cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetic rates of amorphous As 2 S 3 oxidation at 25 to 40°C and initial pH of 7.3 to 9.4

Abstract The experimental studies of As2S3 (am) oxidative dissolution were investigated by use of particle sizes of 8 to 44 μm in a mixed flow reactor at 25 to 40°C and initial pH 7.3 to 9.4 to determine the effect of dissolved oxygen content, temperature, sulfate, and pH at 0.01 M ionic strength. Most experiments ran for ∼30 h; however, some longer (52 h) and shorter (6–10 h) experiments were also conducted. In most experiments, the As and S release rates had reached an apparent steady state after 20 h. For most experiments, oxidation became stoichiometric after a steady state condition was achieved. The arsenic and sulfur release rates after 20 h in most experiments are in the order of 2.70 × 10−10 to 4.90 × 10−9 mol m−2 s−1 in the presence of oxygen. The rate laws of As2S3 (am) oxidation were only determined for experiments that ran for ∼30 h at 25 to 40°C and steady state pH 6.9 to 7.9 and are given as follows: Rate law: Activation energy: DE-01 R ( As ) =10 −16.77 [ DO ] 0.42 [ H + ] −1.26 16.8±5.0 kJ mol −1 R ( S ) =10 −16.99 [ DO ] 0.35 [ H + ] −1.25 16.3±5.4 kJ mol −1 , where R is the rate of As2S3 (am) destruction (mol m−2s−1), [DO] is the concentration of dissolved oxygen (M), and [H+] is the concentration of protons (M). The low activation energy of As2S3 (am) oxidative dissolution indicates diffusion control as the dominant mechanism. Moreover, most solid surfaces after the experiments appear smooth and undisturbed. In all experiments, As(III) is present in proportions ranging from ∼49 to 92% of total As at steady-state conditions. Sulfur oxyanions occurred as sulfate (SO42−), sulfite (SO32−), and polythionates (SnO62−) where polythionates are found to be the dominant sulfur species. The acid generated from As2S3 (am) at 25°C and pH 7 to 9 can be expressed as follows: DE-0.2 [ H + ] prod =7.89[ H + ] initial +(2.37×10 −7 ), where [H+]prod is the proton release from the oxidation of As2S3 (am) (mol/g), [H+]initial is the initial amount of proton, and 2.37 × 10−7 is an empirical factor.
PERK‐eIF2α‐ATF4‐CHOP Signaling Contributes to TNFα‐Induced Vascular Calcification

BackgroundVascular calcification is a common feature in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD increases serum levels of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα), a critical mediator of vascular cal...
A Case of Traumatic Proptosis

We present a case of traumatic proptosis in a competitive football player. This entity can occur with a significant decrease in vision, but in this case it did not. Some other causes of this condition are also discussed. A review of some traumatic conditions that may cause proptosis is provided as well.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased bone mineral density in Mexican-American women

Background. Our purpose was to determine whether type 2 diabetes is associated with altered bone mineral density (BMD) and whether fasting serum insulin levels are correlated with BMD. Methods. In a population-based family study of Mexican-Americans, we obtained measurements of BMD, diabetes status (by 2-h oral glucose tolerance test), obesity, and serum insulin concentrations in 600 subjects from 34 families. Analyses were stratified by sex and conditioned on the pedigree structure to account for residual correlations among related individuals. Results. Women with diabetes had significantly higher BMD at hip than women without diabetes (p 0.03) even after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), and menopause status. BMD at spine was also higher in diabetic women than in nondiabetic women, although the association was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for BMI. Diabetes was not associated with BMD in men. In nondiabetic men and women, insulin levels were significantly correlated with BMD after adjustment for age and other lifestyle covariates, but correlations were diminished and were no longer statistically significant after further adjustment for body mass index. Conclusions. These results suggest that Mexican-American women with type 2 diabetes have higher BMD compared to their nondiabetic counterparts, with the association independent of obesity at hip, although not at spine or forearm. Increased BMD was also correlated with serum insulin levels, although this association was not independent of obesity. Longitudinal studies may be required to better define the mechanisms underlying the observed association between BMD and diabetes. 2003 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Studies on sex variation to picrotoxin in the albino rat.

