cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analytical and experimental determination of airfoil performance degradation due to ice accretion

A physics-based, empirical correlation between icing conditions and corresponding drag coefficient was developed for NACA 0012 airfoil and compared to other three existing prediction methods. The correlation was developed based on experimental aerodynamics database of iced airfoils and derived using statistical methods. The correlation model also provides drag coefficients for varying angles of attack under a given icing condition. The calculated drag coefficients matched (33.40% mean absolute deviation) with reference data from three different experimental databases. To validate the proposed degradation model and to further extend the database for helicopter rotor performance degradation, rotating ice accretion experiments were conducted. Four ice shapes obtained at the NASA Icing Research Center were reproduced on a 21-inch chord, 4.5-feet radius NACA 0012 rotor blade at the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand facility. Ice shape molding and casting techniques were introduced to capture delicate ice features such as ice feathers. The iced airfoil castings were tested in a dry-air wind tunnel. Performance degradation was compared between the four iced models and the clean airfoil. The effect of ice feathers on drag degradation was investigated. Ice feather formation can account for up to 25% of the drag introduced by ice accretion prior to stall. Comparison between the proposed analytical determination method and experimental results from both rotor ice testing and icing wind tunnel testing showed to be satisfactory, ranging from 25% to 6% depending on the icing condition.
Developmental increase in low density lipoprotein receptor messenger ribonucleic acid levels in placental syncytiotrophoblasts during baboon pregnancy

We have previously shown that there was an estrogen-regulated developmental increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake by placental syncytiotrophoblasts during baboon pregnancy. To determine whether this reflected enhanced expression of the LDL receptor, the levels of LDL receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) were determined by Northern blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in placental tissue obtained from baboons (Papio anubis) in early (days 58-64; pooled to yield 5 samples), mid- (days 97-110; pooled to yield 12 samples), and late (days 161-175; pooled to yield 15 samples) gestation (term = 184 days). Whole villous tissue and a trophoblast cell fraction isolated by 50% Percoll gradient centrifugation were analyzed. The latter cell fraction was equally comprised predominantly of syncytiotrophoblasts at early, mid-, and late gestation as determined by extensive immunocytochemical reactivity with antisera to syncytiotrophoblast-specific peptides. Tissues were extracted with guanidine iso...
Promoter-Specific Targeting of Human SWI-SNF Complex by Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Protein 2

The multiprotein human SWI-SNF (hSWI-SNF) complex is a chromatin-remodeling machine that facilitates transcription by overcoming chromatin-mediated gene repression. We had previously shown that hSNF5/INI1, an intrinsic, consistent component of the hSWI/SNF complex, is associated with Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2) and have proposed that EBNA2 directs this complex to key EBNA2-responsive viral and cellular genes. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative PCR, we show that antibodies directed against components of the hSWI-SNF complex preferentially precipitate chromatin-associated DNA that contains a targeted EBNA2-responsive element in the context of both episomal and cellular chromatin. This enrichment does not occur in EBNA2-negative cells or when the EBNA2-responsive element is mutated. The stable association of the hSWI-SNF complex with the EBNA2-responsive promoter can also be disrupted by deletion of the TATA element, suggesting that EBNA2 in itself is insufficient to mediate stable targeting of the hSWI-SNF complex. These results demonstrate that recruitment of the hSWI-SNF complex to selected promoters can occur in vivo through its interaction with site-specific activator proteins and that stable targeting may require the presence of basal transcription factors.
Understanding farmers' decisions with regard to animal welfare: The case of changing to group housing for pregnant sows

Improving animal welfare in livestock farming requires changing the behaviour of many stakeholders. Farmers have to take proper actions on their farm to improve animal welfare, retailers have to market animal-friendly products and consumers have to purchase these products. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is a widely applied model that can be used to explain behaviour related to conscious choices. The model also gives indications for possible interventions needed to stimulate desired behaviour. In the current study the behaviour of farmers with respect to the change to group housing for pregnant sows was explored. A computer-assisted personal interviewing approach was applied to elicit behavioural beliefs of 105 farmers. Data analysis revealed that TPB was useful for understanding the farmers' choices with regard to the change to group housing, and that it provides indications for possible interventions to support farmers who have not yet changed to group housing. In contrast to farmers who had made the change already, these farmers thought that it was unlikely that group housing was good for animal welfare, and, related to that, that it was likely that it would lead to more tail biting and less work pleasure. They also perceived to a lesser degree that persons relevant to them expected them to change to group housing or that farmers comparable to them had already changed. Additionally, farmers who had not changed yet and farmers who had changed partly had lower scores for questions related to their skills with regard to the managing of group-housed sows and their knowledge about the required building process. So, providing these farmers with information to increase their knowledge with regard to group-housed sows and the required building process might be a fruitful intervention. However, it should be carefully considered how this information is effectively communicated.
Use of Community Assessments for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPERs) to Rapidly Assess Public Health Issues — United States, 2003–2012

