cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sulfasalazine in the rheumatic disease.

M OST PHYSICIANS are familiar with sulfasalazine (SSZ) as an agent commonly used to treat inflammatory bowel disease for more than 40 years. In 1978, McConkey et al reported preliminary studies suggesting that this sulfonamide might be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).’ The use of SSZ arose from earlier open and controlled trials with a sulfone, dapsone, which had demonstrable efficacy in RA, but the benefits were accompanied by relatively frequent, often unacceptable adverse effects.’ Dapsone was effective in dermatitis herpetiformis, presumably because of immunosuppressive activity. Another therapeutic agent for this skin disorder was sulfapyridine (SP), a drug with a poor record of gastric tolerance. Therefore, McConkey et al elected to try SSZ, a compound that released sulfapyridine in the bowel after passage through the stomach. Ironically, McConkey was initially unaware that SSZ had been synthesized specifically to treat RA in the late 1930s. In 1980, McConkey et al reported their open experience with SSZ in 74 patients treated for up to 1 year.3 The improvement in erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and clinical score (a global evaluation) was similar to that achieved with the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and appeared somewhat sooner, often within 2 months. Moreover, although adverse effects were frequent, they were seldom of sufficient severity to discontinue treatment. This encouraging report led to several controlled trials in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, all confirming the efficacy of this interesting agent. The first study in the United States has been reported4 and, although SSZ has not been
Substrate Preference in Calymperaceae: Calymperes, Mitthyridium, and Syrrhopodon

Substrate preferences of 87 taxa in Calymperes, Mitthyridium, and Syrrhopodon (Calymperaceae), as determined from label data on herbarium specimens, vary at the generic level as well as among the specific and subspecific taxa. The bark of trees and lianas is the most preferred substrate. Mitthyridium is most constant to the bark substrate, followed by Calymperes and then Syrrhopodon. Nineteen taxa of Syrrhopodon (38% of the 50 taxa studied), 14 taxa of Calymperes (50% of the 28 taxa studied), and six taxa of Mitthyridium (67% of the nine taxa studied), were 50 percent or more constant to bark; this trend reflects the presumed direction of evolutionary specialization of the genera. Preference for other substrates varies according to genus: rock is the second most common substrate for Calymperes, and dead wood is second for Mitthyridium and Syrrhopodon. The tree base habitat is also of importance for the three genera. Soil as a substrate is of least importance for Mitthyridium (a sample of one taxon collected on soil), intermediate for Calymperes (samples of 10 taxa: 36% of the 28 taxa), and of greater importance for Syrrhopodon (samples of 30 taxa: 60% of the 50 taxa).
The Ciset Relational Algebra

In this chapter we introduce the ciset relational operations. These operations extend traditional relational operations. We begin our discussion with set theoretic operations.
Perceived stress, unhealthy eating behaviors, and severe obesity in low-income women

Background Stress has been associated with poor eating behaviors and diet quality, as well as high body mass index (BMI). Low-income women may be particularly vulnerable to stress and severe obesity. Yet it is unknown how stress increases the risk of severe obesity through disordered eating behaviors and poor diet quality or through mechanisms independent of diet.
Levels of Leadership

In todays organizations, leaders need to be able to influence employees to be motivated and committed to high performance; no longer can managers simply get by dealing with employees only through a power relationship or by telling employees what to do. Leaders need to look beyond behavior (level one) to their employees thinking (level two) and their VABEs (values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations--level three) about their lives, the world, their work, and so on. This note explains the differences between these three levels of human activity.
Molecular Biology and Genetics of Human Prion Diseases and PrP Amyloid Plaque Formation

Prion diseases include kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) of humans, as well as scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) of animals. For many years, the prion dis-eases were thought to be caused by viruses, despite intriguing evidence to the contrary (Alper et al. 1966, 1967, 1978). The unique characteristic common to all of these disorders, whether sporadic, dominantly inherited or acquired by infection, is that they involve the aberrant metabolism of the prion protein (PrP; Prusiner 1991). In many cases, the cellular prion protein (PrPC) is converted into the scrapie isoform (PrPSc) by a post-translational process which involves a conformational change. Often, the human prion diseases are transmissible to experimental animals (Gajdusek et al. 1966; Gibbs et al. 1968; Masters et al. 1981a; Tateishi et al. 1992) and all of the inherited prion diseases segregate with PrP gene mutations (Dlouhy et al. 1992; Gabizon et al. 1993; Hsiao et al. 1989a; Petersen et al. 1992; Poulter et al. 1992).
Survey Results of Green Infrastructure Implementation in New Jersey

