cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrodes for high-definition transcutaneous DC stimulation for applications in drug-delivery and electrotherapy, including tDCS

Transcutaneous electrical stimulation is applied in a range of biomedical applications including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS is a non-invasive procedure where a weak direct current (<2 mA) is applied across the scalp to modulate brain function. High-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) is a technique used to increase the spatial focality of tDCS by passing current across the scalp using <12 mm diameter electrodes. The purpose of this study was to design and optimize "high-definition" electrode-gel parameters for electrode durability, skin safety and subjective pain. Anode and cathode electrode potential, temperature, pH and subjective sensation over time were assessed during application of 2 mA direct current, for up to 22 min on agar gel or subject forearms. A selection of five types of solid-conductors (Ag pellet, Ag/AgCl pellet, rubber pellet, Ag/AgCl ring and Ag/AgCl disc) and seven conductive gels (Signa, Spectra, Tensive, Redux, BioGel, Lectron and CCNY-4) were investigated. The Ag/AgCl ring in combination with CCNY-4 gel resulted in the most favorable outcomes. Under anode stimulations, electrode potential and temperature rises were generally observed in all electrode-gel combinations except for Ag/AgCl ring and disc electrodes. pH remained constant for all solid-conductors except for both Ag and rubber pellet electrodes with Signa and CCNY-4 gels. Sensation ratings were independent of stimulation polarity. Ag/AgCl ring electrodes were found to be the most comfortable followed by Ag, rubber and Ag/AgCl pellet electrodes across all gels.
Waveform Generation of Time-Limited Pseudo-Random Signals

A time-limited pseudo-random signal is an important component in perturbation signals during a system identification procedure. In this paper, a finite-time duration pseudo-random waveform with desired continuous spectral features is generated using an extended time-frequency domain swapping algorithm. Impulse responses of Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters are used as initial waveforms. Through iterations, the waveform is polished to achieve a desired smaller crest factor while maintaining major spectral features. A comparison with the commonly used filtered Gaussian white noise waveform shows that the new waveform generated with the proposed algorithm has a much flatter spectrum and sharp transient as being desired.
In-plane nonuniform temperature effects on the performance of a large-format lithium-ion pouch cell

Abstract Due to the temperature sensitive behavior of lithium-ion batteries a thermal management system (TMS) is typically integrated into the battery pack design. This system plays a crucial role in the total battery pack performance. During operation the TMS will induce nonuniform temperature distributions within the cells of the pack, due to relatively low cell thermal conductivity. However, limited research has been published regarding the effects of thermal nonuniformity throughout a cell, module, or pack. Understanding these effects will be beneficial to heat exchanger design and TMS control strategy optimization. Here, an experimental investigation is performed where fixed one-dimensional temperature distributions, emulating the effects of edge-based heat transfer, are applied across the face of a 10Ah NiCoMn Li-ion pouch cell. Average cell temperature conditions of 15, 25, and 35 °C with edge-to-edge temperature differences ( Δ T ) of 0, 5, 10, and 20 °C are applied. At each thermal treatment the effects on: (1) the pulse resistance at 50% state of charge, (2) the bulk resistance on a Charge-Depleting US06 power profile, and (3) the overpotential during Constant-Current charge are investigated. Pulse resistance is decreased with increased Δ T . However, the discharge resistance on the Charge-Depleting cycle was increased with increased Δ T . The Constant-Current charging overpotential (and therefore resistance) was also increased with increased Δ T . All effects are largest at 15 °C, and negligible at 35 °C.
Designing small silicon quantum dots with low reorganization energy

A first-principles, excited-state analysis is carried out to identify ways of producing silicon quantum dots with low excitonic reorganization energy. These focus on the general strategy of either reducing or constraining exciton-phonon coupling, and four approaches are explored. The results can be implemented in quantum dot solids to mitigate polaronic effects and increase the lifetime of coherent excitonic superpositions. It is demonstrated that such designs can also be used to alter the shape of the spectral density for reorganization so as to reduce the rates of both decoherence and dissipation. The results suggest that it may be possible to design quantum dot solids that support partially coherent exciton transport.
Analyses of Certain Recreational Interests and Activities and Other Variables in the Large Family

(1959). Analyses of Certain Recreational Interests and Activities and Other Variables in the Large Family. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 225-231.
Multiple alkynes react with ethylene to enhance carbon nanotube synthesis, suggesting a polymerization-like formation mechanism.

