cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of Procainamide in Rats with Extrahepatic Biliary Obstruction

The pharmacokinetics of the widely used antiarrhythmic agent, procainamide, was studied in rats with extrahepatic biliary obstruction produced by ligation of the common bile duct. Various biological fluids, including plasma, saliva, and urine, were analyzed for procainamide and/or its major metabolite, N-acetylprocainamide. Ligation of the common bile duct immediately prior to intravenous administration of 50 mg/kg procainamide did not alter plasma, saliva, or urine concentrations of procainamide, indicating that biliary excretion was of minor importance in the elimination of procainamide. However, bile duct ligation allowed to persist for 4 days significantly elevated plasma, saliva, and urine levels of procainamide. While the increase in urinary procainamide paralleled the increase observed in plasma, salivary concentrations did not. Bile duct ligation did not appear to impair nonmicro-somal acetylation of procainamide, although a significantly greater amount of unchanged drug was found in the urine after 24 hr. Pharmacokinetic analysis via the two-compartment open model showed that bile duct ligation caused a decrease in overall clearance from ~61.94 to 28.71 ml/kg/min. This reduction probably resulted from the decreased microsomal metabolism of procainamide. The significant reduction in the apparent volume of distribution from 3.76 to 2.72 liter/kg could be the result of reduced binding sites. There was also a significant increase in the elimination half-life of procainamide from 47.39 to 78.64 min in bile duct ligated rats.
Robust background subtraction with foreground validation for urban traffic video

Identifying moving objects in a video sequence is a fundamental and critical task in many computer-vision applications. Background subtraction techniques are commonly used to separate foreground moving objects from the background. Most background subtraction techniques assume a single rate of adaptation, which is inadequate for complex scenes such as a traffic intersection where objects are moving at different and varying speeds. In this paper, we propose a foreground validation algorithm that first builds a foreground mask using a slow-adapting Kalman filter, and then validates individual foreground pixels by a simple moving object model built using both the foreground and background statistics as well as the frame difference. Ground-truth experiments with urban traffic sequences show that our proposed algorithm significantly improves upon results using only Kalman filter or frame-differencing, and outperforms other techniques based on mixture of Gaussians, median filter, and approximated median filter.
Highly scalable parallel sorting

Sorting is a commonly used process with a wide breadth of applications in the high performance computing field. Early research in parallel processing has provided us with comprehensive analysis and theory for parallel sorting algorithms. However, modern supercomputers have advanced rapidly in size and changed significantly in architecture, forcing new adaptations to these algorithms. To fully utilize the potential of highly parallel machines, tens of thousands of processors are used. Efficiently scaling parallel sorting on machines of this magnitude is inhibited by the communication-intensive problem of migrating large amounts of data between processors. The challenge is to design a highly scalable sorting algorithm that uses minimal communication, maximizes overlap between computation and communication, and uses memory efficiently. This paper presents a scalable extension of the Histogram Sorting method, making fundamental modifications to the original algorithm in order to minimize message contention and exploit overlap. We implement Histogram Sort, Sample Sort, and Radix Sort in Charm++ and compare their performance. The choice of algorithm as well as the importance of the optimizations is validated by performance tests on two predominant modern supercomputer architectures: XT4 at ORNL (Jaguar) and Blue Gene/P at ANL (Intrepid).
A parylene bellows electrochemical actuator for intraocular drug delivery

The first electrochemical actuator with a Parylene bellows for intraocular drug delivery is presented in which the bellows separates the electrolysis actuation chamber from the drug reservoir. The Parylene bellows was fabricated using a novel polyethylene glycol (PEG)-molding process and mechanically characterized. Optimization of the gas generation efficiency of the actuators was performed. We achieved an efficiency approaching 80% and over 1.5 mm deflection with our actuator. Wireless operation was also demonstrated.
Speed of sound and ballistic resistance of nanocomposite films

We present a numerical model for the factors controlling the velocity of sound and ballistic performance of nanocomposite polymer films. In our approach, the composite material is represented by a three-dimensional lattice of bonds having different mass and elastic constants for the inclusion and for the matrix. The mechanics of impact wave propagation is formulated in terms of impulse-momentum balance equations which are solved at each lattice site using a finite difference technique. Our study indicates that the efficiency of load transfer across a composite film is negatively impacted by the mismatch in impedance between matrix and inclusions. We also find that, among all inclusions, platelets with high aspect ratio are the most promising. They clearly lead to a faster sound velocity, wider propagation of the impact wave and higher critical perforation velocity V50. POLYM. COMPOS. 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
On truth discovery in social sensing: a maximum likelihood estimation approach