Introduction Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) is an epidemiologic technique designed to provide quick, inexpensive, accurate, and reliable household-based public health information about a community's emergency response needs. The Health Studies Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides in-field assistance and technical support to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) health departments in conducting CASPERs during a disaster response and in non-emergency settings. Data from CASPERs conducted from 2003 through 2012 were reviewed to describe uses of CASPER, ascertain strengths of the CASPER methodology, and highlight significant findings. METHODS: Through an assessment of the CDC's CASPER metadatabase, all CASPERs that involved CDC support performed in US states and territories from 2003 through 2012 were reviewed and compared descriptively for differences in geographic distribution, sampling methodology, mapping tool, assessment settings, and result and action taken by decision makers. RESULTS: For the study period, 53 CASPERs were conducted in 13 states and one US territory. Among the 53 CASPERS, 38 (71.6%) used the traditional 2-stage cluster sampling methodology, 10 (18.8%) used a 3-stage cluster sampling, and two (3.7%) used a simple random sampling methodology. Among the CASPERs, 37 (69.9%) were conducted in response to specific natural or human-induced disasters, including 14 (37.8%) for hurricanes. The remaining 16 (30.1%) CASPERS were conducted in non-disaster settings to assess household preparedness levels or potential effects of a proposed plan or program. The most common recommendations resulting from a disaster-related CASPER were to educate the community on available resources (27; 72.9%) and provide services (18; 48.6%) such as debris removals and refills of medications. In preparedness CASPERs, the most common recommendations were to educate the community in disaster preparedness (5; 31.2%) and to revise or improve preparedness plans (5; 31.2%). Twenty-five (47.1%) CASPERs documented on the report or publications the public health action has taken based on the result or recommendations. FINDINGS from 27 (50.9%) of the CASPERs conducted with CDC assistance were published in peer-reviewed journals or elsewhere. CONCLUSION: The number of CASPERs conducted with CDC assistance has increased and diversified over the past decade. The CASPERs' results and recommendations supported the public health decisions that benefitted the community. Overall, the findings suggest that the CASPER is a useful tool for collecting household-level disaster preparedness and response data and generating information to support public health action. Bayleyegn TM , Schnall AH , Ballou SG , Zane DF , Burrer SL , Noe RS , Wolkin AF. Use of Community Assessments for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPERs) to rapidly assess public health issues - United States, 2003-2012. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(4):1-8. Language: en
The Respiratory Mechanism in Laughter

(1938). The Respiratory Mechanism in Laughter. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 179-189.
Efficient Message Passing Architecture for High Throughput LDPC Decoder

In this paper, we propose an efficient message passing architecture for permutation matrices based LDPC code decoders. Min-sum algorithm is reformulated to facilitate significant reduction of routing complexity and memory usage. For a (2048, 1723) (6, 32) LDPC code with 4-bit quantization, 54% outgoing wires per variable node unit and 90% outgoing wires per check node unit can be saved. To further reduce hardware complexity, an optimized nonuniform quantization scheme using only 3 bits to represent each message has been investigated. The simulation result shows that it has only 0.25dB performance loss from the floating-point SPA
Isosorbide Mononitrate in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

BackgroundNitrates are commonly prescribed to enhance activity tolerance in patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction. We compared the effect of isosorbide mononitrate or placebo on daily activity in such patients. MethodsIn this multicenter, double-blind, crossover study, 110 patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction were randomly assigned to a 6-week dose-escalation regimen of isosorbide mononitrate (from 30 mg to 60 mg to 120 mg once daily) or placebo, with subsequent crossover to the other group for 6 weeks. The primary end point was the daily activity level, quantified as the average daily accelerometer units during the 120-mg phase, as assessed by patient-worn accelerometers. Secondary end points included hours of activity per day during the 120-mg phase, daily accelerometer units during all three dose regimens, quality-of-life scores, 6-minute walk distance, and levels of N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). ResultsIn the group receiving the ...
Tissue engineering applications of injectable biomaterials

Abstract: Recently, injectable biomaterials have been applied extensively in the field of tissue engineering, due to their minimally invasive nature, reduced patient discomfort and complications along with a decrease in health care costs. Moreover, injectable biomaterials can form scaffolds in situ when they are exposed to various physiological conditions. This chapter outlines the major requirements and challenges faced in using injectable biomaterials for tissue engineering. It also summarizes the various gelation mechanisms, including both physical and chemical methods, at physiological conditions and discusses in brief selected injectable biomaterials and their composites along with their tissue engineering applications.
Water Droplet Vaporization on Superhydrophilic Nanostructured Surfaces at High and Low Superheat

