cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BLOOD PLASMA PROTEIN REGENERATION AS INFLUENCED BY INFECTION, DIGESTIVE DISTURBANCES, THYROID, AND FOOD PROTEINS : A DEFICIENCY STATE RELATED TO PROTEIN DEPLETION.

When blood plasma proteins are depleted by bleeding, with return of washed red cells (plasmapheresis), it is possible to bring dogs to a steady state of low plasma protein in the circulation and a uniform plasma protein production on a basal diet. Such dogs become test subjects by which the effect of various factors on plasma protein regeneration can be measured. Dogs previously the subjects of plasmapheresis, during long rest periods appear to increase their stores of plasma protein building materials and their blood plasma protein concentrations above former normal levels. A sterile abscess (turpentine) induces a marked reduction in plasma protein regeneration in these test dogs consuming an ample basal diet. The sharp reduction during the initial 24 hours may in part reflect an extravasation of plasma protein into the injured tissue but there also appears to develop a true disturbance of the mechanism which produces plasma proteins. Digestive disturbances interfere seriously with plasma protein production. Whereas large quantities of live yeast upset digestion and form no plasma protein, autoclaved yeast is well utilized, having a potency ratio of 4.4. Amino acids have been tested inadequately. A mixture of cystine, glutamic acid, and glycine does seem to have a definite effect upon protein metabolism and plasma protein production. Iron, under the conditions of these experiments, does not influence the output of plasma proteins. Liver extract (parenteral) is also inert. The proteins of red blood cells when added to the diet are poorly utilized for plasma protein formation and show a potency ratio of only 10.1. Kidney protein added to the kidney basal diet shows a potency ratio of about 5 as compared with 4.6 for that basal diet. A digest of beef stomach and rice polishings shows a potency ratio of about 7.9. Dried powdered serum shows a potency ratio of 3.5, which is much less than fresh serum (2.6). Powdered thyroid fed in doses sufficient to accelerate body metabolism shows no distinct effect upon plasma protein production not attributable to the protein in the thyroid powder itself. Long periods (25 to 30 weeks) of plasma depletion and basal diet intake remove much protein from body fluids and tissues. Associated with this protein depletion the dog loses its appetite and may vomit some food. There is loss of hair, a tendency to skin ulceration, and a distinct lowering of resistance to infection. The plasma protein output may fall to fasting levels in spite of food intake sufficient to maintain weight. We believe this condition to be a deficiency state related to severe depletion of the essential protein matrix of the body cells.
Implementing an interface terminology for structured clinical documentation

Clinically oriented interface terminologies support interactions between humans and computer programs that accept structured entry of healthcare information. This manuscript describes efforts over the past decade to introduce an interface terminology called CHISL (Categorical Health Information Structured Lexicon) into clinical practice as part of a computer-based documentation application at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Vanderbilt supports a spectrum of electronic documentation modalities, ranging from transcribed dictation, to a partial template of free-form notes, to strict, structured data capture. Vanderbilt encourages clinicians to use what they perceive as the most appropriate form of clinical note entry for each given clinical situation. In this setting, CHISL occupies an important niche in clinical documentation. This manuscript reports challenges developers faced in deploying CHISL, and discusses observations about its usage, but does not review other relevant work in the field.
Current induced by TE excitation on coupled and partially buried cylinders at the interface between two media

An analysis is described for determining the current induced by transverse electric (TE) excitation on coupled conducting cylinders near the planar interface separating two semi-infinite homogeneous half-spaces of different electromagnetic properties and on partially buried conducting cylinders. The conducting cylinders, of general cross section, are of infinite extent and the excitation is transverse electric to the cylinder axes. Coupled integral equations for the currents induced on the cylinders are formulated and numerical methods for solving them are presented. Data showing the induced current distribution for various cylinders and media parameters of interest are presented and discussed. Relative to the homogeneous space case, the presence of the two media significantly alters the current distribution, especially near the interface. >
Multicast service availability in a hybrid 3G-cellular and ad hoc network

In this paper we discuss the advantages and disadvantages with a wireless network consisting of a wide area 3G-cellular network and a local area ad hoc network. The hybrid network is meant to be used for high data-rate continuous group services with multicast data distribution. We enumerate the resource gains available from the combined network, and also show how network connectivity and service availability is affected. The results demonstrate that the hybrid network can provide multicast data to a high percentage of the multicast terminals using smaller amount of cellular radio resources, compared with conventional cellular-only system.
Incidence and clinical implications of GATA1 mutations in newborns with Down syndrome

