cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote Monitoring in Heart Failure: the Current State

The treatment of congestive heart failure is an expensive undertaking with much of this cost occurring as a result of hospitalization. It is not surprising that many remote monitoring strategies have been developed to help patients maintain clinical stability by avoiding congestion. Most of these have failed. It seems very unlikely that these failures were the result of any one underlying false assumption but rather from the fact that heart failure is a progressive, deadly disease and that human behavior is hard to modify. One lesson that does stand out from the myriad of methods to detect congestion is that surrogates of congestion, such as weight and impedance, are not reliable or actionable enough to influence outcomes. Too many factors influence these surrogates to successfully and confidently use them to affect HF hospitalization. Surrogates are often attractive because they can be inexpensively measured and followed. They are, however, indirect estimations of congestion, and due to the lack specificity, the time and expense expended affecting the surrogate do not provide enough benefit to warrant its use. We know that high filling pressures cause transudation of fluid into tissues and that pulmonary edema and peripheral edema drive patients to seek medical assistance. Direct measurement of these filling pressures appears to be the sole remote monitoring modality that shows a benefit in altering the course of the disease in these patients. Congestive heart failure is such a serious problem and the consequences of hospitalization so onerous in terms of patient well-being and costs to society that actual hemodynamic monitoring, despite its costs, is beneficial in carefully selected high-risk patients. Those patients who benefit are ones with a prior hospitalization and ongoing New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III symptoms. Patients with NYHA class I and II symptoms do not require hemodynamic monitoring because they largely have normal hemodynamics. Those with NYHA class IV symptoms do not benefit because their hemodynamics are so deranged that they cannot be substantially altered except by mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation. Finally, hemodynamic monitoring offers substantial hope to those patients with normal ejection fraction (EF) heart failure, a large group for whom medical therapy has largely been a failure. These patients have not benefited from the neurohormonal revolution that improved the lives of their brothers and sisters with reduced ejection fractions. Hemodynamic stabilization improves the condition of both but more so of the normal EF cohort. This is an important observation that will help us design future trials for the 50% of heart failure patients with normal systolic function.
Source/drain eSiGe engineering for FinFET technology

Epitaxy growth loading effect—the growth rate difference between device macros due to their local open ratio difference—is an important consideration for device design and thus process optimization. A poor loading process leads to device performance delta across macros. For eSiGe on FinFETs, we found that optimized eSiGe on FinFETs saturates as the eSiGe diamond pins at fin top surface and the fin-sidewall-spacer (FSS). The eSiGe diamond size measured by lateral CD does not increase with deposition time, but it linearly correlates to cavity depth and FSS pushdown. In principle, the eSiGe loading effect can be addressed with an extended growth time until every device macros saturates. However, it is found that, the epitaxy growth related defects, measured by abnormal eSiGe and unwanted growth, can also be elevated to an unacceptable level for a longer deposition time. Thus, the eSiGe loading process still needs to be optimized for an improved process window. In this work, an optimized eSiGe process achieves reduced loading between 2-fin and 40-fin macros and thus a smaller pFET performance gap between the two device macros.
Global cities and urban theory, by Donald McNeill, London, SAGE Publishing, 2017, 200 pp., £29.99 (paperback) ISBN: 9781446267073, £85.00 (hardcover), £23.99 ISBN: 9781446267066, (ePub2) ISBN: 9781473933446

For nearly a decade, a running debate between ‘critical’ and ‘assemblage’ approaches to urban theory has in many ways reinvigorated older formulations of key arguments that circumscribe the field o...
Efficient Processing of Spatiotemporal Pattern Queries on Historical Frequent Co-Movement Pattern Datasets

Thanks to recent prevalence of location sensors, collecting massive spatiotemporal datasets containing moving object trajectories has become possible, providing an exceptional opportunity to derive interesting insights about behavior of the moving objects such as people, animals, and vehicles. In particular, mining patterns from co-movements of objects (such as movements by players of a sports team, joints of a person while walking, and cars in a transportation network) can lead to the discovery of interesting patterns (e.g., offense tactics of a sports team, gait signature of a person, and driving behaviors causing heavy traffic). Given a dataset of frequent co-movement patterns, various spatial and spatiotemporal queries can be posed to retrieve relevant patterns among all generated patterns from the pattern dataset. We term such queries, pattern queries. Co-movement patterns are often numerous due to combinatorial complexity of such patterns, and therefore, co-movement pattern datasets often grow very large in size, rendering naive execution of the pattern queries ineffective. In this paper, we propose the FCPIR framework, which offers a variety of index structures for efficient answering of various range pattern queries on massive co-movement pattern datasets, namely, spatial range pattern queries, temporal range (time-slice) pattern queries, and spatiotemporal range pattern queries.
A Biomimetic Approach to Complex Global Problems

