cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 13370: Long-term Outcomes of Patients with Pseudoaneurysms and a History of Prior Cardiovascular Surgery

Background: Data regarding long-term outcomes in patients with cardiovascular (CV) pseudoaneurysms (PSA) is sparse. In patients with prior CV surgery, we sought to assess outcomes in patients with PSAs (defined as paravalvular, aortic root, or ascending aorta PSAs) & compare them with matched controls. Methods: As part of a cohort study (total n=342), we included 114 patients with prior CV surgery who presented with paravalvular (n=71, 59 at the aortic valve & 12 at the mitral valve) & ascending aortic (n=43) PSAs. A control group of patients (n=228) with prior CV surgery, matched in a 2:1 fashion based on age, gender, type & time of CV surgery, were also included. Standard clinical, echocardiographic & surgical data was collected & Euroscore was calculated. A composite endpoint of death & stroke during follow-up were recorded. Results: Baseline data are shown in Figure A. 80% of patients in each group underwent redo CV surgery during follow-up. Over a follow-up of 6.7±4 years, there were 78 (23%) events (32 or 28% in PSA group & 46 or 20% in control group). 30-day events occurred in 7% of the PSA group & 1% of controls. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the 2 groups are shown in Figure B. In the multivariate Cox Survival Analysis, Euroscore (HR 1.18 [1.10-1.27]) & the presence of PSA (HR 2.83 [1.66-4.85]) predicted a higher rate of events, while subsequent CV surgery (as a time-dependent covariate HR 0.38 [0.22-0.67])) & antibiotic use (HR 0.29 [0.27-0.31]) predicted improved freedom from events (all p<0.01). Conclusion: In patients with prior CV surgery, the presence of a cardiac PSA was associated with increased long-term adverse events, while redo CV surgery and antibiotic use improved outcomes. ![][1] ![][2] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/graphic-2.gif
Rehabilitation of Quadriceps Injuries

Quadriceps injuries occur frequently in sports and athletic activities in the form of contact injuries (contusion) or noncontact (strain/tears) with repetitive kicking and explosive acceleration or deceleration movements which occur frequently in sports such as soccer, football, and rugby. A safe return to sports is dependent on a rehabilitation program that restores full strength and flexibility to the quadriceps muscle based on the demands of the sport and the healing properties of the tissue. The rehabilitation consists of three phases culminating into return to sport when the athlete performs well on field tests and the athlete demonstrates symmetrical strength, flexibility, and power in the involved leg. The inclusion of core- and hip-strengthening exercises is vital to the success of the rehabilitation by integrating exercises that incorporate the stabilizing role of the trunk with the high demands placed on the lower extremity muscles in sports. The occurrence of quadriceps tendon tears in sports is relatively uncommon and coincides with a lengthy rehabilitation period with a return-to-play rate of approximately 50 % in athletes due to persistent strength and functional performance deficits.
Abstract 2492: Predicting Lack of Development of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

INTRODUCTION After aneurysm treatment, patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are typically kept in the intensive care unit (ICU) to be monitored for signs of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Identifying patients at very low risk of developing this complication who could be safely transferred out of the ICU early could have a very positive financial impact. METHOD We analyzed 307 consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit from October 2001 to June 2011. Demographic, clinical and neuroimaging data were recorded. The relationship between these variables and absent DCI was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS DCI did not develop in 169 patients (57.9%). Among factors at admission, age ≥ 68 years (p=0.0003; OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.67-6.39), WFNS I-III at presentation (p= 0.0003;OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.57-4.79), WFNS I-III at worst (p= 0.0003; OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.48-3.87), WFNS I-III post resuscitation (p= 0.0006; OR 2.85 95% 1.56-5.32), modified Fisher grade 1-2 (p= 0.0021; OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.37-4.47), absence of intracranial hematoma (p= 0.0042; OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.29-4.01), absence of intraventricular hematoma (p=0.045; OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.01-2.58), absence of cerebrospinal fluid diversion (p= 0.0002; OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.56-4.20) and aneurysm in the posterior circulation (p=0.0253; OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.07-2.87) were associated with absence of DCI. On multivariate analysis, a model including age ≥ 68 years (p= 0.0003; OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.68-6.62), WFNS at presentation I-III (p= 0.0092; OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.21-3.99) and modified Fisher grade 1-2 (p=0.02; OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.11-3.89) was independently uniformly predictive of the absence of DCI (specificity and positive predictive value of 100%; p CONCLUSION We propose a new model that can reliably identify a group of patients with aneurysmal SAH who have very low risk of developing DCI. These patients could be candidates for early transfer to the general ward after treatment of the ruptured aneurysm.
Challenges and solutions for I-131 therapy in the complex inpatient with thyroid cancer: A technologist prospective

