cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Digital mass filter analysis in stability zones A and B.

Digitally driven mass filter analysis is an advancing field. This work presents a tutorial of digital waveforms, stability diagrams, and pseudopotential well plots. Experimental results on digitally driven mass filter analysis in stability zones A and B are also shown. This work explains duty cycle manipulation of the waveforms to axially trap and eject ions from linear quadrupoles and how to change and distort the stability diagrams to create mass filters and their effects on the pseudopotential well depth. It discusses the sensitivity and resolution that can be obtained and what limits these benchmarks. It reveals the advantages of mass filter operation without any added direct current potential between the quadrupole electrodes (a = 0).
Impact of telemedicine on neonatal resuscitation in the emergency department: a simulation-based randomised trial

Background The delivery and initial resuscitation of a newborn infant are required but rarely practised skills in emergency medicine. Deliveries in the emergency department are high-risk events and deviations from best practices are associated with poor outcomes. Introduction Telemedicine can provide emergency medicine providers real-time access to a Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)-trained paediatric specialist. We hypothesised that adherence to NRP guidelines would be higher for participants with access to a remotely located NRP-trained paediatric specialist via telemedicine compared with participants without access. Materials and methods Prospective single-centre randomised trial. Emergency Medicine residents were randomised into a telemedicine or standard care group. The participants resuscitated a simulated, apnoeic and bradycardic neonate. In the telemedicine group a remote paediatric specialist participated in the resuscitation. Simulations were video recorded and assessed for adherence to guidelines using four critical actions. The secondary outcome of task load was measured through participants’ completion of the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and reviewers completed a detailed NRP checklist. Results Twelve participants were included. The use of telemedicine was associated with significantly improved adherence to three of the four critical actions reflecting NRP guidelines as well as a significant improvement in the overall score (p Conclusions In this study, telemedicine improved adherence to NRP guidelines. Future work is needed to replicate these findings in the clinical environment.
Identifying Patients for Whom Lung Cancer Screening Is Preference-Sensitive.

Although screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can reduce lung cancer mortality, the benefits may differ according to the balance of a patient's risk for lung cancer, risk for dying of...
An effective implementation of a modified Laguerre method for the roots of a polynomial

Two common strategies for computing all roots of a polynomial with Laguerre’s method are explicit deflation and Maehly’s procedure. The former is only a semi-stable process and is not suitable for solving large degree polynomial equations. In contrast, the latter implicitly deflates the polynomial using previously accepted roots and is, therefore, a more practical strategy for solving large degree polynomial equations. However, since the roots of a polynomial are computed sequentially, this method cannot take advantage of parallel systems. In this article, we present an implementation of a modified Laguerre method for the simultaneous approximation of all roots of a polynomial. We provide a derivation of this method along with a detailed analysis of our algorithm’s initial estimates, stopping criterion, and stability. Finally, the results of several numerical experiments are provided to verify our analysis and the effectiveness of our algorithm.
Fundamental scaling laws for the direct-write chemical vapor deposition of nanoscale features: modeling mass transport around a translating nanonozzle.

The nanometer placement of nanomaterials, such as nanoribbons and nanotubes, at a specific pitch and orientation on a surface, remains an unsolved fundamental problem in nanotechnology. In this work, we introduce and analyze the concept of a direct-write chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system that enables the in-place synthesis of such structures with control over orientation and characteristic features. A nanometer scale pore or conduit, called the nanonozzle, delivers precursor gases for CVD locally on a substrate, with spatial translation of either the nozzle or the substrate to enable a novel direct write (DW) tool. We analyze the nozzle under conditions where it delivers reactants to a substrate while translating at a constant velocity over the surface at a fixed reaction temperature. We formulate and solve a multi-phase three-dimensional reaction and diffusion model of the direct-write operation, and evaluate specific analytically-solvable limits to determine the allowable operating conditions, including pore dimensions, reactant flow rates, and nozzle translation speed. A Buckingham Π analysis identifies six dimensionless quantities crucial for the design and operation of the direct-write synthesis process. Importantly, we derive and validate what we call the ribbon extension inequality that brackets the allowable nozzle velocity relative to the CVD growth rate – a key constraint to enabling direct-write operation. Lastly, we include a practical analysis using attainable values towards the experimental design of such a system, building the nozzle around a commercially available near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) tip as a feasible example.
Risk in childhood family environments and loneliness in college students: Implications for health.

