cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Four-year review of presenteeism data among employees of a large United States health care system: a retrospective prevalence study

Historically, in an effort to evaluate and manage the rising cost of healthcare employers assess the direct cost burden via medical health claims and measures that yield clear data. Health related indirect costs are harder to measure and are often left out of the comprehensive overview of health expenses to an employer. Presenteeism, which is commonly referred to as an employee at work who has impaired productivity due to health considerations, has been identified as an indirect but relevant factor influencing productivity and human capitol. The current study evaluated presenteeism among employees of a large United States health care system that operates in six locations over a four-year period and estimated loss productivity due to poor health and its potential economic burden. The Health-Related Productivity Loss Instrument (HPLI) was included as part of an online Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) administered to employees of a large United States health care system across six locations. A total of 58 299 HRAs from 22 893 employees were completed and analyzed; 7959 employees completed the HRA each year for 4 years. The prevalence of 22 specific health conditions and their effects on productivity areas (quantity of work, quality of work, work not done, and concentration) were measured. The estimated daily productivity loss per person, annual cost per person, and annual company costs were calculated for each condition by fitting marginal models using generalized estimating equations. Intra-participant agreement in reported productivity loss across time was evaluated using κ statistics for each condition. The health conditions rated highest in prevalence were allergies and hypertension (high blood pressure). The conditions with the highest estimated daily productivity loss and annual cost per person were chronic back pain, mental illness, general anxiety, migraines or severe headaches, neck pain, and depression. Allergies and migraines or severe headaches had the highest estimated annual company cost. Most health conditions had at least fair intra-participant agreement (κ ≥ 0.40) on reported daily productivity loss. Results from the current study suggested a variety of health conditions contributed to daily productivity loss and resulted in additional annual estimated costs for the health care system. To improve the productivity and well-being of their workforce, employers should consider presenteeism data when planning comprehensive wellness initiatives to curb productivity loss and increase employee health and well-being during working hours.
Quantitative 2-D OH thermometry using spectrally resolved planar laser-induced fluorescence.

A novel method is presented for quantitative two-dimensional temperature measurement in combustion gases. This method, namely spectrally resolved planar laser-induced fluorescence thermometry, utilizes a high-power, wavelength-tunable and narrow-linewidth CW laser to access the spectral lineshapes of a key combustion intermediate, the hydroxyl radical (OH), and enables high-fidelity and calibration-free quantification of non-uniform temperature fields in complex reacting flows. Specifically, the R1(11)/R1(7) line pair of the OH A2Σ+−X2Π(0,0) rovibronic band was probed with laser radiation near 306.5 nm, and their fluorescence ratios were used to infer temperature. Preliminary demonstrations of this thermometry method were performed in a series of burner-stabilized CH4-air flames.
Thermally-switchable spectrally-selective infrared metamaterial absorber/emitter by tuning magnetic polariton with a phase-change VO2 layer

Abstract A metamaterial made of submicron aluminum disks on phase-change vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film, which is synthesized by furnace oxidation method, has been fabricated by metal deposition, photolithography, and lift-off processes. By varying over-exposure time during the photolithography process with a stepper, metamaterials with submicron disk diameters down to 0.55 μm were successfully fabricated. Characterized by a Fourier transform infrared microscope, the metamaterial exhibits an absorption peak close to unity at the wavelength around 7 μm at room temperature as a selective absorber, while it is highly reflective once VO2 becomes metallic after phase transition at higher temperatures. Elucidated by numerical simulation, the spectral absorption peak is attributed to the excitation of magnetic polariton (MP) within the insulating VO2 film. Once the metamaterial is heated above the transition temperature of VO2, MP cannot be excited within the metallic VO2 film, resulting in disappearance or “switch-off” of the absorption peak. The switchable behavior is further explained by an equivalent inductor-capacitor circuit model, which predicted absorption peak wavelengths in excellent agreement with experimentally observed ones of fabricated metamaterials with different disk diameters. This thermally-switchable spectrally-selective metamaterial could facilitate applications in dynamic infrared camouflage and active radiative thermal management.
Flourishing: Designing a Brave New World

Abstract To put Planet Earth on a sustainable trajectory, we need a new normative vision to guide the design of institutions and artifacts. Sustainability has failed. Instead, the positive image of flourishing has the power to reverse the course of environmental and social deterioration. Flourishing represents the realization of living creatures’ biological—and for humans, existential—potential. The absence of flourishing can be explained by recent studies of the brain by Iain McGilchrist. His divided brain model explains the evolution of our “modern” culture, dominated by abstract science (left brain) and manipulative control, compared to cultures characterized by interconnectedness and empathetic care (right brain). Flourishing is possible only when the right brain hemisphere is the master, but balanced with the left. The ultimate goal of every designer should be to foster flourishing. But as an emergent property, it cannot be obtained directly by technological or institutional design. For humans, flourishing requires 1) restoring the supremacy of the right brain through direct practices, for example, mindfulness training, and 2) re-designing institutions and artifacts to enhance presencing: the perception of being connected to the contextually rich surrounding world. Design-for-flourishing must therefore pay attention to the larger social and environmental systems in which people live out their lives.
Challenges to Consider in Practicing Specialized Medicine