This paper summarizes results of an experimental exploration of heat transfer during vaporization of a water droplet deposited on a superhydrophilic nanostructured surface at high and low superheat conditions. The superhydrophilic surface is composed of a vast array of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures grown by hydrothermal synthesis on a smooth copper substrate. The individual nanostructures are randomly-oriented and have a mean diameter of about 400 nm, a mean length of 2 μm and a mean centerline spacing of about 700 nm. The macroscopic wetting characteristics of the surface were measured and scanning electron microscope imaging was used to document the nanoscale features of the surface before and after the experiments. These surfaces typically exhibited water contact angles less than 5 degrees. In single droplet deposition experiments at atmospheric pressure, a high-speed video camera was used to document the droplet-surface interaction, and the heat transfer coefficients were simultaneously determined from thermal measurements in the test apparatus. At low superheat levels (10–20°C), droplets spread rapidly over the heated surface when deposited. For these conditions, no bubble nucleation was observed, and we nevertheless observed extremely high heat transfer coefficients resulting from rapid evaporation of the thin liquid film formed by the spreading droplet. At high wall superheat levels, the vaporization process exhibited Leidenfrost droplet vaporization. The extreme wetting for these surfaces resulted in extremely high Leidenfrost transition temperatures. The results document a trend of increasing Leidenfrost temperature with decreasing contact angle, which is consistent with earlier studies. The results of this study are compared with early work in this area and the implications for applications are discussed.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Cancer Fatalism—Spiritual Perspectives

Cancer fatalism is a deterrent to participation in cancer screening. Cancer fatalism represents a surrender of the human spirit to perceptions of hopelessness, powerlessness, worthlessness, and social despair. In contrast, spirituality enhances hope and coping abilities. This correlational pilot study investigated the relationship between cancer fatalism and spirituality among rural, elderly individuals. This knowledge may provide insight into ways to negate the influence of cancer fatalism. The majority of the sample were African-American and female. A prevailing sense of fatalism and spirituality existed. However, the relationship was not statistically significant. Philosophical implications and areas for future research are explored.
An Examination of Learning Preferences of U.S. and International Students

Learning styles and preferences are often discussed topics in educational psychology, but are less prevalent in business education. International students are another understudied segment of business education. This article reviews literature regarding learning styles and preferences and examines whether U.S. and international students have different learning preferences using the visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) model. The findings indicate a large percentage of both populations have multimodal learning preferences. For the students who have one preferred learning mode, differences do exist between international and U.S. students.
The juxtaposition of comiendo bien and nutrition: The state of healthy eating for Latina immigrants in San Francisco

There warrants a discussion regarding how nutrition discourses transform lay health practices. Here, I discuss how the adaptation of nutrition discourses among Latina immigrants in San Francisco produces a negotiation between a discourse of nourishment and a discourse of satisfaction in their practice of comiendo bien (eating well). The discourse of satisfaction refers to eating as a way to fulfill symbolic, material or embodied desires, while a discourse of nourishment focuses on supplying the body with nutrients. Negotiating between these discourses transforms comiendo bien if: (1) Latino immigrant families have the resources to adhere to nutritional recommendations; and (2) the adherence to the nutritional recommendation transgresses a negative emotional or physical experience. Appropriating nutrition discourses produces food restrictions that disengage the body from culture and relegate eating to an alienated task. Although a nutritional approach to comiendo bien produces conflict between satisfaction and nourishment, "healthy eating" remains a juxtaposition between satisfaction and nourishment.
BEYOND THE FONTAN: SURGICAL AND CATHETER BASED REINTERVENTIONS ARE COMMON IN LONG-TERM SINGLE VENTRICLE SURVIVORS

The Fontan operation is the final planned stage of surgical palliation for children with single ventricle physiology. The burden of subsequent surgical and catheter-based reintervention is not well described in the modern Fontan population. Available medical records were reviewed for all patients
Study on the environmentally friendly polyurethane adhesive

A environmentally friendly two-component polyurethane adhesive was prepared from polyether polyol,toluene isocyanate and MOCA.The effect on the tensile shearing strength of the ratio of polyether polyol to epoxy resin,the ratio of A component to B component and the surface treatment process were studied.The results show that,when the ratio of polyether polyol to epoxy resin is 100∶11 and A to B is 6∶3.5,the tensile shearing strength is 8.02 MPa.The aptitude surface treatment process can improve the tensile shearing strength.
Rerostering of nurses with intelligent agents and iterated local search

ABSTRACTThe nurse rerostering problem is a special case rostering problem. Rerostering occurs when a disruption to a current nurse roster requires its reconstruction. This article presents a modified agent-based nurse rostering system that solves both the nurse rostering and rerostering problem. Similar to existing nurse rerostering methods, this agent system minimizes the differences between the initial roster and the reconstructed roster through the use of negotiations and iterated local search. This system differs from existing solutions because it seeks to reconstruct the roster so that it also minimizes the negative impact on nurse preferences. The agent-based system, called Competitive Nurse Rostering and Rerostering (CNRR), was tested on three sets of 30 random experiments which included over 200 schedule disruptions. CNRR found solutions for over 90% of all disruptions and over 98% of fixable disruptions. The generated solutions prevented any reductions to nurse preference satisfaction in over hal...
Mitochondrial DNA multiple deletion syndromes, autosomal dominant and recessive (POLG, POLG2, TWINKLE and ANT1)

