cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cancer control and prevention: nutrition and epigenetics

Purpose of review To evaluate recent developments in nutritional epigenomics and related challenges, opportunities, and implications for cancer control and prevention. Recent findings Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and understanding the factors that contribute to cancer development may facilitate the development of strategies for cancer prevention and control. Cancer development involves genetic and epigenetic alterations. Genetic marks are permanent, whereas epigenetic marks are dynamic, change with age, and are influenced by the external environment. Thus, epigenetics provides a link between the environment, diet, and cancer development. Proper food selection is imperative for better health and to avoid cancer and other diseases. Nutrients either contribute directly to cancer prevention or support the repair of genomic and epigenomic damage caused by exposure to cancer-causing agents such as toxins, free radicals, radiation, and infectious agents. Nutritional epigenomics provides an opportunity for cancer prevention because selected nutrients have the potential to reverse cancer-associated epigenetic marks in different tumor types. A number of natural foods and their bioactive components have been shown to have methylation-inhibitory and deacetylation-inhibitory properties. Summary Natural foods and bioactive food components have characteristics and functions that are similar to epigenetic inhibitors and therefore have potential in cancer control and prevention.
HCP-08PROGNOSTIC AWARENESS AND PROGNOSTIC COMMUNICATION IN MALIGNANT GLIOMA

BACKGROUND: For patients with incurable cancer, prognostic awareness (PA) is associated with favorable psychological states and end-of-life outcomes. Malignant glioma (MG) is a devastating cancer with uniformly poor prognosis, however prospective and systematic measurement of (1) patients' and caregivers' PA and (2) evaluation of prognostic communication (PC) has not been attempted. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of fully-oriented (Glasgow Coma Scale 15/15) MG patients and a subset of caregivers. Participants underwent a semi-structured assessment of their awareness of incurability and life expectancy and evaluated PC with Likert-scale responses. Interviews were audio-recorded and consensus-scored by two independent raters. Patients underwent multi-domain neurocognitive testing and screening for anxiety and depression. RESULTS: 34 patients with 20 matched caregivers have participated. No patients withdrew consent or refused to discuss PA. Fifteen (44%) had zero or one recurrence of disease and 19(56%) were multiply-recurrent. Fourteen (41%) patients demonstrated full PA (awareness of incurability and estimated life expectancy). Of the 20 (59%) patients with limited or no PA, 10 (50%) had multiply-recurrent MG; 8 (40%) indicated that they desired more PC and 9(45%) rated the quality of PC as satisfactory, fair, or poor. Full PA was not associated with anxiety or depression as compared to limited/no awareness (36% versus 32% and 43% versus 42%, respectively). There was no significant difference in cognitive performance between those with full versus limited/no awareness. Fourteen (70%) of caregivers had full PA. CONCLUSIONS: Candid discussion of prognostic information is feasible in MG. A significant proportion of MG patients are unaware of their life expectancy, even in the setting of multiply-recurrent disease. Absence of awareness does not appear related to lower importance attributed to PC, or to worse cognitive function, as compared to full awareness. Full awareness is not associated with psychological distress. Further study of PA and associated outcomes in MG is necessary.
Thyroglossal Duct Remnant with Follicular Hyperplasia Presenting After Total Thyroidectomy

Background: The thyroglossal duct fails to involute in up to 7% of adults, creating a thyroglossal duct remnant (TGDR) attached to the hyoid bone. Thyroid malignancies have been reported in approximately 1% of TGDRs. In previous reports of TGDR carcinoma, patients had radiographic evidence of a TGDR at initial clinical presentation. Alternatively, hypertrophy of a TGDR is well described in patients with hypothyroidism because of the growth of functional ectopic thyroid tissue. We present the case of a patient who had no radiographic evidence of a TGDR prior to thyroidectomy but presented 14 months after surgery with a recurrent cervical mass. Case Report: A 58-year-old female underwent total thyroidectomy for micropapillary thyroid cancer. Fourteen months later, she presented with an enlarging cervical mass. She underwent a Sistrunk procedure, and surgical pathology revealed a TGDR with compensatory glandular hypertrophy. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report of a TGDR follicular adenoma initially appearing as a result of compensatory thyroid glandular hypertrophy following total thyroidectomy for a micropapillary thyroid carcinoma. Our case presented a novel clinical dilemma regarding the best management for a patient with a new TGDR along with a recent history of micropapillary thyroid cancer.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) detection and antibody response in commercial growing pigs