Somatic mutations in the GATA1 gene are present in almost all cases of Down syndrome (DS)–associated acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) and transient leukemia (TL). An in utero origin of the GATA1 mutation suggests it is an early leukemogenic event. To determine the detectable incidence and clinical relevance of GATA1 mutations in DS newborns, we screened Guthrie cards from 590 DS infants for mutations in the GATA1 gene. Twenty-two (3.8%) of 585 evaluable infants harbored a predicted functional GATA1 mutation; 2 were identified exclusively within intron 1. Hispanic newborns were 2.6 times more likely to have a mutated GATA1 gene than non-Hispanics ( P = .02). Two newborns with a GATA1 mutation subsequently developed AMKL, and none of the infants without a functional GATA1 mutation were reported to have developed leukemia. In addition to screening for TL, a GATA1 mutation at birth might serve as a biomarker for an increased risk of DS-related AMKL.
The Endocrinology of Exclusion Rejection Elicits Motivationally Tuned Changes in Progesterone

Social exclusion can have profound effects on a vast array of motivated psychological processes, from social withdrawal and aggression to prosocial behavior and social affiliation. The current studies examined motivationally tuned endocrinological consequences of exclusion by measuring the release of progesterone, a hormone that reflects an individual’s level of social-affiliative motivation. Results from two experiments indicate that release of progesterone following social exclusion depends on people’s levels of social anxiety and rejection sensitivity. Individuals high in social anxiety displayed a drop in progesterone in response to exclusion, a pattern consistent with a lack of affiliative motivation. In contrast, individuals high in rejection sensitivity displayed an increase in progesterone when given an opportunity to reaffiliate, a change consistent with a desire for compensatory social contact. These findings provide new insight into the immediate biological changes precipitated by social exclus...
Thermodynamics and Transport Properties of Interacting Systems with Localized Electrons

The review of the modern results in the theoretical and experimental study of the localized interacting electrons is given. After theoretical prediction of the Coulomb gap and the new temperature law in the variable range hopping conduction many efforts have been made to discover it experimentally. The most important of them are attempts to demonstrate experimentally that the long range Coulomb interaction is not screened in this system and that it is the origin of the gap. The next stage begins when the recent experiments have discovered glassy properties of the interacting system with localized electrons. This review is concentrated on the origin of the glassy properties of this system and it connects the glassy properties with another interesting phenomenon - insulator-metal transition.
Walrus-a low latency, high throughput Web service using Internet-wide replication

Today, most of the popular Web sites are served from single locations. This basic Web client-server model is easy to deploy and maintain and thus is very successful. It suffers, however, from several efficiency and availability problems. This paper presents Walrus, a low-latency, high-throughput Web service that addresses some of these problems. Under Walrus, a single logical Web server can be replicated to several clusters of identical servers where each cluster resides in a different part of the Internet. An important aspect of Walrus is its ability to transparently direct the Web browser to the best replica without any changes to the Web server, Web client, and network infrastructure. "Best" is a relative term, dependent on where the client is located on the network, the load on each replica, and more. Walrus deploys on elegant algorithm that balances these considerations.
Enzyme responsive acetaminophen hydrogels

Utilization of enzyme catalysis as a tool to disassemble self-assembled hydrogels to control the release encapsulated drug provides an opportunity to design a wide range of enzyme-specific low-molecular-weight hydrogelators (LMWGs). Herein, we report a novel approach for controlled delivery of multiple drugs by an enzyme triggered hydrogel degradation mechanism. In this proof-of-concept work, we report the synthesis of LMWGs (amphiphiles) from well-known drug acetaminophen (which is known as Tylenol®), and their ability to self-assemble into nanoscale structures in aqueous solutions to form hydrogels that subsequently encapsulate a second drug such as curcumin which is a known chemopreventive hydrophobic drug. Upon enzyme triggered degradation, hydrogels showed single and double drug delivery at physiological conditions in vitro. After treating with prodrug amphiphiles, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) retain their stem cell properties such as maintaining their adhesive and proliferation capacities with high viability. This new platform approach will have prospective effect on hydrogel based drug delivery research through developing drug delivery vehicles from a wide range of prodrug-based gelators.
Functional Periodicity and Motor Ability in Sports

(1927). Functional Periodicity and Motor Ability in Sports. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 22-25.
Modeling of Antibiotic Resistance in the ICU

Mathematical models are valuable tools with which to predict and explain the epidemiology of nosocomial infection. As such, modeling will play a crucial role in the effort to control the growing threat posed in hospitals by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this chapter, we illustrate the utility of the model-based approach, using a simple mathematical model of colonization and infection by antibiotic-sensitive and resistant bacteria in a hospital setting. The model explains a number of otherwise counterintuitive observations regarding the spread of nosocomial resistance: (1) nonspecific infection control measures such as hand-washing will disproportionately reduce the prevalence of resistant bacteria within the hospital; (2) resistance-control interventions should generate reductions in resistance much more rapidly in hospitals than in communities as a whole; (3) treatment with one antibiotic may be an individual risk factor for acquisition of resistance to another antibiotic, even in the absence of genetically linked resistance mechanisms.
A NEW PROCESS DEVELOPED FOR SEPARATION OF LIGNIN FROM AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE PRETREATMENT SOLUTIONS