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replicates continuously. The minimal mitochondrial replisome consists of the DNA polymerase gamma (pol g), the mtDNA helicase Twinkle, and the mitochondrial single-stranded binding protein, all encoded by nuclear genes. Pol g is responsible for mtDNA replication and repair and is composed by a catalytic subunit (POLG) and two identical accessory subunits, POLG2. Mutations in POLG, POLG2, and Twinkle result in multiple mtDNA deletions and/or mtDNA depletion, causing disease. Multiple mtDNA deletions accumulate along the years and usually give rise to late-onset disease. Autosomal-dominant mutations in POLG and POLG2 lead to progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO) that can occur as sole clinical manifestation of the disease or in association with other clinical features, such as myopathy, exercise intolerance, or predominantly axonal peripheral neuropathy. Autosomal-recessive POLG mutations lead to a broader spectrum of clinical phenotypes ranging from Alpers syndrome to ataxia-neuropathy syndrome with or without epilepsy to PEO. Heterozygous mutations in Twinkle cause PEO, while recessive mutations in this protein result in early-onset ataxia and epileptic encephalopathy, associated with mtDNA depletion. In addition to the genes encoding proteins involved in mtDNA replication, mutations in nucleotide translocator 1 (ANT1) also result in multiple mtDNA deletions responsible for PEO.
Open questions in electronic sputtering of solids by slow highly charged ions with respect to applications in single ion implantation

In this article we discuss open questions in electronic sputtering of solids by slow, highly charged ions (‘‘potential sputtering’’) in the context of their application in a single ion implantation scheme. High yields of secondary electrons emitted when highly charged dopant ions impinge on silicon wafers allow for formation of non-Poissonian implant structures such as single atom arrays. Control of high spatial resolution and implant alignment require the use of nanometer scale apertures. We discuss electronic sputtering issues on mask lifetimes, and damage to silicon wafers. 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
International Students’ Perceptions of their Information Seeking Strategies

This study explored the information needs and information seeking strategies of ten Asian graduate students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. Both quantitative and qualitative methods provided students’ assessment of their use of information and communication technologies (search engines, Internet, library website, OPAC, online databases) to make recommendations for… Cette etude explore les besoins informationnels et les strategies de recherche d’information de dix etudiants asiatiques de 3e cycle de l’Universite du Tennessee (Knoxville, Tennessee). Des methodes quantitatives et qualitatives offrent une evaluation des etudiants de leur utilisation des technologies de l’information et des communications (moteurs de recherche, Internet, sites web de bibliotheques, catalogues interrogeables et bases de donnees en ligne) afin de faire des recommandations pour ameliorer les services d’aide a l’information et les procedures d’apprentissage multiculturelles des participants.
Using patient-generated health data to facilitate preoperative decision making for breast cancer patients

Approximately 1 in 8 U.S. women will be diagnosed with new invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. An estimated 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. in 2017. Mastectomy is recommended in over a third of early-stage breast cancer patients. Those women who elect to undergo breast reconstruction are counseled on surgical risks and benefits of implant-based and autologous reconstruction. Currently, there is limited patient-centered information about course of recovery, which is a major consideration when deciding between types of reconstruction. Patient recovery estimates are often anecdotally related to the length or invasiveness of the surgical procedure rather than patient-centered, evidence-based data on implant versus autologous surgical recovery. This deficit in information on patient recovery comes at a time when real-time digital devices are used to track vitals, sleep-wake cycles, and steps taken for personal convenience without being used to guide treatment. The primary objective of this paper is to present a system framework for modeling the surgical recovery process. We also outline preliminary results from a pilot study with two breast cancer patients who each underwent one of the two reconstruction surgeries.
Author Correction: Digital Citizenship: you Can’t Go Home Again

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. Figure 3 on the published version of the article was wrong. The correct Fig. 3 is now presented below.
Gain-of-function mutations in beet DODA2 identify key residues for betalain pigment evolution