2009 Objectives: Most I-131 therapy is conducted on an outpatient basis; however, there are circumstances such as individualized high dosage or other complicating medical needs where the I-131 therapy must be conducted on an inpatient basis. We recently conducted such a case where the patient was a paraplegic, had deep skin ulcers and required frequent dressing, colostomy and a urine bags changes. We needed to keep everyone safe and everyone’s doses within ALARA. Methods: Many challenges were presented to the Nuclear Medicine (NM) and the Nursing staff in the conduct of inpatient individualized I-131 therapy, which included: total body counting for dosimetry calculation; frequent dressing changes and bedside patient care issues that potentially exposed the nursing staff to a large radiation dose. A committee was formed to include the referring physician, the NM physician, the radiation safety officer, the NM and nursing managers and their staff. A treatment plan with fractionated duty assignments and responsibilities was the outcome of this meeting. Three unique techniques were utilized to perform total body counting on this bedridden patient. Each technique was evaluated to determine the most accurate total body counts. Results: First, the RSO and NM manager would conduct additional training with all shifts of the nursing staff on the patient’s floor. The emphasis of this training would be radiation safety for both the nurse and patient during the administration of nursing care. Second, the referring physician and the nursing staff developed a patient care plan that would minimize bedside nursing and much as possible. Third, the RSO provided additional radiation waste containers that could be removed from the patient room on a daily basis in order to help minimize nursing exposure to I-131 contaminated dressings. Conclusions: I-131 inpatient therapy on a patient with complicating medical issues can pose multiple problems for the NM and nursing staff. The upfront involvement of the physician, management, nursing and technical staff has helped us prepare for and successfully conduct these therapies.
The use of data topology in unsupervised clustering of high-dimensional data with self-organizing maps

High-dimensional data is increasingly becoming common because of its rich information content that can provide comprehensive characterization of objects (patterns) in real world situations. Unsupervised clustering aims to utilize this rich information content for detailed discovery of distinct patterns. However, conventional clustering methods may be inadequate for capturing intricate structure in high-dimensional and large data, such as hyperspectral images or genetic microarray data. These data usually have many meaningful clusters, including interesting rare ones, whose discovery may be of great importance. Yet, faithful delineation of clusters may be impossible and rare clusters may be undiscovered due to limitations of clustering methods. A powerful method in high-dimensional data analysis is the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) [1]. An SOM is a neural learning algorithm that quantizes data spaces and spatially orders the quantization prototypes on a rigid lattice. The information learned by the SOM can be exploited to extract detailed cluster structure either by explanatory visualization or by clustering the SOM prototypes. Available SOM visualization or clustering schemes that are successful for relatively simple data often miss the finer structure in high-dimensional and large data. Our goal is to provide advanced visualization and clustering schemes for SOMs for detailed cluster extraction. The main contribution is the exploitation of the data topology inherent in the SOM's knowledge but largely underutilized in existing approaches. We achieve this by proposing a “connectivity matrix” CONN, which is a weighted Delaunay triangulation. CONN and its specific rendering on the SOM (CONNvis) help detailed delineation of clusters which can be obscure in existing schemes. The capability of CONNvis in cluster extraction inspires a new index for the evaluation of cluster validity. The proposed index, Conn_Index, is shown to be effective in various applications of synthetic and real data sets. Based on our experiences, we expect CONN and Conn_Index to help produce an automated clustering of the SOM which may be as detailed as can be achieved with the interactive methods including our CONNvis clustering. This will be a significant achievement for structure discovery given that automated schemes in previous works produce results inferior to results from semi-manual procedures.
Modeling Duration Dependence

As applications of duration analysis have burgeoned in political science, scholars have become increasingly aware of the potential substantive importance of duration dependence: the extent to which the conditional hazards of the events of interest are rising or falling over time. Here I discuss the issue of duration dependence, focusing on the distinction between “spurious” dependence due to unobserved heterogeneity and “true” duration dependence due to state dependence in the process of interest. I present a simple extension of a commonly used parametric duration model—the Weibull model—which allows researchers to assess the influence of causal variables on the nature and extent of duration dependence in their data. I then illustrate the application of this “generalized Weibull” model using data on the duration of international alliances.
Introduction: Which Enlightenment, Whose Liberalism? Hayek's Research Program for Understanding the Liberal Society

In this introduction I outline a logical continuity in Hayek's research program from technical economics to his political economy and social philosophy. By taking the starting point of economics as the question of the coordination of plans, Hayek's emphasis as an economist on how economic actors must utilize their knowledge of time and place in making decisions, and how the market system is able to achieve such a high degree of order in the absence of command, leads Hayek as a political economist to emphasize generality in the law and politics and the requisite constraints on discretion, for it is only against this backdrop that agents are able to exploit their local knowledge for the mutual reinforcement and coordination of plans.
New Monoclonal Antibodies against a Novel Subtype of Shiga Toxin 1 Produced by Enterobacter cloacae and Their Use in Analysis of Human Serum.

