotype function

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is a highly polymorphic gene whose protein product metabolizes more than 20% of clinically used drugs. Genetic variations in CYP2D6 are responsible for interindividual heterogeneity in drug response that can lead to drug toxicity and ineffective treatment, making CYP2D6 one of the most important pharmacogenes. Prediction of CYP2D6 phenotype relies on curation of literature-derived functional studies to assign a functional status to CYP2D6 haplotypes. As the number of large-scale sequencing efforts grows, new haplotypes continue to be discovered, and assignment of function is challenging to maintain. To address this challenge, we have trained a convolutional neural network to predict functional status of CYP2D6 haplotypes, called Hubble.2D6. Hubble.2D6 predicts haplotype function from sequence data and was trained using two pre-training steps with a combination of real and simulated data. We find that Hubble.2D6 predicts CYP2D6 haplotype functional status with 88% accuracy in a held-out test set and explains 47.5% of the variance in in vitro functional data among star alleles with unknown function. Hubble.2D6 may be a useful tool for assigning function to haplotypes with uncurated function, and used for screening individuals who are at risk of being poor metabolizers.
Ab Initio Study of ( ν ℓ , ℓ − ) and ( ν ¯ ℓ , ℓ + ) Inclusive Scattering in C 12 : Confronting the MiniBooNE and T2K CCQE Data

A new numerical study calculates the interaction cross section between neutrinos and the carbon nucleus and finds a good match with extant data, a key step toward characterizing neutrino flavor oscillations.
Bilinear Control of Convection-Cooling: From Open-Loop to Closed-Loop.

This paper is concerned with a bilinear control problem for enhancing convection-cooling via an incompressible velocity field. Both optimal open-loop control and closed-loop feedback control designs are addressed. First and second order optimality conditions for characterizing the optimal solution are discussed. In particular, the method of instantaneous control is applied to establish the feedback laws. Moreover, the construction of feedback laws is also investigated by directly utilizing the optimality system with appropriate numerical discretization schemes. Computationally, it is much easier to implement the closed-loop feedback control than the optimal open-loop control, as the latter requires to solve the state equations forward in time, coupled with the adjoint equations backward in time together with a nonlinear optimality condition. Rigorous analysis and numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate our ideas and validate the efficacy of the control designs.
Mapping from sequence to droplets.

Alex Holehouse describes the contributions of Nott et al. to the understanding of the mechanisms of liquid–liquid phase separation.
The Human Lumbar Spine During High-Rate Under Seat Loading: A Combined Metric Injury Criteria

Modern changes in warfare have shown an increased incidence of lumbar spine injuries caused by underbody blast events. The susceptibility of the lumbar spine during these scenarios could be exacerbated by coupled moments that act with the rapid compressive force depending on the occupant’s seated posture. In this study, a combined loading lumbar spine vertebral body fracture injury criteria (Lic) across a range of postures was established from 75 tests performed on instrumented cadaveric lumbar spine specimens. The spines were predominantly exposed to axial compressive forces from an upward vertical thrust with 64 of the tests resulting in at least one vertebral body fracture and 11 in no vertebral body injury. The proposed Lic utilizes a recommended metric (κ), based on prismatic beam failure theory, resulting from the combination of the T12-L1 resultant sagittal force and the decorrelated bending moment with optimized critical values of Fr,crit = 5824 N and My,crit = 1155 Nm. The 50% risk of lumbar spine injury corresponded to a combined metric of 1, with the risk decreasing with the combined metric value. At 50% injury risk the Normalized Confidence Interval Size improved from 0.24 of a force-based injury reference curve to 0.17 for the combined loading metric.
Comparison of transvalvular flow rate in aortic stenosis subtypes.