With scientific and technological advances giving rise to complex global problems, responding will require a different way of thinking than was involved in their creation. No longer are solutions bound within a domain of science or technology. Instead, solutions require a highly integrated approach across many domains, sciences, or technologies. What will become increasingly important is not engineering against nature as engineering with nature, as is emerging in the field of biomimetics. A discussion of sources and limits of knowledge that affect the biomimetic approach will provide an understanding for how mental models, metaphors, and analogies can be used to apply systems of nature with human systems to address complex global problems. Using this type of thinking can greatly enhance opportunities for solving, managing, or controlling the major complex global problems facing society.
Joint Consistency and Interpolation

If 𝕬 is a modal structure for the language ML and if ML’ is a sublanguage of ML, we define the restriction of 𝕬 to ML’. 𝕬↑ ML’, as follows. Let 𝕬 = and let L’ be the underlying classical language of ML’. Then 𝕬↑, where A↑k|L’ is the restriction of the classical structure A k to L’ (cf. Shoenfield (1967), p. 43). We also say that A is an expansion of A| ML’ to ML. Let S be a modal system and let T and T’ be S-theories with languages ML(T) and ML(T’), respectively. We define the union of T and T’, T ∪ T’, to be the S-theory with language L’’ whose nonlogical symbols consist of precisely those of ML(T) together with those of ML(T’) (at this point, if we have not already, we agree to the convention of Shoenfield (1967), p. 15, that if a given symbol is used in one manner in a certain language, it is used in all other languages in the identical manner), and whose nonlogical axioms are precisely those of T together with those of T’. The following proof of the Joint Consistency Theorem is a rather direct adaptation of the classical proof as given in Shoenfield (1967). An approach using somewhat different techniques is contained in Gabbey (1972a).
PARK1, Alpha Synuclein

Mutations in the gene that encodes the small synaptic protein α-synuclein were the first identified cause of inherited Parkinson disease. α-Synuclein is also important for sporadic Parkinson disease as it forms the major pathological hallmark of the disease, the Lewy body. The link between disease and deposition of synuclein is unclear, but several lines of evidence suggest that the protein tends to aggregate, leading to neuronal damage.
Probing variability in a cognitive map using manifold inference from neural dynamics

Hippocampal neurons fire selectively in local behavioral contexts such as the position in an environment or phase of a task, and are thought to form a cognitive map of task-relevant variables. However, their activity varies over repeated behavioral conditions, such as different runs through the same position or repeated trials. Although widely observed across the brain, such variability is not well understood, and could reflect noise or structure, such as the encoding of additional cognitive information. Here, we introduce a conceptual model to explain variability in terms of underlying, population-level structure in single-trial neural activity. To test this model, we developed a novel unsupervised learning algorithm incorporating temporal dynamics, in order to characterize population activity as a trajectory on a nonlinear manifold--a space of possible network states. The manifold9s structure captures correlations between neurons and temporal relationships between states, constraints arising from underlying network architecture and inputs. Using measurements of activity over time but no information about exogenous behavioral variables, we recovered hippocampal activity manifolds during spatial and non-spatial cognitive tasks in rats. Manifolds were low dimensional and smoothly encoded task-related variables, but contained an extra dimension reflecting information beyond the measured behavioral variables. Consistent with our model, neurons fired as a function of overall network state, and fluctuations in their activity across trials corresponded to variation in the underlying trajectory on the manifold. In particular, the extra dimension allowed the system to take different trajectories despite repeated behavioral conditions. Furthermore, the trajectory could temporarily decouple from current behavioral conditions and traverse neighboring manifold points corresponding to past, future, or nearby behavioral states. Our results suggest that trial-to-trial variability in the hippocampus is structured, and may reflect the operation of internal cognitive processes. The manifold structure of population activity is well-suited for organizing information to support memory, planning, and reinforcement learning. In general, our approach could find broader use in probing the organization and computational role of circuit dynamics in other brain regions.
A Patient-derived Xenograft Model of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Identifies Sapanisertib as a Possible New Treatment for Everolimus-Resistant Tumors

Patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET) commonly develop advanced disease and require systemic therapy. However, treatment options remain limited, in part, because experimental models that reliably emulate PNET disease are lacking. We therefore developed a patient-derived xenograft model of PNET (PDX-PNET), which we then used to evaluate two mTOR inhibitor drugs: FDA-approved everolimus and the investigational new drug sapanisertib. PDX-PNETs maintained a PNET morphology and PNET-specific gene expression signature with serial passage. PDX-PNETs also harbored mutations in genes previously associated with PNETs (such as MEN1 and PTEN), displayed activation of the mTOR pathway, and could be detected by Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET-CT. Treatment of PDX-PNETs with either everolimus or sapanisertib strongly inhibited growth. As seen in patients, some PDX-PNETs developed resistance to everolimus. However, sapanisertib, a more potent inhibitor of the mTOR pathway, caused tumor shrinkage in most everolimus-resistant tumors. Our PDX-PNET model is the first available, validated PDX model for PNET, and preclinical data from the use of this model suggest that sapanisertib may be an effective new treatment option for patients with PNET or everolimus-resistant PNET.
Labor-Market Fluctuations and On-the-Job Search