A method is described for separating lignin from liquid solutions resulting from the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials such as switchgrass with ammonium hydroxide. The method involves a sequence of steps including acidification, evaporation, and precipitation or centrifugation that are performed under defined conditions, and results in a relatively pure, solid lignin product. The method is tested on ammonium hydroxide solutions containing lignin extracted from switchgrass. Experimental results show that the method is capable of recovering between 66–95% of dissolved lignin as a precipitated solid. Cost estimates of pilot-scale and industrial-scale expressions of the process indicate that breakeven lignin prices of $2.36/kg and $0.78/kg, respectively, may be obtainable with this recovery method. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2012
It's Just STE: Understanding the pitfalls of treating STE as second class equipment

In many organizations, development of Special Test Equipment (STE) is taken as an afterthought. Often, this is based on the assumption that, since the equipment will be on-site in the company's factory, correction of minor issues that might be caused by a non-robust development process can be easily addressed.
Identification of distributed parameter systems: Non-computational aspects

Much of the current emphasis on identification problems for distributed parameter systems is on the computational aspects of solving equations and least-squares optimization. However there are many other aspects of the problem that need to be addressed and many questions on formulation that need to be answered before such computational effort can be meaningful. This paper looks at some of these aspects particularly as it involves distributed parameter system models based on partial differential equations, and peculiar to the latter in contrast to the case of ordinary differential equations. Among these are:
GM crops in the media.

A popular restaurant chain Chipotle set off a media maelstrom in the USA with an announcement on April 2015 that they would cook with only non-GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients (Food ...
Prothymosin-α mRNA expression correlates with that of c-myc in human colon cancer

Prothymosin alpha (PT-alpha) is a nuclear protein involved in cell proliferation. Transcription of PT-alpha has been reported to be regulated by the c-myc gene in vitro. We identified PT-alpha as being overexpressed in a human colon cancer minus normal mucosa subtraction cDNA library. Northern blot (messenger RNA) analysis showed that both PT-alpha and c-myc genes were overexpressed in human colorectal cancers compared with adjacent normal tissues. Immunohistochemical studies for PT-alpha and c-myc supported these findings. There was no correlation between PT-alpha or c-myc messenger RNA expression and Dukes' stage of colorectal cancer; or between either of these two and actin messenger RNA expression. There was, however, a significant correlation between the PT-alpha expression and c-myc expression (P < 0.001). These findings support the hypothesis that PT-alpha gene transcription may be associated with, and possibly under the control of, the c-myc gene in human colorectal cancers.
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing: A critical evaluation

Antibiotic susceptibility test results must be interpreted cautiously. There are important differences between the laboratory and natural environments. There are also important differences between disc and dilution tests, and between laboratories. Laboratory tests can demonstrate antagonism and synergy. Because beta-lactamases can be induced, beta-lactam susceptibility may have to be monitored during therapy. Increases in the incidence of drug resistance are particularly important in nosocomial infections.
Generalized Gauss–Radau and Gauss–Lobatto Formulae

Computational methods are developed for generating Gauss-type quadrature formulae having nodes of arbitrary multiplicity at one or both end points of the interval of integration. Positivity properties of the boundary weights are investigated numerically, and related conjectures are formulated. Applications are made to moment-preserving spline approximation.
Analysis of monitoring results of rural drinking water in Congjiang county from 2009 to 2012

Objective To understand the hygienic status of rural drinking water in Congjiang county,so as to provide scientific basis for further improvement of the rural drinking water hygiene management evel and formulating development planing. Methods Treated water samples and tap water samples were collected in dry season and wet season in water supply points of 21 towns of Congjiang to detect the water quality according to "Standard examination methods for drinking water"( GB / T5750-2006). Then the detection results were evaluated according to"Hygienic standard for drinking water"( GB5749- 2006). Results A total of 308 rural drinking water samples were collected from 2009 to 2012,and 54 samples were qualified,accounting for 17. 53%. The qualified rates of rural drinking water had no statistical difference between dry season and wet season( P 0. 05). The same was found between treated water and tap water(P 0. 05). The main unqualified factors of rural drinking water were total bacterial count,coliform group and thermotolerant coliform bacterira. Conclusion Microbial contamination is a main influencing factor of the rural drinking water safety in Congjiang county. The three "N"pollution and hygienic status of high ferrous and manganese can not be neglected in rural drinking water management of Congjiang county.
Preferences for Shared Decision Making in Older Adult Patients With Orthopedic Hand Conditions.