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin (Stx) is a major virulence factor of several bacterial pathogens that cause potentially fatal illness, including Escherichia coli and Shigella spp . The continual emergence of new subtypes of Stxs presents challenges for the clinical diagnosis of infections caused by Stx-producing organisms. Here, we report the development of four new monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Stx1e, a novel subtype of Stx1 that was produced by an Enterobacter cloacae strain and had limited reactivity with existing anti-Stx1 antibodies. Western blot analysis indicates that these MAbs were Stx1 specific, bound to the A subunit, and had distinct preferences for subtypes of Stx1. Of the four MAbs, Stx1e-2 was capable of partially neutralizing cytotoxicities derived from Stx1e in Vero cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays assembled with these high-affinity MAbs detected Stx1e at concentrations as low as 4.8 pg/ml in phosphate-buffered saline and 53.6 pg/ml in spiked human serum samples and were also capable of distinguishing Stx1e-producing strains in enriched cultures. These assays may therefore have clinical value in diagnosing Stx1e-producing bacterial infection. Additionally, characteristics of Stx1e, such as the origin of stx1e genes, conditions for toxin expression, receptor binding, and cytotoxicity, were investigated with the new antibodies developed in this study. This information should be useful for further understanding the clinical significance and prevalence of Stx1e-harboring E. cloacae and other organisms. IMPORTANCE Stxs are among the most clinically important virulence factors of Shigella and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. There are many varieties of Stx, and although Stx1a and Stx2a are the most common and widely distributed types of Stx, new variants of Stx are continually emerging. These new variants of Stx can be challenging to detect, since most Stx detection kits are optimized for the detection of Stx1a and Stx2a. Stx1e, recently discovered in an atypical host (Enterobacter cloacae), is undetectable by many Stx assays. To formulate new assays for the detection of Stx1e, we generated four new MAbs that recognize this Stx subtype. Using these antibodies, we generated an assay capable of detecting Stx1e at low picogram-per-milliliter concentrations. This assay is also compatible with a human serum matrix, suggesting that it may have utility for the clinical detection and diagnosis of Stx1e-associated infections.
Comparative metabolic effects of chloramphenicol analogues.

Two groups of chloramphenicol analogues have been examined with respect to their effect on mitochondrial and Escherichia coli protein synthesis and on DNA synthesis in cultured human lymphoblastoid cells; one group of analogues with substitutions in the para position of the ring and another in which the substitutions were in the propanediol and dichloroacetamide moieties of the molecule. In general, substitutions in the propanediol or dichloroacetamide portion of the molecule had profound effects upon its capacity to inhibit both mitochondrial and E. coli protein synthesis. Although the patterns of inhibition of both mitochondrial and E. coli protein synthesis were similar with most of the analogues, there were several exceptions, suggesting some basic differences in these two processes. Substitutions in the para position of the molecule did not influence in any recognizable pattern its effect on either protein or DNA synthesis. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors wish to acknowledge the expert technical assistance of Miss Olga Carvajalino, who assisted in many phases of this work.
Surgical Palliation of Unresectable Pancreatic Carcinoma

Carcinoma of the pancreas is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Unfortunately, the majority of tumors are unresectable for cure at the time of presentation; therefore,palliation of symptoms to maximize quality of life is of primary importance. Surgical palliation offers the advantage of providing a single procedure that can treat or prevent all of the major symptoms: obstructive jaundice, duodenal obstruction, and pain.For most patients, optimal palliation includes hepaticojejunostomy,retrocolic gastrojejunostomy, and intraoperative chemical splanchnicectomy. Current surgical series report a low perioperative mortality rate (less than 3%) with acceptable morbidity rates. Most patients are discharged from the hospital within a short period with overall good long-term results.
Humin Formation Pathways

Humins are undesired solids that form during the aqueous processing of cellulose-derived carbohydrates. Aldol addition/condensation involving intermediates with multiple keto groups is one mechanistic pathway by which humins can form. The Gibbs free energy changes for aldol addition/condensation reactions in the early stages of humin formation have been computed from first principles. On this basis, primary humin building blocks have been identified. The effect of the initial carbohydrate upon the structure of the humins formed, as characterized by infrared spectroscopy, can be rationalized in terms of these building blocks.
Will we save the homeless mentally ill

Progress in alleviating the plight of the homeless mentally ill has been very slow and disappointing. After reviewing the needs of the homeless mentally ill, the author makes recommendations for immediate action. Extensive case management services should be implemented rather than simply discussed. All incompetent and/or dangerous or gravely disabled homeless mentally ill persons should be brought to hospitals, involuntarily if necessary. Cost-effective alternatives to hospitals with varying degrees of structure should be provided. Involuntary mechanisms such as conservatorship and outpatient commitment should be used when needed. The emphasis should be on timely transfer to acceptable treatment and living situations rather than waiting for the ideal.
Low Cost Optofluidic Smart Glass

This paper demonstrates a low cost, optofluidic smart glass capable of modulating visible transmittance from 0% - 86%.
Hands-on defibrillation during active chest compressions: eliminating another interruption