Thermal treatments of feedstock gases (e.g., C2H4/H2) used during carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis result in the formation of a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Some of these are likely important CNT precursors, while others are superfluous and possibly degrade product quality, form amorphous carbon, and/or contribute to growth termination. To simulate the effect of thermal treatment without this chemical complexity, we delivered trace amounts of individual hydrocarbons, along with ethylene and hydrogen, to a cold-wall atmospheric pressure reactor containing a locally heated metal catalyst (Fe on Al2O3). Using these compound-specific experiments, we demonstrate that many alkynes (e.g., acetylene, methyl acetylene, and vinyl acetylene) accelerate multiwalled CNT formation with this catalyst system. Furthermore, ethylene is required for enhanced CNT growth, suggesting that the alkyne and ethylene may react in concert at the metal catalyst. This presents a di...
Progress of Application and Breeding on Two-line Hybrid Rice in China

Based on the statistical data of national and provincial rice variety regional trials,registration and application in China from 1994 to 2007,the varietal registration,breeding of photo-thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (PTGMS) lines,performance of main traits and extension of two-line hybrid rice in China were analyzed. It was found that conspicuous progresses had been achieved in two-line hybrid rice breeding and application in China.
25 years of digital archives of visual materials: what we’ve done, what we’ve learned, and what challenges remain

In this article, the author looks back at the history of American digital archives of visual materials. Beginning with the Berkeley Image Database in 1986, he outlines the contributions that various projects made to the development of new tools and approaches, focusing on three important projects in which he participated in the decade leading up to 1996. How did both content and metadata change as these projects went from single collections to aggregations of diverse collections? After situating these three projects, the author then briefly covers highlights of other visual collection projects and systems from the subsequent 15 years, discussing their need to evolve from access systems into archival systems. The article concludes with an outlook on past challenges that the field has already overcome and a discussion of the new challenges for digital archives in the future.
Classics in infectious diseases. Reprinted from The Journal of Infectious Diseases 1:31-57, 1904. Studies in Pyroplasmosis Hominis ("Spotted Fever" or "Tick Fever" of the Rocky Mountains).

The disease known in Montana as "spotted fever"1 had been recognized as a distinct clinical entity by the physicians of the Bitter Root Valley for fifteen or twenty years, but the only article in a medical journal concerning it, published prior to 1902, was that by Dr. E. E. Maxey in the Portland Medical Sentinel for October, 1899. Papers, by Drs. R. Gwinn and G. T. McCullough, were read at the May, 1902, meeting of the Montana State Medical Association, but not published. These three described the clinical symptoms, but the pathology and etiology were not discussed. May 12, 1902, the writers were engaged by Dr. A. F. Longeway, secretary of the Montana State Board of Health, to investigate the nature, causation, and means of prevention of the disease. Dr. Wilson arrived in Missoula on May 16, 1902, and
Legitimacy and Value in Corporate Society

The purpose of this chapter is to assess the bases of legitimacy of corporate power which are found in the literature of political economy. These bases are found generally to be inadequate to the task, and the paper argues that nothing short of a reformation of our theory of humanity and human progress would prove adequate. This latter argument is contained in a final section which attempts to give an explicit overview of the obsolescence of our value orientation.
Allocating Limited Entrepreneurial Attention

Although limited attention and the problem of its allocation has been recognized by many economist, attempts to model this problem have assumed a given number of activities among which attention is to be allocated. The model of limited entrepreneurial attention remedies this shortcoming of previous models by modeling the adoption of new activities as one of the targets of attention. This has two primary implications. The number of activities becomes endogenously determined by the optimal allocation. This allows the model to address issues of the optimal number of activities and its dependence on the parameters of the model. In addition, the opportunity cost of attention becomes endogenously determined because the values of alternative targets of attention depend on the allocation of attention.
Optical Measurements and Perturbations

Electrical measurements represent the most widely used strategy for the study of neuronal activity in animal models. The temporal resolution of such electrophysiological measures matches the millisecond timescale of neuronal spiking activity. But this advantage comes at the expense of information about the location and identity of the cells that contribute to the recorded network activity. In contrast, imaging strategies that visualize neuronal activity can to a certain extent overcome these limitations, and so can provide an important alternative strategy for recording neuronal activity. In this chapter, we will first discuss two main imaging strategies with the potential to reshape the landscape of network neuroscience studies in animal models: calcium imaging and voltage imaging . Then we will focus on optogenetics , a strategy for cell-type-specific modulation of neuronal activity with light-activated transmembrane proteins.
Triple-zero singularity of a Kaldor-Kalecki model of business cycles with delay

In this manuscript, we study triple zero singularity of a Kaldor-Kalecki model of business cycles with delay in both the gross product and the capital stock. By using the frameworks of Campbell-Yuan (1) and Faria-Magalhaes (2, 3), the normal form on the center manifold is derived for this singularity and hence the corresponding bifurcation diagrams such as Hopf, BT, zero-Hopf, and homoclinic bifurcations are obtained. An example is given to verify some theoretical results.
Dimensionally guided synthesis of mathematical word problems