AbstractAn online survey was undertaken to document the extent of green infrastructure (GI) installations throughout New Jersey at the municipal level and to determine the barriers to implementation of these techniques for the state’s municipalities. An in-depth online survey was sent to various officials in each of the state’s municipalities. Responses were received from 147 (26%) of New Jersey’s 565 municipalities. Of the respondents, 108 (74%) already had at least one GI practice installed in their town, with rain gardens being the most popular practice with installations in 91 municipalities (62%). Reducing stormwater runoff was the most common primary motivating factor for GI installations with 19 affirmative responses (13%), while climate change adaptation was not chosen by any respondents. Funding was stated as the primary barrier to GI installation, but many municipalities had not applied for grants to defray costs. Despite the lack of state incentives and inconsistent municipal conformance with c...
A severe red tide (Tampa Bay, 2005) causes an anomalous decrease in biological sound

Although harmful algal blooms (HABs) are known to cause morbidity and mortality in marine organisms, their sublethal effects are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to compare ambient noise levels during a severe HAB event in Tampa Bay, Florida, to those during non-HAB periods. Passive acoustic monitoring was conducted using bottom-mounted autonomous acoustic recorders during a severe HAB in summer 2005, and in summers 2006, 2011 and 2012 (non-severe HAB years). Ambient noise levels were significantly higher during the non-HAB years due to an abundance of snapping shrimp (Alpheidae) sounds and fish chorusing. The difference of sound intensity between the study years is most likely attributable to effects of the HAB on the abundance and/or behaviour of fish and snapping shrimp as a result of mortality and stress-induced behavioural modifications.
A New High-Order Immersed Interface Method for Multi- Phase Flow Simulation

Numerical simulation of two-phase flow with imbedded interface of discontinuity is challenging in two major aspects. First, the interface can undergo change, merge and breakup during the course of the simulation. Examples of current successful methods in modeling flow with interface are, among others, the volume-of-fluid method, fronttracking method, and level-set method. Second, flow variables and their derivatives can be discontinuous across the interface. This discontinuity poses severe limitation on the accuracy of commonly used numerical methods. Current available methods in treating the interface discontinuity, such as the immersed boundary method and the ghost fluid method, are mostly first order accurate. Though the immersed interface method of LeVeque and Li (1994) can be globally second order, it is often difficult to apply to complex multi-dimensional flow. This paper presents a new high-order immersed interface method for elliptic equations with imbedded interface of discontinuity. The new method can be arbitrarily high-order accurate, and it can be easily applied to practical two-phase flow because only the physical jump conditions for variables and their first derivatives are needed in the finite difference formulas. In addition, the new interface difference formulas are expressed in a general explicit form so that they can be applied to different multi-dimensional problems without any modification. The new interface algorithms of up to accuracy have been tested for one and two-dimensional elliptic equations with imbedded interface. The extension to practical two-phase flow applications will be presented in a future paper.
A path-analytic study of the consequences of role conflict and ambiguity.

The article presents information on a study which investigated the consequences of role conflict and ambiguity for job tension, job satisfaction, and propensity to leave an organization through the...
Tuning in to the RTLM: Tracking the Evolution of Language Alongside the Rwandan Genocide Using Social Identity Theory

Transcripts from radio broadcasts that aired in pre-, early-, and late-genocide Rwanda were content analyzed from a social identity theory perspective to examine whether language use was consistent...
Gender Status, Monotheism, and Social Complexity: Response to Gray

Although we are pleased with Gray's interest in our work on subsistence pattern, monotheism, and gender status, we disagree with three major points of his critique. We will discuss these points of contention in logical order, not necessarily the order of importance. The first point concerns the literature on this topic, the second, Gray's criticisms of our coding procedures and his procedures for correcting our "errors," and, the third, his assertion that social complexity explains the supposedly spurious relation we had found.
Carbon speciation in silicate-C-O-H melt and fluid as a function of redox conditions: An experimental study, in situ to 1.7 GPa and 900 C

Carbon speciation in and partitioning among silicate-saturated C-O-H fluids and (C-O-H)-saturated melts have been determined ~1.7 GPa and 900 °C under reducing and oxidizing conditions. The measurements were conducted in situ while the samples were at the conditions of interest. The solution equilibria were (1) 2CH 4 + Q n = 2CH 3 − + H 2 O + Q n+1 and (2) 2CO 3 2− + H 2 O + 2Q n+1 = HCO 3 − + 2Q n , under reducing and oxidizing conditions, and where the superscript, n , in the Q n -species denotes number of bridging oxygen in the silicate species (Q-species). The abundance ratios, CH 3 /CH 4 and HCO 3 − /CO 3 2− , increase with temperature. The enthalpy change associated with the species transformation differs for fluids and melts and also for oxidized and reduced carbon [Reducing: Δ H (1) fluid = 16 ± 5 kJ/mol, Δ H (1) melt = 50 ± 5 kJ/mol; oxidizing Δ H (2) fluid = 81 ± 14 kJ/mol]. For the exchange equilibrium of CH 4 and CH 3 species between fluid and melt, the temperature-dependent equilibrium constant, (X CH 4 /X CH 3 ) fluid /(X CH 4 /X CH 3 ) melt , yields Δ H = 34 ± 3 kJ/mol. Increased abundance ratios, CH 4 /CH 3 and HCO 3 − /CO 3 2− , lead to increased polymerization of silicate+(C-O-H) melt. Because of such relations, melt transport properties (e.g., viscosity) and element partition coefficients between magmatic liquids, C-O-H fluids, and crystalline phases can vary by more than 100% with speciation changes of C-bearing volatiles upper mantle. These structure effects are more pronounced the higher the pressure and the more mafic the magma.
Computer Graphics Procedural Modeling of Soil Structure