OBJECTIVES Evaluate ET and TVFR in normal patients, PLFLGAS, LGLFAS, and classic pre and post TAVR. BACKGROUND Severe aortic stenosis (AS) is defined echocardiographically. Generating a pressure gradient to meet diagnostic criteria is dependent on left ventricular contractility, stroke volume, and ejection time. Abnormalities in these decrease the mean pressure gradient across the valve creating pathology termed low flow, low gradient AS. This occurs in two subtypes, low ejection fraction LFLGAS and paradoxical LFLGAS (PLFLGAS), in which EF is normal but stroke volume is < 35 ml/m2 . Paradoxical LFLGAS is difficult to diagnose and does not have a confirmatory echocardiographic parameter. Transvalvular flow rate (TVFR), which is defined as stroke volume divided by the ejection time, provides a direct measure of flow across the aortic valve. METHODS A retrospective study of patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center between 2016 and 2019 was performed. Patients were classified by AS subtype. ET and TVFR were measured pre and post TAVR and statistically compared using SPSS statistics software and ANOVA analysis. RESULTS Pre TAVR TVFR in the normal population, severe AS population, and LFLGAS were not significantly different. The pre TAVR TVFR in paradoxical LFLGAS patients was significantly lower than other groups. TVFR improved to the greatest degree post TAVR in PLFLGAS but did not meet statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The significantly lower TVFR demonstrated in PLFLGAS provides a comprehensive, direct measurement of aortic valve hemodynamics and PLFLGAS pathology and can aid in diagnosis.
Knowing and Treating Disease

Clinical medicine is an applied science. It is the search for explanation and prediction in the service of practical goals, e.g., the achievement of well-being and the avoidance of impairments. Since one is interested in applying knowledge, the success of such applications is judged primarily by practical standards. Disease concepts involve a complex interplay between two major goals: (1) to know clinical reality, and (2) to alleviate pain and suffering and to prevent premature death and disability. Clinicians wish to establish through concepts of disease the regularities of occurrences among clinical phenomena and to find enlightening and useful models to account for these regularities. In this way, clinicians function as medical scientists seeking to know the world. Ingredient to the task of knowing disease are judgments concerning how to alleviate pain and suffering. As this chapter shows, such judgments are complex and varied. Theory and practice are two aspects of human endeavor that clinicians’ intellectual interests sustain.
New benzimidazole carbamates as antifilarial agents.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses an approach to control filariasis by the use of a new class of pharmacological agents, benzimidazoles. There are six species of human filariasis for which it is desirable to develop antifilarial agents: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Onchocerca volvulus are major human pathogens, responsible for practically all filaria-related deaths. Mansonella ozzardi, Dipetalonema perstans, and Loa Loa are less prevalent species. Benzimidazoles have been identified as antifilarial agents based on an extensive series of studies in jirds (a kind of gerbil) and cats. The mechanism of the action of benzimidazoles has been extensively studied in many laboratories, and, in general, three possible modes of action have been suggested for these drugs. It has been demonstrated by numerous workers that the majority of benzimidazoles inhibit the microtubulin of tegumental or intestinal cells of nematodes or cestodes through the degeneration of these cells. This mechanism is now well accepted as the mode of action for benzimidazole derivatives.
Selective induction of high avidity CTL by altering the balance of signals from APC.

High avidity CTL are most effective at clearing viruses and cancer cells. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms involved in induction of high avidity CTL is critical for effective vaccines. However, no vaccine approach to selectively induce high avidity CTL in vivo has been discovered. In a new approach, signals from MHC class I (signal 1) and costimulatory molecules (signal 2) were adjusted by varying Ag dose and by use of recombinant poxvirus expressing a triad of costimulatory molecules (B7-1, ICAM-1, and LFA-3), respectively. Independent of CTL avidity, a strong signal 1 resulted in an increased frequency of CD8+ CTL. However, a strong signal 2 was necessary for the induction of high avidity CD8+ CTL that killed target cells more efficiently, and signal 2 played a more crucial role in the absence of a strong signal 1. Only CTL induced with strong signal 2 killed tumor cells endogenously expressing low levels of Ag. Signal 2 contributed to the induction of high avidity CD8+ CTL in both primary and secondary responses. Thus, although signal 2 has been known to increase the quantity of CTL response, in this study we show that it also improves the quality of CTL response. Our data also suggested that dendritic cells play an important role in induction of high avidity CD8+ CTL in vivo. This strategy to selectively induce higher avidity CTL may lead to more effective vaccines for viruses and cancer.
Predicting the sex of unborn child