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the challenge of truth discovery from noisy social sensing data. The work is motivated by the emergence of social sensing as a data collection paradigm of growing interest, where humans perform sensory data collection tasks. A challenge in social sensing applications lies in the noisy nature of data. Unlike the case with well-calibrated and well-tested infrastructure sensors, humans are less reliable, and the likelihood that participants' measurements are correct is often unknown a priori. Given a set of human participants of unknown reliability together with their sensory measurements, this paper poses the question of whether one can use this information alone to determine, in an analytically founded manner, the probability that a given measurement is true. The paper focuses on binary measurements. While some previous work approached the answer in a heuristic manner, we offer the first optimal solution to the above truth discovery problem. Optimality, in the sense of maximum likelihood estimation, is attained by solving an expectation maximization problem that returns the best guess regarding the correctness of each measurement. The approach is shown to outperform the state of the art fact-finding heuristics, as well as simple baselines such as majority voting.
An ABC Supported QoS Unicast Routing Scheme Based on the Ant Algorithm

In this paper, by introducing knowledge of fuzzy mathematics and microeconomics, a QoS unicast routing scheme with ABC supported is proposed based on the ant algorithm. Simulation results have shown that it is both feasible and effective with better performance.
Diastereoselective Diels–Alder reactions. The role of the catalyst

Abstract The Diels–Alder reaction between (R)-(−)-methyl (Z)-3-(4,5-dihydro-2-phenyl-4-oxazolyl)-2-propenoate (1) and cyclopentadiene in the presence of one equivalent of Et2AlCl gave stereochemical results opposite to those obtained with one equivalent of EtAlCl2. Energy minimizations of proposed complexes of these Lewis acids with the chiral dienophile at the RHF/3–21G level suggest that the aluminum is tetrahedrally complexed with Et2AlCl, but bound in a trigonal bipyramid with EtAlCl2. These complexes expose the diastereotopic faces of the dienophile to reaction with diene.
Crystallization Behavior of Polyamide-6 Microcellular Nanocomposites

The crystallization behaviors of polyamide-6 (PA-6) and its nanocomposites undergoing the microcellular injection molding process are studied using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The relationships among the morphology, the mechanical property of the molded parts, and the crystallization behavior are investigated. With the addition of nanoclays in microcellular injection molded parts, the growth of the α-form crystal is suppressed and the formation of γ-form crystals is promoted. Both nanoclay and dissolved gas have a big influence on PA-6 crystalline structures. The existence of nanoclay increases the initial crystallization rate. But with extra addition of nanoclays in the polymer matrix, the increase of crystallization rate is reduced. Microcellular injection molded nanocomposites with proper amount of nanoclays possess the maximum crystallization activation energy and produce a finer and denser microcell structure which leads to better mechanical properties.
Expression and Function of Growth Differentiation Factor-9 in an Oviparous Species, Gallus domesticus

Many studies have indicated a critical role for the oocyte growth factor, growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF9), in mammalian follicle development, but no information has been available concerning oviparous species. We cloned a cDNA for chicken GDF9 (162 base pairs) and used it in Northern blot analysis to identify a transcript at 1.7 kilobase in RNA isolated from the ovary of the hen. We also sequenced two full-length clones from a normalized chicken reproductive tract cDNA library. The cDNA clone for chicken GDF9 encodes a protein of approximately 449 amino acids and all six cysteine residues, and three of the four glycosylation sites are conserved with respect to mammalian GDF9. Chicken GDF9 is approximately 65% similar in the full-length cDNA sequence and 80% similar in amino acid sequence at the C-terminal region to GDF9 from several mammals. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis (n = 5) indicated that GDF9 mRNA is greatest in follicles < 1 mm in size compared with larger follicles or granulosa layers isolated from larger follicles. Immunocytochemical analysis showed strong expression of GDF9 in hen oocytes. In yolk-filled oocytes, the GDF9 was localized at the periphery of the oocyte. Finally, oocyte-conditioned medium (from < 1-mm oocytes) resulted in a 2-fold increase in granulosa cell proliferation, which could be inhibited by preincubation of the conditioned medium with GDF9 antibody. These data suggest that GDF9 is present in the hen oocyte and that this factor is capable of enhancing granulosa cell proliferation, as has been demonstrated in mammals.
Alignment of rare earth moments in dilute Pd-Fe alloys

Magnetization measurements were made on the ternary alloy system Pd0.96Fe0.03R.E.0.01 for which R.E. = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb in order to determine the relative alignment of the rare earth moments in the ferromagnetic Pd-Fe matrix. Those rare earths to the left of Gd were aligned parallel and those to the right of Gd antiparallel to the Pd and Fe moments. This is consistent with an antiferromagnetic interaction between the rare earth spin and the d-band of the host matrix since for the former J = L−S and for the latter J = L + S. Neutron magnetic disorder scattering measurements were also made on the Dy alloy and these showed only partial alignment of the available Dy moments. This suggests that the interaction between the rare earths and the Pd-Fe matrix depends on the local environment of the rare earth atoms.
Recent and abrupt environmental change in the Florida Everglades indicated from siliceous microfossils

