On Reason

It challenges us to face the truth. It tells us when we are wrong. It can sometimes bewilder us with its brutal simplicity. Some call it logic or rational thinking. Others refer to it as pure reason:\u27 Whatever you want to call it, we have no choice but to utilize this cognitive ability if we want to achieve our goals. Few, however, tend to figure out what it is that they are doing. If you cannot explain reason, it becomes that much harder to justify any given action. If an action is not taken according to reason, a justification will become harder still. The biggest issue at hand is that many people become so accustomed to a life of emotional whim, that it leads to a neglecting of their more useful mental faculties. Believe what you will about the best kind of life, but there is no denying that when such people need help in supporting some claim, their friendly neighborhood reason is nowhere to be found

Responsibility

In our society there is a systematic failure to recognize certain cru­cial principles about the human condition, especially by those in positions of power. Parents and policy-makers alike focus too greatly on removing personal responsibility and too little on allowing it. The result is a gradual removal of the individual\u27s authority as the arbiter of his or her own life. Part of the reason for this problem is that responsibility as a concept has become somewhat ambiguous, and thus, it has become misunderstood. Reaching a solution requires the clarification of what responsibility is and an understanding of why it is important

Impact of Race and Insurance on Door-to-Appendectomy Time among Pediatric Patients

Racial and ethnic disparities in the rate of appendiceal rupture have been widely reported among the pediatric population. The main reasons for this remain largely unknown given that previous explanations pointing to signs of poor health care access have recently been shown to account for only a small percentage of the difference in perforation rates between white and minority children. Because the risk of perforation increases with time, racial disparities in time delay from emergency department presentation to OR appendectomy may help account for the higher appendiceal perforation rates observed among minority children. This is the first study dedicated to analyzing racial differences in door-to-appendectomy time. Insurance status and language barriers were also considered as variables of interest. Retrospective, observational study using admission and treatment data of 607 consecutive children less than or equal to 18 years of age with surgical confirmation of appendicitis. Patients were admitted from February 2, 2013 (start of electronic medical record use) to April 27, 2017. A significant association was found between race and perforation rate (p0.05 for all). Door-to-appendectomy times were also not significantly longer for Medicaid/uninsured patients (613 minutes) compared to private insurance patients (597 minutes) (p=0.60), nor for patients with language barriers (545 minutes) compared to patients without (612 minutes) (p=0.23). While there was a higher appendiceal perforation rate among minority children, it was not due to differences in door-to-appendectomy time. Insurance status and language barriers also did not lead to differential treatment among pediatric patients

Faulty Phrases: There Is No Such Thing As Perfection

In regard to this saying, one of the most notable references can be found in the movie Tron: Legacy. Although not a direct quote, the charac­ter Kevin Flynn, played by Jeff Bridges, communicates a very similar mes­sage to the public: The thing about perfection is that it\u27s unknowable. It\u27s impossible, but it\u27s also right in front of us all the time:\u27 This stance from Flynn, or rather the scriptwriters, epitomizes the commonplace idea that I wish to critically examine

Exploring the Molecular Origin of Jet Fuel Thermal Oxidative Deposition Through Statistical Analysis of Mass Spectral Data and Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry of Deposits

ASTM D3241 (Standard Test Method for Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Turbine Fuels) measures the thermal oxidative stability of jet fuels under elevated temperature and pressure conditions. When jet fuels fail ASTM D3241, either at the refinery or in the distribution system, there can be supply disruptions and financial losses. Understanding the causes of poor thermal oxidative stability in jet fuels could help prevent or mitigate issues. In order to develop a deeper understanding of the molecular precursors that lead to ASTM D3241 failures, a number of analytical methodologies and data treatment techniques have been developed, applied, and reported here. Statistical analysis of LC/MS ESI data from jet fuels with varying thermal oxidative stabilities allows for the identification of molecules that are significant to ASTM D3241 failures. Differential statistical analysis of LC/MS ESI data from jet fuels before and after thermal oxidative stressing in a QCM reactor elucidates which significant molecules are being consumed during oxidation and which molecules are increasing in abundance. The analysis of thermal oxidative deposits that form during thermal oxidative stressing in the QCM reactor allows for the insight into the molecular components of the deposits. Attapulgus clay removes the polar molecules that lead to thermal oxidative stability issues in the refinery. Extraction of Attapulgus clay that has been used in a refinery to filter jet fuel with a series of solvents removes the polar molecules into a series of fractions. The subsequent analysis of the fractions by comprehensive GCxGC/MS leads to the identification of the different homologous series of molecules that are removed by the clay. The analyses developed and employed here are shown to be particularly useful for the analysis of trace polar nitrogen and oxygen containing molecules. Similar homologous series of molecules are identified across all of the different analyses. It is also clear from some of the analyses, along with previously reported data in the literature, that reactive sulfur-containing molecules are significant to poor thermal oxidative stability as measured by ASTM D3241 and to the formation of thermal oxidative deposits. There is still an opportunity to find methodologies to better characterize the sulfur species present and correlate them to the data that is reported here