The subcutaneous LD50 of picrotoxin of the adult male albino rat was 87 per cent higher than for the female (5.48 versus 2.82 mg./Kg.); 458 rats were used in these determinations. No sex variation, however, was found in case of albino mice, guinea pigs, or Syrian hamsters. Castration of adult males or females lowered the resistance to picrotoxin. Daily administration of testosterone propionate over a period of ten days increased the resistance of normal and castrated young adult females. The typical sex difference persisted in normal rats in which both kidneys had been removed about eighteen hours prior to administration of picrotoxin.
Thin Germanium-Carbon Layers on Silicon for Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Devices

Germanium-carbon alloys (Ge1-xCx) were first deposited on Si (100) by chemical vapor deposition using precursors containing Ge-C bonds. The stated objective of that work was to explore Ge1-xCx as a potentially lattice-matched system with Si capable of bandgap engineering. In step with renewed interest in Ge MOSFET devices due to the advent of high-kappa dielectrics, our group has revisited Ge1-xCx recently, and for the first time demonstrated pMOSFETs with enhanced hole mobility fabricated on thin (30 nm) Ge1-xCxlayers deposited directly on Si. This abstract presents previously unreported yet relevant materials-related details of the Ge1-xCx films. The key result is that the Ge1-xCx films exhibit remarkably low threading dislocation densities despite significant strain relaxation
History Lab for Undergrads: A Day at the Museum

Museums are important venues for engaging history students in the habits of free-choice and lifelong learning. Although these sound like the pedagogical buzzwords du jour, both concepts are ones that educators today—including college professors and lecturers—should be adding to their teaching vocabulary. Unfortunately, while literature on these topics is widespread for K–12 educators, pedagogical and practical discussions for adult learners, particularly college students, have lagged. This article aims to help fill that gap. Encouraging free-choice learning through local public history venues, particularly museums, can serve as inspirations for college teachers and their students. Creatively mixed formal and informal teaching methods and a wide source base that includes scholarly and popular media combined with local resources not only surprises students but draws them into historical thinking on an intellectual and personal level. This article examines pedagogical rationale for allowing college students ...
Paleoecology of Late Paleozoic pteridosperms from tropical Euramerica1

Abstract DiMichele, W. A. (Department of Paleobiology, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560), T. L. Phillips (Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801), and H. W. Pfefferkorn (Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106). Paleoecology of Late Paleozoic pteridosperms from tropical Euramerica. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 133: 83–118. 2006.— Late Paleozoic pteridosperms are a paraphyletic group of seed plants that were prominent elements of tropical ecosystems, primarily those of wetlands or the wetter portions of seasonally dry environments. Because the group is more a tradition-based, historical construct than a well circumscribed phylogenetic lineage, the wide variance in ecological roles and ecomorphological attributes should not be surprising. Pteridosperms can be the dominant canopy trees in local habitats, prominent understory trees, scrambling ground cover, thicket-formers, or liana-like plants and vines. Some s...
Degenerate four-wave mixing in p-type germanium: an absorbing medium

We present the results of degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) studies in three samples of p-type Ge with a wide range of absorptive properties. Three mechanisms for DFWM are observed in this material. A model, which includes the mechanisms of the inhomogeneously broadened saturable absorption of p-type Ge and the optical Kerr effect that is due to bound electrons in Ge but not the mechanism of bulk plasma formation that occurs only at extremely high pump intensities, is developed and compared with the experimental results. Pump-beam attenuation by the medium is shown to be an important effect in modeling DFWM. The model, which has no free parameters, fits the experimental data well for samples with small-signal transmission of greater than 20%.
Outcomes following resection of invasive and noninvasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas.

Abstract Background Since any intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is at least premalignant, avoiding conversion to invasion by pancreatic resection should provide a survival advantage—but how much? Methods We reviewed 100 cases of IPMN that were resected. Survival was compared between 3 groups: noninvasive IPMN (n = 75), invasive IPMN (n = 25), and invasive ductal adenocarcinoma (n = 24), the latter matched by tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage to the IPMN invasive group. Results The 5-year disease-specific survival was significantly better for the noninvasive IPMN group (100%) than the invasive IPMN group (46%). Tumor recurrence was infrequent with noninvasive IPMNs (1.3% benign IPMN). Recurrence was common in the invasive IPMN group (46%). Even the subgroup with stage 1 disease had a 25% recurrence of malignancy. Survival curves were not different ( P = .11) between the cases matched by stage for those with invasive IPMN cases versus cases with ductal adenocarcinoma. Conclusion Patients with the invasive form of IPMN will have a similarly poor survival as those with ductal adenocarcinoma. In patients thought to have a benign IPMN, these lesions should be removed to avoid conversion to invasive cancer and to preserve the opportunity for the more favorable prognosis observed in this study.
A combined functional and object-oriented approach to software design

Large and complex software systems contain a variety of entities (objects) and a complex control system (transformation function). The pure object-oriented design and structured design approaches concentrate on either objects or the transformation function separately. As such they may not be adequate in isolation, to deal with the design of complex systems. Therefore, it makes sense to study their combination. We propose a combined functional and object-oriented design approach (CFOOD) based on the extended object-oriented design method proposed by P. Jalote (1989, 1991). The CFOOD approach makes full use of the object-oriented design and structured design techniques combining the object view and the functional view to provide a more complete view of a system. We demonstrate the use of our approach by a design example of a hospital patient monitoring system.
You can’t unring a bell