Mathematical Word Problems (MWPs) are important for training students' literacy and numeracy skills. Traditionally MWPs have been manually designed; an effective automated MWP generator can significantly benefit education and research. The goal of this work is to efficiently synthesize MWPs that are authentic (i.e., similar to manually written problems), diverse (i.e., covering a wide range of mathematical tasks), and configurable (i.e., varying difficulty levels and solution characteristics). This is challenging because a generated problem needs to both exhibit a well-founded mathematical structure and also an easily understood natural language story. Our key insight is to leverage the important role that dimensional units play in MWPs, both textually and symbolically. We first synthesize a dimensionally consistent equation and then compose the natural language story via a bottom-up traversal of the equation tree. We have realized our technique and extensively evaluated its efficiency and effectiveness. Results show that the system can generate hundreds of valid problems per second with varying levels of difficulty. More importantly, we show, via a user study with 30 students from a local middle school, that the generated problems are statistically indistinguishable from actual textbook problems for practice and examination.
Management of Heart Failure in Cancer Patients and Cancer Survivors

The number of cancer survivors increases annually, because of advances in detection and treatment, and the aging and growth of the population. This increase has brought a concomitant increase in morbidity and mortality from other conditions related to the adverse effects of cancer treatments. Cardiovascular diseases, and in particular left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure, are among the most significant of these. There are no unified and universally accepted evidence-based practice guidelines on the management of heartfailure in this population. This article discusses the epidemiologic impact of cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction, and reviews its most significant mediators and provides a condensed but comprehensive synopsis on its evaluation and management.
Correlating Free-Volume Hole Distribution to the Glass Transition Temperature of Epoxy Polymers

A new algorithm is developed to quantify the free-volume hole distribution and its evolution in coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of polymeric networks. This is achieved by analyzing the geometry of the network rather than a voxelized image of the structure to accurately and efficiently find and quantify free-volume hole distributions within large scale simulations of polymer networks. The free-volume holes are quantified by fitting the largest ellipsoids and spheres in the free-volumes between polymer chains. The free-volume hole distributions calculated from this algorithm are shown to be in excellent agreement with those measured from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) experiments at different temperature and pressures. Based on the results predicted using this algorithm, an evolution model is proposed for the thermal behavior of an individual free-volume hole. This model is calibrated such that the average radius of free-volumes holes mimics the one predicted from the simul...
Implications of iodinated contrast media extravasation in the emergency department.

Abstract Purpose To characterize the management, outcomes, and emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS) following iodinated contrast media extravasation events in the ED. Methods All ED patients who developed iodinated contrast media extravasation following contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) from October 2007–December 2016 were retrospectively identified. Medical records were reviewed and management, complications, frequency of surgical consultation, and ED LOS were quantified using descriptive statistics. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare ED LOS in patients who did and did not receive surgical consultation. Results A total of 199 contrast extravasation episodes occurred in ED patients during the 9-year study period. Of these, 42 patients underwent surgical consultation to evaluate the contrast extravasation event. No patient developed progressive symptoms, compartment syndrome, or tissue necrosis, and none received treatment beyond supportive care (warm/cold packs, elevation, compression). Median ED LOS for patients who did and did not receive surgical consultation was 11.3 h versus 9.0 h, respectively (p Conclusion Close observation and supportive care are sufficient for contrast extravasation events in the ED without concerning symptoms (progressive pain/swelling, altered tissue perfusion, sensory changes, or blistering/ulceration). Routine surgical consultation is likely unnecessary in the absence of these symptoms – concordant with the current American College of Radiology guidelines – and may be associated with longer ED LOS without impacting management.
Chinese Names: A Quick Guide for the Perplexed

This short guide is written for faculty and staff at institutions where they deal frequently with students from the People’s Republic of China and would like to do them the courtesy of not totally mangling their names. It is intended to be brief and user-friendly; its ambition is to get readers about 75% of the way to correct pronunciation and does not aim higher than that.
Distribution and foraging patterns of common loons on Lake Michigan with implications for exposure to type E avian botulism

Abstract Common loons (Gavia immer) staging on the Great Lakes during fall migration are at risk to episodic outbreaks of type E botulism. Information on distribution, foraging patterns, and exposure routes of loons are needed for understanding the physical and ecological factors that contribute to avian botulism outbreaks. Aerial surveys were conducted to document the spatiotemporal distribution of common loons on Lake Michigan during falls 2011–2013. In addition, satellite telemetry and archival geolocator tags were used to determine the distribution and foraging patterns of individual common loons while using Lake Michigan during fall migration. Common loon distribution observed during aerial surveys and movements of individual radiomarked and/or geotagged loons suggest a seasonal pattern of use, with early fall use of Green Bay and northern Lake Michigan followed by a shift in distribution to southern Lake Michigan before moving on to wintering areas. Common loons tended to occupy offshore areas of Lake Michigan and, on average, spent the majority of daylight hours foraging. Dive depths were as deep as 60 m and dive characteristics suggested that loons were primarily foraging on benthic prey. A recent study concluded that round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) are an important prey item of common loons and may be involved in transmission of botulinum neurotoxin type E. Loon distribution coincides with the distribution of dreissenid mussel biomass, an important food resource for round gobies. Our observations support speculation that energy transfer to higher trophic levels via gobies may occur in deep-water habitats, along with transfer of botulinum neurotoxin.
Advancing distributed data management for the HydroShare hydrologic information system