After decades of research, effective chest compressions have emerged as a key component of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for cardiac arrest patients. Minimizing interruptions in chest compressions is garnering increasing attention as a method to improve CPR quality and outcomes. Hands-on defibrillation has been suggested as both a safe and effective means of reducing interruptions in chest compressions. This article discusses the safety and efficacy of a novel and controversial method to reduce interruptions: hands-on defibrillation.
Greek Children’s Literature

This chapter examines late nineteenth and early twentieth century Greek children’s literature. The chapter begins with a discussion on the importance of reading in informal learning contexts and how children’s literature and other stories learned by children in informal learning settings helped shape the child’s national identity. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a wealth of children’s magazines and books were popularized and read by children both outside and within Greek schools. Some of these stories were imported into Greece from western Europe, while others were Greek-authored.
Are Russian propolis ethanol extracts the future for the prevention of medical and biomedical implant contaminations

Abstract Background Most studies reveal that the mechanism of action of propolis against bacteria is functional rather than structural and is attributed to a synergism between the compounds in the extracts. Hypothesis/Purpose Propolis is said to inhibit bacterial adherence, division, inhibition of water-insoluble glucan formation, and protein synthesis. However, it has been shown that the mechanism of action of Russian propolis ethanol extracts is structural rather than functional and may be attributed to the metals found in propolis. If the metals found in propolis are removed, cell lysis still occurs and these modified extracts may be used in the prevention of medical and biomedical implant contaminations. Study design The antibacterial activity of metal-free Russian propolis ethanol extracts (MFRPEE) on two biofilm forming bacteria: penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was evaluated using MTT and a Live/Dead staining technique. Toxicity studies were conducted on mouse osteoblast (MC-3T3) cells using the same viability assays. Methods In the MTT assay, biofilms were incubated with MTT at 37 °C for 30 min. After washing, the purple formazan formed inside the bacterial cells was dissolved by SDS and then measured using a microplate reader by setting the detecting and reference wavelengths at 570 nm and 630 nm, respectively. Live and dead distributions of cells were studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results Complete biofilm inactivation was observed when biofilms were treated for 40 h with 2 µg/ml of MFRPEE. Results indicate that the metals present in propolis possess antibacterial activity, but do not have an essential role in the antibacterial mechanism of action. Additionally, the same concentration of metals found in propolis samples, were toxic to tissue cells. Comparable to samples with metals, metal free samples caused damage to the cell membrane structures of both bacterial species, resulting in cell lysis. Conclusion Results suggest that the structural mechanism of action of Russian propolis ethanol extracts stem predominate from the organic compounds. Further studies revealed drastically reduced toxicity to mammalian cells when metals were removed from Russian propolis ethanol extracts, suggesting a potential for medical and biomedical applications.
Are herbicides a once in a century method of weed control

The efficacy of any pesticide is an exhaustible resource that can be depleted over time. For decades, the dominant paradigm – that weed mobility is low relative to insect pests and pathogens, that there is an ample stream of new weed control technologies in the commercial pipeline, and that technology suppliers have sufficient economic incentives and market power to delay resistance – supported a laissez faire approach to herbicide resistance management. Earlier market data bolstered the belief that private incentives and voluntary actions were sufficient to manage resistance. Yet, there has been a steady growth in resistant weeds, while no new commercial herbicide modes of action (MOAs) have been discovered in 30 years. Industry has introduced new herbicide tolerant crops to increase the applicability of older MOAs. Yet, many weed species are already resistant to these compounds. Recent trends suggest a paradigm shift whereby herbicide resistance may impose greater costs to farmers, the environment, and taxpayers than earlier believed. In developed countries, herbicides have been the dominant method of weed control for half a century. Over the next half-century, will widespread resistance to multiple MOAs render herbicides obsolete for many major cropping systems? We suggest it would be prudent to consider the implications of such a low-probability, but high-cost development.
Rupture Depth-Varying Seismicity Patterns for Major and Great (MW ≥ 7.0) Megathrust Earthquakes

Large earthquakes on subduction zone plate boundary megathrusts result from intervals of strain accumulation and release. The mechanism diversity and spatial distribution of moderate-size aftershocks is influenced by the mainshock rupture depth extent. Mainshocks that rupture across the shallow megathrust to near the trench have greater intraplate aftershock faulting diversity than events with rupture confined to deeper portions of the megathrust. Diversity of intraplate aftershock faulting also increases as the size of the mainshock approaches the largest size event to have ruptured that region of the megathrust. Based on these tendencies, we identify “breakthrough” ruptures as those involving shallow rupture of the megathrust with volumetrically extensive elastic strain drop around the plate boundary that allows activation of diverse intraplate faulting influenced by long-term ambient deformation stresses. In contrast, homogeneity of the aftershock faulting mechanisms indicates only partial release of elastic strain energy and remaining potential for another large rupture.
Surgical options in the treatment of ulcerative colitis