More than half a million Americans have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder that causes heart muscle thickening and can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy results from a variety of possible mutations that cause overexpression of proteins involved
Frictional Energy Dissipation in Spherical Contacts Under Presliding: Effect of Elastic Mismatch, Plasticity and Phase Difference in Loading

Behavior of friction at material interfaces is inherently nonlinear causing variations and uncertainties in interfacial energy dissipation. A finite element model (FEM) of an elastic–plastic spherical contact subjected to periodic normal and tangential loads is developed to study fundamental mechanisms contributing to the frictional energy dissipation. Particular attention is devoted to three mechanisms: the elastic mismatch between contacting pairs, plastic deformations, and phase difference between the normal and tangential fluctuations in loading. Small tangential loads simulating mild vibrational environments are applied to the model and resulting friction (hysteresis) loops are used to estimate the energy loss per loading cycle. The energy losses are then correlated against the maximum tangential load as a power-law where the exponents show the degree of nonlinearity. Exponents increase significantly with in-phase loading and increasing plasticity. Although increasing elastic mismatch facilitates more dissipation during normal load fluctuations, it has negligible influence on the power-law exponents in tangential loading. Among all the configurations considered, out-of-phase loading with minimal mismatch and no plasticity lead to the smallest power-law exponents; promising linear frictional dissipation. The duration the contact remains stuck during a loading cycle is found to have a predominant influence on the power-law exponents. Thus, controlling that duration enables tunable degree of nonlinearity and magnitude in frictional energy dissipation.
Teeth Whitening: An Exploration of Teeth in RIDERS IN THE CHARIOT

According to David Marr's biography, Patrick White suffered acutely from dental problems during his life. The debilitating effects stemming from those problems are reflected in White's fiction, whi...
A New Metglas Sensor

This paper presents a new type of sensor, one that may be used in the manner of a standard strain gage. The sensor is constructed of a relatively new material, a metallic glass-like substance called Metglas. A change in stress in the magnetoelastic Metglas manifests itself as a change in the magnetic properties of the material. This change in magnetic properties may be measured electronically. The sensor operates on this principal and outputs a dc signal proportional to the stress. The results demonstrate a sensor that does not require the great amplification of a resistance-type strain gage. This is primarily due to a sensitivity almost two orders of magnitude greater than a standard strain gage.
Nature and Significance of Borings and other Structures on and within Oolite Allochems: ABSTRACT

A combination of scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, decalcification, staining with malachite green, and a Lakeside-70 impregnation-decalcification technique shows that biogenic and inferred biogenic structures are present on and within all types of allochems in samples from 12 oolites ranging in age from Holocene to Silurian. The types of structures include borings, mucilaginous filaments, pits, irregular depressions, and globules. The most abundant and best preserved of the structures are in Holocene samples. Borings are the commonest structure in all types of allochems, regardless of the age of the sample, and appear to be due to blue-green algae and to a lesser extent to fungi. Borings may consist of a single straight or anastomosing structure, or may have a ramiform structure. More commonly, borings form complex reticular, clotted, spongy, or polygonal structures. In the samples studied, no systematic relation exists between the nature, abundance, and distribution of borings and the development of micrite envelopes in ooids. Most ooids which contain abundant borings do not display any sign of a micrite envelope. Also, borings may be as abundant in ooids as they are in peloids. These new findings support ideas presented previously by Bathurst and by Purdy that either decomposition of organic matter by bacterial activity, or the metabolic activity of the original borer, or both, play a more important role than the borings themselves in the development of micrite envelopes and of recrystallization in ooids. End_of_Article - Last_Page 787------------
RT-PCR Method for Detecting Cowpea Mottle Carmovirus in Vigna Germ Plasm.

ABSTRACT A highly sensitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was developed to detect cowpea mottle carmovirus (CPMoV) in newly acquired germ plasm of Vigna spp. It detected virus in tissues diluted up to 10-9. The preferred primers were designed from the RNA replicase cDNA sequence of CPMoV. These primers were able to detect CPMoV in plants infected with 10 different isolates of the virus. There were no cross-reactions with either bean mild mosaic or melon necrotic spot carmoviruses or any of the common cowpea viral pathogens tested. The RT-PCR method was up to 105 times more sensitive than direct antigen coating enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAC-ELISA) in detecting CPMoV. The RT-PCR method gave no false positive reaction as is sometimes seen with ELISA.
Managing Corporate Distress in the Philippines: Some Policy Recommendations