We used paleoecological methods to infer environmental conditions in Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA-2A) of the Everglades before impoundment in 1961, and we compared pre-impoundment environmental conditions to present conditions. Abundances of siliceous microfossils (diatoms, chrysophyte cysts, sponge gemmoscleres, and plant phytoliths) were analyzed in two sediment cores from nutrient-enriched northern WCA-2A and in two sediment cores from unenriched southern WCA-2A. Nutrient enrichment in northern WCA-2A after 1961 was associated with an increasse in relative abundance of eutrophic diatoms. A pH increase in much of WCA-2A after 1961 was indicated by a decrease in relative abundance of acidic indicators (Eunotia diatoms and the sponge Anheteromeyenia ryderi) and a decrease in richness of chrysophyte cysts. An increases in anoxia in nutrient-enriched northern WCA-2A, during about 1961–1980 when high water depth was maintained, was suggested by an increase in visible dissolution of silicenous microfosils. A decreases in palm phytolith abundance after 1961 and lack of recovery after water depth was lowered suggest either that water depth is still maintained high enough to adversely affect vegetation or that there has been insufficient time for recovery. Numbers of sponge gemmoscleres decreased to less than 1% of preimpoundment numbers, suggesting that there has been a dramatic decrease in sponge abundance. The environmental changes discovered in this study suggest directions for future management of of the Everglades.
Utilization of Multiple I-125 Radioactive Seeds in the Same Breast is Safe and Feasible: A Multi-institutional Experience.

Radioactive seed localization has been shown to be a reliable and safe alternative to wire localization in breast surgery, but little is known about the use of multiple localization seeds. This study evaluated the utilization of multiple seeds in the same breast. All patients who underwent localization of breast lesions using multiple I-125 seeds at three Mayo Clinic sites between January 2003 and June 2014 were included. A total of 461 operations were performed during an 11.5-year study period. The indications for multiple seed placement in the same breast included multiple lesions (n = 258), bracketing (n = 110), multiple lesions and bracketing (n = 67), and a second inserted for more precise localization (n = 26). Among patients with bracketing seeds, the mean distance between seeds was 45 (range 8–110) mm. Removal of the targeted lesion was successful in all cases; 96 % of bracketed lesions were removed as a single specimen, and a 98 % retrieval rate within the first specimen was obtained. In total 108 of 382 (28 %) patients had close or positive margin resulting in a second procedure and 60 of 177 (34 %) patients with bracketing procedures underwent reexcision of positive margins or culminated in a mastectomy. Routine intraoperative frozen section analysis was associated with a lower reoperation rate compared with a selective approach to intraoperative margin assessment. The use of multiple radioactive seeds for localizing multiple lesions in the same breast or bracketing lesions is feasible and safe. Because of the extent of disease, a substantial percentage of these patients require margin reexcision or conversion to mastectomy.
Notes on the Unusual Megalopae of the Ghost Crab Ocypode quadrata and Related Species (Decapoda: Brachyura: Ocypodidae)

Abstract The postlarval stage, or megalopa, of Ocypode quadrata (Atlantic Ghost Crab) has distinctive morphological characteristics, with large size being its most recognizable character. Nevertheless, there is little biological or ecological information on this critical stage in the crab's life cycle. Over a 20-year period (1980–2000) of field work, only five specimens have been collected incidentally along the sandy beaches of southern New Jersey, near the northern limit of its geographic range. Megalopae were obtained via seine, hand net, and sediment core samples from September 6 to October 6, even though some of the locations were sampled throughout the year. Mean carapace width (CW) and length (CL) for the five megalopae were 4.85 ± 0.59 mm by 6.14 ± 0.68 mm, respectively; CW ranged from 4.01–5.43 mm and CL from 5.18–7.01; mean CW/CL ratio was 0.790 ± 0.023. Carapace dimensions of New Jersey specimens were compared with megalopae recorded in the literature from the shores of Long Island, NY and Nort...
A Comment on NEPAD: The New Partnership for Africa's Development and Financing for Sustainable Development

A Comment on NEPAD: The New Partnership for Africa's Development and Financing for Sustainable Development.
Resource distribution, accessibility, and health equity: from global analyses to the Cuban case