Children and young adults with ulcerative colitis tend to present with more extensive colonic disease than an adult population. The need for surgical intervention in the pediatric population with ulcerative colitis occurs earlier after diagnosis and has a greater incidence than a comparably matched adult population with an estimated need for colectomy at 5 years following diagnosis of 14-20%. Perhaps, even more than the adult population, there is a desire to restore intestinal continuity for the pediatric patient to achieve as healthy and normal quality of life as possible. With surgery playing such a prominent role in the treatment of ulcerative colitis in this age group, an understanding of the surgical treatment options that are available is important. The surgeon's awareness of the complexities of the different operations associated with proctocolectomy and reestablishing intestinal continuity may help to avoid early complications and minimize the risk of less than ideal long-term outcomes.
Social and Spatial Distance in Decision-Making: Can Culture Play a Role? An Abstract

With the innovation of technology and growing usage of social media, integrated marketing communications are targeting the customers from worldwide. Construal level theory has been extensively used to explain the effect of psychological distance on evaluation, prediction, and behavior (Trope et al., 2007). Psychological distance is defined as “the subjective distance between an actor and an event in the actor’s psychological space (Kim et al., 2008).” This multidimensional construct includes temporal distance, social distance, spatial distance, and hypotheticality (Liberman et al., 2007). Social distance and spatial distance are two dimensions that have been studied independently in previous literature. The author hypothesizes that the interaction effect of social distance and spatial distance on consumers’ evaluation varies from Western culture to Eastern culture. Moreover, this study intends to offer insights into the use of construal level theory in tourism advertising. Destinations targeting visitors from different cultures might adjust their marketing communications to be appealing. In conjunction with the tourism context, this research reviews the effects of two psychological distance dimensions, social distance and spatial distance, and the potential moderating effect of culture on customers’ attitudes and behavior intention. A 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design is purposed to test the hypotheses.
Understanding and Improving the Activity of Flavin-Dependent Halogenases via Random and Targeted Mutagenesis

Flavin-dependent halogenases (FDHs) catalyze the halogenation of organic substrates by coordinating reactions of reduced flavin, molecular oxygen, and chloride. Targeted and random mutagenesis of these enzymes have been used to both understand and alter their reactivity. These studies have led to insights into residues essential for catalysis and FDH variants with improved stability, expanded substrate scope, and altered site selectivity. Mutations throughout FDH structures have contributed to all of these advances. More recent studies have sought to rationalize the impact of these mutations on FDH function and to identify new FDHs to deepen our understanding of this enzyme class and to expand their utility for biocatalytic applications.
Interventional Therapy of Patients with Complex Coronary Lesions

In general, the outcomes with elective PCI are excellent and complications infrequent, but attention to a number of preprocedural and procedural details and lessons from the scientific literature can further optimize results. This chapter attempts to elucidate and codify key lessons for the practitioner.
Dynamics of Rational Surface Automorphisms

This is a 2-part introduction to the dynamics of rational surface automorphisms. Such maps can be written in coordinates as rational functions or polynomials. The first part concerns polynomial automorphisms of complex 2-space and includes the complex Henon family.
Writing Instruction in Chemistry Classes: Developing Prompts and Rubrics

This 12-month qualitative study examined the efforts and classroom practices of a team of chemistry teachers in a high-needs secondary (9–12) school as they worked toward meeting a campus mandate to incorporate student writing into their curriculum. The researcher, an English teacher and peer, investigated how this team of teachers negotiated these new curricular demands. Teachers have recognized that a first step in writing instruction was the development of quality writing prompts in addition to rubrics for evaluating their students’ writing about chemistry content. As the researcher collaborated with the chemistry teachers, she collected, coded, and analyzed data from transcriptions of team meetings, interviews, classroom observations, students’ papers, and a researcher journal. As these chemistry teachers integrated writing into their classrooms, the researcher’s ongoing reconstructive analysis of data provided a record of attitudes, behaviors, classroom practices, and development of prompts and rubri...
Structural Evidence for Dimer-Interface-Driven Regulation of the Type II Cysteine Desulfurase, SufS.

SufS is a type II cysteine desulfurase and acts as the initial step in the Suf Fe–S cluster assembly pathway. In Escherichia coli, this pathway is utilized under conditions of oxidative stress and is resistant to reactive oxygen species. Mechanistically, this means SufS must shift between protecting a covalent persulfide intermediate and making it available for transfer to the next protein partner in the pathway, SufE. Here, we report five X-ray crystal structures of SufS including a new structure of SufS containing an inward-facing persulfide intermediate on C364. Additional structures of SufS variants with substitutions at the dimer interface show changes in dimer geometry and suggest a conserved β-hairpin structure plays a role in mediating interactions with SufE. These new structures, along with previous HDX-MS and biochemical data, identify an interaction network capable of communication between active-sites of the SufS dimer coordinating the shift between desulfurase and transpersulfurase activities.
Evaluating Realized Volatility Models with Higher Order Cumulants: HAR-RV Versus ARIMA-RV