Abstract HydroShare ( https://www.hydroshare.org ) is an online collaborative system to support the open sharing of hydrologic data, analytical tools, and computer models. Hydrologic data and models are often large, extending to multi-gigabyte or terabyte scale, and as a result, the scalability of centralized data management poses challenges for a system such as HydroShare. A distributed data management framework that enables distributed physical data storage and management in multiple locations thus becomes a necessity. We use the iRODS (Integrated Rule-Oriented Data System) data grid middleware as the distributed data storage and management back end in HydroShare. iRODS provides a unified virtual file system for distributed physical storages in multiple locations and enables data federation across geographically dispersed institutions around the world. In this paper, we describe the iRODS-based distributed data management approaches implemented in HydroShare to provide a practical demonstration of a production system for supporting big data in the environmental sciences.
Using REDCap for ambulatory assessment: Implementation in a clinical trial for smoking cessation to augment in-person data collection.

Background: The use of ambulatory assessment to study behavior and physiology in daily life is becoming more common, yet barriers to implementation remain. Limitations in budget, time, and expertis...
Electromagnetic Field Generation and Propagation

Designing and implementing hyperthermia generating systems requires good understanding of the basic principles of classical electromagnetics (EM). These principles are described and pertinent relationships are derived in many textbooks, but not often in terms of direct application to hyperthermia. As a convenience to the reader, a brief summary of EM principles and relationships are given here, without the standard derivations, but with emphasis on physical interpretation and applications to hyperthermia generation. Common notation is used, with boldface symbols indicating vectors. More detailed information about EM can be obtained from any of the many good textbooks that are readily available.
Wave optics modeling of solar eclipse shadow bands

Just preceding and following the occurrence of a total solar eclipse, thin, wavy ribbons of light known as “shadow bands” have been observed on the ground. Codona (Astronomy and Astrophysics 164, 415–427, 1986) presented a theoretical investigation that suggests the turbulence mainly responsible for shadow band is found to be within the bottom 2–3 kilometers of the atmosphere. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to model the shadow band phenomena using a numerical wave optics simulation. The simulation approach employs numerical wave optics techniques to model a crescent-shape source, propagation of the light through turbulence, and collection of the light at the ground, where the atmospheric turbulence below 3 kilometers is modeled with a set of phase screens. The simulation produces intensity patterns, structures, motion and evolution of shadow bands that are in agreement with the theoretical predications and with actual observations during an eclipse. Our results support Conoda's theory and the modeling approach provides a powerful tool to study the effects of specific atmospheric conditions on shadow bands and other extended sources.
Would Risk-Stratified Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering Prevent Heart Failure More Effectively?

Objectives Hypertension is the leading risk factor contributing to population burden of heart failure (HF). While the SPRINT trial demonstrated intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering ( Methods We conducted a post-hoc analysis using SPRINT data from the publicly available National Heart Lung and Blood Institute BioLINCC data repository. We included participants with available HF risk factor data. We excluded participants with prevalent cardiovascular disease and those older than 80 years at baseline. We applied a published 10-year incident HF risk prediction model (derived and validated in 7 population-based cohorts) and stratified trial participants into 1) low, 2) intermediate, or 3) high HF risk categories by tertiles of predicted HF risk at baseline. We performed Kaplan-Meier Survival analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to test the effect of intensive vs. standard BP lowering on incident HF in each baseline HF risk category adjusting for age, sex, and race. Results A total of 6,911 individuals were included in the analysis with a mean follow-up time of 3.3 years, during which 77 incident HF events occurred. Low 10-year predicted HF risk ranged from 0.6-5.4% (N=2303), intermediate 5.4-9.0% (N=2304), and high 9.0-50.3% (N=2304) at baseline. Individuals in the high HF risk group were older, had a higher systolic BP, and higher fasting glucose level at baseline (p Conclusion Benefits of intensive BP lowering for HF prevention may be maximized among individuals at high predicted risk of HF.
Entropy stable spectral collocation schemes for the 3-D Navier-Stokes equations on dynamic unstructured grids