Abstract The experiment shows that the appearance of sperm heads in the testes of the rat occurs at varying ages, usually not until the thirty-sixth to the fortieth day, but occasionally at thirty-five days if the animal is larger than the average. Injection of urine from women in the last trimester of pregnancy did not uniformly stimulate spermatogenesis to the production of sperm heads prematurely. The few injected animals that were positive were above the average weight of the entire series and the sex of the unborn child proved to be males in five instances and females in four.
Isolation and Crystallographic Characterization of Tm3N@D2 (35)-C88

Tm3N@D2(35)-C88 has been prepared by vaporization of graphite rods doped with Tm2O3, graphite powder, and iron nitride in a Kratschmer-Huffman arc-discharge fullerene generator and isolated by high pressure liquid chromatography. A single crystal X-ray diffraction study reveals the dimensions of the D2(35)-C88 cage and the positioning of the Tm3N unit inside.
Late profound muscle weakness following heart transplantation due to danon disease

Introduction: Postoperative muscle weakness is a serious complication in surgical intensive care patients. It is mostly described as critical illness polyneuromyopathy. Risk factors include intensive care length of stay, sepsis, poor glycemic control, and combined use of corticosteroids and neuromuscular blocking agents, malnutrition, and electrolyte imbalance. Methods: We report a case of late-progressive, profound weakness after heart transplantation for noncompaction cardiomyopathy which required prolonged mechanical ventilation. The patient's muscle strength recovered completely after prolonged rehabilitation. Results: Electromyographic assessment showed myopathy. Muscle biopsy revealed Danon disease, a genetic disorder affecting the lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 gene (LAMP2). Conclusions: The finding of this genetic disorder was unexpected, because the preoperative echocardiographic diagnosis of noncompaction cardiomyopathy has not been reported in Danon disease. This report underlines the need for early availability of pathology results from the explanted heart, which showed the same disorder. Muscle Nerve, 2013
β-β′ Subunits of Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase in Episome-Free Minicells of Escherichia coli

Episome-free minicells of Escherichia coli, previously shown to lack ribonucleic acid polymerase activity, do contain the β-β′ subunits of the polymerase.
Auditory Processing in the Primate Brain

The auditory system makes it possible to identify and localize sounds and their sources from a complex and dynamic acoustic environment. To accomplish these tasks, the auditory system must encode the relevant cues and appropriately distribute that information among a myriad of auditory processing centers in the brain. These events are accomplished in multiple parallel pathways involving an extensive array of interconnected nuclei and fields in the brainstem, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. Both ascending and descending channels contribute to a dynamic exchange in which the response properties of neurons at every level of processing can be modified as needed. Among mammals, the organization of subcortical auditory nuclei and associated pathways is highly conserved. By comparison, the number and organization of auditory fields in cortex varies across taxonomic groups. In nonhuman primates, three major regions containing some 12 subdivisions occupy the superior temporal region where auditory inputs are processed in serial and parallel. Outputs target multiple auditory-related domains in temporal, prefrontal, and posterior parietal cortex. From these many interactions information concerning the identity and location of acoustic objects is extracted and used to guide behavior. Keywords: auditory; brainstem; cortex; hearing; monkey; temporal; thalamus
Novel pathways for fuels and lubricants from biomass optimized using life-cycle greenhouse gas assessment