There are many challenges that should be faced in engaging in the practice of specialized medicine. Chief among these is how to practice your specialty more like a profession and less as a business. This entails finding a way to resist doing unnecessary profitable procedures you will be tempted or
Are Alliances Across our Differences in Education Possible

Let me begin this essay with an honest personal statement. I have been struggling for years with the question of what role religious understandings and commitments should play in public education a...
And Then God Made School Boards

In 2013, only 39% of teachers reported feeling “very satisfied” with their job. This is significantly down from 2008 when 62% of teachers said they were “very satisfied” with their job. Why the big drop? This chapter connects this common teacher dissatisfaction to what the author calls the “Administration,” a vast and twisted chain of managers, supervisors, and their support staff from the federal down to the district level. The chapter shows how the American school system is perhaps the most top-heavy, over-managed, bureaucratically bloated system on the planet. Further, the people who comprise the Administration do not teach for a living but tell those who teach almost everything they must do, for example, which books to use, which format their lessons need to be in, and so on. In addition to being top-heavy, the chapter argues that the Administration is prone to latch on to educational fads that promise great results at a low cost. Most of these fads go out of style in five or ten years, leaving teachers exhausted and dispirited. The chapter concludes by exploring the type of management structure and oversight that teachers say would work better for them and their students.
Retrieval of Snow or Ice Pack Thickness Variation Within a Footprint of Correlation Radiometers

A new passive microwave remote sensing technique, wideband autocorrelation radiometry (WiBAR), directly measures the microwave propagation time difference of multipath microwave emission from low-loss layered surfaces such as a dry snowpack and a freshwater lake icepack. The microwave propagation time difference through the pack yields a measure of its vertical extent. However, the presence of variable pack thicknesses within a footprint of the radiometer’s antenna will add complexity to the retrieved time delay. This issue is more severe for WiBAR on airborne and spaceborne platforms than WiBAR on ground-based platforms since the footprint for a given radiometer antenna is larger. From a simple forward model for a layer having distinct thickness values within one footprint (pixel), the system requirements for resolving these distinct thickness values are derived. A subpixel lake ice thickness distinction of 3.7 cm is demonstrated with an X-band WiBAR instrument at an incidence angle of 70°.
Circulating Erythropoietic Precursors Assessed in Culture: Characterization in Normal Men and Patients With Hemoglobinopathies

Circulating erythropoietic precursors in normal men and patients with hemoglobinopathies were characterized in culture. Blood mononuclear cells harvested with a modification of the Ficoll-Isopaque technique were cultured in methylcellulose for 14 days. The majority of erythropoietic colonies consisted of several subcolonies assuming the morphology of erythropoietic “bursts” described in murine marrow cultures. Time course studied of colony formation from marrow and blood nucleated cells confirmed that the circulating erythropoietic precursors represented only early stages of development. Peak sedimentation velocity of the circulating precursors analyzed using a Staput apparatus averaged 5.31 mm/hr and corresponded with that of the early erythropoietic precursors in human marrow. One ml of blood yielded an average of 153 colonies in normal men and 785 colonies in patients with hemoglobinopathies. No correlation was observed between colony formation and reticulocyte indices of individual patients. Examination of the proliferative state of the erythropoietic precursors using high specific activity tritium-labeled thymidine revealed that almost none of the cells in normal men or patients with hemoglobinopathies were in the DNA synthetic phase.
Remote Sensing of Environment: History, Philosophy, Approach and Contributions, 1969 –2019

Abstract 2019 is the 50th anniversary of Remote Sensing of Environment. RSE serves the Earth observation community with the publication of results on the theory, science, applications, and technology of remote sensing. Thoroughly interdisciplinary, it publishes state-of-the-art papers on terrestrial, oceanic/marine, and atmospheric sensing. The emphasis of the journal is on biophysical and quantitative approaches to remote sensing at local to global scales. The 7,800 papers it has published have been cited more than 520,000 times, and it has consistently had the highest journal impact factor since 1983. This paper summarizes RSE's history and publication metrics and discusses the philosophy, approach, and contributions that have made it the leading remote sensing journal for many years.
Low phytic acid Crops: Observations Based On Four Decades of Research.