Longitudinal samples from two production sites were used to (1) describe the pattern of PEDV shedding (rRT-PCR) in individual rectal swabs, pen fecal samples, and pen oral fluids (OF); (2) describe the kinetics of PEDV antibody by ELISA (IgA, IgG) testing of pig serum and pen oral fluid samples; and (3) establish cutoffs and performance estimates for PEDV WV ELISAs (IgA, IgG). Site One was PEDV positive; Site Two was PEDV negative. On Site One, pen samples (feces and oral fluids) and pig samples (rectal swabs and sera) were collected both before and after the population was exposed to PEDV. On Site Two, pen oral fluid samples and individual pig serum samples were negative for both PEDV antibody and nucleic acid. On Site One, PEDV was detected by rRT-PCR at 6 days post exposure (DPE) in all sample types. The last rRT-PCR positives were detected in rectal swabs and oral fluids on 69 DPE. IgG and IgA were detected in oral fluids and serum samples by 13 DPE. Analysis of the PEDV serum IgG WV ELISA data showed that a sample-to-positive (S/P) cutoff of ≥ 0.80 provided a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.87 (95 % CI: 0.82, 0.91) and specificity of 0.99 (95 % CI: 0.98, 1.00). Serum IgG results declined slowly over the monitoring period, with 60 % of serum samples positive (S/P ≥ 0.80) at the final sampling on 111 DPE. Analysis of the PEDV oral fluid IgA WV ELISA found that a cutoff of S/P ≥ 0.80 provided a diagnostic sensitivity of 1.00 (95 % CI: 0.92, 1.00) and a diagnostic specificity of 1.00 (95 % CI: 0.99, 1.00). The oral fluid IgA response increased through 96 DPE and began to decline at the last sampling on 111 DPE. This study showed that oral fluid-based testing could provide an easy and “animal-friendly” approach to sample collection for nucleic acid and/or antibody-based surveillance of PEDV in swine populations.
Vocal Behaviour: The Duration of Speech Units:

Recordings made of 20 subjects in two role-playing sessions were analyzed to obtain the pattern of the durations of speech units for both the subjects and for the standard-role-player. Overall curv...
Medical Students and Staff Physicians: The Question of Social Media.

Social media’s prevalence among the professional world is rapidly increasing. Its use among medical personnel—specifically, medical students, resident physicians, and staff physicians—could compromise personal-professional boundaries. Could the acceptance or lack of acceptance of a friend request bias the medical student application process? If friend requests are accepted, then medical students, resident physicians, and staff physicians are provided access to very personal aspects of one another’s lives, which may not have been the intent. The question remains whether the separation of one’s personal life from work is necessary. Should medical students restrict social media relationships with residents and staff physicians to professional social media networks? The suitability and opportunities of social media among medical professionals is an ongoing issue for research that needs continued evaluation.
Response to: 'A reminder of the importance of not losing the forest through the trees in the appraisal of systematic review findings'

We thank Neil-Sztramko et al 1 for their interest in our paper2 where they outline concerns they suggest may confound what can be concluded from the findings. We address each of their concerns below. A more detailed response to the authors can be found in the online supplementary file. Neil-Sztramko et al raise an excellent point regarding the relevance of evaluating if inclusion of multiple papers from larger trials may have meaningfully influenced the percentage of studies we categorised as implementing the resistance training (RT) principles of interest. Accordingly, we recalculated the results after removing papers that represented secondary analyses of larger trials and added the studies they suggested be included. The revised recalculation, involved 29 studies and yielded implementation rates of 72% for …
Incidence and treatments of DCIS in octogenarians: grade matters.

The purpose of this study is to better characterize the current incidence and treatment patterns of DCIS in women greater than 80 years of age (>80) and to evaluate the effect of grade on treatment efficacy. Retrospective observational study of women diagnosed with single primary DCIS from 2000 to 2012 in SEER. Statistics including incidence, multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and subset analysis were performed. 42,899 female patients with DCIS were identified, 2566 (5.98%) were >80. Incidence of DCIS in the less than 80 ( 80. >80 patients have a similar incidence of high grade DCIS (9.8%) as compared to 80 population received significantly less surgery (97 vs. 92%, P 80 population, it conveyed a survival benefit for high grade DCIS (HR 0.14, 95% CI 02–0.68) that was not observed for low grade DCIS (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.1–2.03). Patients over 80 years of age have a relatively high incidence of DCIS and receive low relative rates of treatment. Although surgery does not provide a survival benefit for all patients over 80, it does provide a significant survival benefit for patients with high grade DCIS. Our results suggest that perhaps the biology of the DCIS, not the age of the patient should direct who warrants treatment.
Organizational and provider level factors in implementation of trauma-informed care after a city-wide training: an explanatory mixed methods assessment