Purpose The practice of medicine is shifting from a paternalistic doctor–patient relationship to a model in which the doctor and patient collaborate to decide optimal treatment. This study aims to determine whether the older orthopedic population desires a shared decision-making approach to care and to identify patient predictors for the preferred type of approach. Methods This cross-sectional investigation enrolled 99 patients, minimum age 65 years, at a tertiary hand specialty practice between March and June 2015. All patients completed the Control Preferences Scale, a validated system that distinguishes among patient preferences for patient-directed, collaborative, or physician-directed decision making. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses assessed associations among demographic data; clinic encounter variables such as familiarity with provider, trauma, diagnosis, and treatment decision; and the primary outcome of Control Preferences Scale preferences. Results A total of 81% of patients analyzed preferred a more patient-directed role in decision making; 46% of the total cohort cited a collaborative approach as their most preferred treatment approach. Sixty-seven percent cited the most physician-directed approach as their least preferred model of decision making. In addition, 49% reported that spending more time with their physician to address questions and explain the diagnosis would be most useful when making a health care decision and 73% preferred additional written informational material. Familiarity with the provider was associated with being more likely to prefer a collaborative approach. Conclusions Older adult patients with symptomatic upper-extremity conditions desire more patient-directed roles in treatment decision making. Given the limited amount of reliable information obtained independently outside the office visit, our data suggest that written decision aids offer an approach to shared decision making that is most consistent with the preferences of the older orthopedic patient. Clinical relevance This study quantifies older adults' desire to participate in decision making when choosing among treatments for hand conditions.
On Manufacturing Resilient Opaque Constructs Against Static Analysis

Opaque constructs have developed into a commonly used primitive in obfuscation, watermarking, and tamper-proofing schemes. However, most prior work has based the resilience of these primitives on a poorly defined reduction to a known \(\mathcal {NP}\)-complete problem. There has been little scrutiny of the adversarial model and little discussion of how to generate instances that are always hard. In this paper, we offer what we believe to be the first complete algorithm for generating resilient opaque constructs against static analysis. We base their resilience on the complexity of 3SAT instances with cn clauses for \(c=6\) and n distinct variables. We draw on existing theoretical bounds to show that these instances always require exponential time to defeat under formal notions of resolution complexity.
Japan: A new move toward bilateral trade agreements

JSEPA itself came into force on November 30, 2002 and for Japan, it represented the country's first comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement. Currently the Japanese government is also negotiating FTAs with Mexico, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, while it is studying FTAs with various other economies including Indonesia, ASEAN, and Australia. In this sense, JSEPA represents a striking break with Japan's past approach to trade, which had relied heavily on global or universal trade agreements, most notably those reached through the GATT/WTO process. JSEPA and Japan's open negotiation of additional FTAs reflects the growing acknowledgment that as people, goods, money, and information move actively across borders, easing international economic interaction requires vastly more than the liberalization of rules concerning merchandise trade.
Thermosyphon-assisted cooling system for refrigeration applications

Abstract Residential refrigeration is one of the largest contributors to home appliance energy consumption in the U.S. This energy use is nearly doubled if commercial refrigeration is included. By using cold outside temperatures for cooling, however, energy savings can be realized. In this work, a thermosyphon-assisted cooling system for a household refrigerator is presented. A single finned copper-tube thermosyphon with methanol as the working fluid is used. An environmental chamber that can reproduce outside ambient temperatures to −5 °C is located above the refrigerator. Results are presented for different outside temperatures, fan speeds, and filling ratios in the thermosyphon. The electricity use for both the original equipment refrigeration and the thermosyphon system is reported. The interior temperature is found to vary depending on the number of fans that are used to blow air over the thermosyphon evaporator in the refrigerated space. This can be used to produce localized micro-climates within the refrigerated space for further energy savings.
Inter-platform concordance of gene expression data for the prediction of chemical mode of action

It is interesting to study the consistency of outcomes arising from two genomic platforms: Microarray and RNAseq, which are established on fundamentally different technologies. This topic has been frequently discussed from the prospect of comparing differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In this study, we explore the inter-platform concordance between microarray and RNASeq in their ability to classify samples based on genomic information. We use a set of 7 standard multi-class classifiers and an adaptive ensemble classifier developed around them to predict Chemical Modes of Actions (MOA) of data profiled by microarray and RNASeq platforms from Rat Liver samples exposed to a variety of chemical compounds. We study the concordance between microarray and RNASeq data in various forms, based on classifier’s performance between two platforms. Using an ensemble classifier we observe improved prediction performance compared to a set of standard classifiers. We discover a clear concordance between each individual classifier’s performances in two genomic platforms. Additionally, we identify a set of important genes those specifies MOAs, by focusing on their impact on the classification and later we find that some of these top genes have direct associations with the presence of toxic compounds in the liver. Overall there appears to be fair amount of concordance between the two platforms as far as classification is concerned. We observe widely different classification performances among individual classifiers, which reflect the unreliability of restricting to a single classifier in the case of high dimensional classification problems. An extended abstract of this research paper was selected for the Camda Satellite Meeting to Ismb 2015 by the Camda Programme Committee. The full research paper then underwent two rounds of Open Peer Review under a responsible Camda Programme Committee member, Lan Hu, PhD (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Digital Biology Center-Cambridge). Open Peer Review was provided by Yiyi Liu and Partha Dey. The Reviewer Comments section shows the full reviews and author responses.
Cross-Reactivity of Select PEG-Binding Antibodies to Other Polymers Containing a C-C-O Backbone