Objective: To investigate associations between risk in family environments and health-relevant outcomes in college and the role of loneliness. Participants: College students at a state university (...
ESTIMATION OF LEFT VENTRICULAR FILLING PRESSURE BY LEFT ATRIAL MYOCARDIAL DEFORMATION IMAGING IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MITRAL ANNULAR CALCIFICATION

The presence of mitral annular calcification (MAC) makes the assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function difficult. We thus investigated the association between left atrial global longitudinal strain (LAGLS) and LV filling pressure. Patients with severe MAC who had undergone a Doppler
A Qualitative Study of Risks Related to Interhospital Transfer of Patients with Nontraumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage.

Abstract Goal: Interhospital transfer (IHT) facilitates access to specialized neurocritical care but may also introduce unique risk. Our goal was to describe providers’ perceptions of safety threats during IHT for patients with nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: We employed qualitative, semi-structured interviews at an academic medical center receiving critically-ill neurologic transfers, and 5 referring hospitals. Interviewees included physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals with experience caring for patients transferred between hospitals for nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Interviews continued until data saturation was reached. Coding occurred concurrently with interviews. Analysis was inductive, using the constant comparative method. Findings: The predominant impediments to safe, high-quality neurocritical care transitions between hospitals are insufficient communication, gaps in clinical practice, and lack of IHT structure. Insufficient communication highlights the unique communication challenges specific to IHT, which overlay and compound known intrahospital communication barriers. Gaps in clinical practice revolve primarily around the provision of neurocritical care for this patient population, often subject to resource availability, by receiving hospital emergency medicine providers. Lack of structure outlines providers’ questions that emerge when institutions fail to identify process channels, expectations, and accountability during complex neurocritical care transitions. Conclusions: The predominant impediments to safe, high-quality neurocritical care transitions between hospitals are insufficient communication, gaps in clinical practice, and lack of IHT structure. These themes serve as fundamental targets for quality improvement initiatives. To our knowledge, this is the first description of challenges to quality and safety in high-risk neurocritical care transitions through clinicians’ voices.
The Chemical Formula and its Arithmetic

Let us start by interpreting as many as possible of the points of information that a formula contrives to register in terms of weight or volume, remembering that every formula is in itself a revelation of the laws of quantitative composition. And, as such, its representation of a specific substance must rest solidly upon an experimental foundation. What, then, does a formula tell us about experimental facts? We enumerate the more obvious.
Improving the Availability of Tandem Hot Metal Strip Rolling: The Use of Fault-Tolerant Techniques With Virtual Rolling

It is important in the control of the tandem rolling of hot metal strip to achieve a degree of robustness to faults in certain measurements to avoid degradation of the availability of the process. Examples of such faults are those that would preclude valid measurements in strip tension and roll force. These types of faults could degrade the process availability and seriously reduce the quality and yield of the output, along with a major loss of production and possible equipment damage. In this article, we propose a method of control for this process that permits continuity of operation during possible faults in the tension or roll force measurements and without major disruptions in process operation or significant reduction in the quality of the output. The effectiveness of this method is shown by simulations using data from an operating mill.
A high-throughput screen indicates gemcitabine and JAK inhibitors may be useful for treating pediatric AML

Improvement in survival has been achieved for children and adolescents with AML but is largely attributed to enhanced supportive care as opposed to the development of better treatment regimens. High risk subtypes continue to have poor outcomes with event free survival rates <40% despite the use of high intensity chemotherapy in combination with hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Here we combine high-throughput screening, intracellular accumulation assays, and in vivo efficacy studies to identify therapeutic strategies for pediatric AML. We report therapeutics not currently used to treat AML, gemcitabine and cabazitaxel, have broad anti-leukemic activity across subtypes and are more effective relative to the AML standard of care, cytarabine, both in vitro and in vivo. JAK inhibitors are selective for acute megakaryoblastic leukemia and significantly prolong survival in multiple preclinical models. Our approach provides advances in the development of treatment strategies for pediatric AML.
Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction

Abstract Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) is a simple and fast method for the extraction and purification of organic compounds present at trace levels in aqueous samples. The original technique, developed in 2006, involved the rapid addition of a mixture of a water-insoluble extraction solvent (typically 50–500 μL of a halogenated solvent), dissolved in a water-soluble solvent, to an aqueous sample. This resulted in a dispersion with an immense extraction solvent surface area, leading to a nearly complete extraction of analytes within a few seconds. The success of this technique has led to the publication of more than 1000 research and application papers, many dealing with alternative dispersion techniques (vortex-, ultrasound-, gas-, and air-assisted) and solvents (ILs and DESs), simplifying the technique, and enabling complete automation of the process. The references provided in this review will hopefully lead to further developments and applications for DLLME.
Kinetics of aromatics hydrogenation on HBEA

Abstract Zeolite HBEA catalyzes hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons—methyl-substituted benzenes (benzene and toluene), alkenyl-substituted benzenes (styrene), and polycyclics (naphthalene)—in presence of excess H2 at high-temperatures (573–748 K) with rates that depend linearly on aromatic and H2 pressures. The observed kinetic behavior can be rationalized based on a sequence of elementary steps where the first hydrogenation step of the adsorbed benzenic intermediate is rate-determining while subsequent hydrogenation and desorption steps are quasi-equilibrated and H + is the most abundant surface species. Styrene hydrogenation exhibits the highest rates among the aromatics considered and results exclusively in ethylbenzene synthesis; in contrast, benzene/toluene and naphthalene hydrogenation results in formation of their triply-hydrogenated five-membered ring and doubly-hydrogenated ring open analogs, respectively. Based on independent studies involving co-reaction of cyclohexene and 1-methyl-1-cyclopentene with H2, we infer their facile interconversion and hydrogenation to methylcyclopentane implying that conversion of benzene to methylcyclopentane likely occurs via intervening formation of both five- and six-membered ring intermediates. Taken together, these studies demonstrate feasibility of aromatics hydrogenation and propensity of benzenic rings in these hydrocarbons to undergo ring reduction or ring opening during their activation with H2 on Bronsted acid zeolites.
exploring profilin as a target for suppressing the migration of breast cancer cells

4315 Objective: Profilin (an actin-binding protein that also interacts with several proline-rich proteins involved in the signaling pathways leading to cytoskeletal organization) has been implied as a tumor suppressor protein based on it’s reduced expression in invasive breast cancer cells and ability to reduce tumorigenicity when overexpressed in these cells. However, a direct functional relevance of reduced expression of profilin in the pathogenesis of breast cancer has not been established. The aims of the present study were to explore whether 1) loss of profilin confers neoplastic characteristics to mammary epithelial cells, and 2) perturbations of profilin alter the migration of breast cancer cells. Methods: Suppression of profilin expression was achieved via RNAi-mediated gene silencing. Other perturbations included overexpression of either fully functional or dominant negative mutants of profilin that are selectively impaired in binding to different ligands. Results: Suppression of profilin conferred several characteristics that are hallmarks for neoplastic characteristics to human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) including increased cell proliferation and chemotactic migration, decreased cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions. Silencing profilin expression also increased the migration of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Overexpression of profilin stimulated assembly of actin stress fibers and focal adhesions, with concomitant inhibition in cell migration. expression of dominant negative mutants of profilin that are defective in binding to either actin or it’s proline-rich ligands also suppressed the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, but to a lesser extent compared to the action of overexpressed profilin, thus suggesting that a fully functional profilin is required for it’s maximal inhibitory effect on breast cancer cell migration. Conclusion: Our results for the first time indicate that reduced profilin expression may be functionally linked to the pathogenesis of breast cancer and that perturbation of cellular profilin could be an effective strategy to limit migration of breast cancer cells.
Complications in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction Supported with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Background: There are limited data on complications in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) admissions receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Methods: Adult (>18 years) admissions with AMI receiving ECMO support were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database between 2000 and 2016. Complications were classified as vascular, lower limb amputation, hematologic, and neurologic. Outcomes of interest included temporal trends, in-hospital mortality, hospitalization costs, and length of stay. Results: In this 17-year period, in ~10 million AMI admissions, ECMO support was used in 4608 admissions (<0.01%)—mean age 59.5 ± 11.0 years, 75.7% men, 58.9% white race. Median time to ECMO placement was 1 (interquartile range [IQR] 0–3) day. Complications were noted in 2571 (55.8%) admissions—vascular 6.1%, lower limb amputations 1.1%, hematologic 49.3%, and neurologic 9.9%. There was a steady increase in overall complications during the study period (21.1% in 2000 vs. 70.5% in 2016). The cohort with complications, compared to those without complications, had comparable adjusted in-hospital mortality (60.7% vs. 54.0%; adjusted odds ratio 0.89 [95% confidence interval 0.77–1.02]; p = 0.10) but longer median hospital stay (12 [IQR 5–24] vs. 7 [IQR 3–21] days), higher median hospitalization costs ($458,954 [IQR 260,522–737,871] vs. 302,255 [IQR 173,033–623,660]), fewer discharges to home (14.7% vs. 17.9%), and higher discharges to skilled nursing facilities (44.1% vs. 33.9%) (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Over half of all AMI admissions receiving ECMO support develop one or more severe complications. Complications were associated with higher resource utilization during and after the index hospitalization.
60-LB: Oral Diabetes Medication Adherence in Emerging Adults with Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: TODAY2 iCount Study

