Evaluating the Efficacy of Various Modalities to Improve Arterial Stiffness

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an increase in cardiovascular (CV) mortality, partially due to arterial stiffening, which can be measured non-invasively via pulse wave velocity (PWV). Arterial stiffness is a clinically relevant CV marker of mortality, an increase in PWV by only 1 SD is associated with an increased CV risk of 15%. Land based aerobic exercise, both chronic and acute, has previously been identified as an effective method for improving arterial health. Unfortunately, land based aerobic exercise is not feasible for all populations, therefore a more effective treatment modality must be elucidated. Aquatic exercise has previously been shown to be beneficial for reducing blood pressure, as well as PWV. Fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption has been shown to decrease CV mortality, although the mechanism of action has yet to be fully elucidated. We tested the following hypotheses: 1) 8 week of dietary intervention, with increased fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as decreased complex carbohydrate and decreased fat consumption, will improve arterial hemodynamics 2) 8 weeks of aquatic exercise intervention will improve the PWV in women with MetS

A Comparison of the Rehabilitation Outcomes of Persons who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and Persons with Other Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rates of closure success (i.e., status 26) and level of income (i.e., weekly earnings at closure) for consumers with hearing loss (i.e., deaf and hard-of-hearing) and consumers with other disabilities. A random sample of case records (N=34,911) obtained from the RSA 911 database for fiscal year 1997 was evaluated. A series of logistic and multiple linear regression analysis, chi-square analysis, and t-tests were utilized to investigate potential relationships. Results indicated that consumers with hearing loss achieved closure success more often, and possessed higher levels of income when compared to consumers with other disabilities; and a significantly lower proportion of those services found to be significantly associated with closure success (i.e., restoration) and income (i.e., business and vocational training) were provided to consumers with other disabilities. Results are presented for each criterion variable, and the implications of findings for service and research are discussed

19. ON THE EVOLUTION AND PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF THE SOUTHEASTERN SPECIES OF THE GENUS DALEA (FABACEAE) USING A MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC APPROACH.

Dalea (Fabaceae) is a genus of small, herbaceous, perennial dicots that consists of approximately 160 species with a few species being geographically widespread, and most of the genus being endemic to restricted areas with calcareous substrates containing high levels of calcium carbonate. A previous study (McMahon and Hufford, 2004) looked at the phylogeny and genetic makeup of the tribe which Dalea belongs to, Amorpheae, and one other phylogenetic study (Diggs, 2013) has been conducted on the genus itself. This study focuses on the phylogeny and phylogeography of Dalea species from the Gulf Coastal Plain of Florida, including D. carnea, D. carthagenesis var. floridana, D. feayi, D. pinnata var. pinnata,D. pinnata var. trifoliata, D. adenopoda, D. mountjoyae, and D. albida. Phylogeny for Dalea will determined by DNA sequences amplified through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) of the chloroplast trnK/matK intron, and the nuclear ribosomal introns ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2, and compared to sequences obtained from previous phylogenetic studies of Dalea. Currently, no results have been ascertained, but samples have been collected and the DNA extracted. Key words: Dalea; Amorpheae; Fabaceae; ITS; phylogeny; phylogeography; trnK/matK; Gulf Coastal Plain; calcareous substrate

Neoadjuvant Use of Photodynamic Therapy in Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Face

Background. This preliminary study sought to determine the success of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in reducing lesion size in an effort to assess the potential application of this treatment approach in a neoadjuvant role. Objectives. To quantify the effects of PDT on lesion area (mm2) for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the face. Results. Eighteen participants (10 BCC lesions and 8 SCC lesions of the face) were assessed. Four lesions (all from the BCC group) showed a complete response to PDT. Of the remaining 14 lesions, 85.7% (n = 12) showed reductions in lesion area, while two lesions showed increase in lesion area. Proportional reductions for the 12 lesions that did not demonstrate complete response or an increase in area following-PDT were found to range from 13.2% to 85.1% (BCC) and 6.7% to 89.7% (SCC). Conclusions. PDT as a neoadjuvant treatment may provide a simple, efficient, and viable approach to reducing the area of malignant lesions of the face with the advantage of reduced cosmetic and aesthetic morbidities

A Survey for Transient Astronomical Radio Emission at 611 MHz

We have constructed and operated the Survey for Transient Astronomical Radio Emission (STARE) to detect transient astronomical radio emission at 611 MHz originating from the sky over the northeastern United States. The system is sensitive to transient events on timescales of 0.125 s to a few minutes, with a typical zenith flux density detection threshold of approximately 27 kJy. During 18 months of around-the-clock observing with three geographically separated instruments, we detected a total of 4,318,486 radio bursts. 99.9% of these events were rejected as locally generated interference, determined by requiring the simultaneous observation of an event at all three sites for it to be identified as having an astronomical origin. The remaining 3,898 events have been found to be associated with 99 solar radio bursts. These results demonstrate the remarkably effective RFI rejection achieved by a coincidence technique using precision timing (such as GPS clocks) at geographically separated sites. The non-detection of extra-solar bursting or flaring radio sources has improved the flux density sensitivity and timescale sensitivity limits set by several similar experiments in the 1970s. We discuss the consequences of these limits for the immediate solar neighborhood and the discovery of previously unknown classes of sources. We also discuss other possible uses for the large collection of 611 MHz monitoring data assembled by STARE.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures; to appear in PAS