This paper argues that a model of the aggregate labor market that incorporates the observed extent of job-to-job transitions can explain all the cyclical volatility in vacancy and unemployment rates in U.S. data in response to shocks of the observed magnitude. The key to this result is the complementarity between on-the-job search and costly hiring that leads employers to expect a higher payoff from recruiting employed searchers. This higher expected payoff explains why firms recruit more when the number of employed searchers is high during periods of low unemployment.
The role of truck wash practices in dissemination of Salmonella and Campylobacter in commercial swine production

This study investigated the sources of two foodborne pathogens, Salmonella and Campylobacter in a commercial swine production system. Pathogens were characterized using conventional culture and isolation techniques and antibiograms. Four swine herds were selected and followed from late nursery to slaughter along with the four truck washes servicing the system. Increase in Salmonella prevalence with increasing age from late nursery to slaughter was found. Prevalence of Campylobacter fluctuated in different age groups throughout the production period. All truck washes, except truck wash D, showed a reduction in contamination from pre to post wash. It was found that trucks remain a potential source of Salmonella and Campylobacter even after washing and disinfection. The type and extent of multi-drug resistance varied by stage of production and environmental source. Genotypic profiling is underway to determine the clonality of isolates from pigs, trucks and environmental samples to better characterize important sources of cross contamination.
Mercy TAPE for Calculation-Free Height Estimation in Pediatric Rehabilitation Patients.

Background In children, height is an essential element of a pediatric assessment, yet this measure is less likely to occur in nonambulatory children or those with unique disabilities. There is compelling support for surrogate measures; however, many of these are accompanied by limitations. Objective This study was conducted to evaluate whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared Mercy TAPE could be adopted for height estimation. Design Development and external validation of a height-estimation method were conducted with retrospectively collected data in nonrehabilitation children. Testing of the model was performed prospectively in a pediatric rehabilitation population. Setting U.S. pediatric rehabilitation outpatient clinic. Participants Data from 19 407 children were used to develop the model. Data from an independent cohort of 1472 children were used for external validation, and the model was tested in 195 pediatric rehabilitation patients. Of the 195 patients, 57% required no wheelchair, 18% could ambulate independently for short distances, 17% could ambulate with an assistive device, and 8% were full-time wheelchair users. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measurements Relative error (RE), percentage error (PE), and percent predicted within 10% and 20% of actual height. Results Height estimated with the modified Mercy TAPE was highly predictive of actual height in nonrehabilitation children in the United States (RE [mean ± SD]: 1.1 ± 5.7 cm; PE [mean ± SD]: 1.0 ± 4.7%). In rehabilitation patients, height was underestimated to a greater extent (RE [mean ± SD]: 3.0 ± 7.4 cm; PE [mean ± SD]: -2.1 ± 5.6%). Conclusions The Mercy TAPE offers a reasonable approximation of height in ambulatory children, although it slightly underestimates height in the pediatric rehabilitation population. Consequently, this and other surrogate measures may be less suited to examining growth against a reference ambulatory population and more suited to following individual children over time.
Chapter 12 – Silicon, Germanium, Tin, and Lead

Because it is sometimes found uncombined, lead has been known since antiquity. Tin is easily reduced from SnO2 and it too has been known for centuries, and when alloyed with copper the alloy bronze is produced. Although discovered much later, Mendeleev predicted the existence of an element having the properties of germanium. Alloys of tin and lead are useful in applications such as solder. Silicon and germanium are used in the electronics industry. Silicates are among the most common rocks and minerals, and, as a result of the many ways in which SiO4 tetrahedral can be arranged, numerous structures are known. All of the elements form organometallic compounds. Although alkyl lead compounds were used as antiknock agents in fuels for many years, the silicon compounds, especially the silicones, are now much more important.
Chapter 13 – The Nervous System

Over the last few years, embryonic stem (ES) cells have emerged as a powerful tool to study brain development and function in vitro and in vivo. The isolation of human ES cells has further stimulated ES cell research directed toward cell-therapeutic applications, assessing the potential of ES cells as a source of a range of somatic cell types affected by disease. The central nervous system (CNS) has been proposed as one of the prime targets for ES cell-based therapies because of early successes in directing ES cells toward neural fates, experience with fetal tissue transplantation in neurodegenerative diseases, and the devastating nature of many CNS diseases, which often lack efficient alternative treatments. Some of the most striking advantages of ES cells over any other cell type are their extensive self-renewal capacity and differentiation potential, access to the earliest stages of neural development, and ease of inducing stable genetic manipulations.
Large Animal Models of Heart Failure: A Translational Bridge to Clinical Success