Background: Treatment Options for type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY2) participants have youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) and often poor glycemic control. The role of medication adherence is unknown. Aims: To assess oral diabetes medication adherence in the TODAY2 cohort; To assess participant factors related to adherence. Methods: Participants provided data at TODAY2 visits and at 3 monthly unannounced phone pill counts. Those taking ≥80% of pills were classified “high adherent,” those taking Results: Of 381 individuals, 224 were either taking oral meds (n=190) or taking none though meds were recommended (n=34) [mean age 25 yrs, 67% female, 18% white, 34% black, 39% Hispanic, 84% Conclusion: In emerging adults with youth-onset T2D, poor adherence to oral diabetes meds was common, and significantly more likely in those without health insurance and in non-Hispanic blacks. Interventions are needed to improve adherence and outcomes. Disclosure P.M. Trief: Research Support; Self; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. S. Kalichman: None. D. Wang: None. K. Drews: None. B. Anderson: None. R.S. Weinstock: Board Member; Self; JDRF. Consultant; Self; Insulogic LLC. Research Support; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Insulet Corporation, Jaeb Center for Health Research, Kowa Research Institute, Inc., Medtronic, Tolerion, Inc. Funding National Institutes of Health (R01DK110456)
Myeloid-Derived TSP1 (Thrombospondin-1) Contributes to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Through Suppressing Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases-1.

Objective: Abdominal aortic aneurysm is characterized by the progressive loss of aortic integrity and accumulation of inflammatory cells primarily macrophages. We previously reported that global de...
A Synergistic Engineering Approach to Build Human Brain Spheroids.

Self-assembling brain spheroids derived from human stem cells closely emulate the tangled connectivity of the human brain, recapitulate aspects of organized tissue structure, and are relatively easy to manipulate compared to other existing three-dimensional (3D) cellular models. However, current platforms generate heterogeneously sized and short-lived spheroids, which do not robustly and reproducibly model human brain development and diseases. Here, we present a method to generate large-scale arrays of homogeneously sized 3D brain spheroids derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) or immortalized neural progenitor cells to recapitulate Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in vitro. When embedded in extracellular matrix, these brain spheroids develop extensive outward projection of neurites and form networks, which are mediated by thick bundles of dendrites. This array facilitates cost-effective, high-throughput drug screening and mechanistic studies to better understand human brain development and neurodegenerative conditions, such as AD .
Smaller Fontan Pathway is Associated with Fontan Failure

Background The Fontan circulation is vulnerable to any flow restriction in the Fontan pathway. We measured the minimal cross-sectional area (CSA) of the Fontan circuit via cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and assessed associations with physiologic indices and outcomes. Methods The minimum cross-sectional area (CSA) of the Fontan was calculated using the narrowest dimensions within the Fontan on a 3D gated respiratory navigated MRA sequence. CSA of the Fontan was calculated by incorporating the diameters, measured by (CMR), of the narrowest point in the Fontan pathway into the area equation for an …
What Is New in Occupational Allergic Contact Dermatitis in the Year of the COVID Pandemic

This article aims to summarize some recent trends in occupational allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), including dermatitis related to pandemic-level personal protective equipment in healthcare workers, hazards patients may experience when working from home, and occupational perspectives on the recent American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS) allergens of the year and ACDS Core Allergen Series updates. Recent ACDS Allergens of the Year may be particularly relevant to healthcare workers, including isobornyl acrylate, which is present in glucose sensors and propylene glycol present in hand cleansers and disinfectants. Lavender, limonene, and linalool, all of which are new additions to the ACDS Core Allergen Series, have been reported as causes for occupational ACD in massage therapists and aromatherapists. Isothiazolinone allergy continues to rise in both consumer and occupational settings. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wave of occupational ACD in healthcare workers to personal protective equipment, and revealed new potential allergens for individuals working from home. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis continues to exert a significant occupational disease burden. Remaining aware of the current trends in allergens may allow for earlier recognition, diagnosis, and treatment, subsequently helping our patients to work in healthier and safer environments.
Conventional detectors for gas chromatography