Abstract New entropy stable spectral collocation schemes of arbitrary order of accuracy are developed for the unsteady 3-D Euler and Navier-Stokes equations on dynamic unstructured grids. To take into account the grid motion and deformation, we use an arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation. As a result, moving and deforming hexahedral grid elements are individually mapped onto a cube in the fixed reference system of coordinates. The proposed scheme is constructed by using the skew-symmetric form of the Navier-Stokes equations, which are discretized by using summation-by-parts spectral collocation operators that preserve the conservation properties of the original governing equations. Furthermore, the metric coefficients are approximated such that the geometric conservation laws are satisfied exactly on both static and dynamic grids. To make the scheme entropy stable, a new entropy conservative flux is derived for the 3-D Euler and Navier-Stokes equations on dynamic unstructured grids. The new flux preserves the design order of accuracy of the original spectral collocation scheme and guarantees entropy conservation on moving and deforming grids. We present numerical results demonstrating design order of accuracy and freestream preservation properties of the new schemes for both the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations on dynamic unstructured grids.
Mining and Defensive Mobilization: Explaining Opposition to Extractive Industries in Chile

Opposition to the social and environmental impacts of large-scale mining has become more visible in Chile since the early 1990s, yet not all mining projects catalyze mobilization. Building on the concept of defensive mobilization, I argue that opposition is more likely when a project is perceived as a threat to some members of a community. Using a data set of all major mining projects submitted for environmental licensing since environmental impact assessments were implemented in Chile, I identify the conditions under which mining projects lead to opposition. The results, based on binary logistic regression analysis, show that projects threatening agrarian and indigenous communities, where threats to existing water and land uses are especially salient, are more likely to be opposed. Community challenges are also more likely for projects majority-owned by international investors. About four out of every ten proposed projects have faced opposition, and only a handful of projects have ever been definitively rejected, even as projects that are found to violate regulations are increasingly fined and challenged in court as well as facing protests and public scrutiny.
Impact of nonlinear overdensity statistics on primordial black hole abundance

It has been recently established that, if the nonlinear relationship between the overdensity perturbations and the curvature perturbations are taken into account, non-Gaussianity is introduced in the overdensity statistics, which alters the expected primordial black hole abundance. This is explored by using the nonlinear relationship between the overdensities and curvature perturbations up to second order, where a negative skewness and positive kurtosis aim at lowering and increasing the abundance, while an abundance comparable to Gaussian perturbations is obtained by adjusting the amplitude of the curvature power spectrum. The effects of the nonvanishing skewness and kurtosis are studied using a toy model Dirac delta and log-normal curvature power spectra as well as one obtained from an $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-attractor model capable of primordial black hole production. Finally, the nonlinear calculations using Press-Schechter are compared with peaks theory.
Framing the Trump Administration’s “Zero Tolerance” Policy: A Quantitative Content Analysis of News Stories and Visuals in US News Websites

A quantitative content analysis was employed to study how websites of newspapers (The New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal) and cable news (CNN, MSNBC, Fox News) framed the Trum...
A Comprehensive Model of the Meteoroid Environment around Mercury

To characterize the meteoroid environment around Mercury and its contribution to the planet's exosphere, we combined four distinctive sources of meteoroids in the solar system: main-belt asteroids, Jupiter-family comets, Halley-type comets, and Oort Cloud comets. All meteoroid populations are described by currently available dynamical models. We used a recent calibration of the meteoroid influx onto Earth as a constraint for the combined population model on Mercury. We predict vastly different distributions of orbital elements, impact velocities, and directions of arrival for all four meteoroid populations at Mercury. We demonstrate that the most likely model of Mercury's meteoroid environment?in the sense of agreement with Earth?provides good agreement with previously reported observations of Mercury's exosphere by the MESSENGER spacecraft and is not highly sensitive to variations of uncertain parameters such as the ratio of these populations at Earth, the size?frequency distribution, and the collisional lifetime of meteoroids. Finally, we provide a fully calibrated model consisting of high-resolution maps of mass influx and surface vaporization rates for different values of Mercury's true anomaly angle.
Modeling RNA:DNA Hybrids with Formal Grammars

R-loops are nucleic acid structures consisting of a DNA:RNA hybrid and a DNA single strand. They form naturally during transcription when the nascent RNA hybridizes to the template DNA, forcing the coding DNA strand to wrap around the RNA:DNA duplex. Although formation of R-loops can have deleterious effects on genome integrity, there is evidence of their role as potential regulators of gene expression and DNA repair. Here we initiate an abstract model based on formal grammars to describe RNA:DNA interactions and the formation of R-loops. Separately we use a sliding window approach that accounts for properties of the DNA nucleotide sequence, such as C-richness and CG-skew, to identify segments favoring R-loops. We evaluate these properties on two DNA plasmids that are known to form R-loops and compare results with a recent energetics model from the Chedin Lab. Our abstract approach for R-loops is an initial step toward a more sophisticated framework which can take into account the effect of DNA topology on R-loop formation.
COVID-19, Black jurisdictions, and budget constraints: how fiscal footing shapes fighting the virus

In the United States (U.S.), most reports regarding racial disparities in incidence and death from COVID-19 understate the importance of majority-Black local jurisdictions’ fiscal capacity in shapi...
Tuning Gold Nanoparticle Size with Fixed Interparticle Spacing in Large-Scale Arrays: Implications for Plasmonics and Nanoparticle Etching Masks

Gold nanoparticles play an important role in plasmonic arrays, including, but not limited to, photovoltaic, biomedical, sensing, optical, and catalytic applications. For plasmonic arrays, control o...
Positron Emission Tomography

Offers a thorough assessment of vascular disease burden by yielding incremental data to SPECT on the presence of disease within the coronary microcirculation.
Outpatient Intravenous Diuretic Clinic: An Effective Strategy for Management of Volume Overload and Reducing Immediate Hospital Admissions.