While not widespread, the Philippine corporate sector is showing some signs of stress. The paper reviews the exposure of banks to distressed corporate borrowers, the ownership structure of the corporate sector, including the interlocking relationship of corporations and banks, and the legal framework in place for the resolution of debts of distressed companies and the protection of creditor rights. It recommends that immediate measures be taken to improve transparency and regulatory oversight, and to quickly resolve the debts of distressed companies by strengthening the policy framework and institutional capacity for suspension of debt payments by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Using Community-Based Projects in Civil Engineering Capstone Courses

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology has been and still is encouraging different ways of integrating design content of individual courses for students to get a meaningful design experience. In response to this emphasis on design integration, a capstone course was instituted 10 years ago in the Civil Engineering and Construction Department of North Dakota State University. This course has successfully evolved over the years. Initially, artificial projects were constructed for the course. Recently, real-life projects for the course are carefully selected from the community. Faculty members expend considerable time in seeking suitable community-based projects for the course. In this setting, students have plenty of opportunity to interact with clients and present their results to the community. The use of community-based projects in the capstone course is discussed in this paper. Overall, students and faculty are satisfied with the experience.
Oligodendrocytes, their Progenitors and other Neuroglial Cells in the Aging Primate Cerebral Cortex

In a previous study it was found that with age there is an increase in the frequency of paranodal profiles of myelinated nerve fibers in the cerebral cortex of monkeys. This indicates that there is an increase in the number of internodal myelin segments, and raises the question of whether additional oligodendrocytes are necessary to generate the increased numbers of internodal myelin segments. The present study shows that in layer 4C beta of monkey primary visual cortex there is an age-related increase in the number of oligodendrocytes. When young (4-10 years of age) and old (25-35 years of age) monkeys are compared, the increase is found to be approximately 50%, and it begins in middle age (12-19 years old). It is also shown that although there is no increase in the population of astrocytes in layer 4C beta with age, there appears to be a slight increase in the frequency of microglial cells. As their numbers increase, oligodendrocytes in pairs, rows and groups become more common, which suggests that additional oligodendrocytes are being generated by cell division. Since there is little evidence that mature oligodendrocytes can divide, it is probable that the new oligodendrocytes are generated from progenitor cells which, as many studies have shown, can be labeled by antibodies to NG2, a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. By comparing the appearance of these NG2-labeled cells with cells encountered in thin sections of normally prepared tissue, it is shown that the NG2-positive cells have the features of neuroglial cells that were previously described as beta astrocytes.
Prison nurseries: Experiences of incarcerated women during pregnancy

ABSTRACTThe rate of incarceration for women has risen dramatically in the past three decades. Many incarcerated women are pregnant upon incarceration and give birth in prison. Prison nurseries allow women to remain with their newborn babies within the prison for a specified span of time. Evidence suggests such programs increase mother–child attachment, improve parenting efficacy, and reduce participant recidivism. Through interviews with 27 formerly incarcerated women who gave birth while in prison, the present study compares the birth experiences of women participating in a prison nursery program and a group of women giving birth prior to implementation of the program.
When Do States Abandon Coalition Partners during War

When do countries abandon coalition partners during war? Prominent arguments about alliance dissolution focus on peacetime, yet the ability of alliances to inuence international politics ultimately hinges on their cohesion or dissolution during war. In this paper, I argue that battleeld circumstances heavily inuence the likelihood of defection from coalitions. First, countries ghting independently from their partners make attractive candidates for wedge strategies and hence are more likely to defect. Second, coalitions are more likely to collapse when it appears less likely that the coalition will triumph in the war as a whole. I test hypotheses about wartime developments statistically using new time-varying data on both front-level troop contributions and battle deaths. Consistent with theoretical predictions, countries are more likely to abandon coalition partners if they are ghting alone and when the coalition has fared worse in recent ghting.
Synergy of inelastic and elastic energy loss. Temperature effects and electronic stopping power dependence

Abstract A combination of an inelastic thermal spike model suitable for insulators and molecular dynamics simulations is used to study the effects of temperature and electronic energy loss on ion track formation, size and morphology in SrTiO 3 systems with pre-existing disorder. We find temperature dependence of the ion track size. We also find a threshold in the electronic energy loss for a given pre-existing defect concentration, which indicates a threshold in the synergy between the inelastic and elastic energy loss.
Fuel-switch decisions in the electric power industry under environmental regulations