Soil scientists in the USA have created a large national database of written soil profile descriptions that follow a well-defined set of rules for describing soil morphological properties. Interpreting these soil descriptions is a skill that requires considerable practice and experience. While writing a soil description is straightforward, recreating a visual representation of a soil profile from a written description is very difficult. So far, there is no generalized approach for translating written or tabular soil descriptions into visual representations. We propose a novel procedural modeling approach inspired by procedural models commonly used in the field of computer graphics. Our framework takes tabular soil morphological data (i.e., soil profile descriptions) as textual input and translates it into visual features based on parametric models. These models can be used to generate two-dimensional soil profiles or to generate three-dimensional interactive models that allow rotation, scaling, and other forms of visual explorations. The procedural modeling technique enables the user to generate the soil profile visual representation with only a small amount of data. The images do not need to be stored because they are generated as needed.
State Entrepreneurial Climate Estimates: An Update Based on the Kauffman Index

The study uses the Kauffman Index (KI) of entrepreneurial activity (Fairlie 2008) and Solow-type residuals from a year-to-year change (dKI) model to update and expand on an earlier attempt to estimate entrepreneurial climates for each state. Patent activity and human capital are found to be associated with intensifying entrepreneurial activity. However, financial investments typically associated with innovation tend to depress entrepreneurial activity, possibly due to a crowding-out effect. Higher local unemployment rates are associated with more entrepreneurial activity, reflecting entrepreneurship of necessity as opposed to opportunity. While greater labor market freedom clearly encourages entrepreneurship, higher levels of healthcare premiums paid by small businesses discourage such activity. Based on the Kauffman Index, Tennessee, Wyoming, California, Delaware and New York have the best entrepreneurial climates; West Virginia, Alabama, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Connecticut rank at the bottom.
Correlation Analysis on Irradiated Dosage and Lymphocyte Micronucleus Among Radiological Workers

Objective To explore relationship between low-level exposure to radiation and peripheral lymphocyte micronucleus(PLM) in the radiological workers,and to provide scientific basis for studying biological effect of low level ionizing radiation.Method The personal exposure levels were monitored by personal radiation exposure dosimeter for 598 radiological workers from hospitals and enterprises for 3 years,and the peripheral lymphocyte micronucleus were determined for assessment of exposure-response relationship.Result The rate of PLM and micronucleus Positive detection rate of radiological workers was significantly higher than that of control groups.And among radiological workers,the rate of PLM of workers from industrial detection departments and town-owned hospitals were higher than that of city-owned hospitals.The PLM rate and micronucleus positive detection rate revealed positive curvilinear correlation with exposure duration(r=0.962,0.957,P0.01),positive linear correlation with irradiated dosage(r=0.967,0.996,P0.01) and positive linear correlation with accumulated irradiated dosage(r=0.967,0.996,P0.01).Conclusion Lowlevel exposure to radiation can induce genetic damage in the radiological workers,and more effective protections should be improved.
Multidimensional Reconstruction From Irregular Samples

We extend Grochenig’s solution for the irregular sampling problem for bandlimited functions. We show that the algorithm can be extended to functions on a n-dimensional domain when only local averages of the function are known.
High-Pressure Reactivity of Triptycene Probed by Raman Spectroscopy

The high-pressure reactivity of caged olefinic carbons and polyatomic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of interest because of their ability to produce unique C–H networks with varying geometries and bonding environments. Here, we have selected triptycene to explore the creation of pores via high-pressure polymerization. Triptycene has internal free volume on a molecular scale that arises due to its paddle wheel-like structure, formed via fusion of three benzene rings via sp3-hybridized bridgehead carbon sites. At 25 GPa and 298 K, triptycene polymerizes to yield an amorphous hydrogenated carbon, with FTIR indicating an sp3 C–H content of approximately 40%. Vibrational spectroscopy conclusively demonstrates that triptycene polymerizes via cycloaddition reactions at the aromatic sites via a ring opening mechanism. The bridgehead carbons remain intact after polymerization, indicating the rigid backbone of the triptycene precursor is retained in the polymer, as well as molecular-level (∼1–3 A) internal free v...
Electrochemical and morphological studies of ionic polymer metal composites as stress sensors