Background: Heart failure (HF) readmissions pose a major burden to patients and the healthcare system. We evaluated whether outpatient intravenous (IV) diuretic clinic is a safe and effective strategy to reduce HF hospitalizations. Methods: We reviewed 34 clinic encounters with 27 unique patients (median age 72) who had volume overload refractory to oral diuretics that were treated with IV furosemide in the outpatient clinic. One patient (2.9%) was admitted to the hospital directly, and the rest were discharged home. Results: More than 80% of the patients had continued weight loss for 7 days (median weight loss 5.4 lb). During the median follow-up period of 15 months, 15 patients (56%) had subsequent HF hospitalizations. HF admission was delayed by a median of 22 days from the clinic visit and 138 days from the previous HF admission prior to clinic visit. Estimated cost saving per admission avoided was $10,395. One patient developed severe hypokalemia (< 3.0 mmol/L), and the remaining had no adverse events. Conclusion: Outpatient IV diuresis is effective and well tolerated. It leads to significant weight loss, persisting in the majority of patients for 7 days. In select patients, it should be considered as a strategy to rapidly improve symptoms, reduce hospitalizations and decrease costs. J Clin Med Res. 2021;13(4):245-251 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr4499
Socrates on Self-Improvement: Knowledge, Virtue, and Happiness

What model of knowledge does Plato's Socrates use? In this book, Nicholas D. Smith argues that it is akin to knowledge of a craft which is acquired by degrees, rather than straightforward knowledge of facts. He contends that a failure to recognize and identify this model, and attempts to ground ethical success in contemporary accounts of propositional or informational knowledge, have led to distortions of Socrates' philosophical mission to improve himself and others in the domain of practical ethics. He shows that the model of craft-knowledge makes sense of a number of issues scholars have struggled to understand, and makes a case for attributing to Socrates a very sophisticated and plausible view of the improvability of the human condition.
Global Warming: Forecasts by Scientistsversus Scientific Forecasts

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Working Group One, a panel of experts established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme, issued its Fourth Assessment Report. The Report included predictions of dramatic increases in average world temperatures over the next 92 years and serious harm resulting from the predicted temperature increases. Using forecasting principles as our guide we asked: Are these forecasts a good basis for developing public policy? Our answer is "no". To provide forecasts of climate change that are useful for policy-making, one would need to forecast (1) global temperature, (2) the effects of any temperature changes, and (3) the effects of feasible alternative policies. Proper forecasts of all three are necessary for rational policy making. The IPCC WG1 Report was regarded as providing the most credible long-term forecasts of global average temperatures by 31 of the 51 scientists and others involved in forecasting climate change who responded to our survey. We found no references in the 1056-page Report to the primary sources of information on forecasting methods despite the fact these are conveniently available in books, articles, and websites. We audited the forecasting processes described in Chapter 8 of the IPCC's WG1 Report to assess the extent to which they complied with forecasting principles. We found enough information to make judgments on 89 out of a total of 140 forecasting principles. The forecasting procedures that were described violated 72 principles. Many of the violations were, by themselves, critical. The forecasts in the Report were not the outcome of scientific procedures. In effect, they were the opinions of scientists transformed by mathematics and obscured by complex writing. Research on forecasting has shown that experts' predictions are not useful in situations involving uncertainly and complexity. We have been unable to identify any scientific forecasts of global warming. Claims that the Earth will get warmer have no more credence than saying that it will get colder.
Primary versus secondary closure of tracheocutaneous fistula in pediatric patients.