Preclinical large animal models of heart failure (HF) play a critical and expanding role in translating basic science findings to the development and clinical approval of novel therapeutics and devices. The complex combination of cardiovascular events and risk factors leading to HF has proved challenging for the development of new treatments for these patients. This state-of-the-art review presents historical and recent studies in porcine, ovine, and canine models of HF and outlines existing methodologies and physiological phenotypes. The translational importance of large animal studies to clinical success is also highlighted with an overview of recent devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration, together with preclinical HF animal studies used to aid both development and safety and/or efficacy testing. Increasing the use of large animal models of HF holds significant potential for identifying the novel mechanisms underlying the clinical condition and to improving physiological and economical translation of animal research to successfully treat human HF.
AML-317: Outcomes of Second Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Context Relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT1) leads to poor survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A second allo-HCT can achieve durable remission in a subset of patients. Objective To assess outcomes of patients who underwent allo-HCT2 for relapsed AML and identify risk factors associated with survival. Design We reviewed consecutive medical records of 91 adult patients (age >18 years) with AML who underwent allo-HCT2 for relapsed disease at our institution from January 2000 until August 2019. Results At allo-HCT2, median age was 43 (range, 18–67), donor types were HLA-identical sibling 41%, HLA-matched-unrelated 35%, haploidentical 21%, and cord-blood 1%. Donors were different at allo-HCT2 in 53% patients. The majority of patients received reduced intensity conditioning (78%) and were in remission (58%) at allo-HCT2. The median remission duration after allo-HCT1 was 8.4 months (range, 1–70); median time between transplants 13.6 months (range, 2.6–73). The median follow-up of surviving patients after allo-HCT2 was 25 months (range, 4–70), with 32% alive at time of analysis; the most common cause of death was disease recurrence (87%). At 2-years, progression-free-survival, overall survival, and cumulative incidence of relapse were 30% (95% CI, 18–37%), 36% (95% CI, 26–47%) and 42% (95% CI, 32–54%), respectively. The cumulative incidence of grades II–IV acute and chronic GVHD were 35% and 18%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, persistent disease at time of allo-HCT1 and allo-HCT2, along with high leukemia burden at allo-HCT2 (defined as BM blast >10%) [HR,2.4; p=0.006], development of cGVHD after allo-HCT1 [HR,3.1; p 2) [HR, 2.1; p=0.01] were associated with inferior PFS after allo-HCT2. These factors also predicted for OS. A total of 19, 55, and 17 patients had neither, one, or more than one adverse factors, respectively. Two-year OS was 60%, 40%, and 0%, and PFS was 47%, 28%, and 0% in these 3 respective groups. Conclusions Long-term survival benefit is possible after allo-HCT2 in patients with AML who relapsed after allo-HCT1. This can be achieved in patients without cGVHD after allo-HCT1 who are fit and in remission at time of allo-HCT1, along with
Unified Univariate-Neural Network Models for Lithium-Ion Battery State-of-Charge Forecasting Using Minimized Akaike Information Criterion Algorithm

Lithium-Ion batteries require step-ahead information to apply contingency plans to prevent them from operating beyond their safe operation thresholds in grid storage and electric vehicle applications. Recently, machine learning techniques have been increasingly applied to forecast one such battery information metric, State-of-Charge % ( SOC ). Conventional standalone machine learning techniques applied in recent works suffer from an accuracy standpoint and thus have been replaced by high-fidelity hybrid machine learning techniques. Existing works on hybrid techniques either perform in-sample predictions, provide limited information of the underlying model, or do not consider varying charging-discharging rate (C-rate) dynamics of the battery. To address this issue, this article presents unified SOC forecasting models using a Minimized Akaike Information Criterion ( ${m}$ -AIC) algorithm. Initially, the ${m}$ -AIC algorithm is used in a standalone manner to precisely tune and search ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) terms’ order automatically to accurately forecast the battery’s current, voltage, and SOC parameters in a univariate manner at a lower C-rate from given C-rates. The ${m}$ -AIC algorithm based univariate models’ ( m-AIC ) accuracy is further enhanced by first modeling and unifying with Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and then with Nonlinear Autoregressive Neural Network with external input (NARX) neural networks respectively using the previously forecasted parameters (from m-AIC ). This results in unified-MLP ( u- MLP) and unified-NARX ( u- NARX) models which provide higher accuracy out-of-sample SOC forecasting at the lower C-rate for different optimizer variants. Results show that the proposed u- MLP and u- NARX models reduce the mean squared error to 0.1048% and 0.0175% in comparison to their standalone counterparts which show the lowest corresponding error values of 0.271% and 0.0236% respectively. Furthermore, an additional reference univariate model, Holt-Winters Exponential Smoothing (HWES), is analyzed (by replacing m-AIC ) for a comparative performance evaluation in both standalone and unified manners. Recommendations for usage of the preferred respective models in either manner for SOC forecasting are also presented based on epochs and error values.
Optimal Switching in a Dynamic, Stochastic, Operating Environment

The value of flexibility in operations for hydroelectric power plants is apparent from their investment in multiple generators to allow variable intensity of operation. This flexibility supports rapid response to outside factors that impact their performance. It follows that hydroelectricity generation often competes for water flow with downstream water demands including irrigation, urban water use, or ecosystem services. Each of these follows stochastic process that implies asynchronous demand for water flow. The associated management problem is of interest encompassing multiple switching and motivating other extensions. This paper considers the dynamic stochastic problem of water allocation for hydroelectric generation and downstream use. Our main contribution is to present a novel numerical solution to this problem. Moreover, the method allows generalization not previously possible including: (i) multiple dynamic stochastic processes with jump diffusions, (ii) the number of contingent decisions with reversibility, and (iii) characterization of risk and uncertainty including dynamic constraints.
Giant Cell Myocarditis in Children: Elusive Giant Cells Might Not Be the Only Clue.

Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a form of fulminant myocarditis that is rapidly progressive and frequently lethal even in children. Over the course of 20 years, a definitive histopathologic diagnos...
Effective Theories of Dense and Very Dense Matter

In these lectures we discuss the uses of effective field theory in studying dense hadronic matter. We focus on two regimes in the phase diagram. At low baryon density nucleons can be described as non-relativistic point particles interacting via short range forces. Interesting effects arise because of the large nucleon-nucleon scattering length. At very large density QCD matter can be described in terms of quarks and gluons. Unusual many body effects arise because of long range gluons fields, and because of the way color and flavor get entangled in the superconducting state.
Development of a simple one-step multiplex RT-PCR system for simultaneous detection of DNA and RNA viruses of cucurbit leaf crumple virus, cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus, squash vein yellowing virus, and cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus

Abstract A highly sensitive one-step multiplex RT-PCR (OMRT-PCR) system with an internal plant gene control was developed to simultaneously detect single and mixed RNA and DNA viral pathogens affecting watermelon and squash in the Southeastern United States. Current methods rely on a singleplex detection system for several viruses which is time-consuming for large-scale field monitoring. The gene-specific primers for one DNA virus, cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV), and three RNA viruses, cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV), and cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), were used for the development of OMRT-PCR. A plant gene, rubisco from cucurbits was used as an internal control in the standardization of the assay and to monitor false amplification. In addition, we examined the use of total nucleic acid as a template in OMRT-PCR for simultaneously detection of mixed viral infection. The OMRT-PCR demonstrated high sensitivity and detected all four virus infections from 1 ng of total plant nucleic acid in a single reaction. The multiple virus detection approach was successful in the diagnosis of 16 watermelon and 18 squash samples collected from commercial fields in Florida. The OMRT-PCR system is specific, rapid, sensitive, and cost-efficient for the detection of multiple viruses. This technique is expected to improve the ease in the detection of CuLCrV, CYSDV, SqVYV and CCYV and assist in the monitoring of the viral pathogens in commercial cucurbit production fields.
From Line Correspondences

Using lines as the features for analysis has some advantages. This chapter addresses the subject of using lines to estimate the motion and structure parameters. A closed-form solution to this problem is derived. The corresponding linear algorithm makes use of redundancy in the data to improve the accuracy of the solution in the presence of noise. We also study the uniqueness of the solution as well as the necessary and sufficient conditions for the algorithm to give the unique solution. The optimization and performance bound are also investigated.
TCR avidity: it's not how strong you make it, it's how you make it strong.

Unlike the BCR, the TCR cannot undergo affinity maturation. However, T cells respond with greater sensitivity to antigen during an immune response. New evidence suggests T cells undergo avidity maturation to enhance T cell responsiveness in the absence of changes in intrinsic affinity.
Activity and selectivity of iron fischer-tropsch catalysts in a stirred tank slurry reactor

Summary Four catalysts prepared by two catalyst manufacturers (UCI and Ruhrchemie) were tested in a stirred tank slurry reactor to determine their performance during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Precipitated iron was used as the active metal, and Cu, K and SiO 2 were used as promoters. The amounts of promoters (in parts per weight per 100 parts of iron) in these four catalysts were as follows: SiO 2 =4.1–25; K=1.1–8.7 and Cu=1.4–7.5. Total BET surface area varied between 136 and 290 m 2 /g. The Ruhrchemie and two of the UCI's catalysts (runs SA-3391 and SA-2052) had low deactivation rates, whereas the UCI catalyst with low silica content (run SA-1532) deactivated more rapidly. The intrinsic activity of the low silica catalyst, measured by apparent first order reaction rate constant, was the lowest, whereas the Ruhrchemie catalyst had the highest activity (per gram of iron basis). Activity of the Ruhrchemie catalyst was higher after the CO pretreatment, than after the hydrogen reduction. The low silica catalyst favored production of high molecular weight products. Methane selectivity in run SA-1532 was only 2.2–2.4 wt%, and that of gaseous (C 2 –C 4 ) hydrocarbons 10–11 wt%. The extent of secondary reactions (1-olefin hydrogenation, isomerization and/or readsorption) was low on this catalyst. In general, hydrocarbon and olefin selectivities of the Ruhrchemie and the other two UCI catalysts were similar. Methane selectivity in tests with these three catalysts varied between 4.1 and 4.7 wt%, during the first 360 h of testing.
A Systematic Review: Current and Future Directions of Dorsal Root Ganglion Therapeutics to Treat Chronic Pain