The objective of this paper is to introduce a new Realized Volatility (RV) Model. The model solves the problems of capturing long memory and heavy tales, which persist in current Heterogeneous Auto Regressive Realized Volatility Models (HAR-RV). First, an extensive empirical analysis of the classical RV model is provided by coupling Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Non Gaussian Time Series Analyses (NG-TSA) and volatility forecasting concepts. All models are built and tested on 30 min quotations of closing spot prices: USD/JPY, CHF/USD, JPY/EUR USD/GBP and GBP/EUR for the period from May 14, 2013 to July 31, 2015, taken from Bloomberg. The independence of the model’s innovations is tested by using the second, third and fourth cumulants, known as Higher Order Cumulants (HOC).Two tests are used, the Box-Ljung (B-Lj) test and Hinich test. The model is compared with the more natural Autoregressive Moving Average model (ARMA-RV). The empirical analysis shows that neither classic HAR-RV nor ARMA-RV models produce independent residuals. In addition, DSP recent findings are used to build a new HOC-ARMA-RV model. It was shown that only HOC-ARMA model fully captures fat tails and the long memory of FX returns.
Advances in Cardiovascular Disease Lipid Research Can Provide Novel Insights Into Mycobacterial Pathogenesis

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in industrialized nations and an emerging health problem in the developing world. Systemic inflammatory processes associated with alterations in lipid metabolism are a major contributing factor that mediates the development of cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis. Therefore, the pathways promoting alterations in lipid metabolism and the interplay between varying cellular types, signalling agents and effector molecules have been well studied. Mycobacterial species are the causative agents of various infectious diseases in both humans and animals. Modulation of host lipid metabolism by mycobacteria plays a prominent role in its survival strategy within the host as well as in disease pathogenesis. However, there are still several knowledge gaps in the mechanistic understanding of how mycobacteria can alter host lipid metabolism. Considering the in-depth research available in the area of cardiovascular research, this review presents an overview of the parallel areas of research in host lipid-mediated immunological changes that might be extrapolated and explored to understand the underlying basis of mycobacterial pathogenesis.
Obesity and hypertension contribute to prolong QRS complex duration among middle-aged adults

Background Obesity and hypertension are comorbid diseases, which influence cardiac structure, and are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events. The QRS duration (QRSd) reflects ventricular depolarization, and increased QRSd is associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes. QRS duration may be influenced by obesity and HTN, and reflect the increased risk factor for poor cardiovascular outcomes. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the relations between obesity, hypertension, and the interaction between them on QRSd. Methods In this secondary data analysis, firefighters without documented cardiovascular disease in normal sinus rhythm were included. Twelve-lead 24-hr ECG Holter monitors measured mean QRSd. Body mass index (BMI) and resting blood pressure (BP) were measured and categorized. Univariate linear regression models were produced using BMI, BP, and the interaction between BMI and BP as factors associated with QRSd. Multivariate models adjusting for multiple covariates were also produced. Results Seventy-seven firefighters were included and most (89.4%) were overweight or obese. After covariate adjustment, BMI (p = 0.028), BMI categorization (p = 0.020), and the interaction between BMI and systolic BP (p = 0.021) were associated with prolong QRSd. Conclusions Increased BMI and an interaction between BMI and systolic BP were independently associated with prolongation of the QRS complex. Determination of the underlying cardiac structures responsible prolongation of the QRSd is recommended for further research.
Fused pyrimidines. 7. Nucleosides of pyrimidopyrimidinediones and pteridinediones as potential chemotherapeutic agents

Several nucleoside derivatives of pyrimido[4,5-d]pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione 1 and 2,4{1H,3H-pteridinedione 2 were prepared. Treating the appropriate silylated nucleobase with 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofura-nose 3 in the presence of trimethylsilyl Inflate gave 4 and 8 which, upon debenzoylation, gave 5 and 9, respectively. Treatment of 4 with phosphorus pentasulfide afforded the sulfur substituted compound 6. Again, deprotection gave 7. The arabinose derivatives were obtained by treating 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-D-arabinofuranose 10 with the silylated nucleobases to give 11 and 13. Debenzoylation gave the free arabinonucleosides 12 and 14 respectively. The deoxy derivative 16 was prepared by the reaction of 1 with 1-chloro-3,5-di-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-D-ribofuranose 15. Deacetylation of 16 with methanolic ammonia gave the α-anomer 17.
Motivating cosmopolitanism: Jürgen Habermas, Jean-Luc Nancy, and the case for cosmocommonism