Abstract Objective Up to 50% of pediatric patients have a persistent tracheocutaneous fistula (TCF) after tracheostomy decannulation. Classically these fistula tracts were excised and completely closed in a multilayered fashion, but recently closure by secondary intention has become the standard of care. However, variations in postoperative care still exist. The primary objectives of this study were to compare outcomes between patients who had a primary closure versus closure by secondary intention after excision of a TCF in children with a tracheostomy placement at one year old or less and to determine if closure by secondary intention will be equally efficacious compared to traditional primary closure. Methods Patients ages 0-21 years who had a primary or secondary closure of a TCF at a tertiary care children's hospital following decannulation of a tracheostomy tube were reviewed and those with a tracheostomy placement ≤1 year old were included. Demographic information, comorbidities, and surgical information were extracted from inpatient and outpatient charts. Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's Exact test, and logistic regression to compare outcomes across the two TCF surgical groups. Results A total of 64 patients met inclusion with primary closures in 25 (39.1%) patients and secondary closures in 39(60.9%) patients. Patients who underwent secondary closure had a significantly shorter surgery duration (p .05. Time from decannulation to TCF in months increased with primary closure, p = .010. Conclusion Closure of tracheocutaneous fistula by secondary intention is safe and effective and can allow for shorter hospital stays in children with a tracheostomy placement at a year old or less.
Design, synthesis, biochemical evaluation, radiolabeling and in vivo imaging with high affinity class-IIa histone deacetylase inhibitor for molecular imaging and targeted therapy

Abstract Herein, we describe the design, synthesis and deciphering of the key characteristics of the structure activity relationship (SAR) of trifluoromethyloxadiazole (TFMO) bearing class-IIa HDAC inhibitors. Our medicinal chemistry campaign of 23 compounds identified compound 1 as a highly potent inhibitor with sub nM affinity to class-IIa HDAC4 isoform. Therefore, We radiolabeled compound 1 (named thereafter as NT160) with [18F]fluoride thus producing the identical [18F]-NT160 as a diagnostic tool for positron emission tomography (PET). [18F]-NT160 was produced in high radiochemical purity (>95%), moderate radiochemical yield (2–5%) and moderate molar activity in the range of 0.30–0.85 GBq/umol (8.0–23.0 mCi/umol). We also established that [18F]-NT160 can cross the blood brain barrier and bind to class-IIa HDACs in vivo. The combination of [18F]-NT160 and 1 represent a novel theranostic pair using the same molecule to enable diagnostic PET imaging with [18F]-NT160 followed by targeted therapy with NT160.
Collection of microbial cells.

Publisher Summary The collection of microbial cells from suspending fluids is a task routinely encountered by individuals in laboratories, pilot plants, and production facilities. The recovery of microbial cells from suspending fluids is a task frequently encountered by biologists, microbiologists, biochemists, and engineers. Advanced technology has placed new tools of collecting microbial cells either through improvements in existing methods or replacement of older techniques entirely. This chapter describes the collection techniques that are currently available for the recovery of microbial cells. Simultaneously, a brief review is presented in the chapter on the classical and routine collection methods that have been used in the past. Apart from discussing the collection of these substances, the chapter also presents some of the more recent research studies on viruses, vaccines, bacteriophage, and mammalian cells.
Time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy of electrically conductive metal-organic frameworks doped with redox active species

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are three-dimensional coordination polymers that are well known for large pore surface area and their ability to adsorb molecules from both the gaseous and solution phases. In general, MOFs are electrically insulating, but promising opportunities for tuning the electronic structure exist because MOFs possess synthetic versatility; the metal and organic ligand subunits can be exchanged or dopant molecules can be introduced into the pore space. Two such MOFs with demonstrated electrical conductivity are Cu 3 (1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) 2 , a.k.a HKUST-1, and Cu[Ni(pyrazine-2,3-dithiolate) 2 ]. Herein, these two MOFs have been infiltrated with the redox active species 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and iodine under solution phase conditions and shown to produce redox products within the MOF pore space. Vibrational bands assignable to TCNQ anion and triiodide anion have been observed in the Mid-IR and Terahertz ranges using FTIR Spectroscopy. The MOF samples have been further investigated by Time-Resolved Terehertz Spectroscopy (TRTS). Using this technique, the charge mobility, separation, and recombination dynamics have been followed on the picosecond time scale following photoexcitation with visible radiation. The preliminary results show that the MOF samples have small inherent photoconductivity with charge separation lifetimes on the order of a few picoseconds. In the case of HKUST-1, the MOF can also be supported by a TiO 2 film and initial results show that charge injection into the TiO 2 layer occurs with a comparable efficiency to the dye sensitizer N3, [cis-Bis(isothiocyanato)-bis(2,2’-bipyridyl-4,4’-dicarboxylato ruthenium(II)], and therefore this MOF has potential as a new light absorbing and charge conducting material in photovoltaic devices.
Drugs targeting the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system

Effective antihypertensive therapy has made a major contribution to the reductions in the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease that have been achieved since the 1960s. However, blood-pressure control with conventional drugs has not succeeded in reducing cardiovascular disease risks to levels seen in normotensive persons. Drugs that inhibit or antagonize components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system are addressing this deficiency by targeting both blood pressure and related structural and functional abnormalities of the heart and blood vessels, thus preventing target-organ damage and related cardiovascular events.
Building blocks of the cerebral cortex: from development to the dish.

Since Ramon y Cajal's examination of the cellular makeup of the cerebral cortex, it has been appreciated that this tissue exhibits some of the greatest degrees of cellular heterogeneity in the entire nervous system. This intricate structure emerges during a well-choreographed developmental process. Here, we review current classifications of the cellular constituents of the cerebral cortex and examine how these building blocks are forged during development. We also look at how basic developmental features underlying cortex formation in vivo have been applied to protocols aimed at generating cortical tissue in vitro. WIREs Dev Biol 2015, 4:529–544. doi: 10.1002/wdev.192 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
A Longitudinal Study of Human Milk Composition Beyond One Year Postpartum

Objectives. Evaluate longitudinal changes in human milk composition during the 2nd year of lactation and compare 2nd year milk samples to unpasteurized, pooled milk collected by Human Milk Banking ...
3-dimensional video motion detection and assessment

The 3-dimensional video motion detection system (3DVMD) is a stand-alone sensor system developed at Sandia National Laboratories. It operates on a single PC platform and uses multiple cameras to monitor activity in predefined, 3-dimensional volumes of space. Detected activity is displayed on the PC monitor as an overlay to real-time video imagery. The basic sensor can provide switch closures for an interface to an Alarm Communications and Display (AC&D) system. High-level detection information relating to the size, location, and direction of motion of moving objects can be provided for assessment purposes. Using this high-level information, 3DVMD can be used to monitor individual items as well as track people within the monitored area. It can be used for two-man rule verification, process control, and the detection of anomalies during evacuation procedures. The 3DVMD system can be set up as an interior or exterior sensor. There are several benefits to the 3DVMD technology. 3DVMD is a passive security sensor. It provides high-level information (e.g., location, size, direction of motion) that can be used as an assessment aid in CCTV video, where it is often difficult to even see an intruder. Its detection volume is user-definable and remains static until changed by the user. This reduces vulnerabilities introduced by the variable detection envelope of other sensors. It has a reduced nuisance alarm rate as compared to traditional 2-dimensional video motion detection sensors. The technology also has built-in redundancy. If a camera fails, the system can adjust to operate without that camera, down to a minimum of two cameras. 3DVMD also has a self-assessment capability. Because CCTV sensors are an integral component of the 3DVMD system, the failure or tampering of any CCTV sensor is immediately identified. 3DVMD technology is ready to be fielded either as a stand-alone security system or as an integrated security system that provides switch closures to an existing AC&D system. Minimal software development is required to customize the technology for specific applications. Sandia is currently in the technology transfer process for the baseline 3DVMD technology.
Lightweight Wrappers for Interfacing with Binary Code in CCured

The wide use of separate compilation and precompiled libraries among programmers poses a challenge to source-code based security and analysis tools such as CCured. These tools must understand enough of the behavior of precompiled libraries that they can prevent any unsafe use of the library. The situation is even more complicated for instrumentation tools that change the layout of data to accommodate array bounds or other metadata that is necessary for safety checking.
Branched chain aminotransferase isoenzymes : purification and characterization of the rat brain isoenzyme

This paper presents the first complete purification of the branched chain aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.42) from rat brain cytosol (BCATc). On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the enzyme appeared as a single band with a molecular mass of 47 kDa; however, gel exclusion chromatography suggested that BCATc is a dimer. Comparison of tryptic peptide maps of BCATc and the mitochondrial form of the enzyme (BCATm) indicated that they are different proteins. Experiments with protein labeling reagents, in particular sulfhydryl reagents, also suggested that there may be some distinct structural differences in BCATc and BCATm. Nevertheless, BCATc and BCATm showed similar specificities for amino acid and alpha-keto acid substrates. Both enzymes transaminated branched chain amino acids, their straight chain analogs, L-alloisoleucine and glutamate. A broader range of alpha-keto acids than amino acids was accepted as substrate including alpha-ketobutyrate and the alpha-keto acid of methionine. Both enzymes exhibited ping-pong kinetics with apparent Km values for leucine and isoleucine of about 1 and 5 mM for valine, respectively. Km values for alpha-ketoglutarate ranged from about 0.6 to 3 mM depending on the amino acid substrate. Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits against purified BCATc. BCATc antiserum neutralized branched chain aminotransferase activity in rat brain cytosol but did not affect the activity in a heart mitochondrial extract. However, immunoblotting showed that BCATc and BCATm do share common epitopes since BCATm antiserum recognized BCATc on the immunoblots. The tissue distribution of BCATc was examined using BCATc and BCATm antisera. These data showed that BCATc was found in adult and fetal rat brain, cultured cells from fetal rat brain cortex, ovary, and placenta. Brain had the highest activity followed by ovary, fetal brain, and placenta. BCATc was not found in fetal liver, adult rat liver, or a rat hepatoma cell line. These data provide clear evidence that BCATc, unlike BCATm, is restricted to several highly specialized tissues.