This dissertation examines interrelated questions concerning distribution of healthcare financing and human resource for health (HRH), access to healthcare services, and health outcomes on international and national levels of analysis. The dissertation is comprised of three papers, addressing the following questions: What is the relationship between the government’s share of total health spending and infant mortality? How do developing countries cluster along the lines of critical health and development indicators? How successful has Cuba been, a country with a highly public health and development model, in reducing inequality in human resource for health distribution? While this study does not ignore the relationships among inequality, per capita gross national income, food security and health outcomes, the central focus is on key dimensions of healthcare accessibility the distribution of human resources for healthcare services and the extent to which governments reduce financial barriers to care. Although previous research has examined the relationship between public health spending and the infant mortality rate (IMR), few if any studies have examined the impact of government expenditure on healthcare services as a percentage of total expenditure on health (GEHPTEH) on the IMR. In the first paper, I employ additive and interactive multivariate regression models with cross-sectional data gathered from the World Health Organization and the World Bank to examine the relationship between GEHPTEH and IMR while controlling for gross national income, doctor density, the percentage of children under 1 year vaccinated for polio, and the percentage of the population with access to improved water sources. The findings of the additive models
International Trade And Income Formation: A Developing Countrys Perspective

Using OLS technique, this paper estimates the role of the international sector of developing economies on the monetary mechanism and economic growth. Results obtained show that significant variation in money stock is explained by changes in exports, capital inflow, and the balance of payments. However volatility in these variables, due to the narrow range of exports and international capital market conditions for such economies, present real limits to growth, and cautions against indiscriminate use of bank credit creation.
Abstract A06: Effects of Integrated Risk Counseling on Cancer Prevention Behaviors

Introduction: Obesity, which has important implications for cancer risk and outcomes, is the cumulative effect of diet and physical activity behaviors. Many adults, especially those from racial and ethnic minority groups, do not meet the recommended guidelines for these behaviors. Previous research has shown that cancer risk information is effective at motivating early detection, but empirical data are not available on the effects of risk factor information on prevention behaviors. Purpose: We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the effects of alternate forms of risk factor education on prevention behaviors in a community-based sample of African American adults (n=212). Methods: This study was conducted as part of an academic-community partnership; the intervention protocols were developed collaboratively by a multi-disciplinary investigative team consisting of academic and community investigators. The integrated risk counseling (IRC) protocol provided education about the overlap in behavioral risk factors for cancer and cardiovascular disease and the disease-specific (DSC) protocol only provided education about behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Elements from motivational interviewing were incorporated into IRC and DSC; interactive activities were included in both protocols to develop and enhance skills for increasing fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. Adherence to recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity were evaluated by self-report by telephone at baseline and at 1-month following intervention. We predicted that IRC would lead to greater adherence rates compared to DSC. Regression analyses, using an intent-to-treat approach were conducted to evaluate adherence rates for behavioral outcomes while controlling for baseline levels. Results: Compared to DSC, IRC was associated with increased adherence rates for fruit intake only (OR=1.85, 95% CI=0.99, 3.44, p=0.05). At baseline, 37.4% of participants who were randomized to IRC met the recommended guidelines for fruit intake, but at follow-up 57.4% were adherent. There were no significant changes in adherence rates for fruit intake among those who were randomized to DSC (31.1% versus 41.5%). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that integrated risk factor education leads to improved behavioral prevention for some outcomes. Making multiple behavioral changes simultaneously may be particularly difficult. Citation Format: Melanie S. Jefferson, Benita Weathers, Scarlett Bellamy, Ernestine Delmoor, Vanessa Briggs, Jerry Johnson, Rodney Rogers, Joseph Purnell, Chanita Hughes-Halbert. Effects of integrated risk counseling on cancer prevention behaviors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A06.
High-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for relapsed or refractory diffuse large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

The use of high-dose chemotherapy and transplantation for chemotherapy sensitive relapsed diffuse large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is now the gold standard for patients who are candidates for such therapy. Recent data also demonstrates the relative effectiveness of this approach for patients who are induction failures but are continuing to respond to conventional therapy at the time of transplantation. Newer approaches such as the use of novel agents to modify the transplant regimen, newer cytokines, or alternative sources of hematopoietic stem cells need to be tested in order to improve the outcome in patients with chemotherapy resistant disease.
Flow Control for Coordinated Motion and Haptic Feedback

AbstractThe use of haptic interfaces to control mobile hydraulic machinery has several enhancing features over traditional human-machine interfaces comprised of joysticks/levers. This paper presents pressure and flow control schemes designed for coordinated haptic control. Typical of many small backhoes and excavators, the hydraulic system used on the test-bed is comprised of constant displacement pumps and proportional directional control valves. In this type of system, a main pressure regulator is needed to supply the other closed-centre valves with pressure and dumps the additional flow from the pump to tank. Using these valves for haptic applications requires accurate closed-loop control. The focus of this paper is on the flow control scheme. Performance of the proportional directional control valves are compared with and without pressure compensation. A velocity feedback loop is present in order to improve the accuracy of the control system. A small input dead-zone function is proposed in order to pr...
Communication in the Fan of Disciplines