The key enzymatic step in betalain biosynthesis involves conversion of l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) to betalamic acid. One class of enzymes capable of this is 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine 4,5-dioxygenase (DODA). In betalain-producing species, multiple paralogs of this gene are maintained. This study demonstrates which paralogs function in the betalain pathway and determines the residue changes required to evolve a betalain-nonfunctional DODA into a betalain-functional DODA. Functionalities of two pairs of DODAs were tested by expression in beets, Arabidopsis and yeast, and gene silencing was performed by virus-induced gene silencing. Site-directed mutagenesis identified amino acid residues essential for betalamic acid production. Beta vulgaris and Mirabilis jalapa both possess a DODA1 lineage that functions in the betalain pathway and at least one other lineage, DODA2, that does not. Site-directed mutagenesis resulted in betalain biosynthesis by a previously nonfunctional DODA, revealing key residues required for evolution of the betalain pathway. Divergent functionality of DODA paralogs, one clade involved in betalain biosynthesis but others not, is present in various Caryophyllales species. A minimum of seven amino acid residue changes conferred betalain enzymatic activity to a betalain-nonfunctional DODA paralog, providing insight into the evolution of the betalain pigment pathway in plants.
A Simple Threshold Model of Theft

I propose a simple threshold strategy model of theft in which all individuals draw theft opportunities from the same random distribution, while individuals di ffer in terms of their actual or perceived costs of theft. I estimate the model using data from the NLSY 1997 Cohort for the years 1997-2003 with a number of specifi cations, including a bivariate structural model. Across all estimations covariates that measure or are closely correlated with time preferences and impatience are strong predictors of theft while measures such as opportunity cost show little or no explanatory power. The assumption of a common distribution of opportunities is not contradicted by the data. Structural and count estimations support the conclusion that unobserved heterogeneity across individuals plays a substantial role. I uncover a previously unnoticed pattern: theft is very spiky in that the median thief is active for only a brief period of less than a year in adolescence or early adulthood. Theft thus appears to be substantially a phenomenon of high impatience individuals entering a temporary period of intensi fied risk-taking in adolescence. Finally, and in contrast to the predictions of the literature, the two count data models favored in cases of unobserved heterogeneity perform very differently, suggesting that using count models in tandem with binary models o ffers more insight than using count models in isolation.
Prospective outcomes trial of immediate, implant breast reconstruction using acellular dermal matrix (POBRAD Trial): Pilot series results.

1131 Background: Acellular dermal matrices (ADM) are biological meshes of dermal origin (allo- or xenografts) stripped of all cellular components leaving a structurally intact and immunologically i...
A Foreword to the Special Issue in Honor of Professor Bernardo Cockburn on His 60th Birthday: A Life Time of Discontinuous Schemings

We present this special issue of the Journal of Scientific Computing to celebrate Bernardo Cockburn’s sixtieth birthday. The theme of this issue is discontinuous Galerkin methods, a hallmark of Bernardo’s distinguished professional career. This foreword provides an informal but rigorous account of what enabled Bernardo’s achievements, based on the concluding presentation he gave at the the IMA workshop “Recent Advances and Challenges in Discontinuous Galerkin Methods and Related Approaches” on July 1, 2017 which was widely deemed as the best lecture of his career so far.
Frequent TLE1 Expression in Cutaneous Neoplasms

TLE1 immunohistochemistry is widely used as a biomarker for synovial sarcoma. Recently, we identified TLE1 expression in a subset of melanomas and noted staining in sebaceous glands and follicular epithelium. TLE1 immunohistochemistry has not been well studied in cutaneous tumors. The aim was to investigate TLE1 expression in sebaceous neoplasms, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) to determine whether the staining patterns may aid in the diagnosis or classification of these neoplasms. TLE1 immunohistochemistry was performed on sebaceous adenoma (n = 26), sebaceoma (n = 10), sebaceous carcinoma (n = 19), BCC (n = 20), and SCC (n = 19). Positivity was defined as dark-brown nuclear staining and graded as 3+ (strong staining of >50% of cells at 4×), 2+ (moderate staining of 10-50% of cells at 4× or >50% of cells staining at 10×), and 1+ (weak staining of <50% of cells at 10×). No staining was scored as 0. A score of 2-3+ was considered positive and 0-1+ negative. Nuclear TLE1 expression was identified in 25/26 (96%) sebaceous adenomas, 8/10 (80%) sebaceomas, and 17/19 (90%) sebaceous carcinomas. TLE1 also labeled 19/20 (95%) BCCs and 12/19 (63%) SCCs. TLE1 immunohistochemistry frequently highlights sebaceous neoplasms, BCC, and SCC with a fairly high sensitivity (63%-96%). Therefore, TLE1 is not a specific biomarker for synovial sarcoma and should be evaluated with caution, particularly in cases in which the differential diagnosis may include other cutaneous tumors. In addition, TLE1 does not seem to be useful in the diagnosis or classification of these neoplasms.
Management of Aldosteronoma