While there is increasing support for training youth-serving providers in trauma-informed care (TIC) as a means of addressing high prevalence of U.S. childhood trauma, we know little about the effects of TIC training on organizational culture and providers’ professional quality of life. This mixed-methods study evaluated changes in organizational- and provider-level factors following participation in a citywide TIC training. Government workers and nonprofit professionals (N = 90) who participated in a nine-month citywide TIC training completed a survey before and after the training to assess organizational culture and professional quality of life. Survey data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses. A subset of participants (n = 16) was interviewed using a semi-structured format, and themes related to organizational and provider factors were identified using qualitative methods. Analysis of survey data indicated significant improvements in participants’ organizational culture and professional satisfaction at training completion. Participants’ perceptions of their own burnout and secondary traumatic stress also increased. Four themes emerged from analysis of the interview data, including “Implementation of more flexible, less-punitive policies towards clients,” “Adoption of trauma-informed workplace design,” “Heightened awareness of own traumatic stress and need for self-care,” and “Greater sense of camaraderie and empathy for colleagues.” Use of a mixed-methods approach provided a nuanced understanding of the impact of TIC training and suggested potential benefits of the training on organizational and provider-level factors associated with implementation of trauma-informed policies and practices. Future trainings should explicitly address organizational factors such as safety climate and morale, managerial support, teamwork climate and collaboration, and individual factors including providers’ compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, to better support TIC implementation.
Macrophage depletion and Schwann cell transplantation reduce cyst size after rat contusive spinal cord injury

Schwann cell transplantation is a promising therapy for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) and is currently in clinical trials. In our continuing efforts to improve Schwann cell transplantation strategies, we sought to determine the combined effects of Schwann cell transplantation with macrophage depletion. Since macrophages are major inflammatory contributors to the acute spinal cord injury, and are the major phagocytic cells, we hypothesized that transplanting Schwann cells after macrophage depletion will improve cell survival and integration with host tissue after SCI. To test this hypothesis, rat models of contusive SCI at thoracic level 8 were randomly subjected to macrophage depletion or not. In rat subjected to macrophage depletion, liposomes filled with clodronate were intraperitoneally injected at 1, 3, 6, 11, and 18 days post injury. Rats not subjected to macrophage depletion were intraperitoneally injected with liposomes filled with phosphate buffered saline. Schwann cells were transplanted 1 week post injury in all rats. Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) was injected at thoracic level 5 to evalute axon regeneration. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor test, Gridwalk test, and sensory test using von Frey filaments were performed to assess functional recovery. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect glial fibrillary acidic protein, neurofilament, and green fluorescent protein (GFP), and also to visulize BDA-labelled axons. The GFP labeled Schwann cell and cyst and lesion volumes were quantified using stained slides. The numbers of BDA-positive axons were also quantified. At 8 weeks after Schwann cell transplantation, there was a significant reduction in cyst and lesion volumes in the combined treatment group compared to Schwann cell transplantation alone. These changes were not associated, however, with improved Schwann cell survival, axon growth, or locomotor recovery. Although combining Schwann cell transplantation with macrophage depletion does improve histopathology of the injury site, the effect on axon growth and behavioral recovery appears no better than what can be achieved with Schwann cell transplants alone.
Cooling of electronics in collider experiments

Proper cooling of detector electronics is critical to the successful operation of high-energy physics experiments. Collider experiments offer unique challenges based on their physical layouts and hermetic design. Cooling systems can be categorized by the type of detector with which they are associated, their primary mode of heat transfer, the choice of active cooling fluid, their heat removal capacity and the minimum temperature required. One of the more critical detector subsystems to require cooling is the silicon vertex detector, either pixel or strip sensors. A general design philosophy is presented along with a review of the important steps to include in the design process. Factors affecting the detector and cooling system design are categorized. A brief review of some existing and proposed cooling systems for silicon detectors is presented to help set the scale for the range of system designs. Fermilab operates two collider experiments, CDF & D0, both of which have silicon systems embedded in their detectors. A review of the existing silicon cooling system designs and operating experience is presented along with a list of lessons learned.
Soil Carbon: Policy and Economics

Agricultural soils provide a prospective way of mitigating the increasing atmospheric concentration of CO2. A number of agricultural practices are known to stimulate the accumulation of additional soil carbon and early indications are that some might sequester carbon at relatively modest costs with generally positive environmental effects. We discuss, under 10 themes, policy and economic issues that will determine whether programs for sequestration of carbon in agricultural soils can succeed. The issues involve contexts for implementation, economics, private property rights, agricultural policy, and institutional and social structures. Ultimately, success will depend on the incentive structure developed and the way in which carbon sequestration is integrated into the total fabric of agricultural policy.
Taylor, John Madison

The first ‘reflex hammer’ was probably the triangular-headed hammer designed by John Madison Taylor (1855–1931) in Philadelphia in 1888. From 1882 to 1896 Taylor was the personal assistant of S. Weir Mitchell (1829–1914) at the Philadelphia Infirmary for Nervous Disease. With Guy Hinsdale (1858–1948), he also described the crossed adductor reflex. Because of his engaging personality, Taylor became the personal physician to many prominent individuals, including former US President Theodore Roosevelt, newsbaron Joseph Pulitzer, and Republican statesman James G. Blaine.
Plant Cell Structure and Ultrastructure

The cells of plants possess a variety of included structures; some of which are similar to eukaryotic animal cells, but others are quite distinctive. Many can be observed with a compound light microscope, but others are only resolved with the aid of electron microscopy. One of the great biological achievements of the recent twentieth century has been the development of electron microscopes, the appropriate specimen preparation for observations, and the determination of the structural, genetic, physiological and the elucidation of the role of microscopic and ultrastructural components. This chapter will describe the structure and function of cellular organelles and their respective roles in plant anatomy.
Safety at the edge: a safety framework to identify edge conditions in the future transportation system with highly automated vehicles