Abstract Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) are the backbone of a wide range of ionic devices. IPMC mechanoelectric sensors are advanced nanostructured transducers capable of converting mechanical strain into easily detectable electric signal. Such attribute is realized by ion mobilization in and through IPMC nanostructure. In this study we have investigated electrochemical and morphological characteristics of IPMCs by varying the morphology of their metal composite component (conductive network composite (CNC)). We have demonstrated the dependence of electrochemical properties on CNC nanostructure as well as mechanoelectrical performance of IPMC sensors as a function of CNC morphology. It is shown that the morphology of CNC can be used as a means to improve sensitivity of IPMC sensors by 3–4 folds.
Binding Operators for Nominal Sets

Abstract The theory of nominal sets is a rich mathematical framework for studying syntax and variable binding. Within it, we can describe several binding disciplines and derive convenient reasoning principles that respect α-equivalence. In this article, we introduce the notion of binding operator, a novel construction on nominal sets that unifies and generalizes many forms of binding proposed in the literature. We present general results about these operators, including sufficient conditions for validly using them in inductive definitions of nominal sets.
New Technology and Deep Space

This chapter examines technology required for deep space missions. Issues dealing with propulsion, radiation, and communication are addressed. The challenges of creating and storing food and water for long-term human survival are discussed. NASA plant physiologist Dr. Ray Wheeler talks about the challenge of growing food on a planet with an extreme environment such as seen in the current movie “The Martian”.
Adaptive-critic-based optimal neurocontrol for synchronous generators in a power system using MLP/RBF neural networks

This paper presents a novel optimal neurocontroller that replaces the conventional controller (CONVC),which consists of the automatic voltage regulator (AVR) and turbine governor, to control a synchronous generator in a power system using a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPN) and a radial basis function neural network (RBFN). The heuristic dynamic programming (HDP) based on the adaptive critic design (ACD) technique is used for the design of the neurocontroller. The performance of the MLPN based HDP neurocontroller (MHDPC) is compared with the RBFN based HDP neurocontroller (RHDPC) for small as well as large disturbances to a power system, and they are in turn compared with the CONVC. Simulation results are presented to show that the proposed neurocontrollers provide stable convergence with robustness, and the RHDPC outperforms the MHDPC and CONVC in terms of system damping and transient improvement.
Cardiac magnetic resonance in cardiac angiosarcoma.

Background While echocardiography is effective for initial identification of anatomic location, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a more advantageous modality for delineating tumor expanse, spread, and blood supply preoperatively. Emerging patterns may even help generate a specific diagnosis prior to biopsy and histopathology. Case Presentation Our case of a 67-year-old male referred for cardiac magnetic resonance to further evaluate a cardiac mass highlights the sophisticated level of data which can be collected. Our case highlights the perfusion related findings associated with cardiac angiosarcoma. Conclusion In this case, we present the diagnosis of right atrial cardiac angiosarcoma by multiple imaging modalities including MRI and subsequent angiography, allowing for prompt surgical intervention and initiation of adjuvant therapy that resulted in a survival time of 19 months.
Thoracic aortic aneurysms: state of the art and current controversies

Introduction: Complications of thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), including aortic rupture and dissection, are often catastrophic and prophylactic intervention can be lifesaving. Controversies exist ...
Epidemiology, management and outcome of ultrashort bowel syndrome in infancy

Ultrashort bowel syndrome (USBS) is a group of heterogeneous disorders where the length of small bowel is less than 10 cm or 10% of expected for the age. It is caused by massive loss of the gut which in the neonatal period can be a result of vanishing gastroschisis or surgical resection following mid-gut volvulus, jejunoileal atresia and/or extensive necrotising enterocolitis. The exact prevalence of USBS is not known although there is a clear trend towards increasing numbers because of increased incidence and improved survival. Long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) is the mainstay of treatment and is best delivered by a multidisciplinary intestinal rehabilitation team. Promoting adaptation is vital to improving long-term survival and can be achieved by optimising feeds, reducing intestinal failure liver disease and catheter-related bloodstream infections. Surgical techniques that can promote enteral tolerance and hence improve outcome include establishing intestinal continuity and bowel lengthening procedures. The outcome for USBS is similar to patients with intestinal failure due to other causes and only a small proportion of children who develop irreversible complications of PN and will need intestinal transplantation. In this review, we will summarise the available evidence focusing particularly on the epidemiology, management strategies and outcome.
Hepatobiliary scanning standards fail to identify symptomatic patients with chronic acalculous cholecystitis