Primary hyperaldosteronism is a condition of excess production of aldosterone from the adrenal gland. The condition may be caused by a single adenoma or idiopathic hyperplasia of the adrenal glands. Clinically, primary hyperaldosteronism often results in difficult-to-control hypertension. Biochemical evaluation should include a plasma aldosterone-to-renin ratio, which when greater than 35 is highly suggestive of primary hyperaldosteronism. Imaging should include a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan. Adrenal nodules associated with primary hyperaldosteronism are typically 1–3 cm in size. Confirmatory lateralization with adrenal vein sampling should be considered when imaging is not clear. Biopsy of the adrenal gland should never be performed. For patients with unilateral disease, the treatment of choice is a laparoscopic adrenalectomy. In the setting of bilateral disease, patients should be medically managed with spironolactone or eplerenone.
Risk stratification in acute pulmonary embolism: frequency and impact on treatment decisions and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES Guidelines have recommended that risk stratification be performed in patients diagnosed with an acute pulmonary embolism (PE). No study has described the use of risk stratification in routine clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to measure the frequency and impact of risk stratification on treatment decisions and outcomes in patients admitted with acute PE. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all of the patients admitted with acute PE at two Geisinger community-based teaching hospitals between 2006 and 2011. Baseline demographics, vital signs, and relevant clinical variables were recorded. The Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index was calculated for each patient. Risk stratification was defined as the measurement of either a biomarker or an echocardiogram within 24 hours of admission. The outcomes measured were short-term adverse events (in-hospital mortality or need for intensive care) and 30-day mortality. RESULTS The mean age for the study cohort (n = 889) was 61 ± 17 years and 52% were men. Overall, 59% of study subjects were risk stratified. The frequency of risk stratification did not change over time. Risk stratification was associated with assignment to a higher acuity of care and increased use of thrombolysis and inferior vena cava filter placement. When controlling for severity of illness, risk stratification was a significant predictor of worsened short-term adverse outcome (odds ratio 3.43, 95% confidence interval 1.75-6.74, P < 0.001) but was not associated with improved 30-day mortality (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.66-1.95, P = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS Risk stratification is frequently performed in patients admitted with acute PE and has had a stable prevalence during a 5-year period. The use of risk stratification in acute PE is associated with assignment to higher levels of care and with more advanced treatments. Despite more intense treatment, risk stratification does not improve either short-term outcomes or 30-day mortality.
Some Minimal Cosmologies for Dark Sectors

One generic possibility for the origins of dark matter is its production from an internally thermalized hidden sector, with little to no direct involvement of the Standard Model. Any theory that invokes such a thermal dark radiation bath has to address the question of how this dark radiation bath was initially populated in the early universe. Here, we study how the simplest and most robust cosmic histories for minimal hidden sectors inform the signals of hidden sector dark matter, and present some new targets for direct detection and other terrestrial experiments.
Application of Generalized Standard Addition Method and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy to Quantify Electrolytic Depolymerization of Lignin

Industrial lignin waste is an important byproduct of bio-refineries and the paper industry. Depolymerization of industrial lignin could generate useful aromatic compounds. This group has focused on electrolytic decomposition of biorefinery lignin. To quantify electrolytic decomposition of the lignin in a highly caustic solution, ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy provides a useful probe. The conversion of the neat lignin to the oxidized products achieved by the electrolytic reactor may be measured by quantifying the amount of unreacted neat lignin that remains in the effluent. Because the properties of electrolytic decomposition products are largely unknown, a useful approach to quantify decomposition of the neat lignin is to use a multivariate calibration method referred to as the generalized standard addition method (GSAM). In this approach, the electrolytic decomposition products represent a background interference and the neat lignin that remains can be quantified. This approach allows the conversion of the neat lignin to be calculated in a solution that is a complex mixture. • Conversion of lignin by an electrolytic reactor is quantified. • The generalized standard addition method (GSAM) determines the concentration of the neat lignin remaining in the solution after electro-oxidation. • An improved GSAM using the best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE) is compared with the conventional approach. • A novel GSAM using inverse least squares avoids the limitations knowledge of all the components in the conventional GSAM.
Prognostication and Determinants of Outcome in Adults and Children with Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

It has been suggested in the literature that many physicians lack comfort in assessing prognosis following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of this review is to investigate the most recent work on predicting outcomes after moderate-to-severe TBI. TBI is one of the leading causes of disability in the USA with an estimated 13.5 million individuals affected by varying severities of TBI. Many clinical variables, including age, admission Glasgow Coma Scale score, duration of posttraumatic amnesia, and duration of coma, have been studied to determine whether they play a role in outcome prediction. Newer variables being studied include serum biomarkers, abnormalities observed on magnetic resonance imaging, and data obtained from evoked potentials. The role of physiatry in evaluating patients following moderate-to-severe TBI is a valuable but difficult proposition. Appropriate distribution of acute treatment and rehabilitation resources is of utmost importance. For prognostication to be clinically useful, physiatrists must provide a reasonable impression of what life will be like for the patient in the longer term. In the future, additional work will be needed to better combine predictor variables tailored with precision to the patient to provide a clearer picture of individual outcomes following moderate-to-severe TBI.
Heartbeat: the global burden of stroke due to untreated hypertension