The low phytic acid (lpa), or “low-phytate” seed trait can provide numerous potential benefits to the nutritional quality of foods and feeds and to the sustainability of agricultural production. Major benefits include enhanced phosphorus (P) management contributing to enhanced sustainability in non-ruminant (poultry, swine, and fish) production; reduced environmental impact due to reduced waste P in non-ruminant production; enhanced “global” bioavailability of minerals (iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium) for both humans and non-ruminant animals; enhancement of animal health, productivity and the quality of animal products; development of “low seed total P” crops which also can enhance management of P in agricultural production and contribute to its sustainability. Evaluations of this trait by industry and by advocates of biofortification via breeding for enhanced mineral density have been too short term and too narrowly focused. Arguments against breeding for the low-phytate trait overstate the negatives such as potentially reduced yields and field performance or possible reductions in phytic acid’s health benefits. Progress in breeding or genetically-engineering high-yielding stress-tolerant low-phytate crops continues. Perhaps due to the potential benefits of the low-phytate trait, the challenge of developing high-yielding, stress-tolerant low-phytate crops has become something of a holy grail for crop genetic engineering. While there are widely available and efficacious alternative approaches to deal with the problems posed by seed-derived dietary phytic acid, such as use of the enzyme phytase as a feed additive, or biofortification breeding, if there were an interest in developing low-phytate crops with good field performance and good seed quality, it could be accomplished given adequate time and support. Even with a moderate reduction in yield, in light of the numerous benefits of low-phytate types as human foods or animal feeds, should one not grow a nutritionally-enhanced crop variant that perhaps has 5% to 10% less yield than a standard variant but one that is substantially more nutritious? Such crops would be a benefit to human nutrition especially in populations at risk for iron and zinc deficiency, and a benefit to the sustainability of agricultural production.
22nm STT-MRAM for Reflow and Automotive Uses with High Yield, Reliability, and Magnetic Immunity and with Performance and Shielding Options

We demonstrate high yield results from a solder-reflow-capable spin-transfer-torque MRAM embedded in 22nm ultra-low leakage (ULL) CMOS technology. The technology supports −40 to 150°C operation and data retention though six solder reflow cycles and far exceeding 10 years at 150°C. Ten year native magnetic field immunity is >1100 Oe at 25°C at the 1ppm bit upset level. A shield-in-package solution demonstrates <1ppm bit upset rates from a disc magnet providing 3.5 kOe disturb field exposure for ~80 hours at 25°C. Trading off reflow capability, using smaller CD magnetic tunnel junctions, higher performance is achieved, for example read signal development times of 6ns at 125°C and average write pulse times slightly over 30ns at −40°C in a 20Mb design.
Anatomy of the Petrosal and Middle Ear of the Brown Rat, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769) (Rodentia, Muridae)

The anatomy of the petrosal and associated middle ear structures are described and illustrated for the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout, 1769). Although the middle ear in this iconic mammal has been treated by prior authors, there has not been a comprehensive, well-illustrated contribution using current anatomical terminology. Descriptions are based on specimens from the osteological collections of the Section of Mammals, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and a CT scanned osteological specimen from the Texas Memorial Museum. The petrosal, ectotympanic, malleus, incus, stapes, and inner ear were segmented from the CT scans.The petrosal of the brown rat is only loosely attached to the cranium, primarily along its posterior border; it is separated from the basisphenoid, alisphenoid, and squamosal by a large piriform fenestra that transmits various neurovascular structures including the postglenoid vein. The extent of the piriform fenestra broadly exposes the tegmen tympani of the petrosal in lateral view. The floor of the middle ear is formed by the expanded ectotympanic bulla, which is tightly held to the petrosal with five points of contact. The surfaces of the petrosal affording contact with the ectotympanic bulla are the rostral tympanic process, the epitympanic wing, the tegmen tympani, two of the three parts of the caudal tympanic process, and the tympanohyal, with the ectotympanic fused to the last. The ectotympanic in turn is fused to the elongate rostral process of the malleus, which is only discoverable through the study of juvenile specimens. In addition to osteology, the major nerves, arteries, and veins of the petrosal are described and illustrated based on the literature and osteological correlates.The petrosal of the brown rat is compared with those of several Eocene rodents to put the extant form in the context of early members of the rodent lineage. Comparisons benefitted from CT scans of the middle Eocene ischromyoid Paramys delicatusLeidy, 1871, from the western United States, affording the first description of the endocranial surface of the petrosal in an Eocene rodent. The petrosals in the Eocene fossils are more tightly held in the cranium, but the ectotympanic contacts the petrosal through the same five points, with some modifications. The most unexpected discovery in Paramys delicatus was the presence of a prominent tentorial process of the parietal in contact with the reduced crista petrosa.
Orthotopic Heart and Combined Heart Liver Transplantation: the Ultimate Treatment Option for Failing Fontan Physiology.