Tackling global injustice requires appropriate and effective institutions as well as cosmopolitan solidarity. This paper assumes that the ‘constitutionalized world society’ theorized by Habermas offers a viable proposal to make the protection and promotion of human rights more feasible. His account of solidarity, however, reveals a conundrum: If strong forms of solidarity grow out of shared political institutions and a related collective identity, but it is precisely those institutions that we need to enhance at the global level, then how can we build sufficient solidarity to support this process? Habermas relies on a global consensus on human rights, but I argue that his version of cosmopolitan solidarity is too weak to motivate the measures needed to fully realize economic, social and cultural rights and the package of institutional reforms that he proposes. We thus need a narrative of the human condition that can lend additional support to the idea of human rights and cosmopolitan duties. I find the seeds of such a position, which I call cosmocommonism, in the work of Nancy. Having shown how this can motivate cosmopolitanism and support for human rights, I then consider in the conclusion its compatibility with the political institutions that Habermas proposes.
A multiscale approach for virtual testing of highly aligned short carbon fiber composites

Abstract This paper presents an efficient multiscale approach for high fidelity virtual testing of highly aligned short fiber reinforced composites (SFRCs), based solely on constituent material and interface properties with no need of calibration data. The method is based on a hierarchical, bottom-up characterization of SFRCs and the link of mechanical behaviors of materials and microstructures from a lower scale to a higher scale. It starts with a microscopic unit cell model to estimate the transverse and shear properties of the aligned short fiber composites. Next, two types of mesoscale models with explicit consideration of fiber discontinuity and possible local fiber misalignments are employed to obtain effective properties of material domains with such morphologies. Such obtained meso-scale mechanical properties and damage behaviors are then integrated into the macroscale virtual laminar via the stochastically integrating of possible material defects. Results indicate that for perfectly aligned SFRCs the strength reduction is about 25% as compared to that of the continuously reinforced composites. However, misalignment of short fibers can cause a further strength reduction of 20–35% with the volume fraction of the misalign regions varying from 1% to 10%.
Wet ethanol in LTC: How water fraction and DTBP affect combustion and intake temperature at naturally aspirated and boosted conditions

Abstract The utilization of biofuels in Low Temperature Combustion has shown great potential to decrease emissions and improve overall lifecycle energy efficiency. In particular, wet ethanol (a mixture of ethanol and water) as a domestically sourced biofuel has shown such potential. This study aims to determine what blend of wet ethanol would optimize combustion properties under HCCI operating conditions, both naturally aspirated and boosted. Four different blends are tested, and it is determined that WE80 (80% ethanol and 20% water by mass) exhibits optimal combustion characteristics when examining upstream intake temperature, combustion efficiency and thermal efficiency, regardless of intake boost level. This work then studies how the combustion process of wet ethanol is affected by the addition of the cetane improver di-tertiary-butyl peroxide (DTBP). It was found that DTBP did not elicit any cool flame reactions from the ethanol, which is a single stage ignition fuel, regardless of boost level. DTBP was able to lower the required intake temperature of wet ethanol without significantly affecting the combustion process, i.e. no changes in burn duration or combustion efficiency. It is found that WE80 with 5% DTBP at 1.8 bar intake pressure required an intake temperature of ~320 K. While there is some disagreement about whether the effects of cetane improvers can be attributed to thermal or chemical causes, this study suggests that the effects are more likely attributable to chemical kinetics. DTBP is also shown to apparently increase wet ethanol’s equivalence ratio sensitivity slightly, which could have implications for other advanced combustion modes.
Pharmacologic approaches to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders

Antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV can achieve potent, long-term suppression of HIV plasma viremia and has increased life expectancy. The central nervous system is infected early after virus acquisition and remains a reservoir for HIV. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are an end-organ manifestation of HIV infection. The need to address neurological complications caused by HAND is significant as approximately 50% of people living with HIV on suppressive antiretroviral therapy are estimated to have some form of HAND. This review discusses the pathophysiology of HAND, CSF/CNS penetration and clinical pharmacology of antiretrovirals including pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships, the persistence of HIV in the brain, and future therapeutic approaches to preserve and improve sustained viral suppression in the brain.
Hydroxychloroquine use in the Baltimore Lupus Cohort: effects on lipids, glucose and thrombosis

Hydroxychloroquine is used by 35% of SLE patients enrolled in the Baltimore Lupus Cohort. Eighty per cent of patients who took hydroxychloroquine at cohort entry remain on it six years later. In addition to its role for disease manifestations of lupus, hydroxychloroquine may be indicated for the prevention of disease or treatment-induced complications, including hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, liver function test elevation and thrombosis.
Cost Effective Legal Research Redux: How to Avoid Becoming the Accidental Tourist, Lost in Cyberspace

The goal of this article is to assist legal researchers with cost effectively retrieving legal information. To accomplish this, researchers should understand the various branches of the government and the primary sources of law produced by each branch. Researchers then need to understand and be able to evaluate the available formats, i.e. print or electronic, in which legal information is located. Fee and free electronic sites are reviewed and discussed. Free, reputable Internet sites that provide access to primary and secondary sources of American law are located and reviewed in detail.
Reduced Process Sensitivity of Polysilicon Emitter Contacts for VLSI Bipolar Transistors