For as long as the modern research university has been around, finding an ordering principle for knowledge acquisition has been one of its key goals. Though the difficulties in ordering knowledge go back to the times of Plato, the modern research university's establishment was expected to resolve them. And yet, centuries later, that ordering principle still eludes us. Instead, the patterns by which we collect and organize knowledge remain out of step with the circumstances that typify today's university environment. This article addresses the evolution and impact of that dissonance, using the field of communication as a prism through which to consider whether recognition of alternate modes of knowledge acquisition might be possible and, equally important, overdue.
Introduction to AMMI Model and its Application to Analyzing Variety Trial Data

In the multilocation trials the interactions between the variety and site occur most of the times,which makes the data analysis very complicated.The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction(AMMI)model is a new developed model.Compared to the traditional ANOVA model and regression model,AMMI model is a more flexible and more efficient approach to explore the interaction.In this paper the AMMI model and biplot,an graphical tool to present AMMI analy- sis results,are introduced and discussed.One data set from Southern China Rice Trial is analyzed in details to illustrate the power and efficiency of AMMI analysis.
Determination of five β-lactam antibiotics in milk by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

[Objective] To develope a high performance liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry method based on C18 solid-phase extraction for simultaneous determination of five β-lactam antibiotics (amoxicillin,ampicillin,oxacillin,cloxacillin and penicillin G)in bovine milk. [Methods] The samples were cleaned up with C18 SPE catridge, the extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrosprapy ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in the positive mode using a isotope-labeled internal standard. [Results] The method was validated at the 5 and 10 μg/L level for these compounds in milk, and the limit of quantification was 5,2,2,4,4 μg/L for amoxicillin, ampicillin , penicillin G,cloxacillin and oxacillin, and the detection range was from 2 to 20 μg/L. [Conclusion] Liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction are combined to eliminate the interfering substance while the internal standard is used. Hence this method is adoptable for the determination of five kinds of antibiotics.
Inhibition of plasminogen activator secretion by cyclic AMP in a macrophage-like cell line

The continuous cell line, J774.2, exhibits many macrophage-like functions such as latex and Fc-mediated phagocytosis, antibody mediated phagocytosis, antibody mediated cytotoxicity, chemotaxis, and lysozyme secretion. Cyclic AMP stimulates Fc-mediated phagocytosis and inhibits the growth of J774.2. To further evaluate the relationship between cyclic AMP and the specialized functions exhibited by these cells. Variants deficient in phagocytosis, adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase were derived. We have now shown that J774.2 also secretes plasminogen activator and that this secretion is rapidly and specifically inhibited by 8-bromoadenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphoric acid (8 Br--cAMP) or cholera toxin under conditions where lysozyme secretion is unaltered. Utilizing protein kinase-deficient variants, the ability of cyclic AMP to inhibit plasminogen activator secretion was shown to be mediated by a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. We conclude that cyclic AMP has diametrically opposing effects on two macrophage-like functions: Fc-mediated phagocytosis and plasminogen activator secretion.
The Nipple-Areola Preserving Mastectomy: A Multistage Procedure Aiming to Improve Reconstructive Outcomes following Mastectomy

Ischemia of the nipple-areola complex (NAC) and periareolar tissue is commonly seen following tissue-preserving mastectomies for small invasive and noninvasive cancers. The nipple-areola preserving mastectomy is a multistage procedure in which the NAC and central mastectomy flap tissue is surgically delayed to improve the survivability in patients undergoing mastectomies followed by reconstruction.We conducted a retrospective chart review of 20 patients undergoing the 2-stage nipple-areola preserving mastectomy: the first stage comprised undermining the NAC and raising the breast skin flaps, with placement of a silicone sheet in the dissected pocket. The second stage followed 2-3 weeks after the NAC delay, with patients undergoing nipple-sparing mastectomies.Mean age was 46.2 years (range, 23-59 years). Indications included breast cancer in 18 patients and BRCA gene mutation prophylaxis in 2 patients. None were actively smoking. Mean time between delay of flaps and breast reconstructions was 16 days (range, 10-35 days). One patient underwent bilateral nipple resection at the time of mastectomies due to a subareolar nipple biopsy positive for ductal carcinoma in situ. One patient underwent left nipple excision after a skin nipple biopsy was positive for metaplasia. No signs of NAC vascular compromise were observed in any of the cases.Our 2-stage approach benefits patients undergoing nipple-sparing mastectomy, especially those at high-risk, by safely increasing survivability of the native breast skin envelope and NAC, while improving oncologic outcomes by identification of subareolar malignancies and sentinel node status before mastectomy and reconstruction.
The chemical arsenal of Burkholderia pseudomallei is essential for pathogenicity.