Objective The purpose of the study was to systematically review the historical therapeutics for chronic pain care directed at the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and to identify future trends and upcoming treatment strategies. Methods A literature search on bibliographic resources, including EMBASE, PubMed Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews from literature published from 1966 to December 1, 2012 to identify studies and treatments directed at the DRG to treat chronic pain, and was limited to the English language. Case series, case reports, and preclinical work were excluded. Information on emerging technologies and pharmacologics were captured separately, as they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Results The literature review yielded three current clinical treatment strategies: ganglionectomy, conventional radiofrequency treatment of the dorsal root ganglion, and pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the DRG. Seven studies were identified utilizing ganglionectomy, 14 for conventional radiofrequency, and 16 for pulsed radiofrequency. Electrical stimulation and novel therapeutic delivery strategies have been proposed and are in development. Conclusions Despite a robust understanding of the DRG and its importance in acute nociception, as well as the development and maintenance of chronic pain, relatively poor evidence exists regarding current therapeutic strategies. Novel therapies like electrical and pharmacologic strategies are on the horizon, and more prospective study is required to better qualify the role of the DRG in chronic pain care.
Experimental Haemonchus placei infection in calves: Influence of anaemia and numbers of larvae on worm development

Differences in the pre-patent period and egg production of Haemonchus placei in calves with single infections of 50,000, 125,000 or 500,000 third stage larvae, are described. These differences, together with increased egg production following transfusion and delayed development of the parasite in the anaemic host, suggest that the severe anaemia in the host caused by large numbers of H. placei larvae, can be detrimental to parasitic development.
Anti-Realism in Government

The Republican War on Science . By Chris Mooney . Basic Books, New York, 2005. 338 pp. $24.95, C$32.95. ISBN 0-465-04675-4. The author discusses the manipulation, distortion, and suppression of scientific findings in an effort to advance a partisan agenda and explores the ideological roots of this assault on science
An investigation of psychosocial factors related to changes in physical activity and fitness among female adolescents

Research examined the effects of a supervised physical activity program on potential psychosocial mediators and determined whether changes in these psychosocial variables predicted changes in physical activity and fitness. Sedentary adolescent females were assigned to an intervention (n = 79) or comparison (n = 67) group. Cardiovascular fitness (cycle ergometer), physical activity (3-Day Physical Activity Recall), and psychosocial variables related to physical activity (i.e., self-efficacy, perceived barriers, social support, enjoyment) were assessed at three time points over the 9-month study. An intention-to-treat analysis showed that the intervention did not impact any of the psychosocial variables, with the exception of perceived barriers, which increased in the intervention group. Longitudinal analyses showed that improvements in fitness were associated with positive changes in global self-efficacy and exercise enjoyment. Psychosocial variables did not mediate the program's effects on fitness or acti...
CRT-145 Proglide® Femoral Artery Closure Is Safer, More Efficacious and More Cost-effective With Greater Patient Satisfaction in Patients Who Ambulate Early Following Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization Compared To Manual Compression

This was a prospective, single-center study evaluating the efficacy and cost effectiveness of early ambulation (within 30 min) following femoral artery closure with the ProGlideR suture-mediated vascular closure device (PD) in patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization compared with
The heat shock response of an antarctic alga is evident at 5°C

A subtidal seaweed collected in antarctic waters, Plocamium cartilagineum (L. Dix.), displayed induction of mRNAs encoding the 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) and the ubiquitin polyprotein (UBI) when incubated at 5°C. Maximal induction of HSP70 mRNA was observed when the alga was incubated at 10°C for 1 h. Incubations at higher temperatures or for longer periods reduced the amount of HSP70 mRNA detected. Incubations at 20°C or greater resulted in cell death. These data indicate that dispite the unusually low temperature of induction, this macrophyte exhibits a heat shock response similar to that of other organisms at temperatures 5 to 10°C above usual growth conditions.
Search for the nitrogen dangling bond in amorphous hydrogenated carbon nitride

Abstract Motivated by the recent observation of the nitrogen dangling bond in amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride by electron spin resonance, we report our search for the nitrogen dangling bond in amorphous hydrogenated carbon nitride using electron spin resonance. We searched in films as grown, annealed, irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, and with varying nitrogen concentrations. We are led to the conclusion that the nitrogen dangling bond state in amorphous hydrogenated carbon nitride is always below the top of the valence band, always filled with two electrons, and consequently unobservable by electron spin resonce.
Alpha- and beta-cell interrelationships in health and disease