ABSTRACTThe changing landscape of environmental regulations, discovery of new domestic sources of natural gas, and the economics of energy markets has resulted in a major shift in the choice of fuel for electric power generation. This research focuses on the relevant factors that impact a power plant's decision to switch fuel from coal to natural gas and the timing of such decisions. The factors studied in this article include capital costs of plant replacement, public policy, associated monetary penalties, availability and access to gas supply networks, and the option of plant retirement. These factors are evaluated in a case study of power plants in the Southeastern United States, using mathematical programming and logistic regression models. The results show that environmental regulations can be effective if the monetary penalties imposed by such regulations are set at an appropriate level, with respect to plant replacement costs. Although it is economic for large-size (power generation capacity > 600 ...
Performance Model for Evaluating Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) Processes for CO2 Capture at Gas-Fired Power Plants

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is an indirect combustion process in which a carbonaceous fuel is combusted without direct contact with air. Rather, transfer of oxygen between air and the fuel takes place with the aid of an oxygen-carrier (OC) material, yielding a CO2 stream of very high purity. This process is attractive for CO2-capture applications because it does not require additional energy to separate CO2 from N2, as in postcombustion CO2-capture processes. In this work, a mass and energy balance model has been developed to estimate the performance of a CLC system using different OC materials. To simplify the calculations, the specific heats of all gases and solids were assumed to be constant over the range of temperatures considered. The model was then applied to evaluate the effects on system performance of several design and operating parameters using three different OC materials. Given input conditions such as fuel, reactor operating temperature, fuel and OC material, the model calculates the ...
Gaze Estimation Technique for Directing Assistive Robotics

Abstract Assistive robotics may extend capabilities for individuals with reduced mobility or dexterity. However, effective use of robotic agents typically requires the user to issue control commands in the form of speech, gesture, or text. Thus, for unskilled or impaired users, the need for a paradigm of intuitive Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is prevalent. It can be inferred that the most productive interactions are those in which the assistive agent is able to ascertain the intention of the user. Also, to perform a task, the agent must know the user's area of attention in three-dimensional space. Eye gaze tracking can be used as a method to determine a specific Volume of Interest (VOI). However, gaze tracking has heretofore been under-utilized as a means of interaction and control in 3D space. This research aims to determine a practical volume of interest in which an individual's eyes are focused by combining past methods in order to achieve greater effectiveness. The proposed method makes use of eye vergence as a useful depth discriminant to generate a tool for improved robot path planning. This research investigates the accuracy of the Vector Intersection (VI) model when applied to a usably large workspace volume. A neural network is also used in tandem with the VI model to create a combined model. The output of the combined model is a VOI that can be used as an aid in a number of applications including robot path planning, entertainment, ubiquitous computing, and others.
Response of GWALP Transmembrane Peptides to Changes in the Tryptophan Anchor Positions

While the interfacial partitioning of charged or aromatic anchor residues may determine the preferred orientations of transmembrane peptide helices, the dependence of helix orientation on anchor re...
Similar Detection Algorithm Research Based on the Features Keyword of Web Page

To solve near-replicas of large-scale Web pages crawled by search engine,a similarity dealing algorithm was proposed based on terms extracted from the Web pages.The algorithm reduces the scale of Web pages that to be processed and improves efficiency largely.
Improving Decision Making for Transportation Capacity Expansion: Qualitative Analysis of Best Practices for Regional Transportation Plans

The need for innovative regional transportation planning has grown as metropolitan areas consider the impact of congestion reduction efforts on induced demand, public health, and fossil fuel use and climate change. Although conventional practice among metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) is to simply expand roadway capacity to relieve congestion, many MPOs have also developed new solutions. This study qualitatively analyzes a national sample of 38 regional transportation plans to identify best practices among MPOs for increasing the capacity of regional transportation networks without inducing additional traffic or unnecessary emissions. It focuses on real-world examples of innovative practices such as the use of high-occupancy toll lanes on major freeways, regulations and ordinances designed to improve the connectivity of minor streets, management of transit corridors, and the best locations for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Infection status and drug resistance of genitourinary tract mycoplasma in Luohu district of Shenzhen city

Objective To investigate the infection status and drug resistance of genitourinary tract mycoplasma in Luohu district of Shenzhen city,and to provide experimental evidence for the pathogens distribution and changes in drug resistance.Methods The mycoplasma culture and drug sensitivity test were done using Zhuhai Yinke kits.The results were analyzed by SPSS 13.0.Results Infection by mycoplasma,polyinfection by ureaplasma urealyticum and mycoplasma hominis and infection by pure mycoplasma hominis showed an increasing trend in general,but infection by pure ureaplasma urealyticum showed a decreasing trend.The top 3 places in the high drug resistance rates were in turn ciprofloxacin,ofloxacin and roxithromycin,and their drug resistance rates were increased sharply.Conclusion The infection status and drug resistance of genitourinary tract mycoplasma in Luohu district of Shenzhen city are increasingly serious.And the increasing infection of mycoplasma hominis might be an important factor.
Milestones in athletic trainer certification.