Polyethylene glycol (PEG), a flexible and relatively hydrophilic polymer, is widely used not only in medicine but also in numerous everyday hygiene, food, and skincare products. Recent animal and human studies have shown that antibodies (Abs) that bind PEG can be induced, leading to markedly reduced therapeutic efficacy of PEGylated therapeutics as well as possibly resulting in acute anaphylaxis and hypersensitivity reactions. Because humans are exposed to numerous other synthetic polymers, we sought to investigate whether such “anti-PEG” antibodies may also bind other synthetic polymers, particularly those with structural similarities to PEG. In a screen of six commercially available and two recombinantly produced anti-PEG IgG and IgM antibodies, we found five antibodies (3 IgG and 2 IgM) that readily bind polypropylene glycol (PPG), polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), and poly-1,4-butylene adipate (PBA). In contrast, none of the eight antibodies bound dextran (DEX) or polyepoxysuccinic acid (PES), ...
Antitrust for Institutional Investors

With the increasing concentration of shares in the hands of large institutional investors, combined with greater involvement in corporate governance, the antitrust risk of common ownership has moved to center stage. Through an excess of enthusiasm, portfolio managers could end up exposing their firms and the portfolio companies to huge antitrust liability. In this Article, we start from basic antitrust principles to sketch out an antitrust compliance program for institutional investors and for the investor relations groups in portfolio companies. In doing so, we address the fundamental antitrust issues (explicit and tacit coordination) raised by the presence of common ownership by large, diversified investors. We then turn to more speculative concerns that have garnered a great deal of attention and that, to our eyes, threaten to divert attention from the core antitrust issues. We critically examine the claims of this newer literature, as illustrated by Azar, Schmaltz and Tecu (2017), that existing ownership patterns in the airline industry results in substantially higher prices. We then turn to the argument in Elhauge (2016) that existing ownership patterns violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act. Finally, we find the policy recommendations of Posner, Scott Morton, and Weyl (2017) to limit the ownership shares of multiple firms in oligopolistic industries to be overly stringent. To limit the chilling effect of antitrust on the valuable role of institutional investors in corporate governance, we propose a quasi “safe harbor” that protects investors from antitrust liability when their ownership share is less than 15 percent, the investors have no board representation, and they only engage in “normal” corporate governance activities.
Verbal Addition and Subtraction Problems: Some Difficulties and Some Solutions.

tion because they lack specific knowledge regarding the various situations that give rise to these operations. Often, children are taught addition only as "putting together" and subtraction only as "taking away," but many other settings involve addition and subtraction operations. Children need to receive specific instruction in different contexts if they are to become good solvers of verbal addition and subtraction problems. This article describes the contexts and then explains a successful sequence of activities that teach verbal problems.
Effect of a Histone Demethylase Inhibitor on Equine Herpesvirus-1 Activity In Vitro.

Equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) is a ubiquitous and highly contagious pathogen that causes a range of disease severities with outbreaks of notable economic impact. Given the limitations in immune protection of current vaccines and the limited effectiveness of antiviral drugs on EHV-1 infections in vivo, improved treatment measures are needed to control disease. The use of drugs that alter the epigenetic state of herpes simplex virus (HSV) genome has been shown to limit viral primary infection and reactivation both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that maintaining a repressive epigenetic state on the EHV-1 genome in the host equine cell would decrease viral load during lytic infection. Equine fetal kidney cells (EFKCs) or isolated peripheral blood leukocytes were treated in vitro with a) the nucleoside analogue ganciclovir; b) the histone demethylase inhibitor OG-L002; c) both ganciclovir and OG-L002; or d) dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, vehicle control); and then infected with a clinical EHV-1 isolate. Treatment of EFKCs with ganciclovir (mean 22.3 DNA copies per cell, p=0.0005), OG-L002 (mean 25.6, p=0.005) or both ganciclovir and OG-L002 (mean 7.1, p=0.0001) resulted in decreased EHV-1 viral load at 24 hours post-infection (hpi) in comparison with DMSO (mean 42.0), with greater impact using the combined treatment. Further, EHV-1 gene expression at 3 hpi decreased when EFKCs were infected in the presence of ganciclovir (p=0.04), and combined treatment of ganciclovir and OG-L002 (p=0.0003). In contrast, under similar conditions, neither ganciclovir nor OG-L002 suppressed EHV-1 infection in leukocytes. Differences between cell types, drug penetrance, or drug turnover, may have contributed to the distinct effects observed in this study.
Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome secondary to hepatic transarterial chemoembolization with doxorubicin drug eluting beads