This is a comprehensive update on failing Fontan physiology and the role of heart and combined heart and liver transplantation in the current era. Single ventricle physiology encompasses a series of rare congenital cardiac abnormalities that are characterized by absence of or hypoplasia of one ventricle. This effectively results in a single ventricular pumping chamber. These abnormalities are rarely compatible with long-term survival if left without surgical palliation in the first few years of life. Surgical treatment of single ventricle physiology has evolved over the past 60 years and is characterized by numerous creative innovations. These include the development of arteriopulmonary shunts, the evolution of partial cavopulmonary connections, and the eventual development of the “Fontan” operation. Regardless of the type of Fontan modification, the long-term consequences of the Fontan operation are predominantly related to chronic central venous hypertension and the multi-organ consequences thereof. Atrial arrhythmias can further compromise this circulation.Patients with single ventricle physiology represent a special sub-segment of congenital cardiac transplants and are arguably the most challenging patients considered for transplantation. This review describes in detail the challenges and opportunities of heart and liver transplantation in Fontan patients, as viewed and managed by the experienced team at the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Center.
Like Babies: One Millennial's Response to Safe Spaces on U.S. College Campuses

As the political climate in the United States continues to polarize its residents, colleges and universities find themselves creating safe spaces for their students to explore new ideas in order to feel free from physical or emotional harm during this process. In this conceptual essay, I argue safe spaces are necessary, deemed "21st century incubators," as the invent of social media and immediate, instantaneous Internet communications have rendered the U.S. sociopolitical environment a dangerous, and potentially unsafe, one.
Proinflammatory oscillations over the menstrual cycle drives bystander CD4 T cell recruitment and SHIV susceptibility from vaginal challenge

Abstract Background The menstrual cycle influences HIV infection-risk in women, although the timing and underlying mechanism are unclear. Here we investigated the contribution of the menstrual cycle to HIV susceptibility through evaluating immune behavior with infection-risk over time. Methods Blood and vaginal lavage samples were collected from 18 pig-tailed macaques to evaluate immune changes over reproductive cycles, and from 5 additional animals undergoing repeated vaginal exposures to simian HIV (SHIV). Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from healthy women (n = 10) were prospectively collected over the course of a menstrual cycle to profile T cell populations. Immune properties from PBMC and vaginal lavage samples were measured by flow cytometry. Plasma progesterone was measured by enzyme immunoassay. The oscillation frequency of progesterone concentration and CCR5 expression on CD4 T cells was calculated using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram. SHIV infection was monitored in plasma by RT-PCR. Immune measures were compared using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Findings Macaques cycle-phases were associated with fluctuations in systemic immune properties and a type-1 inflammatory T cell response with corresponding CCR5+ memory CD4 T cell (HIV target cell) infiltration into the vaginal lumen at the late luteal phase. Power spectral analysis identified CCR5 oscillation frequencies synchronized with reproductive cycles. In a repetitive low-dose vaginal challenge model, productive SHIV163P3 infection only occurred during intervals of mounting type-1 T cell responses (n = 5/5). Finally, we identify similar type-1 inflammatory T cell responses over the menstrual cycle are occurring in healthy women. Interpretation These data demonstrate that periodic shifts in the immune landscape under menstrual cycle regulation drives bystander CCR5+ CD4 T cell recruitment and HIV susceptibility in the female reproductive tract. Funding This study was supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329 and NIH grants to Emory University (K23AI114407 to A.N.S., the Emory University Center for AIDS research [P30AI050409], and Atlanta Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute [KLR2TR000455, UL1TR000454]). Disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Third and Fourth Branchial Apparatus Anomalies: Case Series and Comparison with Lymphatic Malformation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Third and fourth branchial apparatus anomalies are rare congenital anomalies. The purpose of this study was to investigate imaging features of these lesions on fetal MR imaging in comparison with lymphatic malformations, the major competing differential diagnosis in these cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of our institutional fetal MR imaging database between 1997 and 2019 resulted in 4 patients with confirmed third and fourth branchial apparatus anomalies and 14 patients with confirmed lymphatic malformations. The imaging features were reviewed by consensus, and the Fisher exact test was used to evaluate statistically significant differences between these 2 populations. RESULTS: Four cases of third and fourth branchial apparatus anomalies were imaged at 29 weeks 1 day (range, 23 weeks 1 day to 33 weeks 4 days). All 4 cases demonstrated unilateral, unilocular cysts without reduced diffusion or hemorrhage and a medially directed beaked contour that tapered between the spine and airway at the level of the piriform sinus. Compared with 14 cases of fetal lymphatic malformations imaged at 27 weeks 6 days (range, 21 weeks 3 days to 34 weeks 6 days), third and fourth branchial apparatus cysts were significantly more likely to be unilocular (P CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a left-sided unilocular cyst with a medially beaked contour tapering at the level of the piriform sinus suggests the diagnosis of third and fourth branchial apparatus anomaly. Accurate diagnosis in the prenatal period allows proper counseling, genetic work-up, and treatment, potentially sparing patients from recurrent infections and associated morbidity.
Dynamic patterns of teachers’ professional development participation and their relations with socio-demographic characteristics, teacher self-efficacy, and job satisfaction

Abstract This study examined the dynamic patterns of teachers' participation in various topics of PD activities to better understand the individual differences in PD experience of teachers. Using Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018 U.S. data (n = 2411), we conducted a latent class analysis and identified five distinct profiles. Moreover, we found that these profiles were associated with teachers' socio-demographics as well as their self-efficacy and job satisfaction. This study adds to the literature by providing a more nuanced understanding of teachers’ PD experience and highlights the importance of supporting teachers to participate in various topics of PD.
The antiquity of tarsal coalition. Bilateral deformity in a Pre-Columbian Indian skeleton.