Decarbonizing the transportation sector is critical to achieving global climate change mitigation. Although biofuels will play an important role in conventional gasoline and diesel applications, bioderived solutions are particularly important in jet fuels and lubricants, for which no other viable renewable alternatives exist. Producing compounds for jet fuel and lubricant base oil applications often requires upgrading fermentation products, such as alcohols and ketones, to reach the appropriate molecular-weight range. Ketones possess both electrophilic and nucleophilic functionality, which allows them to be used as building blocks similar to alkenes and aromatics in a petroleum refining complex. Here, we develop a method for selectively upgrading biomass-derived alkyl methyl ketones with >95% yields into trimer condensates, which can then be hydrodeoxygenated in near-quantitative yields to give a new class of cycloalkane compounds. The basic chemistry developed here can be tailored for aviation fuels as well as lubricants by changing the production strategy. We also demonstrate that a sugarcane biorefinery could use natural synergies between various routes to produce a mixture of lubricant base oils and jet fuels that achieve net life-cycle greenhouse gas savings of up to 80%.
Entrepreneurship Development in the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Sector in India: A Policy Analysis

The MSME sector has often been termed the ‘engine of growth’ for developing economies. We begin with an overview of this sector in India and look at some recent trends which highlight the development and significance of this sector vis-a-vis the Indian economy. Over the last few years, there have been major policy changes at the federal and state level aimed at consolidating and developing this sector. This paper critically analyzes a few policy recommendations which have been commonly suggested to settle some of the ongoing debates in this sector which the MSME Development Act of 2006 has been unable to resolve. In the second part of this paper, we do an impact assessment of specific government policy interventions. The policies of interest are state outlays and subsidies targeted towards this sector. More specifically, we analyze the impact of total financial subsidies to the sector, total state investment in industrial parks and clusters aimed at this sector and the total state expenditure to support technology within the MSME sector. We do a state level analysis based on data from 1991 until 2002 and study some key outcomes of interest such as total number of units, total output, total employment and total exports from the MSME sector. Our main findings are that while specific policies that are aimed at the MSME sector have basically no significant impact on the growth of this sector, more general development policies such as expenditure on infrastructure and access to finance have significantly positive impact on growth of the MSME sector across states in India over the last 15 years.
Synergistic Interactions Between IFN‐γ and IFN‐β in Priming Murine Macrophages for Tumor Cell Killing

of MulFN-� and MuIFN-y was greater than that expected if MulFN-� and MuIFN--y had acted In an additive manner. Isobologram analysis of data obtained when macrophages were stimulated with combinations of IFNs demonstrated that MuIFN-�3 and MuIFN-y acted synergistically to prime macrophages for tumor cell killing. The greatest degree of synergy was observed when macrophages were stimulated with suboptimal and nearly equivalent concentrations of each class of IFN. Further studies demonstrated that macrophages stimulated with combinations of MulFN-� and MuIFN-’ywere more sensitive to the trigger signal provided by LPS than were cells primed with either IFN alone. Thus, the synergistic effects observed were quantitative in nature in that macrophages perceived combinations of MulFN-� and MuIFN-’yas having higher priming activities than expected.
A Wintgen type inequality for surfaces in 4D neutral pseudo-Riemannian space forms and its applications to minimal immersions

Let $M$ be a space-like surface immersed in a 4-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian space form $R^4_2(c)$ with constant sectional curvature $c$ and index two. In the first part of this article, we prove that the Gauss curvature $K$, the normal curvature $K^D$, and mean curvature vector $H$ of $M$ satisfy the general inequality: $K+K^D\geq H,H +c$. In the second part, we investigate space-like minimal surfaces in $R^4_2(c)$ which satisfy the equality case of the inequality identically. Several classification results in this respect are then obtained.
Detection of [O I] λ6300 and Other Diagnostic Emission Lines in the Diffuse Ionized Gas of M33 with Gemini-North