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare complication of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) used to treat liver metastases and has never been reported in a patient with metastatic uveal melanoma (UM) to the liver. We report the first case of PRES secondary to TACE with drug eluting beads (DEBs) loaded with doxorubicin in a 56-year-old woman with metastatic UM to the liver.
Improved Methods of Sepsis Case Identification and the Effects of Treatment with Low Dose Steroids: A Dissertation

Sepsis is the leading cause of death among critically ill patients and the 10 th most common cause of death overall in the United States. The mortality rates increase with severity of the disease, ranging from 15% for sepsis to 60% for septic shock. Patient with sepsis can present varied clinical symptoms depending on the personal predisposition, causal microorganism, organ system involved, and disease severity. To facilitate sepsis diagnosis, the first sepsis consensus definitions was published in 1991 and then updated in 2001. Early recognition of a sepsis patient followed with timely and appropriate treatment and management strategies have been shown to significantly reduce sepsis-related mortality, and allows care to be provided at lower costs. Despite the rapid progress in the knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms of sepsis and its treatment in the last two decades, identifying patient with sepsis and therapeutic approaches to sepsis and its complications remains challenging to critical care clinicians. Hence, the objectives of this thesis were to 1) evaluate the test characteristics of the two sepsis consensus definitions and delineate the differences in patient profile among patients meeting or not meeting sepsis definitions; 2) determine the relationship between the changes in several physiological parameters before sepsis onset and sepsis, and to determine whether these parameters could be used to identify sepsis in critically ill adults; 3) evaluate the effect of corticosteroids therapy on patient mortality. Data used in this thesis were prospectively collected from an electronic medical record system for all the adult patients admitted into the seven critical care units (ICUs) in a tertiary medical center. Besides analyzing data at the ICU stay level, we investigated patient information in various time frames, including 24-hour, 12-hour, and 6-hour time windows. In the first study of this thesis, the 1991 sepsis definition was found to have a high sensitivity of 94.6%, but a low specificity of 61.0%. The 2001 sepsis definition had a slightly increased sensitivity but a decreased specificity, which was 96.9% and 58.3%, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve for the two consensus definitions were similar, but less than optimal. The sensitivity and area under the ROC curve of both definitions were lower at the 24-hour time window level than those of the unit stay level, though the specificity increased slightly. At the time window level, the 1991 definitions performed slightly better than the 2001 definition. In the second study, minimum systolic blood pressure performed the best, followed by maximum respiratory rate in discriminating sepsis patients from SIRS patients. Maximum heart rate and maximum respiratory rate can differentiate sepsis patients from non-SIRS patients fairly well. The area under ROC of the combination of five physiological parameters was 0.74 and 0.90 for comparing sepsis to non-infectious SIRS patients and comparing sepsis to non-SIRS…
Gravitational forces, negative pressure and facial structure in the genesis of airway dysfunction during sleep: a review of the paradigm.

Abstract The recent and distant literature has extensive discussion of how sleep apnea, adeno-tonsillar growth, and facial structural deformity are related. Conventionally, the order of cause and effect is as follows: (1) Inflammatory/infectious process→tonsillar/adenoid tissue growth→(2) airway obstruction and mouth breathing/Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)→(3) altered facial structure (adenoid facies). Using this same reasoning, adenotonsillectomy is the first line of treatment in the prevention of structural abnormalities. However, through a lifetime of clinical research Christian Guilleminault and his colleagues have challenged this paradigm. Through multiple articles and studies, Guilleminault et al., teach that even slight (subclinical) facial structure/muscle tone variations may be the inciting event triggering mouth-breathing and the eventual adenotonsillar growth in most patients. Essentially, this is the reverse of the conventional paradigms. Initial treatments therefore shift from simplified removal of inflammatory tissue to limiting mouth-breathing via musculo-skeletal modification. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and analyze the recent (and distant) relevant literature to provide support for, and provide a potential anatomic mechanism for Guilleminault et al.'s paradigm-questioning clinical observations.
Arctic margin gravity highs: Deeper meaning for sediment depocenters?