Bilateral talocalcaneal bridges, one complete and one incomplete, were found in a pre-Columbian Indian skeleton in Ohio dating from approximately 1000 A. D. Examination of the incomplete bridge suggested that these may have been syndesmoses [See figure in the PDF file] or synchondroses rather than diarthrodial joints which are found in some cases. This case suggests that this is an ancient genetic anomaly of man.
Statistical MOS VLSI circuit optimization with non-nested experimental design

The authors present an efficient method that minimizes the circuit performance sensitivities to the MOSFET parameter fluctuations. A worst-case and squared-error loss function is used to evaluate the noise sensitivity of a design. The statistical circuit performance is modeled as a function of both the transistor channel widths and a noise parameter, and circuit simulation points are selected by an experimental design strategy that assumes no experimental errors. The fitted performance model is then used to predict and optimize the worst-case performance and the squared-error loss function. Compared with the method of G. Taguchi and Y. Wu (1985) in two circuit examples, the proposed method requires about 60% fewer circuit simulations and predicts the loss functions with comparable or better accuracy. >
In vivo inhibition of tumor growth of B16 melanoma by recombinant interleukin 1 beta. II. Mechanism of inhibition: the role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Abstract Recombinant human interleukin 1β (IL 1β) inhibits growth of B16 melanoma in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice in a dose-dependent manner when given intratumorally, intradermally, or intramuscularly over a period of 5 to 7 days. Inhibition of tumor growth was rapid and measurable within 3 days after the initial injection and occurred regardless of the route of injection. However, only intratumoral (ITU) injections of IL 1β resulted in greater than 90% inhibition in tumor growth. This enhanced inhibition of tumor growth was not dependent on T or NK cells since inhibition of tumor growth occurred in nude and Beige mice. Also, a profound lymphopenia occurred in mice receiving IL 1β. Inhibition of tumor growth did correlate with an increase in the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's) in the circulation. However, only ITU injections of IL 1β increased the number of PMN's within the tumors. IM injections of IL 1β, while increasing the number of PMN's in the circulation, did not increase the influx of PMN's into the tumors. Furthermore, the transfer of PMN's directly into B16 tumors caused a 49% reduction in tumor growth without the presence of IL 1β. These results suggest that in vivo, PMN's may effectively control the growth of tumors and that IL 1β may increase this effectiveness by increasing the number of PMN's in the circulation and by locally stimulating the production of chemotactic factors for PMN's within the tumor.
Large and small debris flows—Occurrence and behaviour

Similarities and differences of occurrence and behaviour between large and small debris flows can be explained by the differences in the depth:grain size ratio and channel characteristics. Small debris flow surges result from slope instabilities and large grain jamming in steep, narrow channels; large flows result from propagation, coalescence and amplification of surges induced in stationary slurry masses by small debris flows arriving from tributary gullies.
The calendar and duodenal ulcer.

Admissions to 166 American Veterans Administration Hospitals for duodenal ulcer, bleeding duodenal ulcer, perforated duodenal ulcer, essential hypertension (control diagnosis), and all diseases were counted as to calendar month of occurrence over a 6-year period. Duodenal ulcer admissions were less frequent in June, July, and August. Perforated duodenal ulcer was, in addition, less frequent in January. These deficits contrasted sharply with admissions for control categories. Summer deficits are more characteristic of duodenal ulcer than spring and fall peaks. Regional data in this study did not support the possibility that the summer deficit is related to hot weather. Perforations vary with time under more influences than nonperforated duodenal ulcer.
The Purposes of History? Curriculum Studies, Invisible Objects and Twenty-first Century Societies

A new intellectual epoch has generated new enterprises to suit changed beliefs and circumstances. A widespread sentiment in both formal historiography and curriculum studies reduces the “new” to the question of how knowledge is recognized as such, how it is gained, and how it is represented in narrative form. Whether the nature of history and conceptions of knowledge are, or ought to be, central considerations in curriculum studies and reducible to purposes or elevated as present orientated requires rethinking. This paper operates as an incitement to discourse that disrupts the protection and isolation of primary categories in the field whose troubling is overdue. In particular, the paper moves through several layers that highlight the lack of settlement regarding the endowment of objects for study with the status of the scientific. It traces how some “invisible” things have been included within the purview of curriculum history as objects of study and not others. The focus is the making of things deemed invisible into scientific objects (or not) and the specific site of analysis is the work of William James (1842-1910). James studied intensely both child mind and the ghost, the former of which becomes scientized and legitimated for further study, the latter abjected. This contrast opens key points for reconsideration regarding conditions of proof, validation criteria, and subject matters and points to opportunities to challenge some well-rehearsed foreclosures within progressive politics and education.
1,3‐Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide–Copper(I) Chloride