Polysilicon emitter contacts play an increasingly important role in high-speed npn bipolar transistors, particularly for emitter thicknesses of 0.1 μm or less. When optimizing these contacts, both the emitter resistance and the base current must be considered [1,2]. These two parameters are strongly dependent on the morphology of an interfacial layer between the poly and the single-crystal silicon. For high-speed applications, high polysilicon doping levels and moderate to high anneal temperatures are preferred in order to reduce the emitter resistance by partially breaking up the interfacial oxide[1, 2]. The integrity of the interfacial oxide and the extent of partial epitaxial alignment of the polysilicon are very sensitive to the process, leading to large variations in base current and emitter resistance from run to run[l]. This paper discusses a characterization of two methods of reducing this process sensitivity: rapid thermal annealing (RTA) to induce epitaxial alignment with the substrate, and replacement of the interfacial oxide by an extremely thin thermal nitride layer.
Crystallin synthesis by chicken lens. 3. mRNA stabilization under in vitro culture conditions.

Abstract The stabilization of mRNA for lens crystallins (insensitivity to actinomycin D) by epithelial cells of the chicken embryo lens occurs during a critical period between 11 2 3 and 12 2 3 days. This stabilization is not due to a change in cell permeability to actinomycin D, as confirmed by autoradiographic analysis of 3H-actinomycin D-treated cells. Stabilization also occurs during in vitro culture conditions. Studies in vitro indicate that some protein synthesis is involved in the stabilization mechanism. Also, there are no differences in the replicative activity of the epithelial cells between 11 2 3 and 12 2 3 days.
Rethinking the Dismal River Aspect and the plains Athapaskans, A.D. 1692-1768

Shortly before A.D. 1650, two major and separate cultural traditions of Plains Apache of mixed horticultural-hunting economies evolved in the central High Plains, both with different origins. The “...
Early functions of the genome of herpesvirus. II. Inhibition of the formation of cell-specific polysomes.

Abstract During the early stages of infection of rabbit kidney cells with pseudorabies virus, when both cell- and virus-specific proteins are being synthesized, two types of polysomes are present in the infected cells: larger virus-specific polysomes with nascent chains of polypeptides characterized by a low lysine: leucine ratio, and smaller cell-specific polysomes with nascent chains of polypeptides characterized by a high lysine: leucine ratio. This finding demonstrates that virus-specific proteins have a lower content of lysine than cell-specific proteins. The difference between cell- and virus-specific proteins in their relative content of amino acids was used to monitor the types of proteins synthesized by the infected cells in studies on the mechanism controlling the shutoff of host protein synthesis in virus-infected cells. Both RNA and protein synthesis are required in the infected cells to effect the inhibition of cell-specific protein synthesis. It was found that a protein (or proteins) is synthesized in virus-infected cells which is responsible for the disappearance of cell-specific polysomes; the message for this protein is transcribed in cells infected in the presence of cycloheximide and is translated after the removal of cycloheximide.
Protection against Lethal Encephalomyocarditis Virus Infection in the Absence of Serum-Neutralizing Antibodies

Although the ability of serum-neutralizing antibodies to protect against picornavirus infection is well established, the contribution of cell-mediated immunity to protection is uncertain. Using major histocompatibility complex class II-deficient (RHAbeta-/-) mice, which are unable to mediate CD4(+) T-lymphocyte-dependent humoral responses, we demonstrated antibody-independent protection against lethal encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infection in the natural host. The majority of RHAbeta-/- mice inoculated with 10(4) PFU of attenuated Mengo virus (vMC24) resolved infection and were resistant to lethal challenge with the highly virulent, serotypically identical cardiovirus, EMCV. Protection in these mice was in the absence of detectable serum-neutralizing antibodies. Depletion of CD8(+) T lymphocytes prior to lethal EMCV challenge ablated protection in vMC24-immunized RHAbeta-/- mice. The CD8(+) T-lymphocyte-dependent protection observed in vivo may, in part, be the result of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity, as CD8(+) T splenocytes exhibited in vitro cytolysis of EMCV-infected targets. The existence of virus-specific CD8(+) T-lymphocyte memory in these mice was demonstrated by increased expression of cell surface activation markers CD25, CD69, CD71, and CTLA-4 following antigen-specific reactivation in vitro. Although recall response in vMC24-immunized RHAbeta-/- mice was intact and effectual shortly after immunization, protection abated over time, as only 3 of 10 vMC24-immunized RHAbeta-/- mice survived when rechallenged 90 days later. The present study demonstrating CD8(+) T-lymphocyte-dependent protection in the absence of serum-neutralizing antibodies, coupled with our previous results indicating that vMC24-specific CD4(+) T lymphocytes confer protection against lethal EMCV in the absence of prophylactic antibodies, suggests the existence of nonhumoral protective mechanisms against picornavirus infections.