Abstract This chapter describes the construction, mechanism, and performance characteristics of conventional universal, element-selective, and structure-selective detectors for gas chromatography. These are classified by mechanism as ionization-based (flame ionization, thermionic ionization, electron-capture, photoionization, and barrier discharge); bulk physical property (thermal conductivity); optical (flame photometric, chemiluminescence, atomic emission); and electrochemical (electrolytic conductivity) detectors.
In situelectro-sequencing in three-dimensional tissues

Abstract Pairwise mapping of single-cell gene expression and electrophysiology in intact three-dimensional (3D) tissues is crucial for studying electrogenic organs (e.g., brain and heart)1–5. Here, we introduce in situ electro-sequencing (electro-seq), combining soft bioelectronics with in situ RNA sequencing to stably map millisecond-timescale cellular electrophysiology and simultaneously profile a large number of genes at single-cell level across 3D tissues. We applied in situ electro-seq to 3D human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) patches, precisely registering the CM gene expression with electrophysiology at single-cell level, enabling multimodal in situ analysis. Such multimodal data integration substantially improved the dissection of cell types and the reconstruction of developmental trajectory from spatially heterogeneous tissues. Using machine learning (ML)-based cross-modal analysis, in situ electro-seq identified the gene-to-electrophysiology relationship over the time course of cardiac maturation. Further leveraging such a relationship to train a coupled autoencoder, we demonstrated the prediction of single-cell gene expression profile evolution using long-term electrical measurement from the same cardiac patch or 3D millimeter-scale cardiac organoids. As exemplified by cardiac tissue maturation, in situ electro-seq will be broadly applicable to create spatiotemporal multimodal maps and predictive models in electrogenic organs, allowing discovery of cell types and gene programs responsible for electrophysiological function and dysfunction.
Can Assessing Physical Activity Liking Identify Opportunities to Promote Physical Activity Engagement and Healthy Dietary Behaviors

Improving our understanding of what physical activities are enjoyed and the factors that are associated with physical activity liking can promote participation in regular physical activity. We aimed to study physical activity (PA) liking in college women by modelling interactions between body size perception and dietary behaviors on PA liking, and by examining discrepancies between PA liking versus engagement on body size perception and dietary behaviors. Women (n = 251; 74% white) utilized an online survey to report their level of liking for PA types (scored into a PA liking index) and frequency of PA participation. They also reported their perceived body size, level of dietary restraint, and frequency of consuming foods (scored into a diet quality index). In multivariate analyses, a greater perceived body size was directly associated with lower PA liking and indirectly through greater dietary restraint but lower diet quality. Healthiest dietary behaviors were reported by women who both liked and engaged in PA. Women who reported high PA liking but low PA participation reported a higher dietary restraint and lower diet quality. These findings support the empowerment of women across all body sizes to identify physical activities that they enjoy. Health promotion efforts should encourage women to couple physical activity liking and engagement with a healthy level of dietary restraint and consumption of a healthy diet.
Peto's paradox and the hallmarks of cancer: constructing an evolutionary framework for understanding the incidence of cancer

An evolutionary perspective can help unify disparate observations and make testable predictions. We consider an evolutionary model in relation to two mechanistic frameworks of cancer biology: multistage carcinogenesis and the hallmarks of cancer. The multistage model predicts that cancer risk increases with body size and longevity; however, this is not observed across species (Peto's paradox), but the paradox is resolved by invoking the evolution of additional genetic mechanisms to suppress cancer in large, long-lived species. It is when cancer cells overcome these defence mechanisms that they exhibit the hallmarks of cancer, driving the ongoing evolution of these defences, which in turn is expected to create the differences observed in the genetics of cancer across species and tissues. To illustrate the utility of an evolutionary model we examined some recently published data linking stem-cell divisions and cancer incidence across a range of tissues and show why the original analysis was faulty, and demonstrate that the data are consistent with a multistage model varying from three to seven mutational hits across different tissues. Finally, we demonstrate how an evolutionary model can both define patterns of inherited (familial) cancer and explain the prevalence of cancer in post-reproductive years, including the dominance of epithelial cancers.
Determinants of Service Quality in Cross Cultural Research: A Meta- Analytic Perspective