(DCC) [538-75-0] C13H22N2 (MW 206.33) InChI = 1S/C13H22N2/c1-3-7-12(8-4-1)14-11-15-13-9-5-2-6-10-13/h12-13H,1-10H2 InChIKey = QOSSAOTZNIDXMA-UHFFFAOYSA-N (CuCl) [7758-89-6] ClCu (MW 99.00) InChI = 1S/ClH.Cu/h1H;/q;+1/p-1 InChIKey = OXBLHERUFWYNTN-UHFFFAOYSA-M (dehydrating reagent used for preparation of α,β-enones,2, 3 enimines,4 and nitroalkenes;5 used for esterification of secondary alcohols with inversion of configuration6) Physical Data: for details see individual entries for 1,3-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and Copper(I) Chloride.
Optical coherence tomography and electrophysiological findings in torpedo maculopathy

Purpose To describe the morphofunctional findings in a 6-year-old child with a unilateral lesion of the temporal macula called “torpedo maculopathy” throughout a 1-year follow-up.
Cardiac surgery in the octogenarian: perioperative outcome and clinical follow-up.

The perioperative and follow-up results of cardiac operations employing extracorporeal circulation and cold cardioplegic arrest were examined in 191 consecutive patients ≥80 years of age having surgery over a 5 year period (1982 to 1986). Most patients had severe preoperative symptoms with functional class III (39.8%) or IV (57.1%) limitation. The overall 30 day postoperative cardiac mortality rate was 15.7%. The total in-hospital mortality rate was 18.8%; the mean postoperative hospital stay was 16.4 ± 13.3 days. The perioperative mortality rate for elective operations was as follows: coronary artery bypass (5.6%), aortic valve replacement (9.6%), aortic valve replacement with coronary bypass (17.9%) and mitral valve surgery with or without coronary bypass (21.4%). Urgent operations were performed in 39 patients (20.4%) with a total perioperative mortality rate of 35.9%; urgent coronary artery bypass was performed in 26 patients (67%) with an in-hospital mortality rate of 23.1%. Clinical evidence of left ventricular failure, functional class IV symptoms, left ventricular ejection fraction Follow-up study in all 155 patients surviving postoperative hospitalization at 22.6 ± 14.8 months showed significant improvement in symptom status in all surgical subgroups. There were 18 follow-up deaths (11.6%); 10 were noncardiac. The actuarial survival rate of the entire study group was significantly better than that in age- and gender-matched control subjects (p = 0.037). Elective cardiac surgery can be performed in selected octogenarians without a prohibitive mortality rate and with significant lessening of symptoms and possibly, overall improvement in longevity of patients surviving postoperative hospitalization.
QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF IMAGENT® AS AN ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND CONTRAST MEDIUM IN DOGS

Diagnostic ultrasound currently provides a noninvasive, economical means to evaluate internal organ structure. Methods to increase the amount of diagnostic information obtained from the sonographic examination are being explored. A new area of research has recently focused on the ability of mi-crobubble contrast agents to help provide additional information. A prospective study was undertaken to quantitatively evaluate the amount of gray scale enhancement of ultrasound images of six canine livers, spleens, and left kidneys that occurs after intravenous injection of Imagent.® Computerized analysis was used to assess the percent change in brightness of these images. A transient decrease in the percent change in brightness was seen to occur after injection of higher doses of Imagent.® This effect was more pronounced in the deeper portions of the organs of interest. Imagent® provides a measurable change in the brightness of the organs of interest and would be potentially useful in a clinical setting.
GPS assisted adhoc routing using cellphones for poorly connected areas

We describe the design and implementation of an adhoc routing protocol that allows users to transmit their data in poorly-connected areas. This protocol is based on the following observation: while the wireless communication infrastructure (WiFi or cellular) is poor in developing countries, the number of WiFi-enabled mobile devices is rapidly increasing even in rural areas of these countries. Furthermore, most of these devices are GPS-enabled or have mechanisms to determine their current location (latitude and longitude). The protocol builds an adhoc wireless network using these mobile devices, and uses location information of these devices to route data packets to a close-by node that is connected to the Internet. This node can be an IP router, a cellphone that has Internet connection, or an Internet kiosk.
Positive and Negative Modulation of the Transcriptional Activity of the ETS Factor ESE-1 through Interaction with p300, CREB-binding Protein, and Ku 70/86