Morphologic, gravity, and seismic reflection/refraction data from ca. 10,000 km of Arctic passive continental margins suggest that the numerous oval free-air gravity anomalies, their +50–150 mGal extrema typically located just landward of shelf breaks, are caused by combinations of rapidly deposited Plio-Pleistocene glacial marine sediment loads, older post-breakup sediments, and perhaps causally related density anomalies (mascons) in the underlying oceanic crust. Dispersed seismicity associated with some gravity highs may reflect ongoing brittle, flexural adjustment to the loads. Multi-channel-seismic-controlled depocenter models for several prominent highs (including the Hornsund gravity high re-examined here) suggest that sediments alone do not suffice to explain the gravity highs, unless depocenter seismic velocities have been significantly underestimated. A flexural backstripping model for the Hornsund anomaly only roughly replicates observed gravity. Subjacent 'mascons', if present below some depocenters, may be caused by (1) anomalous subsidence of initially formed dense/thin crust; (2) depocenter blanketing of early-formed crust, mitigating hydrothermal fracturing and related density reduction; or (3) metastable phase transitions, converting basalt/gabbro to denser phases (Neugebauer–Spohn hypothesis), while cracks close or fill under the increased pressures and temperatures.
Heterotopic Gastrointestinal Cyst of the Oral Cavity Radiology–Pathology Correlation

Heterotopic gastrointestinal cyst of the oral cavity is a rare congenital lesion that may arise from ectopic undifferentiated endodermal cells. Imaging, particularly MRI, is useful for surgical planning. On MRI, the cysts typically demonstrate high signal on T2-weighted sequences and variable signal on T1-weighted sequences, which can resemble other conditions, such as dermoids. On histology, the appearance of these lesions can be variable, and may include stratified squamous, simple and ciliated columnar, as well as foveolar and intestinal-type epithelia, often surrounding by smooth muscle. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice.
ROCK-nmMyoII, Notch and Neurog3 gene-dosage link epithelial morphogenesis with cell fate in the pancreatic endocrine-progenitor niche

ABSTRACT During mouse pancreas organogenesis, endocrine cells are born from progenitors residing in an epithelial plexus niche. After a period in a lineage-primed Neurog3LO state, progenitors become endocrine committed via upregulation of Neurog3. We find that the Neurog3LO to Neurog3HI transition is associated with distinct stages of an epithelial egression process: narrowing the apical surface of the cell, basalward cell movement and eventual cell-rear detachment from the apical lumen surface to allow clustering as nascent islets under the basement membrane. Apical narrowing, basalward movement and Neurog3 transcriptional upregulation still occur without Neurog3 protein, suggesting that morphogenetic cues deployed within the plexus initiate endocrine commitment upstream or independently of Neurog3. Neurog3 is required for cell-rear detachment and complete endocrine-cell birth. The ROCK-nmMyoII pathway coordinates epithelial-cell morphogenesis and the progression through Neurog3-expressing states. NmMyoII is necessary for apical narrowing, basalward cell displacement and Neurog3 upregulation, but all three are limited by ROCK activity. We propose that ROCK-nmMyoII activity, Neurog3 gene-dose and Notch signaling integrate endocrine fate allocation with epithelial plexus growth and morphogenesis, representing a feedback control circuit that coordinates morphogenesis with lineage diversification in the endocrine-birth niche.
POGIL in Computer Science for Beginners and Experts

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is a form of student-centered, engaged learning. It is a research-based instructional strategy with a proven history across STEM disciplines. In a POGIL classroom, teams of students work on activities that are specifically designed to guide them to construct their own understanding of key concepts. At the same time, students develop process skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking. POGIL incorporates practices shown to be particularly helpful for students from underrepresented populations. In a POGIL classroom, teachers are facilitators, not lecturers. Multiple studies have shown that students in POGIL classes do better on common exams and in subsequent courses. For more information, see http://cspogil.org and http://pogil.org. This BOF will (1) enable people unfamiliar with POGIL to experience it first-hand, and (2) bring together experienced POGIL practitioners to share experiences, insights, ideas, and concerns. As in a POGIL classroom, we will discuss topics in small teams and report out to the larger group.
Insects in Folk Music

We undertook a study of folk music to examine values expressed toward arthropods in this medium. In an online archive, 0.27% of songs had arthropod-related titles. The most common taxa indicated in the titles were Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera, reflecting both positive (Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera) and negative (Diptera) attitudes in the lyrical content. Multiple insects (swarms and infestations) were commonly described, but reference to giant insects were rather rare. About 87% of non-instrumental songs with insects in the title were actually about insects. With a few exceptions, the patterns seen in folk music were similar to those observed in rock-and-roll music and other popular media with regard to insect representation. However, the pastoral nature of folk music was evident in the frequency of insect-titled songs and the variety of titles and lyrics for the same song.
Digital Learning Techniques for Deeper Learning in Higher Education of UAE