Objective of this meta-analysis is to analyze the influence of five service quality determinants, as proposed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), on satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The five determinants of SERVQUAL are: tangibles, responsiveness, reassurance, empathy and assurance. In past research, SERVQUAL scale has been extensively used by researchers to measure service quality and related outcomes but little consensus exists for the relative importance of five determinants of service quality in predicting satisfaction. Three main objectives of this paper are: a) To analyze the influence of 5 determinants of SERVQUAL on satisfaction and behavioral intention; b) To analyze cross cultural differences for each relationship, and c) To identify hierarchy of importance amongst dimensions across cultures. Influence of ‘value’ as a potential moderator has been proposed but not tested due to the lack of sufficient number of studies. Cronin and Taylor (1992) used the same items to propose a new scale for measuring service quality- SERVPERF. They suggested it to be a more robust method for testing service quality. Both scales have been subject to criticism by researchers for their methodology but are, by far, the most popularly used scales for measuring service quality in the literature. Therefore, for the purpose of this meta-analysis, both SERVQUAL and SERVPERF literature was searched for relevant studies. Only those studies that used ‘perception/performance only’ measure to predict service quality and considered satisfaction & behavioral intention as outcomes were considered. To maintain recency and improve generalizability of findings only those studies published in and after year 2000 were considered. Internet/e-commerce based researches were discarded to maintain contextual relevance. Although more than forty articles reported empirical results related to the relationship between service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions, many of the results could not be coded due to the absence of required effect size information. Finally, findings from 15 studies was used and consolidated for this paper. Study setting ranged from retail banking (4) to hotel/restaurants (4), sports (1), public sector (1), information technology/telecommunication (3) and general services (2). Five of the 15 studies were done in US, two in Korea and one each in Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia and Singapore. Based on Hofstede’s classification, studies were divided into collectivist and individualist cultural dimensions.
Mortality differences between men and women after percutaneous coronary interventions. A 25-year, single-center experience.

Objectives Our aim was to examine whether gender-based differences in mortality after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) have changed in the past 25 years. Background Women with coronary artery disease have a higher risk of adverse outcomes after PCIs than do men. Recent temporal trends in short-term and long-term mortality in women after PCIs are unknown. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 18,885 consecutive, unique patients who underwent PCIs between 1979 and 1995 (early group, n = 7,904, 28% women) and between 1996 and 2004 (recent group, n = 10,981, 31% women). Thirty-day and long-term mortality were compared by gender. Results Compared with men, women undergoing PCIs were older and more likely to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia. Overall, PCI was successful in 89% of women and 90% of men. In the recent group, 30-day mortality was significantly reduced compared with that in the early group in women (2.9% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.002) and men (2.2% vs. 2.8%, p = 0.04). However, long-term survival was similar between the early and recent groups among both men and women. After adjustment for risk factors, there was no difference between men and women from 1994 onward for either 30-day or long-term outcomes. Conclusions The 30-day mortality after PCI in men and women has decreased in the past 25 years. After accounting for baseline risks, no differences in short-term or long-term mortality were observed between men and women.
Monetary Theory and Policy in an Open Economy

This paper identifies several respects in which analysis of the macro-economics of small open economies has to be modified beyond its development a decade ago, with special reference to the effectiveness of monetary and fiscal policies under alternative exchange rate regimes. Capital movements must be viewed in the context of portfolio equilibrium rather than as continuous flows. Room must be made in monetarist formulations for holdings of foreign money. The impact of changes in exchange rates on nominal factor prices should be taken into account. And the effect of the exchange rate regime on the magnitude of the stabilization task must figure in any evaluation of alternative exchange rate regimes. Suggestions are made along each of these lines.
Unresolved Issues in Mammalian Fertilization