Automated driving systems (ADS) have the potential for improving safety but also pose the risk of extending the transportation system beyond its edge conditions, beyond the operating conditions (operational design domain (ODD)) under which a given ADS or feature thereof is specifically designed to function. The ODD itself is a function of the known bounds and the unknown bounds of operation. The known bounds are those defined by vehicle designers; the unknown bounds arise based on a person operating the system outside the assumptions on which the vehicle was built. The process of identifying and mitigating risk of possible failures at the edge conditions is a cornerstone of systems safety engineering (SSE); however, SSE practitioners may not always account for the assumptions on which their risk mitigation resolutions are based. This is a particularly critical issue with the algorithms developed for highly automated vehicles (HAVs). The injury prevention community, engineers and designers must recognise that automation has introduced a fundamental shift in transportation safety and requires a new paradigm for transportation epidemiology and safety science that incorporates what edge conditions exist and how they may incite failure. Towards providing a foundational organising framework for the injury prevention community to engage with HAV development, we propose a blending of two classic safety models: the Swiss Cheese Model, which is focused on safety layers and redundancy, and the Haddon Matrix, which identifies actors and their responsibilities before, during and after an event.
Experimental Imaging Results of a UAV-mounted Downward-Looking mm-wave Radar

Optical and thermal sensors mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been successfully used to image difficult-to-access regions. Nevertheless, none of these sensors provide range information about the scene; and, therefore, their fusion with high-resolution mm-wave radars has the potential to improve the performance of the imaging system. This paper presents our preliminary experimental results of a downward-looking UAV system equipped with a passive optical video camera and an active Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) mm-wave radar sensor. The 3D imaging of the mm-wave radar is enabled by collecting data through the line of motion, thus producing a synthetic aperture, and by using a co-linear MIMO array perpendicular to the motion trajectory. Our preliminary results shows that the fused optical and mm-wave image provides shape and range information, that ultimately results in an enhanced imaging capability of the UAV system.
Resonance model for e + e - -->hadrons

A model is presented in which e/sup +/e/sup -/ annihilation proceeds through the process e/sup +/e/sup -/ ..-->.. ..pi..R, where R is a resonance. The contribution to the single-pion inclusive distribution from resonance decay products is calculated. Scale breaking in sdsigma/dx and sigma/sub tot/(s) is attributed to a threshold for production of a new class of resonances. (AIP)
CHAPTER 3 – Vegetative Growth

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the features of the nature and periodicity of shoot growth, cambial growth, and root growth of trees of the temperate zone and tropics. Woody plants of the temperate zone alternate from active growth during the warm season to cessation of growth during the cold season. Control of and release from dormancy of buds has been variously correlated with plant hormone levels, but no convincing model of hormone control of dormancy has emerged. Plants grow through the activity of meristematic tissues, which constitute only a small fraction of the plant body. Shoot elongation generally arises from expansion of buds and shoot thickening through activity of the cambium. Shoots may be formed by fixed growth, free growth, or a combination of both. The pattern and periodicity of shoot growth vary greatly with species and genotype and with environmental influences. Particularly strong differences in shoot growth patterns often are observed between temperate and tropical species. Gibberellins and auxins have been implicated in control of shoot growth. Increase in tree diameter arises from activity of the vascular cambium, a tissue that produces xylem inwardly and phloem externally. Cambial growth is not continuous in space or time. Temperate-zone trees exhibit seasonal activity of the vascular cambium, with reactivation in the spring and significant growing season influences, particularly those associated with drought.
Revisiting the use of graph centrality models in biological pathway analysis

The use of graph theory models is widespread in biological pathway analyses as it is often desired to evaluate the position of genes and proteins in their interaction networks of the biological systems. In this article, we argue that the common standard graph centrality measures do not sufficiently capture the informative topological organizations of the pathways, and thus, limit the biological inference. While key pathway elements may appear both upstream and downstream in pathways, standard directed graph centralities attribute significant topological importance to the upstream elements and evaluate the downstream elements as having no importance.We present a directed graph framework, Source/Sink Centrality (SSC), to address the limitations of standard models. SSC separately measures the importance of a node in the upstream and the downstream of a pathway, as a sender and a receiver of biological signals, and combines the two terms for evaluating the centrality. To validate SSC, we evaluate the topological position of known human cancer genes and mouse lethal genes in their respective KEGG annotated pathways and show that SSC-derived centralities provide an effective framework for associating higher positional importance to the genes with higher importance from a priori knowledge. While the presented work challenges some of the modeling assumptions in the common pathway analyses, it provides a straight-forward methodology to extend the existing models. The SSC extensions can result in more informative topological description of pathways, and thus, more informative biological inference.
State-of-Charge Control with Series Output Connected DC-DC Modules in Active Battery Management Systems