Abstract The variations in secretory responses of the pancreatic alpha and beta cells in response to variations in nutrient supply and demand in health and disease are demonstrated. The biologic capability of insulin and glucagon to control on a moment-to-moment basis the disposition of exogenous and endogenous fuels is considered. An appropriate insulin-glucagon response ensures the most efficient storage of ingested nutrients, while maintaining fuel requirements from endogenous sources when food is not available. The glucose supply, both present and past, seems to influence the insulin-glucagon response to all other nutrients, to hormones, and to neural influences more than any other factor. The intracellular entry and metabolism of glucose appears to be required to suppress alpha cell secretion below the basal level and to prevent its hyperresponsiveness to various stimuli. An inappropriately low concentration of insulin and/or high level of glucagon relative to fuel availability is observed in genetic diabetes, and in a variety of stressful illnesses such as severe infection, trauma, burns, fetal distress, and other conditions, all of which are characterized by a negative nitrogen balance. The use of amino acids to produce glucose and urea at the expense of protein synthesis is presumably promoted by a low insulin: glucagon ratio and may be a factor in the catabolic manifestations of these diseases.
Shock late after implantation of a permanent transvenous cardiac pacemaker.

Abstract Thrombotic complications from permanent pacemakers are being identified frequently. 1 Pulmonary emboli, right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation have been reported as thrombotic complications in patients with permanent transvenous pacing electrodes. 2,3 We report a new complication in such patients: shock resulting from obstruction of the tricuspid valve orifice by a large thrombus attached to the pacing electrode.
The Photo-Favorskii Reaction of p-Hydroxyphenacyl Compounds Is Initiated by Water-Assisted, Adiabatic Extrusion of a Triplet Biradical

The p-hydroxyphenacyl group 1 is an effective photoremovable protecting group, because it undergoes an unusual photo-Favorskii rearrangement concomitant with the fast release (<1 ns) of its substrates in aqueous solution. The reaction mechanism of the diethyl phosphate derivative 1a was studied by picosecond pump−probe spectroscopy, nanosecond laser flash photolysis, and step−scan FTIR techniques. The primary photoproduct is a triplet biradical, 33, with a lifetime of about 0.6 ns. The release of diethyl phosphate determines the lifetime of the triplet state T1(1a), τ(T1) = 60 ps in wholly aqueous solution. Formation of a new photoproduct, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (6), was observed at moderate water concentrations in acetonitrile. It is formed by CO elimination from the elusive spirodione intermediate (4), followed by hydration of the resulting p-quinone methide (5). Computational studies show that CO elimination from the spirodione is a very facile process.
Quantum Interference in Molecular Wires: Electron Propagator Calculations

In this work, we study the effect of electron correlations on transport in molecular tunnel junctions where a 1,4-benzenedithiol (BDT) molecule is placed between two gold electrodes. By employing electron propagator computational methods with geometry optimization in an electric field, we analyze different spatial configurations of a bridge attachment to metal electrodes and find that the configuration where the molecule is both stretched and tilted with respect to the surfaces by the angle of 28.5° provides the best agreement with the experimental data at ef = −1.35 eV and thus determines the most probable attachment geometry. In addition, we investigate current−voltage characteristics vs Fermi energy and find strong negative differential resistance at ef = 0.4 eV. To explain this phenomenon, we provide a detailed quantum mechanical analysis indicating that an applied field causes the breaking of aromaticity of a π molecular orbital of a benzene ring, resulting in the sharp drop in the electric current. ...
Abnormal base excess curves. Theoretical studies with a digital computer.

Extract: A mathematical model of the Base Excess curve of blood was developed and then programmed into a digital computer coupled to an automatic plotter. Values for serum albumin, globulin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations were fed to the computer and theoretical Base Excess curves were generated. Normal values gave a curve which closely approximated the experimentally derived curve of SIGGAARD-ANDERSEN. When values characterizing hypoproteinemia, hypochromia or tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane buffering were introduced, Base Excess curves were produced which varied, often markedly, from the traditional curve. Speculation: Base Excess determinations which employ currently published nomograms or slide rules are subject to significant error when blood is seriously hypoproteinemic, hypochromic, or buffered with tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane.
DYNAMIC MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF IRRADIATED POLYVINYL CHLORIDE

Effects of gamma radiation on the dynamic mechanical properties of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have been studied at audio frequencies from 80 ‡K to 450 ‡K for doses up to 1400 megarads. Two damping peaks were observed between 80 ‡K and 400 ‡K. The onset of main relaxation near 350 ‡K shifted to lower temperatures at low doses, and then shifted to higher temperatures at a dose of 1400 megarads. Only slight changes are discernible in the damping peak near 250 ‡K upon irradiation, but definite variations are noted in the modulus curves. Upon irradiation to 270 megarads an additional damping peak appeared near 150 ‡K accompanied by an increase in modulus at lower temperatures. The height of this peak increased with increasing radiation dose. Crosslinking was confirmed from rubber elastic behavior, swelling, and solvent extraction studies. Some tentative explanations for the changes occurring in the dynamic mechanical properties of irradiated PVC are given in terms of crosslinking, loss of crystallinity, and dehydrochlorination followed by the formation of conjugated series of double bonds.
Effects of step change of heating source on synthesis of zeolite 4A from coal fly ash