Background: Patients with chronic biliary colic-like pain and normal transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) typically undergo nuclear hepatobiliary imaging (HIDA) with cholecystokinin (CCK) injection and gall bladder ejection fraction (EF) calculation to identify gallbladder dyskinesia. Most literature suggests EF£35% indicates biliarydyskinesia. We hypothesize that presence of chronic biliary colic-like symptoms predicts favorable outcome after cholecystectomy (CCY) in patients with normal hepatobiliary imaging.Methods: A retrospective review of 1295 patients who underwent laparoscopic CCY from January 2006 to December 2010 in a tertiary care institution was completed. Patients with gallstones on TUS or diagnostically abnormal HIDA scans were excluded. Symptom reproduction upon CCK injection was not considered for inclusion criteria but was noted upon chart review. Patient outcome, favorable or unfavorable, was determined from postoperative follow-up.Results: One hundred and six patients (8.19%) with normal TUS and HIDA scans were included in the final analysis. Ninety-six patients (90.6%) reported a favorable outcome (i.e., significant improvement or complete resolution of their symptoms) on follow-up. Ninety-three patients with favorable outcomes and six patients with unfavorable outcomes presented with an initial complaint of right upper quadrant (RUQ) and/or epigastric pain (p=0.001, sensitivity=95.9%, PPV=93.9%). Sixty-eight patients with favorable outcomes and one patient with an unfavorable outcome presented with an initial complaint of postprandial RUQ and/or epigastric pain (p<0.001, specificity=90.0%, PPV=98.6%).Conclusion: Hepatobiliary imaging fails to identify all patients suffering from chronic acalculous cholecystitis. Presence of chronic biliary colic-like symptoms predicts benefit from CCY.
Potencies of Vitamin Ki and of 2-Methyl-1, 4-Naphthoquinone:

In a previous investigation1 we have confirmed the report of the marked antihemorrhagic activity of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone.2 A careful comparison of the potencies of this compound and of pure vitamin K1 by our 18-hour procedure3 showed that the latter is approximately one-half as active as the former. In view of this observation and the report that by the 6-hour procedure vitamin Ki is only 1/30 as potent as 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone,4 it seems desirable to publish the results that we have obtained in a comparison of the potencies of the two compounds by the 6-hour observation period.Experimental. In our experiments, we have used for the evaluation of the response of the chicks: (1) the percentage of chicks showing a clotting time of less than 10 minutes;3 (2) the mean clotting time; (3) the mean prothrombin time.5 Following Ansbacher's suggestion, a solution of the compound in cod liver oil was administered and the blood drawn 6 hours later for the evaluation of the reaction. Each assay included t...
Enhancing the Nature-of-Activities Account of Enhancement

Many find it intuitive that those who use enhancements like steroids and Adderall in Olympic weightlifting and education are due less praise than those who perform equally well without using these enhancements. Nonetheless, it is not easy to coherently explain why one might be justifiably due less praise for using these technologies to enhance one’s performance. Justifications for this intuition which rely on concerns regarding authenticity, cheating, or shifts in who is responsible for the performance face serious problems. Santoni de Sio et al., however, have recently defended a justification for this intuition which avoids the problems competing justifications face; the nature-of-activities justification. This justification relies on a conceptual analysis of the nature of activities and does not require the defense of any particular ethical stance concerning the use of enhancements. Santoni de Sio et al. claim that the success of the nature-of-activities account requires distinguishing between practice-oriented activities and goal-directed activities. I, however, show that this distinction is both deeply problematic and unnecessary. After exposing the weaknesses of Santoni de Sio et al.’s original account, I defend a simpler and less problematic version of the nature-of-activities account. The revised account is capable of both justifying this intuition of less praise and allowing one to determine when enhancements should be deemed permissible, impermissible, or obligatory for a given activity.
Which Chart Elements Accurately Identify Emergency Department Visits for Suicidal Ideation or Behavior

In an emergency department (ED) sample, we investigated the concordance between identification of suicide-related visits through standardized comprehensive chart review versus a subset of 3 specifi...
Workspace clearance and access dimensions and design guidelines

Abstract In designing efficient workspaces it is necessary not only to accommodate the variations in the physical size of the work force but also to ensure that operators have adequate clearances for free movement of their limbs. Proper operation of controls, equipment, and tools and maintainability requirements further dictate consideration of accessibility. In this chapter, the problems associated with working in confined spaces are briefly discussed and design recommendations for various clearance and access dimensions are reviewed and summarized. It is concluded that existing design recommendations are scanty and, occasionally, contradictory.
Technophobia without boarders: The influence of technophobia and emotional intelligence on technology acceptance and the moderating influence of organizational climate

Abstract The link between technology-induced phobia and technology avoidance is well established in the literature. But a major limitation of previous studies is that they examine technophobia within the narrow context of computers and the body of literature lacks studies that examine the impact of technophobia, in general, on technology acceptance. The current study examines two independent variables, technophobia and emotional intelligence influence on technology acceptance. To measure technophobia, a novel approach was used that examine technology, in general, using five sub-dimensions. Finally, the moderating influence of organizational climate on the correlation was examined. The results of the data analysis support the suggested framework and provide a much-needed insight on how understanding and assessing factors like technophobia and emotional intelligence can help companies to adopt new technologies. Finally, the current study encourages future researchers to examine technophobia outside of computers using a couple of scales that are mentioned in the study.
The Neuromuscular Manifestations of Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Humans