This paper presents state-of-charge (SOC) control between battery modules in an active battery management system (BMS) with series output connected DC-DC modules. To increase both the pack and system-level modularity, the BMS regulates the battery pack average SOC by controlling a common input current from all series-connected modules. A balancing loop introduces input current offsets to regulate all module SOCs. The BMS functions are divided between a central controller for battery pack SOC regulation and individual module SOC control; a module level controller regulates the input current. Experimental results are presented on a 1.5 kW prototype consisting of five series modules that are formed by 15 DC/DC series and parallel connected converters in an active BMS.
E-176 Assessment of composition of blood clot by optical coherence tomography (OCT)

Purpose Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been reported for potential use for differentiation of clot composition in cardiac patients. We tried to further validate its use for stroke patients using in-vitro clots with different percentage of red blood cells (RBCs) and fibrin. Methods Blood was collected from a healthy volunteer and separated into plasma, buffy-coat, and erythrocyte-rich layers after centrifugation. The plasma and erythrocytes were harvested separately and then recombined in controlled ratios to form five different clot analogues with 2% thrombin added (5 analogues for each composition): Group A, fibrin-rich (95% plasma:5% RBCs; Group B, fibrin-rich (75% plasma:25% RBCs); Group C, intermediate (50% plasma:50% RBCs); Group D, RBC-rich (25% plasma:75% RBCs,) and Group E, RBC-rich (5% plasma:95% RBCs). The blood mixture was injected in 6F guide angiographic catheter though a syringe. OPTISTM Integrated System (St. Jude Medical Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota) was used to perform OCT testing for each clot. A Dragonfly™ OPTIS™ imaging catheter (St. Jude Medical GmbH, St. Paul, Minnesota) was advanced into the catheter to pass the clot. The rate of automatic pullback was 0.5 mm/s. The blood clot was identified by OCT on mass images with different signal characters. OCT images were processed and analyzed according to the intensity of OCT signals from different compositions of clot. Results Homogeneous signal of clot was shown in all the clots in Group A and B, less signal attenuation from its surface to inside was noted, which indicated high penetration (low-back scattering). Intermediate signal attenuation from its surface to inside was shown in all the clots in Group C, in which some signals still existed at the periphery of the clot. Clot in Group D and E was superficial signal rich with more signal attenuation from its surface to inside, which indicated low penetration (high-back scattering). Three clots in Group E showed signal-free shadowing (figures A to E). Conclusion Different composition of clots can be assessed by OCT. Fibrin-rich clots have homogeneous signal with high penetration (low-back scattering), while RBC-rich clot can be recognized as superficial signal rich with low penetration (high-back scattering). Disclosures Y. Ding: None. M. Abbassi: None. D. Jakaitis: None. D. Dai: None. R. Kadirvel: None. D. Kallmes: None. W. Brinjikji: None.
Impact and outcomes of primary cytomegalovirus disease in seronegative abdominal solid organ transplant recipients of cytomegalovirus unexposed donors (D-/R-).

Background Primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in high-risk (D+/R-) abdominal solid organ transplant recipients (aSOTRs) is well described, however, little is known of primary CMV disease in low-risk (D-/R-) patients. Methods Observational study of adult aSOTRs between 1/1/2009 and 9/1/2019 screened based on serostatus at transplant; D-/R- and D+/R- patients were included. Primary objective Describe epidemiology of primary CMV in D-/R- aSOTRs. Secondary objective Compare infectious and transplant-related outcomes of primary CMV disease in the first 90 days (early CMV) between D-/R- and D+/R-. Results Of 782 D-/R- aSOTRs in the study period, 13 developed CMV at any time after transplant to last follow-up. Of 671 D+/R- patients, 186 developed CMV. Early CMV disease was significantly more common in the D-/R- group (54% vs 15.6%, P = .0005) despite populations being similar demographically, including allograft subtype. D-/R- patients with early CMV disease had median viral load >100 000 IU/mL and 42.9% had end-organ manifestations; 71.4% required hospital admission. Immunosuppressive therapy was adjusted in 100% of patients, there was an approximately 14.3% rate of antiviral resistance and 28.6% had concomitant opportunistic infection. These findings were similar to D+/R- patients. There was no difference in risk of rejection or all-cause mortality associated with early CMV disease, however, graft loss was significantly higher in D-/R-. Conclusion D-/R- aSOTRs infrequently develop CMV, however, when it occurs, they present with disease manifestations similar to and graft outcomes inferior to D+/R- with CMV. Additionally, the majority of CMV disease in D-/R- occurs in the first 90 days after transplant, suggesting possible donor subclinical infection or transfusion source. The complicated course in D-/R- is likely caused by low clinical suspicion. Awareness of disease severity and aggressive upfront management may promote positive outcomes.
Hypnopompic seizures