Studies in microbic dissociation and variation with special reference to the acid-fast and the diphtheroid bacilli

A study has been made of dissociation in strains of a virulent bovine, attenuated bovine (B.C.G.) and a human tubercle bacillus, and of the more rapidly growing fish tubercle and "leprosy" bacillus. A less detailed examination has been made of the tortoise tubercle bacillus and Mycobacterium rubrum. A number of strains of diphtheroids have also been examined. The most outstanding colony types have been described and an examination made of their stability and of some related characters such as virulence (in certain strains), emulsibility in saline and changes in cell morphology. The variants have been numbered in preference to classifying them as S, R and I forms; it seemed desirable to investigate the intermediate types in some detail, as early in the work it became evident that among acid -fast organisms such forms were more numerous than one was led to expect from the general literature on microbic dissociation among either rapidly or slowly growing organisms. Each variant described was definite in its characteristics and was clearly differentiated from other colonies of the same species.From the results obtained in this study of dissociation among certain strains of Mycobacteria and Corynebacteria it is felt that while the recent literature gives one aspect of the subject in considerable detail (that of the S and R types and their associated characters) it does not present a true picture of the changes taking place when an organism undergoes dissociation. Although the colonies of the two genera examined probably tend to show a greater complexity of form than those of other commonly occurring organisms and consequently allow greater scope for variability, it seems justifiable to assume that similar changes are occurring in other species, although they may be of a less obvious nature. Since, in the majority of cases, the "intermediate types" have received but scant attention from recent investigators (who have come under the influence of one or two systematists) the importance of the reactions among such forms is still unknown. This belief that the changes do occur is strengthened by the reports of early workers who described a considerable number of variants in most of the species examined. The results recorded here are not in agreement with those of many investigators, but they indicate that until a study is undertaken to determine in detail not only the reactions of a few colonies but also those of other forms, there is small probability of understanding the true cause of dissociation.In the foregoing results it has been shown that to overlook the so- called "intermediate form" as an unstable and unsatisfactory type with which to work, would be to disregard an important aspect of the phenomenon. Reports suggesting hard and fast classifications on the basis of stability of colony structure and certain related characters must be accepted, at present at least, with reservations. The phenomenon, it is believed, is not purely haphazard. It is a definite biological problem of practical importance and as such demands a thorough and detailed investigation in many different species

Muscle Soreness and Damage During Wildland Firefighter Critical Training

Introduction: Wildland firefighters (WLFF) undergo a critical training (CT) period immediately before the firefighting season. The intensity of CT exercise could lead to muscle damage, as previously reported cases of rhabdomyolysis in WLFFs have been documented. This study established the effects of activities performed during a two-week CT period on acute markers of muscle damage in WLFFs. Methods: 18 male and 3 female Type I Interagency Hotshot WLFFs were studied during a 14-day critical training period. Upper- (US) and lower-body (LS) muscle soreness and daily body weight (BW) scales were collected. Venous blood was collected on Days 1, 4, 8, and 11 to measure markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, c-reactive protein) and overtraining (cortisol, testosterone). Skinfold measurements were taken on Days 1 and 11 to calculate body fat (BF) and lean body weight (LBW). The BLM fitness challenge defined fitness. Results: No differences in body weight were observed Days 1-11 (p=0.065). BF significantly decreased from Day 1 to 11 (15.3±1.4% vs. 14.1±1.3%, p=0.002), while LBM significantly increased (67.3±2.3kg vs. 68.8±2.2kg, p=0.002). US and LS showed main effects of time, elevated from baseline for subsequent days, peaking on Day 3 (US: 3.8±0.5 cm, p\u3c0.001; LS: 4.3±0.3 cm, p\u3c0.001). CK showed a significant effect of time, elevated from baseline, peaking on Day 4 (73.4±14.4 U·L-1vs. 132.8±15.4 U·L-1, p=0.001). LDH showed a significant effect of time, where Day 11 significantly increased from Day 1 (159.4±5.5 IU·L-1 vs.164.4±6.9 IU·L-1, p=0.04). There was no significant difference in CRP (p=0.32). There was a significant increase in cortisol on Day 8 (48.0±4.6 ng·mL-1 vs. 61.9±2.9 ng·mL-1, p=0.036), while no difference was seen in testosterone (p=0.25). The testosterone/cortisol ratio showed a significant decrease on Day 8 (0.31±0.05 vs. 0.19±0.02, p=0.014). Elevated fitness and off-season training habits correlated with ameliorations in these markers. Conclusion: These data suggest that WLFFs undergo significant physiological stressors resulting in muscle soreness, damage, and overtraining during CT. Fitness and preparedness appear to have a protective effect on the strain experienced from the training stimulus. Careful preparation and monitoring of the training stimulus are vital to avoid clinical ramifications