We present spectroscopic observations of diffuse ionized gas (DIG) in M33 near the H II region NGC 604. We present the first detection of [O I] λ6300 in the DIG of M33, one of the critical lines for distinguishing photoionization from shock ionization models. We measure [O I]/Hα in the range of 0.04-0.10 and an increase in this ratio with decreasing emission measure. Our measurements of [S II]/Hα and [N II]/Hα also rise with decreasing emission measure, while our [O III]/Hβ measurements remain fairly constant. We have one tentative detection of He I in the region of brightest emission measure, with a ratio of He I/Hα = 0.033 ± 0.019, indicating that the helium is at least partially ionized. We compare our observed emission-line ratios to photoionization models and find that field star ionization models do not fit our data well. Leaky H II region models are consistent with our data, without the need to invoke additional ionization mechanisms to fit our [O I] or [O III] measurements. The closest large H II region is NGC 604 and is therefore a likely candidate for the source of the ionizing photons for the gas in this region.
The potential for landfill leachate treatment using willows in the UK—A critical review

Landfill leachate is an increasing problem for UK landfill operators, regulators and the environment. Economically and environmentally sustainable solutions are in growing demand. Energy crops such as willows may offer a two-fold solution, fulfilling both of these criteria. This paper sets out the current status of the use of such treatment systems in the UK, their potential environmental and economic benefits and possible mechanisms for their effectiveness.
Target-spin dependence observed in 50 MeV 3He elastic scattering

Abstract Elastic scattering of 50 MeV 3He ions from 59 Co (J = 7 2 ) and 60 Ni (J = 0) was measured over the angular range of 12° to 130°. A significant difference was observed in the large-angle scattering from the two targets. This is interpreted as arising from a target spin dependence in 3He elastic scattering.
Haplotype and Cell Proliferation Analyses of Candidate Lung Cancer Susceptibility Genes on Chromosome 15q24-25.1

Recent genome-wide association studies have linked the chromosome 15q24-25.1 locus to nicotine addiction and lung cancer susceptibility. To refine the 15q24-25.1 locus, we performed a haplotype-based association analysis of 194 familial lung cases and 219 cancer-free controls from the Genetic Epidemiology of Lung Cancer Consortium (GELCC) collection, and used proliferation and apoptosis analyses to determine which gene(s) in the 15q24-25.1 locus mediates effects on lung cancer cell growth in vitro. We identified two distinct subregions, hapL (P = 3.20 x 10(-6)) and hapN (P = 1.51 x 10(-6)), which were significantly associated with familial lung cancer. hapL encompasses IREB2, LOC123688, and PSMA4, and hapN encompasses the three nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit genes CHRNA5, CHRNA3, and CHRNB4. Examination of the genes around hapL revealed that PSMA4 plays a role in promoting cancer cell proliferation. PSMA4 mRNA levels were increased in lung tumors compared with normal lung tissues. Down-regulation of PSMA4 expression decreased proteasome activity and induced apoptosis. Proteasome dysfunction leads to many diseases including cancer, and drugs that inhibit proteasome activity show promise as a form of cancer treatment. Genes around hapN were also investigated, but did not show any direct effect on lung cancer cell proliferation. We concluded that PSMA4 is a strong candidate mediator of lung cancer cell growth, and may directly affect lung cancer susceptibility through its modulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis.
Three-Dimensional Viewing Device For Examining Internal Structure

A new 3-D viewing system will be described which allows a physician to simultaneously examine multiple CT or B-scan ultrasound scans in their proper orientation in all three dimensions. Several persons can view the display at the same time and there is no need for special glasses. Test images and line drawings displayed on a prototype viewing device exhibit both stereoscopic and motion parallax depth cues characteristic of a real three dimensional object. Operating principles of the device will be outlined and a new 3-D figure/ground illusion will be described.
Can ultrasound and clinical features be used to predict thyroid cancer in solitary nodules and multinodular goiter

Can ultrasound and clinical features be used to predict thyroid cancer in solitary nodules and multinodular goiter?