Epithelium-specific ETS (ESE)-1 is a prototypic member of a novel subset of the ETS transcription factor family that is predominantly expressed in cells of epithelial origin but can also be induced in other cell types including vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells in response to inflammatory stimuli. To further define the molecular mechanisms by which the transcriptional activity of ESE-1 is regulated, we have focused our attention on identifying proteins that interact with ESE-1. We have determined that Ku70, Ku86, p300, and CREB-binding protein (CBP) are ESE-1 interacting proteins. The Ku proteins have previously been shown to bind to breaks in DNA where they function to recruit additional proteins that promote DNA repair. Interestingly, Ku70 and Ku 86 negatively regulate the transcriptional activity of ESE-1. Using a series of deletion constructs, we have determined that the Ku proteins bind to the DNA-binding domain of ESE-1. The Ku proteins inhibit the ability of ESE-1 to bind to oligonucleotide probes in gel mobility shift assays. The finding that Ku proteins can interact with other transcription factors and block their function has not been previously demonstrated. In contrast, co-transfection of p300 and CBP with ESE-1 enhances the transcriptional activity of ESE-1. Moreover, the induction of ESE-1 in response to inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 is associated with a parallel increase of the expression of p300 in vascular endothelial cells, suggesting that in the setting of inflammation, the transcriptional activity of ESE-1 is positively modulated by interaction with the transcriptional co-activator p300. In summary, our results demonstrated that the activity of ESE-1 is positively and negatively modulated by other interacting proteins including Ku70, Ku86, p300, and CBP.
Conference Scene: Report from the 2013 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium

The 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Breast Cancer Symposium was held in San Francisco, CA, USA, on 7–9 September 2013. The meeting provided a number of provocative sessions, aimed at a multidisciplinary audience. The conference covered a range of important topics in breast cancer, including local/regional therapy, systemic therapy, prevention and screening, and survivorship/health policy.
Novel vocal repertoire and paired swimbladders of the three-spined toadfish, Batrachomoeus trispinosus: insights into the diversity of the Batrachoididae.

Toadfishes (Teleostei: Batrachoididae) are one of the best-studied groups for understanding vocal communication in fishes. However, sounds have only been recorded from a low proportion of taxa within the family. Here, we used quantitative bioacoustic, morphological and phylogenetic methods to characterize vocal behavior and mechanisms in the three-spined toadfish, Batrachomoeus trispinosus. B. trispinosus produced two types of sound: long-duration `hoots' and short-duration `grunts' that were multiharmonic, amplitude and frequency modulated, with a dominant frequency below 1 kHz. Grunts and hoots formed four major classes of calls. Hoots were typically produced in succession as trains, while grunts occurred either singly or as grunt trains. Aside from hoot trains, grunts and grunt trains, a fourth class of calls consisted of single grunts with acoustic beats, apparently not previously reported for individuals from any teleost taxon. Beats typically had a predominant frequency around 2 kHz with a beat frequency around 300 Hz. Vocalizations also exhibited diel and lunar periodicities. Spectrographic cross-correlation and principal coordinates analysis of hoots from five other toadfish species revealed that B. trispinosus hoots were distinct. Unlike any other reported fish, B. trispinosus had a bilaterally divided swimbladder, forming two separate swimbladders. Phylogenetic analysis suggested B. trispinosus was a relatively basal batrachoidid, and the swimbladder and acoustic beats were independently derived. The swimbladder in B. trispinosus demonstrates that toadfishes have undergone a diversification of peripheral sonic mechanisms, which may be responsible for the concomitant innovations in vocal communication, namely the individual production of acoustic beats as reported in some tetrapods.
Initial bremsstrahlung conversion

Electromagnetic cascades arising from a primary electron pair have been studied in emulsions exposed to 300-GeV protons, and also in emulsions exposed to 200-GeV negative pions. Cascade development is examined through the occurrence of initial bremsstrahlung conversion along some hundreds of primary-pair-member tracks of path length g 10 mm and energy g 3 GeV. Cascades associated with pion-nucleus collisions evidently develop in accord with theory, while those from proton-nucleus collisions show cascading delay \ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ sec. A check on cascades generated by 400-GeV proton-nucleus collisions also shows this delayed cascading. After close consideration of error sources, an explanation is sought in assumptions about the electromagnetic field.
Coupled reactive flow and transport modeling of CO2 sequestration in the Mt. Simon sandstone formation, Midwest U.S.A.

Multi-phase reactive flow and transport modeling is an effective tool for monitoring, verification, and accounting of CO2 sequestration in deep geological formations. In the current study, modeling is performed to simulate large scale CO2 injection (a million tons per year for 100 years) into Mt. Simon sandstone, a major candidate saline reservoir in the Midwest of USA. The long term fate of CO2 was simulated by extending the modeling period to 10,000 years. The results indicate that most of the injected CO2 remains within a radius of 3300 m lateral distribution. Four major trapping mechanisms and their spatial and temporal variations are evaluated in our simulations: hydrodynamic, solubility, residual, and mineral trapping. A strongly acidified zone (pH 3–5) forms in the areas affected by the injected CO2 (0–3300 m), and consequently causes extensive mineral precipitation and dissolution. The predicted long-term fate of CO2 is closely linked to the geochemical reactions conceptualized in the models. In our model, the replenishing upstream water continues to dissolve CO2 long after the injection, which results in total dissolution of hydrodynamically trapped CO2 at the end of 10,000 years. In contrast, most previous models neglected the regional flow after injection and hence artificially limited the extent of geochemical reactions as if in a batch system. Consequently, a supercritical CO2 plume (hydrodynamic trapping) would persist after 10,000 years. The continued supply of acidified water from interaction between replenishing water and CO2 also results in extensive dissolution of feldspars and precipitation of secondary clay minerals, to a much more extent than what predicted in models without including regional flow. However, the prediction of complete dissolution of feldspars in 10,000 years can also result from the artifact that the linear rate laws are used in our model (as well as all previous work), which overestimates the rates of feldspar dissolution near equilibrium. Nevertheless, our simulations indicate the prolonged existence of an acidic brine plume, which suggests long-term risk assessment should transfer from the primary risk of CO2 leakage to secondary risk of acidic plume leakage after all CO2 is dissolved.
The epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in hcv