The relationship between epilepsy and sleep is complex and bidirectional. Ictal awakening is probably a common and well-described phenomenon. In this small observational study we describe arousal from sleep as the only, or at least main, manifestation of some epileptic seizures. We coin the term “hypnopompic seizures” to describe this entity. Five patients with intractable epilepsy were monitored by continuous video-electroencephalogram. Four of them had left temporal lobe epilepsy and one patient had generalised epilepsy. Hypnopompic seizures accounted for 30–100% of their seizure types captured during monitoring. All the seizures occurred during stage II sleep and were brief. Hypnopompic seizures are extremely subtle and may be underdiagnosed and underreported. Future larger studies are needed to shed some light on this unique entity and its neuropathophysiology. Epileptologists should be aware of this type of seizure and careful review of electroencephalograms during the transition from sleep to arousal is imperative to capture these seizures. Physicians, patients and families also need to be aware of such a subtle manifestation of seizures. Improved awareness of hypnopompic seizures and subtle seizures, in general, help guide accurate and early diagnosis, thorough monitoring and appropriate management.
Air Force Executive Nurse Leadership Impact: Brigadier General Diann Hale O'Connor, Air Force Nurse Corps Chief From 1982 to 1985.

Introduction In the 1980s, nurses became more recognized as interprofessional healthcare partners who actively participated in the advancement of patient care and the nursing profession. There is a significant gap in the nursing literature about the significant contributions of executive military nurse leaders. The purpose of the interview with Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Hale O'Connor was to explore the personal stories, experiences, leadership strategies, lessons learned, and impact of her leadership on the future development of nursing as a profession. Methods The oral history method provided a framework for the interview and the analysis. In compliance with the Oral History Association guidelines, the primary investigator obtained Institutional Review Board permission, participant informed consent, and an audiotaped interview. A graduate research assistant transcribed the 3-hour audiotaped interview verbatim. The participant reviewed the transcription, provided clarification, and validated accuracy. Three independent coders extracted prevalent themes and subthemes during analysis. Researchers compared findings and reached a consensus when resolving minor discrepancies. Results Two broad thematic qualities, commitment to duty and fairness, emerged from the data with their respective subthemes. Subthemes of trust, patriotism, loyalty, and assiduousness supported the main theme of commitment to duty. Pillars of alignment, equality, and advocacy supported the broad theme of fairness. Conclusion Although the team did not use the Reina Trust Model as a framework, the trust-building behaviors emerged from the transcribed interview during the analysis. Surprisingly, many of the leadership strategies utilized by Brig Gen Hale O'Connor fit well into the Reina Trust Model, published 25 years following O'Connor's tenure as Chief, Air Force Nurse Corps. In addition, several of Brig Gen Hale O'Connor's leadership accomplishments are still relevant today, solidifying the observation that the foresight of Brig Gen Hale O'Connor was fundamental to the advancement of nursing during her tenure and for those who followed.
The Phytoliths in the Flora of Ecuador project: Perspectives on phytolith classification, identification, and establishing regional phytolith databases

Abstract The Phytoliths in the Flora of Ecuador project was undertaken to establish diagnostic phytolith types and phytolith vegetation signatures to enhance archaeological and paleoenvironmental phytolith applications in the region. In this paper I discuss the “products” of this research, and provide links to on-line resources. Among the lessons learned from this project: the importance of systematic phytolith naming and classification, documentation, and having a strong regional research focus.
An overview of Direct Laser Deposition for additive manufacturing; Part I: Transport phenomena, modeling and diagnostics

Abstract Laser-based additive manufacturing (LBAM) processes can be utilized to generate functional parts (or prototypes) from the ground-up via layer-wise cladding – providing an opportunity to generate complex-shaped, functionally graded or custom-tailored parts that can be utilized for a variety of engineering applications. Directed Energy Deposition (DED), utilizes a concentrated heat source, which may be a laser or electron beam, with in situ delivery of powder- or wire-shaped material for subsequent melting to accomplish layer-by-layer part fabrication or single-to-multi layer cladding/repair. Direct Laser Deposition (DLD), a form of DED, has been investigated heavily in the last several years as it provides the potential to (i) rapidly prototype metallic parts, (ii) produce complex and customized parts, (iii) clad/repair precious metallic components and (iv) manufacture/repair in remote or logistically weak locations. DLD and Powder Bed Fusion-Laser (PBF-L) are two common LBAM processes for additive metal part fabrication and are currently demonstrating their ability to revolutionize the manufacturing industry; breaking barriers imposed via traditional, ‘subtractive’ metalworking processes. This article provides an overview of the major advancements, challenges and physical attributes related to DLD, and is one of two Parts focused specifically on DLD. Part I (this article) focuses on describing the thermal/fluidic phenomena during the powder-fed DLD process, while Part II focuses on the mechanical properties and microstructure of parts manufactured via DLD. In this current article, a selection of recent research efforts – including methodology, models and experimental results – will be provided in order to educate the reader of the thermal/fluidic processes that occur during DLD, as well as providing important background information relevant to DLD as a whole. The thermal/fluid phenomena inherent to DLD directly influence the solidification heat transfer which thus impacts the part's microstructure and associated thermo-mechanical properties. A thorough understanding of the thermal/fluid aspects inherent to DLD is vital for optimizing the DLD process and ensuring consistent, high-quality parts.
Microstructural Characterization of Hard Ceramics