The clinical manifestations of primary hyperparathyroidism can be of an immense spectrum from no symptomatology to the severest expression of the disease with renal stones, bone pain and fractures, gastrointestinal complaints, and neuropsychiatric manifestations. It is the purpose of this discussion to focus on the neuromuscular manifestations of hyperparathyroidism and to see whether parathyroid hormone (PTH) by itself or the other biochemical alterations induced by increased circulating levels of PTH, such as hypercalcemia or hypophosphatemia, can be implicated in the neuromuscular aberrations attributed to hyperparathyroidism.
Gabriel Marcel's approach to recognizing presence: being, body, and invocation

Challenges in ascertaining human presence in technologically mediated communication invite reflection on how communicators recognize human presence. Twentieth-century French philosopher Gabriel Mar...
Highly Efficient, Exact Quadratures for Three-Dimensional Discrete Ordinates Transport Calculations

AbstractSince the introduction of the angular segmentation or Sn method some 60 years ago, there have been many advances in the understanding of the method and many improvements to it. Indeed, the Sn method is now a widely used technique for deterministic solution of the transport equation. For three-dimensional (3-D) calculations, the method relies on numerical quadratures for the sphere, which integrate certain subspaces of spherical harmonics. The construction of such quadratures can be difficult. Here we report the development of new, highly efficient quadratures for the sphere that are invariant under the icosahedral rotation group. We compare the efficiency of the standard level-symmetric quadratures commonly used for 3-D Sn calculations and see that the new quadratures can be as much as 70% more efficient than the standard quadratures.
Computational science: a hard statistical view.

The sheer number of variables and logical conditions makes some computing problems seem intractable. Statistical physics, normally used to study huge groups of interacting particles, can supply powerful tools to crack them.
Incidence and Location of Atelectasis Developed During Bronchoscopy Under General Anesthesia: The I-LOCATE Trial.

Background Despite the many advances in peripheral bronchoscopy, its diagnostic yield remains suboptimal. With the use of cone-beam CT imaging we have found atelectasis mimicking lung tumors or obscuring them when using radial-probe endobronchial ultrasound (RP-EBUS), but its incidence remains unknown. Research Question What are the incidence, anatomic location, and risk factors for developing atelectasis during bronchoscopy under general anesthesia? Study Design and Methods We performed a prospective observational study in which patients undergoing peripheral bronchoscopy under general anesthesia were subject to an atelectasis survey carried out by RP-EBUS under fluoroscopic guidance. The following dependent segments were evaluated: right bronchus 2 (RB2), RB6, RB9, and RB10; and left bronchus 2 (LB2), LB6, LB9, and LB10. Images were categorized either as aerated lung (“snowstorm” pattern) or as having a nonaerated/atelectatic pattern. Categorization was performed by three independent readers. Results Fifty-seven patients were enrolled. The overall intraclass correlation agreement among readers was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.71-0.89). Median time from anesthesia induction to atelectasis survey was 33 min (range, 3-94 min). Fifty-one patients (89%; 95% CI, 78%-96%) had atelectasis in at least one of the eight evaluated segments, 45 patients (79%) had atelectasis in at least three, 41 patients (72%) had atelectasis in at least four, 33 patients (58%) had atelectasis in at least five, and 18 patients (32%) had atelectasis in at least six segments. Right and left B6, B9, and B10 segments showed atelectasis in > 50% of patients. BMI and time to atelectasis survey were associated with increased odds of having more atelectatic segments (BMI: OR, 1.13 per unit change; 95% CI, 1.034-1.235; P = .007; time to survey: OR, 1.064 per minute; 95% CI, 1.025-1.105; P = .001). Interpretation The incidence of atelectasis developing during bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in dependent lung zones is high, and the number of atelectatic segments is greater with higher BMI and with longer time under anesthesia. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov ; No.: NCT03523689; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov .
Simulating effects of heterogeneous 4He concentration profiles and radiation damage annealing on whole-grain zircon diffusivity analyses

Abstract The retrieval of accurate thermal histories recorded by the (U-Th)/He system relies on empirical estimates of diffusion kinetics from natural minerals, although the difficulty in obtaining samples with homogeneous gas concentrations (required for accurate diffusivities) has limited the collection of such datasets. Whole-grain analyses are relatively time- and cost-effective, but natural 4He concentration heterogeneities caused by α-ejection, diffusional rounding, and/or parent nuclide zonation present an unquantified source of error. We employ a 1D spherical finite difference diffusion model to simulate effects of natural sources of He concentration heterogeneities, with a focus on the zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) system. Using He concentration profiles affected by various natural heterogeneities, models consistently predict that diffusion kinetics are strongly underestimated using such methods, especially at low gas release fractions. These underestimations are driven by He depletion near the grain boundary caused by α-ejection, and exacerbated by U and Th depletion. Conversely, models with parent nuclide (and therefore He) enrichment near the grain boundary compensate for ejection-based loss, yielding more accurate diffusion kinetics overall. A comparison of these results to real step-heating data yields few similarities, however, with He releases from real zircons either being linear in Arrhenius space, or having anomalously high diffusivities at low fractional releases. Radiation damage and its annealing are also significant factors affecting He diffusional mechanics. Using diffusivities and annealing as predicted by the current ZHe forward model, cycled step-heating of high-dose zircons (>1 × 1018 α/g) predict that diffusion decreases consistently with increased heating temperatures, similar to observations. The forward model predicts that annealing beyond this threshold dose should increase diffusivity, which is not observed, however. These results suggest that whole-grain step-heating data may provide a reasonable proxy for empirically measuring damage annealing kinetics in zircon. Major discrepancies between model results and real data reveal the need for more cycled-step heating data to understand the full complexities of He diffusion dynamics.
Comparison of hierarchical EMAX and NDLM models in dose-response for early phase clinical trials