Increasing evidence has shown that small-molecule chemistry in microbes (i.e., secondary metabolism) can modulate the microbe–host response in infection and pathogenicity. The bacterial disease melioidosis is conferred by the highly virulent, antibiotic-resistant pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei (BP). Whereas some macromolecular structures have been shown to influence BP virulence (e.g., secretion systems, cellular capsule, pili), the role of the large cryptic secondary metabolome encoded within its genome has been largely unexplored for its importance to virulence. Herein we demonstrate that BP-encoded small-molecule biosynthesis is indispensible for in vivo BP pathogenicity. Promoter exchange experiments were used to induce high-level molecule production from two gene clusters (MPN and SYR) found to be essential for in vivo virulence. NMR structural characterization of these metabolites identified a new class of lipopeptide biosurfactants/biofilm modulators (the malleipeptins) and syrbactin-type prote...
Enzymatic regulation of seasonal glycogen cycling in the freeze-tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica

Liver glycogen is an important energy store in vertebrates, and in the freeze-tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica, this carbohydrate also serves as a major source of the cryoprotectant glucose. We investigated how variation in the levels of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKAc), glycogen phosphorylase (GP), and glycogen synthase (GS) relates to seasonal glycogen cycling in a temperate (Ohioan) and subarctic (Alaskan) populations of this species. In spring, Ohioan frogs had reduced potential for glycogen synthesis, as evidenced by low GS activity and high PKAc protein levels. In addition, glycogen levels in spring were the lowest of four seasonal samples, as energy input was likely directed towards metabolism and somatic growth during this period. Near-maximal glycogen levels were reached by mid-summer, and remained unchanged in fall and winter, suggesting that glycogenesis was curtailed during this period. Ohioan frogs had a high potential for glycogenolysis and glycogenesis in winter, as evidenced by large glycogen reserves, high levels of GP and GS proteins, and high GS activity, which likely allows for rapid mobilization of cryoprotectant during freezing and replenishing of glycogen reserves during thawing. Alaskan frogs also achieved a near-maximal liver glycogen concentration by summer and displayed high glycogenic and glycogenolytic potential in winter, but, unlike Ohioan frogs, started replenishing their energy reserves early in spring. We conclude that variation in levels of both glycogenolytic and glycogenic enzymes likely happens in response to seasonal changes in energetic strategies and demands, with winter survival being a key component to understanding the regulation of glycogen cycling in this species.
A Review and Critique of Multicultural Competence Measures: Toward a Social Justice-Oriented Health Service Delivery Model

This chapter critically reviews 16 cultural competence instruments within a social justice-oriented service delivery framework, namely, the Multicultural Assessment-Intervention Process (MAIP) model. Measurement properties of dimensionality, reliability, and validity are briefly examined to further elucidate the cultural competence construct. Implications for social justice-oriented behavioral health services are discussed.
Management of Adenocarcinoma In Situ of Cervix in Pregnancy

Adenocarcinoma in situ is one of the premalignant lesions of the cervix and its incidence is believed to be increasing while the pathogenesis of the disease is not clearly understood. Management of Adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) unlike carcinoma in situ (CIS) has not been clearly described in the current literature. Here we describe conservative management and serial olposcopy of two pregnant women with adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix. Both of the cases were diagnosed initially with abnormal Pap smears and were confirmed by colposcopic directed biopsy. None of the patients agreed with any invasive procedure during pregnancy and both of them were followed with serial colposcopy. None of the lesions showed any evidence of progression. All cases underwent cold knife cone biopsies in their postpartum period. Hysterectomy as the final treatment has been done in both cases with no evidence of progression of the disease during pregnancy. We concluded that adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix during pregnancy could be managed conservatively with definite treatment postponed till after delivery.
Adolescent BMI trajectories with clusters of physical activity and sedentary behaviour: an exploratory analysis

Objective The purpose of this study is to identify distinct body mass index (BMI) trajectories associated with weight classification, and to examine demographic characteristics and clusters of obesogenic behaviours in adolescents with these trajectories. Methods Data were extracted from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (n = 1,006, Grades 5-8). The independent variables were physical activity (accelerometer and child report), sports participation, television/video watching time and recreational computer use. The dependent variable was raw BMI. Growth mixture modelling, mixture modelling and independent t-test analyses were used. Results Two distinct BMI trajectories were identified - one with the mean BMI within the Overweight-Obese classification (≥85th percentile) and the other within the healthy weight classification (5th- 84th percentile). Two clusters of physical and sedentary behaviours were identified in adolescents with the Overweight-Obese BMI trajectory. These clusters differed in the type of sedentary behaviour (computer vs. television/video). Three clusters were identified in adolescents with the Healthy Weight BMI trajectory. These clusters differed in levels of physical activity and types of sedentary behaviour. Conclusion This study contributes to the understanding of multi-dimensional obesogenic behavioural patterns and highlights the importance of understanding types of sedentary behaviour in adolescents.
Good to the last “emulsified” drop