Hypertension is a world-wide health burden that increases the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes with considerable geographical variation in awareness of the condition, appropriate treatment and blood pressure control. In this issue of Heart , O’Donnell and colleagues1 present the results of a standardised case–control study in 32 countries with over 13 000 cases of acute first stroke matched to controls by age, sex and site. The association of hypertension with stroke was highest in countries with a lower gross national income and higher in younger versus older patients (figure 1). Compared with those with treated hypertension, untreated hypertension was associated with a higher OR for stroke incidence, younger age at first stroke, risk of intracerebral haemorrhage versus ischaemic stroke. Figure 1 Figures report the association of hypertension with stroke by age (A) and GNI (B), demonstrating an increased slope in magnitude of association of hypertension with stroke by reducing age and reducing GNI, which is modified by treatment status. Within increasing intensity of antihypertensive therapy, there is a diminution in slope of curve. While a gradient remains for risk of stroke by age among treatment groups, there is an inversion of gradient by GNI. These figures illustrate that increased uptake of antihypertensive therapy are expected to have greatest impact in younger populations and in lower-income regions. Multivariable model including age, smoking, waist-to-hip ratio, diabetes, physical activity, alternate healthy eating index, alcohol intake, psychosocial factors, apolipoproteins and cardiac risk factors. GNI, gross national income; PAR, population attributable risk. In an editorial, Sarfo2 summarises the concept of population attributable risk (PAR) of hypertension for stroke in high income countries compared with low- and middle-income countries : ‘the PAR of aware and treated hypertension for stroke was 22.2% vs 17.3%, aware …
Household migration: theoretical and empirical results

Abstract A consumption theory of migration is developed which supplements the traditional job search models. Migration, seen as an equilibrating reaction to an initially non-optimal location, is analyzed using standard demand theory. When one groups goods into those that are traded between areas and those that are not (weather, racial discrimination, crime rates, etc.) it is clear that only changing demands for the non-traded goods will result in changing optimal locations (assuming supplies are fixed). Illustrating, an increase in family income might lead to an increased demand for the non-traded good “personal safety.” This might result, for example, in the substitution (through migration) of a lower crime suburban neighborhood for a higher crime central city neighborhood. An empirically testable implication of the model is that the probability of migration should be positively related to changes in the absolute value of those exogenous variables which lead to altered demands for non-traded goods. This and other hypotheses were examined using cross-sectional data in a nonlinear maximum likelihood (probit) regression analysis. The results strongly support the model and its implications.
Public Responses and Concerns Regarding Vape Bans on Reddit: A Longitudinal Topic Modeling Approach

Public responses toward vaping (i.e. electronic cigarette use) and vape bans have been hotly debated on social media. This study investigated vape-ban-related posts (n = 6,547) published between August 15, 2019 and February 15, 2020 on Reddit, a news aggregation social networking site that tolerates discussions that may be self-censored on other platforms. We conducted time series analysis and structural topic modeling to track public responses to the vape ban over a six-month period. Results showed that Google searches for vaping-related information were significantly associated with vape-ban-related posting activity on Reddit; and that eight topics emerged from the data, which included (1) Donald Trump, (2) vaping products, (3) liberty and autonomy, (4) inaccurate media reporting, (5) loopholes in state vape bans, (6) tobacco industry influence and the stupidity of ban, (7) the contrast between vaping and other more dangerous issues (e.g. school shootings, suicides), and (8) encouraging vapers to “vape on” (continue to vape). Each topic was examined in terms of their modelled longitudinal prevalence. All eight topics shared a similar theme of advocating vaping, although Redditors provided nuanced responses across time as the vaping epidemic unfolded. Social media discourse is promising to provide real-time indications of public response for diseases and epidemic surveillance, and to shed light on broader societal issues beyond the specific public health context.
Cost of lost work hours associated with the COVID-19 pandemic-United States, March 2020 through February 2021.

INTRODUCTION: Of the 22.8 million coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases recorded in the United States as of March 21, 2021 with age information, three-fourths were in the workingage group, indicating the potentially high economic impact of the pandemic. This study estimates the cost of lost work hours associated with the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 through February 2021. METHOD: I used a before-and-after analysis of data from the 2017-2021 Current Population Survey to estimate the costs of lost work hours due to economic, workers' own health, and other reasons, from the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Across March 2020 through February 2021 (a year since the start of the pandemic in the United States), the estimated cost of lost work hours associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among US full-time workers was $138 billion (95% confidence interval [CI]: $73.4 billion-$202.46 billion). Shares of the costs attributed to economic, workers' own health, and other reasons were 33.7%, 13.7%, and 52.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The $138 billion cost of lost work hours associated with the COVID-19 pandemic during March 2020 through February 2021 highlights the economic consequences of the pandemic, as well as indicating the potential benefit of public health and safety interventions used to mitigate COVID-19 spread.
Epidemiology and Environmental Risk Factors Associated with Vestibular Schwannoma