Phase II clinical trials primarily aim to find the optimal dose and investigate the relationship between dose and efficacy relative to standard of care (control). Therefore, before moving forward to a phase III confirmatory trial, the most effective dose is needed to be identified. The primary endpoint of a phase II trial is typically a binary endpoint of success or failure. The EMAX model, ubiquitous in pharmacology research, was fit for many compounds and described the data well, except for a single compound, which had nonmonotone dose–response (Thomas et al., Stat Biopharmaceutical Res. 6:302-317 2014). To mitigate the risk of nonmonotone dose response one of the alternative options is a Bayesian hierarchical EMAX model (Gajewski et al., Stat Med. 38:3123-3138 2019). The hierarchical EMAX adapts to its environment. When the dose-response curve is monotonic it enjoys the efficiency of EMAX. When the dose-response curve is non-monotonic the additional random effect hyperprior makes the hierarchical EMAX model more adjustable and flexible. However, the normal dynamic linear model (NDLM) is a useful model to explore dose-response relationships in that the efficacy at the current dose depends on the efficacy of the previous dose(s). Previous research has compared the EMAX to the hierarchical EMAX (Gajewski et al., Stat Med. 38:3123-3138 2019) and the EMAX to the NDLM (Liu et al., BMC Med Res Method 17:149 2017), however, the hierarchical EMAX has not been directly compared to the NDLM. The focus of this paper is to compare these models and discuss the relative merit for each of their uses for an ongoing early phase dose selection study.
Computational Study of Transition-Metal Substitutions in Rutile TiO2 (110) for Photoelectrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis

Synthesis of ammonia through photo- and electrocatalysis is a rapidly growing field. Titania-based catalysts are widely reported for photocatalytic ammonia synthesis and have also been suggested as electrocatalysts. The addition of transition-metal dopants is one strategy for improving the performance of titania- based catalysts. In this work, we screen d-block transition- metal dopants for surface site stability and evaluate trends in their performance as the active site for the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia on TiO2. We find a linear relationship between the d-band center and metal substitution energy of the dopant site, while the binding energies of N2, N2H, and NH2 all are strongly correlated with the cohesive energies of the dopant metals. The activity of the metal-doped systems shows a volcano type relationship with the NH2 and N2H energies as descriptors. Some metals such as Co, Mo, and V are predicted to slightly improve photo- and electrocatalytic performance, but most metals inhibit the ammonia synthesis reaction. The results provide insight into the role of transition-metal dopants for promoting ammonia synthesis, and the trends are based on unexpected electronic structure factors that may have broader implications for single-atom catalysis and doped oxides.
Lyapunov exponent of classical SU(3) gauge theory

Abstract The classical SU(3) gauge theory is shown to be deterministic chaotic. Its largest Lyapunov exponent is determined, from which a short time scale of thermalization of a pure gluon system is estimated. The connection to gluon damping rate is discussed.
Campus Management of Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Communicable and infectious diseases are no strangers to campus health. Multiple factors in the campus environment contribute to increased risk for students, faculty, and staff. Awareness of current and future risks, and identifying responsibilities and resources result from partnerships with campus and local community capacity. Legal, policy, and organizational responsibilities may differ from campus to campus. Thus, each campus health program should identify its role within the context of its practice. Tracking of immunization compliance, isolation, and quarantine of impacted students along with academic program coordination are unique functions to consider for the management of an infectious disease outbreak on a college campus. Ongoing prevention programs, planning, and training for communicable and infectious diseases allow campus health services to identify and successfully control outbreaks.
An Evaluation of the Readability and Content-Quality of Pelvic Organ Prolapse YouTube Transcripts.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the readability, quality, and accuracy of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) YouTube transcripts. Methods We analyzed the readability of written transcripts for the first 100 YouTube videos about “Pelvic Organ Prolapse.” Transcripts were excluded if they lacked narration in English or contained both no text and no audio. Readability was evaluated using an online software ( www.readabilityformulas.com ) to determine reading grade levels. The quality of videos was scored using the DISCERN quality criteria and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool. Accuracy was assessed by comparing content to accepted POP treatment guidelines. Results The median grade level of all 100 videos was 12.6. High quality transcripts or transcripts that discuss the benefits, risk, alternative treatments, and quality of life had a median readability score of 12.5. Transcripts with low misinformation (85%) had a higher median readability index (12.6), than transcripts containing high misinformation (12.2). More than 20% of transcripts discussed shared decision-making. The median readability index for videos with a high Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool score (>75%) for understandability and actionability were both 12.6. Conclusion Transcripts of POP YouTube videos are written at difficult levels with many transcripts exceeding the reading capabilities of the American population. The majority of good transcripts or transcripts with high quality content, low misinformation, shared decision-making, no commercial bias, and understandable and actionable content were written at a high school level or above. Efforts should be made to avoid complex terms when creating patient focused content and helping patients navigate to content of appropriate literacy online.
A model of the appearance of the moving human eye