OBJECTIVE To summarize the history of athletic trainer certifaction. BACKGROUND The single most significant public pronouncement a professional society or organization can bestow upon an individual is certification. One of the underlying goals of professional societies or organizations that certify individuals is to promote the public's reliance on the credential and the individuals who hold that credential. In this paper, I will identify the significant milestones the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and the NATA Board of Certification (NATABOC) have achieved for the athletic training profession, promoting and sustaining the public's reliance on the certified athletic trainer. DESCRIPTION This paper presents the significant milestones in the certification of athletic trainers by the NATA and the NATABOC. ADVANTAGES The milestones related to athletic trainer certification that I present in this paper will enhance the reader's understanding of the underlying reasons for the initiation of athletic trainer certification and the development and recognition of the athletic training profession as a credentialing agency for the athletic training profession.
Thoracoscopy with the fiberoptic bronchoscope. A simple method in diagnosing pleuropulmonary diseases

In this report, we shall describe our use of the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope in thoracoscopy. This device is superior to the earlier type of thoracoscope because it is not rigid. The high yield of accurate diagnoses, ease of application, and minimal discomfort to the patient make this technique preferable to other nonthoracotomy forms of diagnosis. With further refinement, the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope may limit the need for formal thoracotomy in the diagnosis of pulmonary disease.
A Cloud-Based Scavenger Hunt: Orienting Undergraduates to ACS National Meetings

American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meetings are valuable for the development of undergraduate researchers but can be overwhelming for first-time attendees. To orient and engage students with the range of offerings at an ACS meeting, we developed a cloud-based scavenger hunt. Using their mobile devices, teams of undergraduates “scavenged” items off a list by uploading “selfies” to designated folders within Google Drive, a cloud-based storage system. Time stamps offered by the cloud afforded real-time evidence of student participation. Items on the scavenger hunt were designed to integrate undergraduates into the meeting, exposing them to distinguished scientists, leading publishers, and instrument manufacturers as well as to networking opportunities. We employed this selfie-based scavenger hunt at three ACS National Meetings (Philadelphia, 2012; Boston, 2015; Philadelphia, 2016). Students reported that the scavenger hunt contributed to their learning. The cloud-based scavenger hunt is versatile and c...
Functional linear models

In this chapter we review some important ideas related to the functional linear model. Like its multivariate counterpart, this model has been developed in various directions, and has been found to be extremely useful in a broad range of applications. The relevant research is very rich and multifaceted, and we do not aim at a full review of the very extensive literature on this subject. Our objective in this chapter is to explain briefly the general ideas and point to some recent advances. Some additional references are given in Section 8.7. Our choice of topics is partially motivated by the the methodology presented in Chapters 9, 11 and 10. Practically all inferential tool for the functional linear model have been developed under the assumption that the regressor/response pairs, (X i , Y i ), are independent. They must therefore be applied with care to functional data obtained over time or space.
Chromosomes Orchestrate Their Own Liberation: Nuclear Envelope Disassembly

The mammalian nuclear division cycle is coordinated with nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD), in which the entire nuclear envelope (NE) is dissolved to allow chromosomes to access their segregation vehicle, the spindle. In other eukaryotes, complete NEBD is replaced by localized disassembly or remodeling of the NE. Although the molecular mechanisms controlling NE disassembly are incompletely understood, coordinated cycles of modification of specific NE components drive breakdown. Here, we review the current state of knowledge regarding NE disassembly and argue for a role of chromosome–NE contacts in triggering initiation of NE disassembly and thereby, cell division.
Coupled Dynamic–Thermodynamic Forcings during Tropical Cyclogenesis. Part II: Axisymmetric Experiments

AbstractAn ensemble of axisymmetric model experiments with simplified physics is used to evaluate the diagnostic framework presented in Part I. The central piece of the framework is understanding what causes decreases in the ratio of bulk differences of moist entropy over differences of angular momentum between two defined regions, the boundary between the two demarcating the approximate location of the emergence of the radius of maximum wind of the developing meso-beta-scale protovortex. Within a day before tropical cyclogenesis, the moist entropy forcing results in a decrease of this ratio. Net advective fluxes act to export moist entropy from the outer region and import moist entropy into the inner region, resulting in a positive radial gradient in gross moist stability that is maximized around the time of genesis. While surface moist entropy fluxes are needed for genesis to occur, they act synergistically with the net advective fluxes to decrease the ratio before and during genesis. Within a day after...
Gangster vermoordt zijn tandarts

In 1929 werd tandarts Frank Brady in zijn praktijk in een wolkenkrabber van historisch belang in Chicago doodgeschoten. Dit was misschien op bevel van een van zijn patienten, namelijk de beruchte gangster Al Capone.
Psychological impact of electrocardiogram screening in National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes

Purpose Determine the psychological impact of false-positive ECG screening in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. Methods Athletes representing seven NCAA institutions received a standardised history, physical examination and ECG interpreted using the 2013 Seattle Criteria. Assessments of health attitudes, anxiety and impact of screening on sport were conducted using validated prescreen and postscreen measurements. Results 1192 student-athletes participated (55.4% male, median age 19 years, 80.4% Caucasian). 96.8% of athletes had a normal cardiovascular screen, 2.9% had a false-positive ECG and 0.3% were diagnosed with a serious cardiac condition. Prior to screening, 4.5% worried about potentially harbouring cardiac disease and 70.1% preferred knowing about an underlying condition, rather than play sports without this knowledge. There was no difference in anxiety described by athletes with a normal versus false-positive screen (p=0.369). Reported anxiety levels during screening also did not differ when analysed by different gender, race, division of play or sport. Athletes with normal and false-positive screens had similar levels of satisfaction (p=0.714) and would recommend ECG screening to other athletes at similar rates (p=0.322). Compared with athletes with a normal screen, athletes with false-positive results also reported feeling safer during competition (p>0.01). In contrast, athletes with false-positive screens were more concerned about the possibility of sports disqualification (p Conclusions Athletes with a false-positive ECG do not experience more anxiety than athletes with a normal screen but do express increased concern regarding sports disqualification and the development of a cardiac disorder. These findings do not justify avoiding advanced cardiovascular screening protocols. Further understanding of athlete experiences could better prepare the practising physician to counsel athletes with an abnormal ECG.
Genetics (as a Discipline)

Genetics (defined as the scientific study of heredity) has three major subdivisions: transmission genetics, physiological genetics, and population genetics. Transmission genetics concerns the mode of transmission of DNA from parent to progeny, starting from the work of Gregor Mendel, who discovered in 1865 the regular pattern of transmission of units (later called genes) that affect physical properties (later called phenotypes) of organisms. Physiological genetics covers the mechanisms whereby genes affect organismal phenotypes through transcription of DNA to RNA, translation of RNA to protein, and their regulation. The subject of population genetics is the distribution of heritable variation within members of an interbreeding population.
Co-occurring substance use disorder: The impact on treatment adherence in women with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of substance use disorder and its association with adherence to treatment and survival in locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated with primary radiation therapy. This is a retrospective case series of locally advanced cervical cancer patients with substance use disorder in a single academic institution treated with radiation therapy between 2005 and 2016. Substance use disorder was identified through chart review. Those with substance use disorder were compared to those without in regards to demographics, Charlson comorbidity index, treatment details and outcomes. Of the 129 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, 16 (12.4%) were identified as having substance use disorder. Patients with substance use disorder were younger (42.1 years vs 51.5 years, p = .013) and more likely to be smokers (81.3% vs 42.5%, p = .004). The majority of patients with substance use disorder received concurrent chemotherapy (93.8%) and brachytherapy in addition to external beam radiation therapy (81.3%). There was no significant difference in days to completion of radiation therapy between patients with and without substance use disorder. Radiation dose received, toxicities and survival were similar between groups. Among cervical cancer patients receiving treatment with radiation therapy, substance use disorder was not associated with poorer adherence, longer radiation treatment times or a difference in total dose of radiation received. Our experience demonstrates that patients with substance use disorder are able to adhere to complex, multimodal treatment plans resulting in similar cancer specific outcomes compared to patients without substance use disorder.
Increases in Potassium Conductance

In the past several years, many advances, most notably the discovery of opioid peptides and the widespread use of in vitro brain slice techniques, have accelerated the study of opiate action in the CNS. Since much of the work on the physiological actions of opiates has been done in the hippocampus and in the locus coeruleus (LC), this paper will concentrate on these areas, using other studies when useful for illustration.
Two New Drugs Approved for Multiple Sclerosis

The FDA has recently approved two new oral drugs, cladribine (Mavenclad) and siponimod (Mayzent), to treat multiple sclerosis.
Keynesian Uncertainty Can Only Be Represented by Imprecise, Non Additive, Interval Valued Probability or Decision Weights Like Keynes’s C: Ordinal Probability Can’t Represent Keynesian Uncertainty