Objective Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are tumors originating from the eighth cranial nerve. The etiology and environmental risk factors for VS remain unclear. The goal of this study was to explore some potential environmental risk factors associated with vestibular schwannoma (VS). Methods A hospital-based case-control study with 1:1 matching based on age and sex was designed. A written questionnaire was administered. Multiple conditional logistic regression models were created to determine odds ratio (OR). Results There were 353 matched pairs with an average age at diagnosis of 53 years (SD ± 12), 50% of participants were female, and >90% were white. Multivariate models revealed significantly increased OR with a history of hay fever (OR = 3.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35–11.30) and managerial/professional occupations (OR = 4.41, 95% CI = 2.07–9.40). Tobacco use had a decreased association with VS ( Conclusions The profile of patients with VS includes white race, age 50–60 years, either sex, and working in a professional occupation. Better access to health care and diagnostic imaging likely plays a role in the diagnosis of this tumor. Hay fever is strongly associated with VS. Tobacco use demonstrates an inverse relationship with VS, but the possible biologic mechanism for this is poorly understood, and tobacco remains a significant public health problem.
El doble exilio de José Viñals

Exile, since its more usual definitions, refers to the state of being barred from the country in which a person normally lives, generally due to political reasons. Later developments had widened the term beyond the more or less forced geographical displacement. Thus, the category of the internal exiled or outsider came to existence, applied to a person who is excluded from the privileges and powers of his society because of his critical attitude. Both categories could be applied to the Spanish-Argentinean poet Jose Vinals (Cordoba, Argentina, 1930-Malaga, 2009), the son of recent Spanish emigrants particularly his father, arrived to Argentina from Spain under Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship few years before his birth. Vinals repeated this journey in the opposite direction in 1979, attempting to avoid the hazards of Videla’s military dictatorship and getting settled in Spain ever since until his death. The situation of Spanish poetry he found at his arrival, with its scene dominated by approaches that proposed a normalized poetical expression in a surprising twist produced after the transition to democracy, meant for him the other side of exile. The poetry then legitimated, conservative in its expression, anchored in referentiality and contentious towards modernity’s artistic accomplishments, relegated his and other remarkable poets’ work alien to that approach, to a peripheral situation of sporadic critical attantion.
Causation: Empirical Trends and Future Directions

Empirical research has recently emerged as a key method for understanding the nature of causation, and our concept of causation. One thread of research aims to test intuitions about the nature of causation in a variety of classic cases. These experiments have principally been used to try to resolve certain debates within analytic philosophy, most notably that between proponents of transference and dependence views of causation. The other major thread of empirical research on our concept of causation has investigated the role that normative considerations play in causal judgments. These experimental results suggest that philosophical accounts of our concept of causation should take a broader view of what might be relevant. For both lines of research, we describe some of the significant experiments and outline key philosophical morals that have been drawn, all while pointing out various limitations. We conclude by considering other kinds of empirical research that should be philosophically interesting for those studying the nature of causation and our concept of causation. In particular, we point towards the need for philosophical research about causal perception, causal reasoning, and causal learning, as well as ways in which this research could play a role in prescriptive metaphysics.
Determination of Uric Acid: A Note

S HAVE DEVELOPED in this laboratory a modification of the Kern and Stransky (1) method for the determination of uric acid which is similar to that of Archibald (2). Two ml. of serum or plasma is added to 14 ml. of water, and 2 ml. of 10 per cent sodium tungstate (molybdenum free) and 2 ml. of 2/3N H2SO4 are added successively. The precipitate is removed by filtration. Five milliliters of the filtrate are pipetted into a test tube (5 ml. of water serves as a blank and 5 ml. of uric acid solution (0.004 mg./ml.) is used for a standard). To each tube is added 2.6 ml. of a sodium silicate-glycerine solution (6 parts of 10 per cent sodium silicate and 1 part of glycerine), the solutions are mixed, and 0.4 ml. of Benedict’s uric acid reagent is added. After mixing, the solution is allowed to stand for 15 minutes for color development. The color is stable at the maximum intensity for 10 minutes. Photometer readings are made using a 620 mjv ifiter. When the procedure outlined is followed rigorously there has been no interference with turbidity, and the results obtained have compared favorably with accepted uric acid determinations employing sodium cyanide. No special reagents other than the sodium silicateglycerine solution are required, and all reagents are stable for long periods without refrigeration.
MONODROMY NEAR THE SINGULAR LEVEL SET IN THE SL(2, C) TODA LATTICE

Abstract Completing the flows of the sl(2, C ) Toda lattice and removing the two fixed points in each level set of the constant of motion produces a C∗ bundle with nontrivial monodromy. The monodromy causes a reversal in the character of the fixed points, one a source and the other a sink.