Abstract The entrance pupil and first Purkinje reflection (“glint”) in an image of the human eye serve as important features in 3D, model-based eye tracking applications. Here I present a physically and biologically accurate, ray-traced model that supplies the appearance of the pupil and glint of a moving eye. Once biometrically calibrated for a subject under study, simultaneous fitting of the pupil and glint features by the model supplies eye rotation, radius of the aperture stop, and the translation of the eye relative to the initial camera position. The biometric parameters of the model, including corneal curvature and the depth of the centers of rotation, are obtained by model-based fitting of images of the eye posed at known gaze angles. This approach was applied to eye recordings from 30 people obtained during gaze calibration, and while head position was recorded simultaneously using echoplanar magnetic resonance imaging. The refractive and reflective effects of spectacle and contact lenses worn by some subjects were incorporated into the model. The fitted parameters reveal that the center of rotation for horizontal eye movements is deeper (13.8 mm) than that for vertical eye movements (12.1) mm, consistent with prior studies. Individual differences in the depth of the rotation centers, and in corneal curvature, were well related to biometric measures obtained from these subjects using clinical ophthalmologic instruments. Once biometrically calibrated for each subject, gaze position was modeled with a cross-validated, median (across subject) absolute error of 0.58°, and image-plane translation of the head was estimated with sub-millimeter accuracy. The open-source model described here produces biologically accurate simulations of the appearance of the eye in motion, and may be used in model-based search to derive eye pose and biometric properties from empirical data.
Hypertrophic granulation wounds treated with silver nitrate sticks or with topical steroid: Rate of wound closure.

Hypertrophic granulation (HG) is abnormal granulation tissue raised above the level of surrounding intact skin, and is thought to delay wound healing. Effective treatment to eliminate HG could speed healing, but this is not well studied. Two common treatments are chemical cautery with silver nitrate, and use of topical steroid. In a Midwestern burn and wound clinic, both of these treatments are employed. A quality improvement project compared wound size reduction for HG wounds undergoing the two treatment modalities. Retrospective chart review identified HG wounds treated during a one-year period, and compared wound size prior to and after one month of treatment (length, width and surface area). Results were presented to the clinic staff, and one year later the quality assurance project was repeated. The initial audit found data on 18 patients treated with silver nitrate cautery, and 16 patients treated with 1% hydrocortisone cream. Median length and width was decreased by 5 mm with silver nitrate cautery treatment, and by 14 mm with 1% hydrocortisone treatment (p<.05). The repeat audit one year later found 10 patients treated with silver nitrate, and 38 treated with hydrocortisone. Median length and width decreased by 0 and 2 mm respectively for silver nitrate cautery treatment, and 15 and 10 mm for 1% hydrocortisone treatment (p<.05). In conclusion, this uncontrolled review suggests faster healing in HG wounds treated with 1% hydrocortisone compared with those treated with silver nitrate cautery. Confirmation with controlled and randomized studies is warranted.
Packet Scheduling with Optional Client Privacy

Existing network switches implement scheduling disciplines such as FIFO or deficit round robin that provide good utilization or fairness across flows, but do so at the expense of leaking a variety of information via timing side channels. To address this privacy breach, we propose a new scheduling mechanism for switches called indifferent-first scheduling (IFS). A salient aspect of IFS is that it provides privacy (a notion of strong isolation) to clients that opt-in, while preserving the (good) performance and utilization of FIFO or round robin for clients that are satisfied with the status quo. Such a hybrid scheduling mechanism addresses the main drawback of prior proposals such as time-division multiple access (TDMA) that provide strong isolation at the cost of low utilization and increased packet latency for all clients. We identify limitations of modern programmable switches which inhibit an implementation of IFS without compromising its privacy guarantees, and show that a version of IFS with full security can be implemented at line rate in the recently proposed push-in-first-out (PIFO) queuing architecture.
Caffeine protects cerebral artery function in the reduced uterine perfusion pressure model of preeclampsia (1070.9)

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and caffeine is the most studied compound in coffee. Coffee consumption is associated with a decreased risk of preeclampsia. Preecl...