Abstract Effects of step change of heating sources on the crystallization of zeolite 4A from coal fly ash by hydrothermal reaction were investigated with emphasis on the change in the crystallinity of the synthesized zeolite 4A. Most of the Si and Al components were effectively transformed into zeolite 4A by step change of the first conventional heating and then the second microwave heating of synthesis mixture dissolved from coal fly ash, and maximum crystallinity of zeolite 4A obtained was 91%. The first conventional heating also plays an important role in enhancing the nuclei formation that Si and Al in synthesis mixture reacted to form ring-like structures for combining sodalites, and further to small zeolite 4A seeds. The second microwave heating increases the crystallization rates from small zeolite 4A nuclei to more zeolite 4A crystals. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the zeolite 4A crystallized by step change of heating source from the conventional to the microwave was 5.5 meq/g compared to 5.7 meq/g for commercial zeolite 4A. Test results showed that removal efficiency of heavy metals by zeolite 4A synthesized from fly ash was more than 98% and similar to commercial zeolite 4A.
Validation of endogenous reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis of human visceral adipose samples

Given the epidemic proportions of obesity worldwide and the concurrent prevalence of metabolic syndrome, there is an urgent need for better understanding the underlying mechanisms of metabolic syndrome, in particular, the gene expression differences which may participate in obesity, insulin resistance and the associated series of chronic liver conditions. Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is the standard method for studying changes in relative gene expression in different tissues and experimental conditions. However, variations in amount of starting material, enzymatic efficiency and presence of inhibitors can lead to quantification errors. Hence the need for accurate data normalization is vital. Among several known strategies for data normalization, the use of reference genes as an internal control is the most common approach. Recent studies have shown that both obesity and presence of insulin resistance influence an expression of commonly used reference genes in omental fat. In this study we validated candidate reference genes suitable for qRT-PCR profiling experiments using visceral adipose samples from obese and lean individuals. Cross-validation of expression stability of eight selected reference genes using three popular algorithms, GeNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper found ACTB and RPII as most stable reference genes. We recommend ACTB and RPII as stable reference genes most suitable for gene expression studies of human visceral adipose tissue. The use of these genes as a reference pair may further enhance the robustness of qRT-PCR in this model system.
Atomic Layer Epitaxy of GaAs and InAs

The saturation behavior of growth of GaAs and InAs by atomic layer epitaxy is studied. The growth rate is found to be strongly dependent on alkyl exposure time for the same total alkyl exposure per cycle. The longer the exposure time, the higher the saturated growth rate is. For short exposure, the growth rate saturates to a value less than one monolayer (ML)/cycle. Strong saturation of the growth rate to one ML/cycle is achieved for InAs at a growth temperature of 340°C with 3 sec of trimethylindium exposure. For GaAs, saturation of the growth rate to one ML/cycle is achieved at the growth temperature of 400°C with 10 sec of trimethylgallium exposure. At higher growth temperatures, the growth rate does not saturate but increases slowly with increasing exposure. The large physical size and finite decomposition time of the initial adsorbate are suggested as the cause for the dependence of ALE growth rate on alkyl exposure time.
Minimally Constrained Elbow Implant Arthroplasty: The Discovery Elbow System

ABSTRACTThe Discovery Elbow System (Biomet Orthopedics, Warsaw, Ind) is the latest generation of elbow replacement systems. Its minimally constrained design provides more closely matching articular surfaces, avoids use of a true hinge, and anatomically reproduces the axis of elbow motion. Improved i
Percutaneous treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis: A comparison of the safety of cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation

Abstract Purpose To compare the safety of image-guided percutaneous cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis. Materials and methods This retrospective HIPAA-compliant study received institutional review board approval. Forty-two adult patients with cirrhosis underwent image-guided percutaneous ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma from 2003 to 2011. Twenty-five patients underwent 33 cryoablation procedures to treat 39 tumors, and 22 underwent 30 radiofrequency ablation procedures to treat 39 tumors. Five patients underwent both cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation procedures. Complication rates and severity per procedure were compared between the ablation groups. Potential confounding patient, procedure, and tumor-related variables were also compared. Statistical analyses included Kruskal–Wallis, Wilcoxon rank sum, and Fisher's exact tests. Two-sided P -values Results The overall complication rates, 13 (39.4%) of 33 cryoablation procedures versus eight (26.7%) of 30 radiofrequency ablation procedures and severe/fatal complication rates, two (6.1%) of 33 cryoablation procedures versus one (3.3%) of 30 radiofrequency ablation procedures, were not significantly different between the ablation groups (both P =0.26). Severe complications included pneumothoraces requiring chest tube insertion during two cryoablation procedures. One death occurred within 90 days of a radiofrequency ablation procedure; all other complications were managed successfully. Conclusion No significant difference was seen in the overall safety of image-guided percutaneous cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis.