cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of EMLA cream and 1% lidocaine infiltration in men for relief of pain associated with the removal of genital warts by cryotherapy

Abstract Background: Surgical procedures used to remove genital warts (cryotherapy, electrodesiccation) are painful. Attempts to reduce the discomfort of surgery by prior lidocaine infiltration anesthesia are compromised by the pain of the infiltration. Objective: Our purpose was to determine the efficacy of topically applied lidocaine/prilocaine cream to reduce the pain of lidocaine infiltration and the pain associated with cryotherapy to remove genital warts. Methods: Men, scheduled for removal of genital warts by cryotherapy, were randomly selected to receive one of three treatments: (1) lidocaine/prilocaine cream application, (2) 1% lidocaine infiltration, and (3) lidocaine/prilocaine cream application followed by infiltration of 1% lidocaine. Results: Application of lidocaine/prilocaine cream for 15 minutes markedly reduced the pain of lidocaine infiltration. The combination of lidocaine/prilocaine cream followed by infiltration of 1% lidocaine gave greater pain relief from the cryotherapy than did either anesthetic alone. Conclusion: The application of lidocaine/prilocaine cream as an adjunct to lidocaine infiltration reduced the pain of infiltration and the pain associated with cryotherapy for the removal of genital warts. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1997; 37:96–100.)
The effect of inflammation on the utilization of erythrocyte and transferrin bound radioiron for red cell production.

By EMIL #{149}J. FREIIIEICH, AARON )sILLLER, CH iitI I s P. EMERSON ANI) JOSEPH F’. Ross I NFECTION ANI) INFLA\IMATI()N have been shown to inipair the ability of the 1)Omie mnarrow to respomid to in(reased deniands for re(l cell production. Following acute or chronic blood loss, inflalnmuation slows the rate of hemoglobin productiomi;tm iii pernicious amiemia patiemits umidergoing adequate vitaniimi B-12 therapy, infection slows the rate of recovery;2 in patients with hemolytic anemias, inflammnation can depress hemiioglobin product ion amid rc’stilt in hypophastic crises.3 ‘ \Vhile inflammnatioii does depress hemnogbobimi produl(tion, the niechamiism by which this occurs is not known. Inflammation also produces marked chamiges imi iron miietabolism. A decrease imiserumn iromi comicentration is a comistant findimig.5 The miiechamiism of the hypoferremia and its role imi the bomie miiarrow depression is not clearly umiderstood.
Measurement and Analysis of the Residual Gas Fraction in an SI Engine with Variable Cam Timing

A spontaneous Raman scattering diagnostic was used to measure the residual fraction in a single-cylinder, 4-valve optically accessible engine. The engine was operated at 1500 rpm on pre-vaporized iso-octane at several intake manifold pressures (50-90 kPa). Cam phasing was varied to determine the effect of intake valve timing and valve overlap on the residual mass fraction of the engine. A simple model based on the ideal Otto cycle and 1D gas flow through the exhaust valves was proposed to analyze the results of the Raman experiment. The model showed good agreement (R 2 =0.91) with the experimental results and demonstrated its potential for use as a method to estimate the residual fraction in an engine from available dynamometer data. The experimental results showed that the residual fraction was reduced at higher manifold pressures due to less backflow through the exhaust valves and varied with intake cam phasing. The variation with intake cam phasing was determined by the gas properties in the cylinder when the intake valve opened. When the engine was stable (Coefficient of Variance (CoV) imep < 3%), changing the manifold pressure did not affect the portion of the residual fraction due to mass trapped at intake valve opening (IVO) and influenced the residual levels by reducing the residual level due to backflow.
The Effect of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging on Metallic Middle Ear Prostheses

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, a relatively new diagnostic instrument, is a noninvasive imaging method which, among its many advantages, uses no ionizing radiation. There are a few limitations and contraindications to its use. There may be displacement of intracerebral aneurysm clips and metallic implants, and cardiac pacemakers can be disabled because of the high magnetic field created by this device. We studied the effects of a magnetic field on metallic middle ear prosthetics and concluded that nuclear magnetic resonance imaging should offer no risks to hearing or otologic function in patients with nonferromagnetic metallic middle ear prosthetics. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is contraindicated in patients with cochlear implants.
Effect of estrogen-treatment and castration on ACTH content of rat adenohypophysis.

Summary(1) The ACTH content of the pituitaries of estrogen-treated and castrated male rats was assayed against that of controls by the adrenal ascorbic acid-depletion method. (2) The estrogen-hypophyses were found to contain 75% and those of the castrates 63% of the amount of ACTH encountered in the controls. (3) Since no parallelism was observed between the ACTH content and the amount of delta granules present in these pituitaries, it is concluded that adenohypo-physial ACTH is not associated with the delta granules. (4) Further histophysiological and physiological implications of these findings are discussed.
Potential Impact of Peer Mentoring on Treatment Choice in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Review

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the resultant end stage renal disease (ESRD) are associated with significant mortality, morbidity, and cost for the individual patient and society. CKD is among the major contributors to years of life lost (YLL) due to premature mortality. Also, while the disability adjusted life years (DALY) for many conditions decreased between 1990 and 2010, the DALY for CKD has increased by 69%. In addition to the physical disability, CKD is associated with high prevalence (27.9%) of major depressive episodes, associated with limitations of employment, and a significant negative effect on quality of life (QOL). A major determinant of QOL is satisfaction with treatment choice. There is consensus among investigators that patients who are actively engaged in their own care experience improved health outcomes. The shared decision making (SDM) approach allows patients and providers the opportunity to work in partnership to make decisions that are congruent with the patient's values, preferences, and distinct situations. SDM has been associated with improved outcomes among patients with various chronic disease states. Mentoring, particularly by trained peers, has been used as an approach to enhance SDM in several chronic conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. In this review, we will focus on care of patients with CKD as a model for the study of the impact of peer mentoring on SDM and choice of treatment for ESRD.
Bionomics of Tetyra bipunctata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Scutellerinae) as Associated with Pinus banksiana in Wisconsin

Tetyra bipunctata (Herrich-Schaeffer) was discovered in Wisconsin in 1962, when adults, eggs, and developing young were collected from Pinus resinosa Aiton. Later, this insect was found also on P. Banksiana Lambert. In laboratory cultures, first-instar nymphs did no feeding; nymphs in the second and third instars fed primarily on female cones of P. Banksiana , presumably on the developing seeds; and older nymphs and adults fed on either female cones or twigs. Newly molted specimens of the several instars were repeatedly seen to dislodge the exuviae from their places of attachment on the host trees, allowing the exuviae to fall to the ground. About 7 days were spent in each of the first 4 stadia, but the fifth required almost 12 days. There was 1 generation annually, with adults overwintering under needles and other ground debris.
Pure Red Cell Aplasia In Major ABO Mismatched Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Is Associated With Severe Pancytopenia

Introduction The persistence of anti-donor isohemagglutinins in Major ABO mismatched allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HCT) leads to pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). In our previous report of 12 patients with PRCA, severe pancytopenia was observed in one patient who eventually had a second transplant (Aung et al. B J Haematol 2013 Mar; 160(6):798-805). Furthermore, ABO antigens are expressed on or adsorbed from plasma on granulocyte and platelets and these may be affected by isohemagglutinins. To further investigate this observation we analyzed a larger cohort of patients with PRCA to determine the frequency of pancytopenia and natural history of pancytopenia in patients with PRCA after Major ABO incompatible HCT. Patients and Methods We reviewed 758 patients who received a Major ABO-mismatched HCT between January 2003 and December 2012 at our institution. Pure red call aplasia was determined to be present when the bone marrow biopsy on post-transplant day 30 demonstrated absent or nearly absent erythroid precursors with absence of donor red cells on forward red cell typing of the recipient and the recipient being red cell transfusion dependent. Pancytopenia was defined as ANC < 1.5 x 109/L or requiring G-CSF, Platelets < 50 x 109/L or transfusion dependent, and PRCA with red cell transfusion dependence as above at 90 days after allogeneic SCT. Results 83 patients had PRCA. Of these 16 (19%) had pancytopenia at day 90 after transplant. None of these patients had any other reason for persistent pancytopenia like CMV or other viral infection or use of drugs like ganciclovir or disease recurrence. On post-transplant day 90, median absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) was 1.01 K/UL with 15 (94%) patients having intermittent G-CSF and median platelet count was 14 KL/UL (range 6-49) with 13(81%) patients platelet transfusion dependent. All patients were red cell transfusion dependent. Of the 16 PRCA patients with pancytopenia, 2 (12%) received a second transplant due to persistent pancytopenia/graft failure and 2 (12%) relapsed. 2 (12%) patients have still not recovered their platelet counts despite red cell and ANC recovery. In the remaining 10 (63%) patients, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia resolved after resolution of PRCA. Red cell recovery occurred at a median of 226 (95-549) days post transplant, ANC recovered at median of 325 (105-1080) days post-transplant, and Platelets recovered at median of 296 (94-2738) days post-transplant. Conclusion Severe pancytopenia is frequently (19%) associated with PRCA in Major ABO incompatible HCT. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia resolve after resolution of red cell aplasia in the majority of patients. Disclosures: Andersson: Otsuka Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Qazilbash: Celgene: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Millennium: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Shah: Celgene: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.
The influence of retail outlet and FSMA information on consumer perceptions of and willingness to pay for organic grape tomatoes

Abstract The primary objective of this research was to determine the effect of retail outlet (supercenter, supermarket, farmers market, fresh format) on consumer perceptions of and willingness to pay (WTP) for organic grape tomatoes. Also examined was whether information on the proposed Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations, with and without information on tomato safety, altered these aspects across retail outlets. Field experiments were conducted with 207 participants in two U.S. states in fall 2014 to address these questions. Consumers’ perceptions and WTP varied significantly by retail outlet, with farmers markets and fresh format stores receiving the most favorable evaluations and supercenters the least. With FSMA information, safety perceptions fell significantly for the favored outlets and mostly increased for supercenters. Participants’ felt no producers should be exempt from the FSMA and viewed farmers markets vendors as most likely to be exempt. Unexpectedly though, these changes seldom translated into changes in WTP. Further, in treatments with added tomato safety information, supercenters saw no safety rating benefit. Overall, it was clear the organic label was not viewed equally across different retail outlets.
Analysis of Parental Mental Status in Childhood Group Incident and Relevant Intervention

This thesis analyzes main manifestations of parental mental stress in childhood group incidents,and possible negative influences on the victim children and other people involved.It also points out to strengthen the understanding and intervention of parental mental status,aiming to help relieve parental mental stress,avoid upgrading of the negative incidents,and provide favorable conditions for the investigation,medical treatment,and future follow-ups for childhood group incidents.
Probing the Relationship between Environmental Standard and Environmental Liability

The operating of environmental law bases on environmental standards￡-and the implementing ot environmental law depends on environmental liability. So it is very meaningful to sort the relationship between environmental standard and environmental liability for implementing environmental law smoothly. After analysing the legitimacy of environmental standard￡-and expounding the inherent protection of personal right and property right by statutes￡-the conclusion that Environmental Standard is the sufficient but not necessary condition for bearing Environmental Liability is made out.
Dissolved gas analysis to identify faults and improve reliability in transformers using support vector machines

Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) and its key-gas ratios (C2H2/C2H4, CH4/H2, C2H4/C2H6) are the most widely used fault diagnostic tests for transformers. This technique monitors the concentration of various gases in transformer oil and uses it to interpret the type of fault. In this study, support vector machines (SVM) is proposed to classify and predict electrical faults in transformers depending on the key-gas ratios concentrations. A dissolved gas analysis data obtained from published papers are used as a sample for the training and test set with a supervised machine learning from MATLAB software. Results indicate that SVM method can achieve good accuracy under the circumstance of small training data.
Simulation-based Evaluation of the Generalizability Index for Study Traits

The Generalizability Index for Study Traits (GIST) has been proposed recently for assessing the population representativeness of a set of related clinical trials using eligibility features (e.g., age or BMI), one each time. However, GIST has not yet been evaluated. To bridge this knowledge gap, this paper reports a simulation-based validation study for GIST. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, we demonstrated the effectiveness of GIST at quantifying the population representativeness of a set of related trials that differ in disease domains, study phases, sponsor types, and study designs, respectively. We also showed that among seven example medical conditions, the GIST of age increases from Phase I trials to Phase III trials in the seven disease domains and is the lowest in asthma trials. We concluded that GIST correlates with simulation-based generalizability results and is a valid metric for quantifying population representativeness of related clinical trials.
Studies To Evaluate Chemicals and Conditions with Low-Pressure Applications for Reducing Microbial Counts on Cattle Hides

Studies were conducted to identify effective antimicrobials and application parameters that could be used as decontamination interventions to reduce microbial loads on cattle hides before removal from carcasses. In study I, hide swatches inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 were sprayed with 10% acetic acid (at 23 and 55°C), 10% lactic acid (at 23 and 55°C), 3% sodium hydroxide (at 23°C) or 4 and 5% sodium metasilicate (at 23°C). All antimicrobials were evaluated independently after being applied alone, being applied after a water rinse, or being followed by a water rinse. Antimicrobial treatments followed by a water rinse lowered E. coli O157:H7 populations by 0.6 to 2.4 log CFU/cm2 and resulted in hides with a surface pH of 6.3 to 9.2. Treatments in which a water rinse was followed by antimicrobial application lowered E. coli O157:H7 populations by 1.5 to 5.1 log CFU/cm2 but resulted in hides with a surface pH of 3.9 to 10.5. In study II, whole hides were treated with one of four antimicrobials (ace...
Electrocoagulation of rectal cancer, colorectal adenomas, instrumentation, coloscopy, and biopsy. Recapitulatory comments.

Latest information related to the controversies that remain concerning these aspects of colorectal diagnosis and treatment.
The Nordenskiold Campsite: A Test in Historic Archaeology

Gustaf Nordenskiold, a Swedish gentleman and archaeologist, camped and worked on Wetherill Mesa in Mesa Verde National Park from July to September in 1891. During the summer of 1970 a salvage crew working on Wetherill Mesa recovered the remains of Nordenskiold's third campsite. Utilizing the known date of occupancy for the site, the validity of historical dating techniques based on artifactual analysis was tested.
Computer decision support for acute kidney injury: current and future.

Purpose of review Growing awareness regarding the impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) as a grave consequence of critical illnesses resulted in the expansion of the need for early detection and appropriate management strategies. Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) can generate information to improve the care of AKI patients by providing point-of-care accurate patient-specific information and recommendations. Our objective is to describe the characteristics of CDSS and review the current knowledge regarding the impact of CDSS on patients in the acute care settings, and specifically for AKI. Recent findings Several recent systematic analyses showed the positive impact of CDSS on critically ill patients care processes. These studies also highlighted the scarcity of data regarding the effect of CDSS on the patient outcomes. In the field of AKI, there have been several reports to describe development and validation of homegrown CDSS and electronic alert systems. A large number of investigations showed the implementation of CDSS could improve the quality of AKI care; although, only in a very small subgroup of these studies patient outcomes improved. Summary The heterogeneity of these studies in their size, design, and conduct has produced controversial findings; hence, this has left the field completely open for further investigations.
Compact Optical Correlators

In the past 15 years, a dozen or so designs have been proposed for compact optical correlators. Of these, maybe one-third of them have actually been built and only a few of those tested. This paper will give an overview of some of the systems that have been built as well as mention some promising early and current designs that have not been built. The term compact, as used in the title of this paper, will be applied very loosely; to mean smaller than a laboratory size optical table. To date, only one correlator has been built and tested that actually can be called miniature. This softball size correlator was built by the Perkin-Elmer Corporation for the U. S. Army Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. More will be said about this correlator in following sections.
Third generation anthropomorphic physical phantom for mammography and DBT: incorporating voxelized 3D printing and uniform chest wall QC region

Physical breast phantoms provide a standard method to test, optimize, and develop clinical mammography systems, including new digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) systems. In previous work, we produced an anthropomorphic phantom based on 500x500x500 μm breast CT data using commercial 3D printing. We now introduce an improved phantom based on a new cohort of virtual models with 155x155x155 μm voxels and fabricated through voxelized 3D printing and dithering, which confer higher resolution and greater control over contrast. This new generation includes a uniform chest wall extension for evaluating conventional QC metrics. The uniform region contains a grayscale step wedge, chest wall coverage markers, fiducial markers, spheres, and metal ink stickers of line pairs and edges to assess contrast, resolution, artifact spread function, MTF, and other criteria. We also experimented with doping photopolymer material with calcium, iodine, and zinc to increase our current contrast. In particular, zinc was discovered to significantly increase attenuation beyond 100% breast density with a linear relationship between zinc concentration and attenuation or breast density. This linear relationship was retained when the zinc-doped material was applied in conjunction with 3D printing. As we move towards our long term goal of phantoms that are indistinguishable from patients, this new generation of anthropomorphic physical breast phantom validates our voxelized printing process, demonstrates the utility of a uniform QC region with features from 3D printing and metal ink stickers, and shows potential for improved contrast via doping.
A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT ANGELA COVENTRY’S HUME’S THEORY OF CAUSATION: A QUASI-REALIST INTERPRETATION

Making sense of Hume’s account of causation is such a vast, complex affair that his readers have yet to reach a consensus about how it should be understood, though their interpretations fall into two main categories.
Assessing Welfare of Individual Sirenians in the Wild and in Captivity

Assessing the welfare of wild populations of sirenians has required a “generalist” approach. The outcome has been a subjective decision as to whether what the observers are witnessing in an individual or group of animals is normal and whether that has positive or negative consequences. The understanding of sirenian welfare requirements, and a decision process for whether to support and maintain their natural habitats or to try to replicate it in a meaningful way in an artificial captive setting, is still in its early developmental stages and has dynamic qualities that are in need of urgent attention. In this chapter we use the knowledge and observations presented throughout the chapters on sirenians to outline a proposed standard approach for assessing welfare in individuals in wild populations, as well as guidelines for assessing captive groups of dugongs and manatees. In the wild, the suitability of the habitat and human impact on it, the limitations of carrying capacity, the dynamics of ecosystems, and the effects that the immediate environment will have on the known resident populations are examined. In captivity, we use the foundation of the Five Freedoms, based on experience derived from other captive species, and we combine this with experience from rehabilitating manatees in Europe and the United States and, more recently, dugongs in the Indo-Pacific, to identify requirements and to help us to assess the unique needs of these species when held in facilities. We present considerations and approaches to (1) holistically assess captive facilities and to assess the well-being of the individuals held in the facility, (2) derive a guideline for standard captive assessment, (3) determine if adequate welfare needs for the animals are being met, and (4) help to provide guidance on whether an animal is suitable for release after rehabilitation.
The mutable vaccine for mutable viruses

Mutable viruses, such as HIV, pose difficult obstacles to prevention and/or control by vaccination. Mutable viruses rapidly diversify in populations and in individuals, impeding development of effective vaccines. We devised the 'mutable vaccine' to appropriate the properties of mutable viruses that undermine conventional strategies. The vaccine consists of a DNA construct encoding viral antigen and regulatory sequences that upon delivery to B cells target the enzymatic apparatus of 'somatic hypermutation' causing the construct to mutate one million-times baseline rates and allowing production and presentation of antigen variants. We postulate the mutable vaccine might thus anticipate diversification of mutable viruses, allowing direct control or slowing of evolution. Initial work presented here should encourage consideration of this novel approach.
Definition and Classification of Pulmonary Hypertension in Congenital Heart Disease

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a haemodynamic and pathophysiological disorder that may involve multiple clinical conditions and can complicate various cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The current classification of PH classifies the disease based on pathological and pathophysiological findings into five groups. Pulmonary arterial hypertension related to congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD) belongs to group 1 and is further subclassified into 5 groups based on the location of the shunt, the direction of the shunt flow, dimensions of the defect, haemodynamic consequences and associated extra-cardiac anomalies. This coarse grouping into major disease groups forms the framework for clinical studies and for determining the aetiology and most appropriate treatment strategy for these patients.
Sense, Language, and Ontology in Merleau-Ponty and Hyppolite

Hyppolite stresses his proximity to Merleau-Ponty, but the received interpretation of his “anti-humanist” reading of Hegel suggests a greater distance between their projects. This paper focuses on an under-explored dimension of their philosophical relationship. I argue that Merleau-Ponty and Hyppolite are both committed to formulating a mode of philosophical expression that can avoid the pitfalls of purely formal or literal and purely aesthetic or creative modes of expression. Merleau-Ponty’s attempt to navigate this dichotomy, I suggest, closely resembles Hyppolite’s interpretation of Hegel’s “speculative” mode of expression. In particular, his emphasis on the “mediating” character of philosophical language, which moves between descriptive and creative expression, suggests a debt to Hyppolite. This reading provides more evidence to think that Hyppolite cannot be straightforwardly understood as an anti-humanist or post-phenomenological thinker, and paves the way for a rapprochement between his work and the broader phenomenological tradition.
Synchronous Chemoradiation Nanovesicles by X-Ray Triggered Cascade of Drug Release

The approach of concurrent-to-synchronous chemoradiation has now been advanced by well-designed nanovesicles that permit X-ray irradiation-triggered instant drug release. The nanovesicles consist of Au nanoparticles tethered with irradiation labile linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LAHP) molecules and oxidation-responsive poly(propylene sulfide)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PPS-PEG) polymers, where DOX were loaded in the inner core of the vesicles (Au-LAHP-vDOX). Upon irradiation, the in situ formation of hydroxyl radicals from LAHP molecules triggers the internal oxidation of PPS from being hydrophobic to hydrophilic, leading to degradation of the vesicles and burst release of cargo drugs. In this manner, synchronous chemoradiation showed impressive anticancer efficacy both in vitro and in a subcutaneous mouse tumor model by one-dose injection and one-time irradiation.
New Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases from Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: Transcript Levels in Tissues and in Cultured Cells

Partial cDNA sequences of 5 new protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPase) were obtained after PCR amplification of cDNA from vascular smooth muscle cells. On Northern blots, these sequences hybridize to messages ranging from 3.5 to 11.2 Kb. At the transcript level, the 5 PTPase genes are differentially expressed both in cultured cells and in various rat tissues. In cultured cells, one of the PTPase genes, VPTP alpha has a very narrow pattern of expression. In vivo, every PTPase gene is expressed in more than one tissue, and they all have high transcript levels in the brain. Four of the five PTPase genes show a very strong transcript up-regulation in vascular newborn smooth muscle cells plated at increased cell densities.
Crustacean Zooplankton Fatty Acid Composition

Fatty acids (FA) are among the most important molecules transferred across the plant–animal interface in aquatic food webs. Particular classes of FA, such as the n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), are important somatic growth limiting compounds for herbivorous zooplankton (Muller-Navarra 1995a; Muller-Navarra et al. 2000; Ravet et al. 2003). These molecules are also critical for the growth, disease resistance, and general well being of juvenile fish (Adams 1999; Olsen 1999; Sargent et al. 1999). Thus, knowing how nutritionally important FA are conveyed through food webs has important implications for understanding economically important fisheries. A very substantial literature shows these same molecules have a wide range of positive impacts on human health (Simopoulos 1999; Arts et al. 2001). Specific FA may also help interpret trophic relations in aquatic systems (Dalsgaard et al. 2003), as the group specific FA composition of primary producers varies greatly (Volkman et al. 1989; Ahlgren et al. 1992). Therefore, it is important to understand how much the FA composition of zooplankton is determined by taxonomic affiliation, changed by diet, and modified by starvation or temperature. It is also essential to know whether zooplankton maintain a semiconstant FA profile relative to their diets or, alternatively, bioconvert some FA into other FA molecules. This review will summarize the published information on how these factors regulate the FA composition of freshwater and marine zooplankton.
Algorithmic aspects and finite element solutions for advanced phase field approach to martensitic phase transformation under large strains

A new problem formulation and numerical algorithm for an advanced phase-field approach (PFA) to martensitic phase transformation (PT) are presented. Finite elastic and transformational strains are considered using a fully geometrically-nonlinear formulation, which includes different anisotropic elastic properties of phases. The requirements for the thermodynamic potentials and transformation deformation gradient tensor are advanced to reproduce crystal lattice instability conditions under a general stress tensor obtained by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The PFA parameters are calibrated, in particular, based on the results of MD simulations for PTs between semiconducting Si I and metallic Si II phases under complex action of all six components of the stress tensor (Levitas et al. in Phys Rev Lett 118:025701, 2017a; Phys Rev B 96:054118, 2017b). The independence of the PFA instability conditions of the prescribed stress measure is demonstrated numerically for the initiation of the PT. However, it is observed that the PT cannot be completed unless the stress exceeds the stress peak points that depend on which stress measure is prescribed. Various 3D problems on lattice instability and following nanostructure evolution in single-crystal Si are solved. The effect of stress hysteresis on the nanostructure evolution is studied through analysis of the local driving force and stress fields. It is demonstrated that variation of internal stress fields due to differing boundary conditions may lead to completely different PT mechanisms.
The Survival of the Happiest Who (Get to) Control the Resources and Procreation

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution emphasized happiness and self-control as evolutionary signs of the superior human fitness found primarily among the British upper class males. Darwin’s promotion of sexist, racist, and colonialist views of human differences underlie his scientific observations of the role of emotions among both animals and humans. This chapter also introduces alternative theories to Darwin’s “survival of the fittest in control over procreation” emphasis, including Lamarck’s contextually-focused evolutionary theory and Kropotkin’s evolutionary emphasis on “mutual aid” and interdependence. Darwinist views on human differences and emotional states are connected to the development of subsequent versions of social Darwinism, eugenics, and other forms of ideological sciences.
Improving Corporate Governance: Shareholder Activism and the Voluntary Disclosure of Climate Risks

This paper examines whether shareholder activism induces management to voluntarily disclose the firm’s exposure to climate risks. Using data for U.S. companies from the Carbon Disclosure Project (C...
The robotic Trunk-Support-Trainer (TruST) to measure and increase postural workspace during sitting in people with spinal cord injury

Cross-sectional study. To measure and expand the sitting workspace of participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) with the Trunk-Support-Trainer (TruST). Columbia University. TruST is a motorized-cable belt placed around the torso. Participants performed maximal trunk excursions along eight directions, radiating in a star-shape, to define their seated postural limits and workspace area (cm2). TruST was configured to apply “assist-as-needed” forces when the trunk moved beyond these postural limits. Kinematics were collected to examine trunk control. The clinical features of the sample (n = 5) were documented by neurological injury, dynamometry, the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure-III. Statistical significance was examined with paired t-tests. TruST successfully recreated the postural limits of participants and expanded their active sitting workspace (Mean: 123.3 ± SE: 42.8 cm2, p < 0.05). Furthermore, participants improved their trunk excursions to posterior (Mean: 5.1 ± SE: 0.8 cm, p < 0.01), right (Mean: 3.1 ± SE: 1.1 cm, p < 0.05), and left (Mean: 5.0 ± SE: 1.7 cm, p = 0.05) directions with TruST-force field. TruST can accurately define and expand the active seated workspace of people with SCI during volitional trunk movements. The capacity of TruST to deliver continuous force-feedback at the user’s postural limits opens new frontiers to implement motor learning-based paradigms to retrain functional sitting in people with SCI.
Spatial Profile and Beam Composition Measurements of the University of Wisconsin Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Laboratory Ion Guns

A custom designed and manufactured set of ion guns has been in use at the University of Wisconsin Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Laboratory for both beam fusion experiments and materials implan...
Steep (30°) uphill walking vs. running: COM movements, stride kinematics, and leg muscle excitations.

We sought to biomechanically distinguish steep uphill running from steep uphill walking and explore why athletes alternate between walking and running on steep inclines. We quantified vertical center of mass (COM) accelerations and basic stride parameters for both walking and running at a treadmill speed of 1.0 m/s on the level and up a 30° incline. We also investigated how electromyography (EMG) of the gluteus maximus (GMAX), vastus medialis (VM), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and soleus (SOL) muscles differ between gaits when ascending steep hills. The vertical COM accelerations for steep uphill walking exhibited two peaks per step of magnitude 1.47 ± 0.23 g and 0.79 ± 0.10 g. In contrast, steep running exhibited a single peak per step pattern with a magnitude of 1.81 ± 0.15 g. Steep uphill running exhibited no aerial phase, 40% faster stride frequency, and 40% shorter foot–ground contact time compared to steep uphill walking but similar leg swing times. SOL showed 36% less iEMG per stride during steep uphill running versus steep uphill walking, but all other EMG comparisons between steep running and walking were not significantly different. Multiple biomechanical variables clearly indicate that steep uphill running is a distinctly different gait from steep uphill walking and is more similar to level running. The competing desires to minimize the energetic cost of locomotion and to avoid exhaustion of the SOL may be a possible explanation for gait alternation on steep inclines.
Sensor Initiated Healthcare Packet Priority in Congested IoT Networks

Currently healthcare data packets do not get any special priority while routing through the Internet of Things (IoT) networks. These data packets flow through routers using conventional QoS process which does not guarantee that a patient’s critical health data traveling in congested IoT network will actually be routed to doctors office on time. This leaves the remote medical treatment at risk with possible threat to patients’ lives. In this paper, we studied the current healthcare packet routing process in IoT and its performance issues in congested IoT networks, then proposed a sensor driven solution to prioritize healthcare data routing in congested IoT networks. In our proposed system, we add a healthcare data identifier in IP packet header at the sensor level, modify QoS software at the network router level, and provide the highest priority to healthcare data packet routing based on the healthcare data identifier seen at router QoS. A prototype has been built and tested by using TI Launchpads. Test data shows that healthcare packets with an identifier can route to doctors at 80% less latency than healthcare packets routed without an identifier. Additionally, the proposed system saves medical diagnostic cost, and more importantly, reduces the risk of losing human lives. A shorter version of this analysis has also been presented to IEEE conference. The detail analysis in this paper opens up multiple avenues for further research.
Reverse pseudohyperkalemia is more than leukocytosis: a retrospective study.

Background Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening electrolyte abnormality that often requires urgent treatment. Clinicians should distinguish true hyperkalemia from pseudohyperkalemia and reverse pseudohyperkalemia (RPK). RPK has exclusively been described in case reports of patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) and extreme leukocytosis [white blood cell (WBC) count >200 × 103/mL]. Methods This single-center retrospective study analyzed laboratory data from the Mount Sinai Data Warehouse between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2016 for plasma potassium and serum potassium samples drawn within 1 h of each other, with plasma potassium ≥1 mEq/L of the serum potassium. Only plasma potassium ≥5 mEq/L were included. Samples that were documented to be hemolyzed or contaminated were excluded. Clinical history and laboratory data were collected from the identified cases. Results After applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria to 485 potential cases, the final cohort included 45 cases from 41 patients. There were 24 men and 17 women with a mean age of 52 years. The median plasma potassium was 6.1 mEq/L and serum potassium was 4.4 mEq/L. The median WBC count was 9.35 × 103/mL (interquartile range 6.5-19.7 × 103/mL). Only 44% of the samples had leukocytosis, defined as WBC >11 × 103/mL.Seven patients had a HM and comprised 11 of the cases (24%) with a median WBC of 181.8 × 103µL. There was no difference in their plasma and serum potassium levels when compared with the total cohort, despite a higher median WBC count. Thirty-eight percent of the cases required medical management. Conclusions The literature on RPK is limited to case reports and series associated with extreme leukocytosis. This is the first study characterizing RPK predominantly associated with normal leukocyte counts. Further investigation is required to more precisely characterize factors associated with RPK and to elucidate RPK mechanisms.
Conserved actin machinery drives microtubule-independent motility and phagocytosis in Naegleria

Much of our understanding of actin-driven phenotypes in eukaryotes has come from the "yeast-to-human" opisthokont lineage and the related amoebozoa. Outside of these groups lies the genus Naegleria, which shared a common ancestor with humans >1 billion years ago and includes the "brain-eating amoeba." Unlike nearly all other known eukaryotic cells, Naegleria amoebae lack interphase microtubules; this suggests that actin alone drives phenotypes like cell crawling and phagocytosis. Naegleria therefore represents a powerful system to probe actin-driven functions in the absence of microtubules, yet surprisingly little is known about its actin cytoskeleton. Using genomic analysis, microscopy, and molecular perturbations, we show that Naegleria encodes conserved actin nucleators and builds Arp2/3-dependent lamellar protrusions. These protrusions correlate with the capacity to migrate and eat bacteria. Because human cells also use Arp2/3-dependent lamellar protrusions for motility and phagocytosis, this work supports an evolutionarily ancient origin for these processes and establishes Naegleria as a natural model system for studying microtubule-independent cytoskeletal phenotypes.
Population Management Approach to Kidney Stone Care Improves Patient Compliance to Preventive Measures and Reduces Resource Utilization in Patients at High Risk for Stone Recurrence

AbstractIntroduction:Nephrolithiasis is a chronic condition with 5 to 10-year recurrence rates as high as 50%. Stone recurrence can be reduced by implementing American Urological Association kidney...
Observations on Wuhan Residents’ Diaries

The COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed explosive production of diaries characterized by first-person, spontaneous expressions and contents filled with daily experiences in the context marking the virus as the new norm. The city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus infection first emerged and robust medical practices were first implemented, is no exception in this regard. During the 76-day Wuhan quarantine, numerous diaries of various presentation forms were created on Chinese social media platforms by Wuhan ordinary residents, forming a unique set of data for scholarly consultation from a micro perspective. This essay argues for the necessity of examining this particular body of literature, and on this premise, offers reflections and observations through both existing scholarship and evidence found in those diaries. An overlapping relationship between the ordinary and the extraordinary, created by the quotidian everyday life and the exceptionality of the situation in Wuhan respectively, is particularly noted and carried along to showcase the “slow violence” caused by the pandemic and quarantine policy to Wuhan residents’ daily life. Critically, this essay also argues that the activity of creating diaries per se functions as an outlet of “dis-ease” emotions via communication between diary producers and audience in a shared temporality.
Predicting Retail Mobility during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Much has changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer behavior notwithstanding. In this study, we explore the drivers of retail mobility in several metropolitan areas in the United States under the perceived risks of COVID-19. We measure risk using both local and national case and death counts of COVID-19 and assess the response to these risks using real-time Google Trends searches for personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant. We further investigate the effects of perceived risk, Google Trends searches for PPE, and COVID-19 tweets on retail mobility, as measured via real-time Google Mobility data. We focus our analysis on the period immediately preceding and following the formal declaration of a pandemic when the first nation-wide social distancing policies were implemented, and uncertainty regarding the severity and transmissibility of the virus was the highest. To conduct our investigation, we develop a novel optimization scheme and procedure to induce linear models containing strictly significant covariates and no multicollinearity, which we then analyze. Our findings suggest that there are a variety of unique factors that contribute to and drive retail mobility in different geographic locations, as well as several factors that are common to all locations.
Recent Evolution in the Management of Lymph Node Metastases in Melanoma.

Introduction. Based upon two large randomized international clinical trials (German Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group (DeCOG-SLT) and Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial II (MSLT-II)) which were published in 2016 and 2017, respectively, active surveillance has been demonstrated to have equivalent survival outcomes to completion lymphadenectomy (CLND) for a subset of patients who have microscopic lymph node disease. In this study, we examined the changes in national practice patterns regarding the utilization of CLND after positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Methods. Using the National Cancer Database, we examined CLND utilization in SLN-positive patients diagnosed with melanoma between 2012 and 2016. A hierarchal logistical regression model with hospital-level random intercepts was constructed to examine the factors associated with SLNB followed by observation vs. SLNB with CLND. Results. Of the 148,982 patients identified, 43% (n = 63,358) underwent SLNB, and 10.3% (n = 6,551) had a SLNB with microscopic disease. CLND was performed for 57% (n = 2,817) of these patients. Patients were more likely to undergo CLND if they were < 55 years of age (OR, 0.687; p = <0.0001), ages 56 - 65 (OR, 0.886; p = 0.0237), Charlson Deyo Score = 0 (OR, 0.859; p = 0.0437), or were diagnosed with melanoma in 2012 (OR, 0.794, p = <0.0001). Conclusions. We found the utilization of CLND among patients with microscopic nodal melanoma to be significantly lower in 2016 compared to 2012. Younger age, lack of comorbidities, and primary tumor location on the trunk or head/neck were associated with higher utilization of CLND.
A Model-Based Analysis of Supraspinal Mechanisms of Inter-Leg Coordination in Human Gait: Toward Model-Informed Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation

Stroke survivors are often left suffering from gait instability due to hemiparesis. This gait dysfunction can lead to higher fall rates and an overall decrease in quality of life. Though there are many post-stroke gait rehabilitation methods in use currently, none of them allow patients to regain complete functionality. Interlimb coordination is one of the main mechanisms of walking and is usually overlooked in most post-stroke gait rehabilitation protocols. This work attempts to help further understand the mechanism of interlimb coordination and how the brain is involved in it, studying the contralateral response to unilateral stiffness perturbations. A unique robotic device, the Variable Stiffness Treadmill (VST), is used in conjunction with a pre-established neuromuscular gait model to analyze for the first time the supraspinal control mechanisms involved in inter-leg coordination induced after unilateral perturbations. The attempt to explain the observed kinematic and muscular activation data via the gait model results in the identification of two control variables that seem to play an important role in gait stability and recovery after perturbations: the target angle of attack and target hip to ankle span. This is significant because these two parameters are directly related to longer stride length and larger foot clearance during swing phase. Both variables work toward correcting common issues with hemiparetic gait, such as a shorter stride and toe drag during swing phase of the paretic leg. The results of this work could aid in the design of future model-based stroke rehabilitation methods that would perturb the subject in a systematic way and allow targeted interventions with specific functional outcomes on gait. Additionally, this work—along with future studies—could assist in improving controllers for robust bipedal robots as well as our understanding of how the brain controls balance during perturbed walking.