Nanoliter scale droplets sealed and encapsulated in solid PEFE polymer shells are combined with graphical coding to advance droplet microfluidics.
Molecular Rhodium Complexes Supported on the Metal-Oxide-Like Nodes of Metal Organic Frameworks and on Zeolite HY: Catalysts for Ethylene Hydrogenation and Dimerization.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with nodes consisting of zirconium oxide clusters (Zr6) offer new opportunities as supports for catalysts with well-defined, essentially molecular, structures. We used the precursor Rh(C2H4)2(acac) (acac is acetylacetonate) to anchor Rh(I) complexes to the nodes of the MOF UiO-67 and, for comparison, to the zeolite dealuminated HY (DAY). These were characterized experimentally by measurement of catalytic activities and selectivities for ethylene hydrogenation and dimerization in a once-through flow reactor at 298 K and 1 bar. The catalyst performance data are complemented with structural information determined by infrared and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies and by calculations at the level of density functional theory, the latter carried out also to extend the investigation to a related MOF, NU-1000. The agreement between the experimental and calculated structural metrics is good, and the calculations have led to predictions of reaction mechanisms an...
Averaging for a Hybrid System Arising in the Direct Adaptive Control of Parabolic Systems and its Application to Stability Analysis

Abstract This paper presents parameter convergence of a model reference adaptive control algorithm for linear, n-dimensional, parabolic partial differential equations. Averaging theorems for two-time scale systems which involve a finite dimensional slow system and an infinite dimensional fast system are developed. The exponential stability of the adaptive system, which is critical in finite dimensional adaptive control in terms of tolerating disturbances and unmodeled dynamics, is shown by applying averaging. An example and computer simulations are provided.
Photopolymerization-based synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticle embedded PNIPAM nanogels for biomedical applications.

Conventional therapeutic techniques treat patients by delivering biotherapeutics to the entire body. With targeted delivery, biotherapeutics are transported to the afflicted tissue reducing exposur...
Point-of-care testing. Cost issues and impact on hospital operations.

In today’s health care environment, laboratories are cost centers and as such face significant pressures to reduce costs. Laboratorians are constantly faced with the question of whether point-of- care testing is a more cost-effective means of providing laboratory information to the clinician and whether an institution could benefit from converting testing from the central laboratory to near patient testing. This article reviews a number of studies that attempt to determine the cost of decentralized testing versus central laboratory testing.
Health-Risk Behavior Profiles and Reciprocal Relations With Depressive Symptoms From Adolescence to Young Adulthood

Abstract Purpose We examined co-occurrences of multiple health-risk behaviors among adolescents in a 5-year longitudinal design as well as their associations with mental health outcomes. Methods Latent transition analyses explored subgroups of adolescents (N = 229; 51% males) who engaged in distinct patterns of health-risk behaviors and transitions over time. Moreover, longitudinal relations between risk behavior profiles and depressive symptoms were also explored. Results We identified four latent profiles based on risk levels of safety and violence, sexual behavior, alcohol use, and marijuana and other drug use at both 18 years and 23 years: low risk, modest risk, medium risk, and high risk. Some adolescents maintained their latent profile membership over time, but more transitioned between risk profiles. Adolescents with more depressive symptoms had a higher probability of developing into the high-risk versus low-risk and modest risk profiles at 23 years. Adolescents in the high-risk, low-risk, and modest risk profiles at 18 years developed more depressive symptoms in young adulthood compared with medium risk adolescents. Conclusions This study provides a better understanding of the prevalence, distribution, and change patterns of health-risk profiles across adolescence and young adulthood in a European American sample. Reciprocal relations between high-risk profiles and depressive symptoms suggest the need for integrated but tailored prevention and intervention programs.
Unsupportive parenting moderates the effects of family psychosocial intervention on metabolic syndrome in African American youth.