This chapter reviews recent developments in the microstructural characterization of hard ceramics. It begins with a survey of the most important microstructural features that can be derived from characterization experiments. These include grain size, grain shape, contiguity, texture, grain boundary character distribution, and curvature. In each case, the parameters are illustrated by examples of data. The remainder of this chapter focuses on recent advances in three-dimensional microstructural characterization. Examples of progress in the areas of three-dimensional atom probe, electron and X-ray tomography, dual beam focused ion beam analysis, and X-ray diffraction microscopy are all discussed.
Phrenic Long-Term Facilitation Requires Spinal Serotonin Receptor Activation and Protein Synthesis

Respiratory long-term facilitation (LTF) is a form of serotonin-dependent plasticity induced by intermittent hypoxia. LTF is manifested as a long-lasting increase in respiratory amplitude (and frequency) after the hypoxic episodes have ended. We tested the hypotheses that LTF of phrenic amplitude requires spinal serotonin receptor activation and spinal protein synthesis. A broad-spectrum serotonin receptor antagonist (methysergide) or protein synthesis inhibitors (emetine or cycloheximide) were injected intrathecally in the cervical spinal cord of anesthetized rats. Control rats, injected with vehicle (artificial CSF), exhibited an augmented phrenic burst amplitude after three 5 min episodes of hypoxia (78 +/- 15% above baseline, 60 min after hypoxia; p 0.05). With protein synthesis inhibitors, phrenic LTF differed from control by 15 min after intermittent hypoxia. As an internal control against unintended drug distribution, we measured respiratory LTF in hypoglossal (XII) motor output. At 60 min after intermittent hypoxia, all treatment groups exhibited similar XII LTF (artificial CSF, 44 +/- 10%; methysergide, 40 +/- 5%; emetine, 35 +/- 9%; and cycloheximide, 57 +/- 29%; all p < 0.05), suggesting that drugs were restricted at effective doses to the spinal cord. We conclude that phrenic LTF requires spinal serotonin receptor activation and protein synthesis. Serotonin receptors on phrenic motoneuron dendrites may induce new protein synthesis, thereby giving rise to phrenic LTF.
Gonadal Steroids and Neuronal Plasticity.

In this chapter, recent studies on gonadal steroid-induced neural plasticity in the adult rat hypothalamus have been described. Neurons in the VMN and DMN are capable of rapid, reversible structural alterations in response to a changing hormonal environment. Given the importance of the VMN in mediating lordosis in female rats, the present studies suggest that hormonally induced morphological changes in the VMN may be necessary for the manifestation of lordosis. This possibility is supported by the 5,7-DHT studies which indicate that the induction of dendritic spines on VMN neurons may somehow decrease the threshold of E needed to elicit lordosis. Moreover, the sex differences in hormonal requirements for lordosis in 5,7-DHT-treated rats are probably the result of organizational effects of gonadal steroids. Our data support the idea that activational effects can only be superimposed on existing brain circuitry to a certain degree. Finally, the neuronal plasticity seen in the hypothalamus may be an important physiological mechanism by which gonadal steroid feedback mediates reproductive and behavioral function.
The Expressive Power of Clocks

We investigate the expressive power of timing restrictions on labeled transition systems. In particular, we show how constraints on clock variables together with a uniform liveness condition—the divergence of time—can express Buchi, Muller, Streett, Rabin, and weak and strong fairness conditions on a given labeled transition system. We then consider the effect, on both timed and time-abstract expressiveness, of varying the following parameters: time domain (discrete or dense), number of clocks, number of states, and size of constants used in timing restrictions.
Femur Fractures in Infants

The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital trauma unit manages approximately 10 000 children under the age of 12 years annually. Approximately 500 (5%) have non-accidental causes which can further be divided into Sexual Abuse (approximately 150; 1.5%) and Physical Abuse cases (approximately 350; 3.5%). We recently admitted 5 infants under 1 year, all with femur fractures within one week. Practitioners should be alert for the possibility of NAI and abuse in infants presenting with any type of femur fracture, and to investigate, manage and refer appropriately to ensure optimal patient care and outcome.
The bioenergetic costs of a gene