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for over 75% of all cases o f primary liver cancer in the world. It has predominantly affected persons in developing countries. In the United States, the incidence has traditionally reflected racial, ethnic, and regional variations. However, the incidence and mortality rates of HCC have been rising over the past two decades in the United States and western Europe. This increase has been positively associated with the increase in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in these areas. This article discusses the epidemiology of HCC in the setting of HCV infection.
Transverse skeletal and dental asymmetry in adults with unilateral lingual posterior crossbite.

Background Posterior unilateral lingual crossbite (PUXB) is a common malocclusion in children. However, the extent to which PUXB affects the dentition and craniofacial structures in adults has not been fully defined. We investigated dental and skeletal asymmetry in adults with PUXB. Methods: We randomly selected 15 crossbite subjects (mean age, 26.2 years) and 15 matched controls (mean age, 30.6 years) from 3000 records. Mounted pretreatment dental casts were measured to assess dentoalveolar asymmetry, and posteroanterior radiographs were used to evaluate left–right skeletal asymmetry and positional deviations of the mandible. Results: A statistically significant difference in mandibular transverse dental asymmetry was observed between adults with PUXB and the control group. However, no significant differences were found in the right–left skeletal asymmetry, although the PUXB group showed more positional deviation of the mandible. Moreover, condylar position analysis indicated that the crossbite group did not show any greater functional shifts than the control group. Conclusions: We concluded that PUXB in adults is primarily due to dentoalveolar asymmetry and positional deviation of the mandible and not simply to right–left skeletal asymmetry of the mandible. These data suggest that untreated PUXB in children might lead to progressive asymmetric compensation of the condyle-fossa relationship and result in a positional deviation of the mandible, which, along with a distinct dentoalveolar asymmetry, maintains the crossbite occlusion in adults.
Being and the Mystic: the metaphysical foundations of Thomas Aquinas' mystical thought

Various mystical traditions and much of modern scholarship sever the connection between mysticism and metaphysical claims. For Aquinas, differing ontological claims both generate and correlate logically to diverse mystical claims, under the aegis of one analogous notion of truth. In this way, Aquinas' mystical theology offers a metaphysics of mystical union, according to which a thing's nobility of being corresponds to its degree of union with God. Aquinas' metaphysical positions both define and circumscribe his interpretation of religious experience. This examines the points of contact between metaphysics and mysticism. Second, it takes the metaphysical issue of monism versus pluralism as a locus for intersecting truth claims in metaphysics and mysticism. Third, examines the context, formulation and solution to the problem of the 'one and the many' within Aquinas' metaphysics, including its relevance for his mystical theology. Fourth, it examines a metaphysical paradox taken from the domain of the intel...
Efficient terahertz emission from InAs nanowires

We observe intense pulses of far-infrared electromagnetic radiation emitted from arrays of InAs nanowires. The terahertz radiation power efficiency of these structures is \ensuremath{\sim}15 times higher than a planar InAs substrate. This is explained by the preferential orientation of coherent plasma motion to the wire surface, which overcomes radiation trapping by total-internal reflection. We present evidence that this radiation originates from a low-energy acoustic surface plasmon mode of the nanowire. This is supported by independent measurements of electronic transport on individual nanowires, ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy, and theoretical analysis. Our combined experiments and analysis further indicate that these plasmon modes are specific to high aspect ratio geometries.
Monkey See, Monkey Do? The Effect of Nonverbal Conductor Lip Rounding on Visual and Acoustic Measures of Singers’ Lip Postures

If singers, without prior prompting, mimicked a conductor’s nonverbal behavior and if this mimicry changed their vocal sound in less than a second, then such a phenomenon could interest vocal music teachers as a time-efficient pedagogical strategy. We tested this claim (“What they see, you will get”), which appears in choral methods literature, by measuring visual and acoustic responses to one nonverbal conductor behavior in a particular singing context. Specifically, we sought to determine whether singers (N = 114) performing the first phrase of Mozart’s motet, “Ave Verum Corpus,” would mimic a conductor’s rounded lip posture on two /u/ vowels. We also wondered whether conductor lip rounding affected these singers’ tone quality. Visual measures (within-subjects photo comparisons and photo grid analyses) indicated that more than 90% of participants displayed more lip rounding on both /u/ vowels in the experimental condition as compared with baseline. Formant frequency profiles indicated that more than 90%...