Background/objective Family relationships have been linked to obesity and related disorders in youth, but few studies have provided causal evidence of this association. This study tested the impact of a family psychosocial intervention on components of metabolic syndrome-a condition driven largely by abdominal obesity-in African American youth. In particular, the study tested whether effects were strongest among those who started at highest risk, that is, with high levels of unsupportive parenting at baseline. Subjects/methods Randomized clinical trial of a community sample of 391 African American youth (mean age=11.2 years) conducted in 2001-2002, with follow-up metabolic syndrome assessment in 2014-2015. Participants were assigned either to receive a weekly family intervention or to a control group. The primary study outcome was the number of components of metabolic syndrome that were clinically elevated at age 25, including central adiposity, blood pressure, triglycerides, glucose and low high-density lipoproteins. Unsupportive parenting was measured by questionnaires at baseline. Results Significant interaction effects were found between group assignment and baseline unsupportive parenting on counts of metabolic syndrome components in youth (beta=-0.17, P=0.03). Among those who started with higher levels of unsupportive parenting at age 11, participation in the family intervention reduced the number of clinically elevated components of the metabolic syndrome at age 25 relative to the control group. No such effect was seen among those who started with good parenting. Mediation analyses suggested that changes in the psychosocial targets of the parenting intervention partially accounted for the effects amongst those high in unsupportive parenting at baseline (effect size=-0.350, s.e.=0.178). Conclusions These findings suggest that efforts to improve family relationships may be able to ameliorate the detrimental effects that harsh and unsupportive parenting have on obesity-related outcomes such as metabolic syndrome in youth.
IBM High-Five: Highlights From Intelligent Video Engine

We introduce a novel multi-modal system for auto-curating golf highlights that fuses information from players' reactions (celebration actions), spectators (crowd cheering), and commentator (tone of the voice and word analysis) to determine the most interesting moments of a game. The start of a highlight is determined with additional metadata (player's name and the hole number), allowing personalized content summarization and retrieval. Our system was demonstrated at Masters 2017, a major golf tournament, generating real-time highlights from four live video streams over four days.
Morphological Analysis in Inventive Engineering

Abstract The paper describes Morphological Analysis (MA) in the context of Inventive Engineering. First, a short history of MA in the area of engineering design is presented, both in the USA and Europe. Next, its seven key assumptions are introduced and explained, and a four-stage procedure for using it to generate design concepts is presented, with its various steps discussed. In addition to the generation of design concepts, five other potential applications of the approach are proposed. These include classification, comparison of design concepts, finding patent holes and building patent fences, design knowledge acquisition, and learning abstract concepts. Finally, both advantages and disadvantages of MA are discussed.
A Test of Kimura’s Mutation-Rate Conjecture

Mutation is the first of the four great engines of evolution and the prime source of heritable variation in all living and semi-living organisms and their molecular parasites. As a result, the processes and products of mutation have been deeply explored at both the phenomenological and the mechanistic levels for more than a century. There has been notable progress at both levels over the last half century, with the result that the phylogeny of mutation has become fairly well codified, especially the rates and kinds of mutation in as diverse organisms as could be probed. These explorations began to coalesce in the 1990s and soon comprised a small number of broad generalizations. These include very high genomic mutation rates in riboviruses and some higher eukaryotes, and strikingly similar genomic mutation rates in most DNA microbes. However, highly informative exceptions have recently been observed.
Ketoalkalosis: Masked Presentation of Diabetic Ketoacidosis With Literature Review

Most dreaded complication in type 1 diabetes mellitus remains diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): plasma blood glucose > 250 mg/dL, serum bicarbonate < 18 mEq/L, anion gap metabolic acidosis and ketosis. Insulin deficiency with high levels of glucagon and stress hormones causing ketogenesis in liver, elevated lipolysis in peripheral tissues, and increased free fatty acids contribute the formation of ketones leading to metabolic acidosis. And hence DKA is also termed as ketoacidosis. Unusually, patients with diuretic use, alkali ingestion, intractable vomiting, or hypercortisolism may present with alkalemia in DKA. Contraction (Metabolic) Alkalosis masquerades metabolic acidosis with anion gap and low to normal bicarbonate that uncovers on provision of intravenous fluids. We present a case of a 25-year-old female with DKA presenting with intractable vomiting, alkalotic pH and high anion gap. J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;7(6):194-196 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem472w
Leading God’s People: Perceptions of Influence Among African–American Pastors

Religious leaders, particularly African-American pastors, are believed to play a key role in addressing health disparities. Despite the role African-American pastors may play in improving health, there is limited research on pastoral influence. The purpose of this study was to examine African-American pastors' perceptions of their influence in their churches and communities. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 African-American pastors and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Three themes emerged: the historical role of the church; influence as contextual, with pastors using comparisons with other pastors to describe their ability to be influential; and a reciprocal relationship existing such that pastors are influenced by factors such as God and their community while these factors also aid them in influencing others. A conceptual model of pastoral influence was created using data from this study and others to highlight factors that influence pastors, potential outcomes and moderators as well as the reciprocal nature of pastoral influence.