An enduring mystery of evolutionary genomics concerns the mechanisms responsible for lineage-specific expansions of genome size in eukaryotes, especially in multicellular species. One idea is that all excess DNA is mutationally hazardous, but weakly enough so that genome-size expansion passively emerges in species experiencing relatively low efficiency of selection owing to small effective population sizes. Another idea is that substantial gene additions were impossible without the energetic boost provided by the colonizing mitochondrion in the eukaryotic lineage. Contrary to this latter view, analysis of cellular energetics and genomics data from a wide variety of species indicates that, relative to the lifetime ATP requirements of a cell, the costs of a gene at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels decline with cell volume in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Moreover, these costs are usually sufficiently large to be perceived by natural selection in bacterial populations, but not in eukaryotes experiencing high levels of random genetic drift. Thus, for scaling reasons that are not yet understood, by virtue of their large size alone, eukaryotic cells are subject to a broader set of opportunities for the colonization of novel genes manifesting weakly advantageous or even transiently disadvantageous phenotypic effects. These results indicate that the origin of the mitochondrion was not a prerequisite for genome-size expansion.
Mycosis fungoides causing ureteral obstruction

Abstract Ureteral obstruction due to malignant disease is an entity which is commonly encountered. We present a case of ureteral obstruction secondary to mycosis fungoides, a rare T-cell lymphoma. We believe this is the first case of this entity to be reported.
Stability of executive function deficits into young adult years : a prospective longitudinal follow-up study of grown up males with ADHD

Objective: Although individuals with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) commonly exhibit deficits in executive functions that greatly increase the morbidity of the disorder, all available information on the subject is cross sectional. Method: Males (n = 85) 9–22 years with ADHD followed over 7 years into young adulthood were assessed on measures of sustained attention/vigilance, planning and organization, response inhibition, set shifting and categorization, selective attention and visual scanning, verbal and visual learning, and memory. A binary definition of executive function deficits (EFDs) was defined based on a subject manifesting at least two abnormal tests 1.5 standard deviations from controls. Results: The majority of subjects maintained EFDs over time (kappa: 0.41, P < 0.001; sensitivity: 55%, specificity: 85%, positive predictive value: 69%, and negative predictive value: 75%). Conclusion: Considering the morbidity of EFDs, these findings stress the importance of their early recognition for prevention and early intervention strategies. EFDs are stable over time.
Shocktube driven BiF visible chemical laser. I - Numerical modeling of combustion driven shocktube experiments

Calculations to determine the utility of an HF combustion-driven shocktube in the development of BiF(A-X) visible chemical lasers are presented. The calculations were performed with a one-dimensional reactive-flow Euler solver. The Euler solver uses a time-step split algorithm to advance the calculation over a time interval. A robust design can be developed that will simulate the heating produced in the FN3/TMB/He laser-gas mixture by a CO2 laser. Small amounts of water need to be included in the H2/F2/He driver gas mixture to assist in the thermalization of the vibrationally hot HF. 8 refs.
Potential for conservation biological control of the obliquebanded leafroller (OBLR) Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris) in orchard systems managed with reduced-risk insecticides

Abstract Natural enemy (NE) inflicted mortality of the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), was compared in apple orchards treated with reduced-risk and conventional insecticides and in adjacent unsprayed wild habitats. We hypothesized that NE inflicted mortality would be greater in plots treated with reduced-risk insecticides and in the wild habitats. Laboratory-reared larvae were exposed to NEs by placing larvae in excised foliage into the experimental plots. Nine parasitoid species were recorded, but only Actia interrupta (Diptera: Tachinidae), and the Hymenoptera Oncophanes americanus (Braconidae) and Exochus albifrons (Ichneumonidae) were abundant. Total parasitism by Hymenoptera and Diptera was equal among treatments; however, the prevalence of Hymenopteran and Dipteran parasitoids appeared to vary among orchards. Higher numbers of predators were collected in wild habitats but predation levels were not significantly different among treatments. We found no evidence that NEs were limited by fragmentation of wild habitats. Furthermore, the wild habitats harbored several plant species that are hosts for C. rosaceana . Because NE induced mortality was similar in both insecticide treatments and in unsprayed wild habitats, it is difficult to ascertain whether these results are due to the toxicity of the insecticides in the two pesticide-programs or the ecology of the natural enemies. The combination of highly mobile natural enemies and habitats treated with toxic insecticides may have masked treatment-specific differences. Results from this study do not provide evidence that the use of reduced risk insecticides in orchard blocks interspersed among blocks treated with conventional insecticides will afford opportunities for biological control of C. rosaceana .
Are Sonographic Characteristics Associated With Progression to Surgery in Men With Peyronie’s Disease?

Purpose: Traditionally, diagnosis and treatment plans for Peyronie's disease have been based on history and physical examination. Penile ultrasound provides rapid, anatomical information to establish disease severity, and to monitor progression and response to medical therapy. We determined the relationship between ultrasound characteristics and progression to surgical intervention in men with Peyronie's disease.Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 518 patients with Peyronie's disease. Patients completed a Peyronie's disease specific questionnaire detailing medical history, health related behaviors and Peyronie's disease characteristics, and underwent sonographic evaluation of the penis. Measurements of subtunical calcifications, septal fibrosis, tunical thickening (tunica thickness greater than 2 mm) and intracavernous fibrosis were made. Progression to surgery was determined from the medical record.Results: In this cohort (mean patient age 53.8 years, range 20 to 78) 31% o...