Globalization and technology has reached to an extent where even a normal school goer prefers to achieve ‘anywhere, anytime learning’. It has been studied that that a major share of students attending Bachelors and Masters Program in UAE belong the category of working students who prefer studying while they work as the fitness in the job market in current scenario demands knowledge , skill and competencies with additional work related experience. And those who achieve this synergy gain the advantage of being well placed at work. The research paper aims to establish the need to integrate Digitally Smart Learning Techniques to the enhance the quality of education and the learning environment at the university levels including level 5, 6 and 7 of qualification comprising of the Associate level, Bachelor/Undergraduate Level and the Masters/Graduate Level as guided by the National Qualification Authority’s Quality Framework of Emirates (QFE Framework). The QFE Framework has been developed to incorporate several international taxonomies to ensure the higher educational qualification delivered in academic institutions of UAE is able to meet the quality and standards of international university programs. The researcher’s experience emphasizes the assumption that data synthesizing, information storing and reflection/interpretation can be enhanced by using apt digitally smart techniques of learning. The study also embeds existing digital technology in course delivery and learning process related to the three levels of learning aspects viz., Knowledge, Skill and Competency with sub strands of ; a. the identification of autonomy and responsibility in different situations b. self-development by working and operating in new and different situations and The paper further attempts highlight the role of digitally smart techniques in deeper learning with reference to level 5, 6 and 7 of QFEmirates.
26 COULD BUERGER DISEASE BE BURNED OUT

Objective Although Buerger disease is a disease of young smoker men, old age does not rule out the disease if other clinical, pathologic, and angiographic manifestations are present. Case A 76-year-old man presented to a university outpatient clinic due to bilateral foot pain and numbness of several years with recent worsening. The patient smoked two packs of cigarettes per day for 50 years. He continued to be an active smoker. On examination, signs of healed ulcers were noted on the dorsum of the feet and multiple toes. Several of his toes were cyanotic. Peripheral pulses were normal over both femoral and popliteal arteries but were absent over both posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis arteries. His hands revealed diminished radial and ulnar pulses bilaterally without significant skin changes. A decrease in sensation in both feet and lower legs was noted. Laboratory data revealed a normal ESR of 20. Antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, cryoglobulins, anticentromere antibodies, anti -cl-70, and antiphospholipid and anticardiolipin antibodies were normal or negative. A transesophageal echocardiogram revealed mild to moderate aortic valve stenosis without any cardiac source of emboli. A skin biopsy obtained from the dorsum of the left foot revealed normal skin with changes in the subcutaneous tissue consistent with fresh venous thrombosis. Inflammatory cell infiltrations were also noted in the subcutaneous tissues. Arteriogram of the lower extremity revealed widely patent vessels until the level of the lower calf, where blood flow disappeared in both legs. Segmental narrowing was noted in the left superficial femoral and popliteal arteries with little collateralization. Discussion An age less than 40 years, current or recent history of tobacco abuse, distal extremity ischemia, and exclusion of autoimmune and hypercoagulable diseases are the criteria for diagnosing Buerger disease. Old age, however, does not exclude Buerger disease. If other diagnostic criteria are met, it is recommended to perform histopathologic and angiographic studies. If these studies are consistent with Buerger disease, the diagnosis can be made. Our patient met the diagnostic criteria for Buerger disease except for the older age at onset. He seemed to differ from patients with classic Buerger disease in that there was no clinical proximal progression of the disease despite active smoking.
An Investigation of Hydrometeor Latent Cooling upon Convective Cold Pool Formation, Sustainment, and Properties

AbstractDowndrafts extending from convective clouds can produce cold pools that propagate outward, sometimes initiating new convection along their leading edges. Models operating at scales requirin...
Predictors of Left Ventricular Dysfunction After Surgery for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation

Background This study was performed to determine whether strain can supplement the ability of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) to predict postoperative ventricular dysfunction in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery for degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR). Methods From 2004 to 2017, 520 patients with an LVEF of 60% or more underwent mitral valve surgery (98% repair) for DMR. All patients had preoperative, predischarge, and follow-up (mean, 5.0 ± 3.6 years) echocardiograms. Speckle tracking was performed in 119 of 520 patients (22.9%) to determine LV strain, right ventricular free-wall strain, and left atrial longitudinal strain. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression models were used in this subgroup to evaluate associations with early postoperative LV dysfunction and medium-term overall survival, respectively. Results Median preoperative LVEF of the entire cohort was 65%. Based on predischarge echocardiogram, 449 patients (86.3%) maintained postoperative LVEF of 50% or greater. Seventy-one patients (13.7%) had a predischarge LVEF of less than 50%, 49 (9.4%) had a predischarge LVEF of 40% to 49%, and 22 (4.2% overall) had a predischarge LVEF of less than 40%. Abnormal preoperative LV, right ventricular, and left atrial strain measurements were significantly associated with the development of postoperative LV dysfunction, but preoperative hemodynamic and non-strain echo parameters did not vary enough in absolute values to be clinically useful as predictors of postoperative LV dysfunction. Conclusions Preoperative strain measurements in DMR patients were significantly associated with superior capabilities of detecting underlying LV dysfunction despite preserved preoperative LVEF. Strain analysis may serve as another marker for optimal timing of surgical intervention in DMR patients.