Biocompatibility and biodegradation studies of a commercial zinc alloy for temporary mini-implant applications

In this study, the biocompatibility and in vitro degradation behaviour of a commercial zinc-based alloy (Zn-5 Al-4 Mg) were evaluated and compared with that of pure zinc for temporary orthopaedic implant applications. Biocompatibility tests were conducted using human alveolar lung epithelial cells (A549), which showed that the zinc alloy exhibits similar biocompatibility as compared to pure zinc. In vitro degradation evaluation was performed using weight loss and electrochemical methods in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 degrees C. Weight loss measurements revealed that the degradation of the zinc alloy was slightly lower during the initial immersion period (1-3 days), but marginally increased after 5 and 7 days immersion as compared to pure zinc. Potentiodynamic polarisation experiments showed that the zinc alloy exhibits higher degradation rate than pure zinc. However, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis suggests that pure zinc is susceptible to localized degradation, whereas the zinc alloy exhibited passivation behaviour. Post-degradation analysis revealed localized degradation in both pure zinc and the zinc alloy

Does endoscopic sinus surgery alter the biomechanics of the orbit?

© 2020 The Author(s). Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine if removal of ethmoid cell septations as commonly performed in endoscopic sinus surgery leads to a change in orbital wall fracture patterns and the force required to create them. Methods: Six fresh-frozen cadaveric heads were acquired and underwent endoscopic uncinectomy, maxillary antrostomy, and anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy on one, randomized, side. The contralateral sinuses were used as intra-specimen control. Hyaluronic acid gel globe injections were performed to simulate normal intra-ocular pressure. Post-op CT scans confirmed no orbital fractures or violation of the lamina papyracea prior to trauma testing. Orbital trauma was induced using a guided weight-drop technique. Both orbits were tested in random order, and sequentially higher drops were performed until both the test and control side demonstrated an orbital fracture on CT scan. Results: In all six heads, the post-sinus surgery side incurred a medial orbital wall fracture, and no orbital floor fractures were identified. On the other hand, on the control side, all six heads incurred orbital floor fractures at drop heights equal to, or higher than, the surgical side. Fisher\u27s exact test demonstrated a significant difference in fracture pattern (p \u3c 0.001). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that the structures removed during sinus surgery may act as a buttress for the medial orbital wall. The anatomic changes of sinus surgery may alter the biomechanics of the orbit and affect the pattern of subsequent traumatic blowout fractures

Assessing the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission via Surgical Electrocautery Plume

This quality improvement study used a nonhuman subject research approach to examine whether SARS-CoV-2 from aerosolized virus is present in and potentially transmissible from a electrocautery plume in surgery

A 23 GHz Survey of GRB Error Boxes

The Haystack 37-meter telescope was used in a pilot project in May 1995 to observe GRB error boxes at 23~GHz. Seven BATSE error boxes and two IPN arcs were scanned by driving the beam of the telescope rapidly across their area. For the BATSE error boxes, the radio observations took place two to eighteen days after the BATSE detection, and several boxes were observed more than once. Total power data were recorded continuously as the telescope was driven at a rate of 0.2~degrees/second, yielding Nyquist sampling of the beam with an integration time of 50~milliseconds, corresponding to a theoretical rms sensitivity of 0.5~Jy. Under conditions of good weather, this sensitivity was achieved. In a preliminary analysis of the data we detect only two sources, 3C273 and 0552+398, both catalogued sources that are known to be variable at 23~GHz. Neither had a flux density that was unusally high or low at the time of our observations.Comment: 5 pages, 1 postscript figure. To appear in Proceedings of the Third Huntsville Symposium on Gamma-Ray Bursts (eds. C. Kouveliotou, M. S. Briggs, and G. J. Fishman

Transboundary Water: Improving Methodologies and Developing Integrated Tools to Support Water Security

River basins for which transboundary coordination and governance is a factor are of concern to US national security, yet there is often a lack of sufficient data-driven information available at the needed time horizons to inform transboundary water decision-making for the intelligence, defense, and foreign policy communities. To address this need, a two-day workshop entitled Transboundary Water: Improving Methodologies and Developing Integrated Tools to Support Global Water Security was held in August 2017 in Maryland. The committee that organized and convened the workshop (the Organizing Committee) included representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), and the US Air Force. The primary goal of the workshop was to advance knowledge on the current US Government and partners' technical information needs and gaps to support national security interests in relation to transboundary water. The workshop also aimed to identify avenues for greater communication and collaboration among the scientific, intelligence, defense, and foreign policy communities. The discussion around transboundary water was considered in the context of the greater global water challenges facing US national security