J M Keynes’s two logical relations of rational degree of probability, α, 0≤α≤1 and Evidential Weight of the Argument, w, 0≤w≤1, where w measures the degree of completeness of the evidence, can’t be represented or associated with ordinal probability, although Keynes’s theory of probability can easily deal with ordinal probability with the aid of Keynes’s principle of indifference if symmetries are present. α can be, in some limited instances, represented by a numerical, precise, definite, exact, additive probability if, and only if, w=1, although, in general, for w<1, it must be represented by an non additive interval estimate of probability or by a decision weight, like Keynes’s original, path breaking innovation of his conventional coefficient, c. Nowhere in Boole’s 1854 The Laws of Thought is any concept of ordinal probability discussed analyzed or applied in any detail. This is because ordinal probability can never deal with overlapping estimates of probability, which creates problems of non comparability, non measurability or incommensurability that Boole and Keynes solved with interval valued probability.
OUTCOMES OF HEARTS TRANSPLANTED FROM ≥60 YEAR-OLD DONORS

Older donor hearts ≥60 years old have been reported to have less than optimal outcome after heart transplantation. However, careful selection of these donor hearts may result in acceptable outcomes. We sought to assess the outcome of our patients receiving these older donor hearts. Between 2010
Nutrition composition of children's meals in twenty-six large US chain restaurants.

Objective:To compare the nutritional quality of children’s combination meals offered at large US chain restaurants characterised by three versions – default (advertised), minimum (lower-energy) and maximum (higher-energy).Design:We identified default children’s meals (n 92) from online restaurant menus, then constructed minimum and maximum versions using realistic additions, substitutions and/or portion size changes for existing menu items. Nutrition data were obtained from the MenuStat database. Bootstrapped linear models assessed nutrition differences between meal versions and the extent to which meal components (main dish, side dish, beverage) drove differences across versions. For each version, we examined the proportion of meals meeting the Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children.Setting:Twenty-six fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, in 2017.Participants:None.Results:Nutrient values differed significantly across meal versions for energy content (default 2443 kJ (584 kcal), minimum 1674 kJ (400 kcal), maximum 3314 kJ (792 kcal)), total fat (23, 17, 33 g), saturated fat (8, 6, 11 g), Na (1046, 915, 1287 mg) and sugar (35, 14, 51 g). The substitution of lower-energy beverages resulted in the greatest reduction in energy content (default to minimum, −418 kJ (−100 kcal)) and sugar (−20 g); choosing lower-energy side dishes resulted in the greatest reduction in total fat (default to minimum, −4 g), saturated fat (−1·1 g) and Na (−69 mg). Only 3 % of meals met guidelines for all nutrients.Conclusions:Realistic modifications to children’s combination meals using existing menu options can significantly alter a meal’s nutrient composition. Promoting lower-energy items as the default option, especially for beverages and side dishes, has a potential to reduce fat, saturated fat and/or sugar in children’s meals.
Decompensation in Critical Care: Early Prediction of Acute Heart Failure Onset.

Background: Heart failure is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Acute heart failure, broadly defined as rapid onset of new or worsening signs and symptoms of heart failure, often requires hospitalization and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). This acute condition is highly heterogeneous and less well-understood as compared to chronic heart failure. The ICU, through detailed and continuously monitored patient data, provides an opportunity to retrospectively analyze decompensation and heart failure to evaluate physiological states and patient outcomes. Objective: The goal of this study is to examine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among those admitted to ICUs and to evaluate combinations of clinical features that are predictive of decompensation events, such as the onset of acute heart failure, using machine learning techniques. To accomplish this objective, we leveraged tele-ICU data from over 200 hospitals across the United States. Methods: We evaluated the feasibility of predicting decompensation soon after ICU admission for 26,534 patients admitted without a history of heart failure with specific heart failure risk factors (ie, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and myocardial infarction) and 96,350 patients admitted without risk factors using remotely monitored laboratory, vital signs, and discrete physiological measurements. Multivariate logistic regression and random forest models were applied to predict decompensation and highlight important features from combinations of model inputs from dissimilar data. Results: The most prevalent risk factor in our data set was hypertension, although most patients diagnosed with heart failure were admitted to the ICU without a risk factor. The highest heart failure prediction accuracy was 0.951, and the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.9503 with random forest and combined vital signs, laboratory values, and discrete physiological measurements. Random forest feature importance also highlighted combinations of several discrete physiological features and laboratory measures as most indicative of decompensation. Timeline analysis of aggregate vital signs revealed a point of diminishing returns where additional vital signs data did not continue to improve results. Conclusions: Heart failure risk factors are common in tele-ICU data, although most patients that are diagnosed with heart failure later in an ICU stay presented without risk factors making a prediction of decompensation critical. Decompensation was predicted with reasonable accuracy using tele-ICU data, and optimal data extraction for time series vital signs data was identified near a 200-minute window size. Overall, results suggest combinations of laboratory measurements and vital signs are viable for early and continuous prediction of patient decompensation.