This review considers the role of the sperm in fertilization, addressing areas of misunderstanding and unfounded assumptions and taking particular advantage of the large body of data resulting from work with rodent species in vitro. Considerable attention is given to the appropriate use and interpretation of assays for capacitation, acrosomal exocytosis, hyperactivation, and sperm protein phosphorylation, as well as tests for sperm-zona and sperm-oocyte membrane interactions. The lack of general agreement on the means of sperm adhesion to and penetration of the zona pellucida is addressed, and the need for new approaches to this problem is pointed out. Some molecular advances in our understanding of specific steps in the process of fertilization are discussed in the context of intact cell-matrix and cell-cell interaction. This review should provide practical information for researchers just beginning the study of fertilization and interesting but not widely known observations to stimulate new ideas in experienced scientists.
Matrix isolation study of the reaction of carbon atoms with molecular nitrogen: Electronic transitions of the CNN free radical in the 2600- to 1900-Å spectral region

Abstract Previous matrix isolation studies have demonstrated that ground-state carbon atoms react with molecular nitrogen to form CNN, for which the esr spectrum, the three ground-state vibrational fundamentals, and a prominent electronic transition near 4200 A have been reported. Extension of the ultraviolet absorption studies to shorter wavelengths has permitted the assignment to CNN of two new band systems, between 2500 and 2150 A and near 2060 A. These band systems, observed using several different photolytic sources of carbon atoms, correspond well with the valence transitions of CNN predicted by molecular orbital theory. Assignments of the band structures, involving excitation of the upper-state stretching vibrations of CNN, are proposed.
Human muscle cultured in monolayer and cocultured with fetal rat spinal cord: importance of dorsal root ganglia for achieving successful functional innervation

Adult human muscle cultured in monolayer was cocultured with explants of 13-14-d-old rat embryo using (a) ventral spinal cord (VSC), (b) transverse section of whole spinal cord (WSC), and (c) WSC with dorsal root ganglia (DRG) attached (WSC + DRG). AChR clusters and AChE- positive patches, both at the nerve-muscle contacts, were studied at 5, 12, and 21 d of coculture with each of the 3 spinal cord preparations. In addition, AChE-positive patches were studied after 31-64 d of coculture with WSC + DRG to evaluate further organization of those patches. Compared to VSC and WSC cocultures, WSC + DRG induced significantly more AChR clusters per muscle fiber at the nerve-muscle contacts at 5 d of coculture, and the percentage of muscle fibers containing AChR clusters was higher at all 3 time points quantitated. The number of AChE-positive sites was the same with all 3 spinal cord preparations in early (day 5) cocultures. Between 12 and 21 d of coculture, the number of muscle fibers containing AChE patches increased significantly only with WSC + DRG, correlating with the increased number of contracting muscle fibers in that coculture system. Only in human muscle cocultured with WSC + DRG was successful innervation of the cultured muscle fibers achieved, as manifested by (1) contractions in a continuous rhythm of large groups of muscle fibers that were reversibly blocked by 1 mM d-tubocurarine (aneurally cultured human muscle does not spontaneously contract); (2) well- developed cross-striations throughout the fiber; (3) well-organized AChE-positive sites; and (4) a trend from multifocal toward unifocal innervation of those muscle fibers. Our studies demonstrate that adult human muscle cultured in monolayer can be innervated by fetal rat spinal cord and that, in our system, DRG are essential for achieving functional innervation.
Improvement in influenza vaccination rates in a pediatric sickle cell disease clinic.

Background Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk of complications from influenza. However, despite widespread recommendations that these patients receive an annual influenza immunization, reported vaccination rates remain very low at under 50%. Procedure Our aim was to increase the influenza vaccination rate among our pediatric patients with SCD aged 6 months to 21 years over two influenza seasons, 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, to 80%, consistent with the Health People 2020 goal. We used multiple quality improvement methods, based on the literature and our previous experience in other aspects of SCD care, including parent and provider education, enhancement of our EHR, use of a SCD patient registry and reminder and recall done by a patient navigator. Results We vaccinated 80% of our pediatric patients with SCD for influenza during the 2012–2013 season and 90% of patients in 2013–2014. Our early season vaccination rates were nearly double that of those for the general population. Conclusions Use of quality improvement methods can increase rates of influenza vaccination for this high-risk population, suggesting that less health care utilization and lower cost might result. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:654–657. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transient reduction in serum HDL-cholesterol following medroxy-progesterone acetate and testosterone cypionate administration to healthy men

Abstract Serum lipids were examined in thirty normal male volunteers who had received depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) and testosterone cypionate (TC) in a male contraceptive trial. Progestagens have been implicated in the changes in serum lipids observed in women using oral contraceptives and this has led to concern about cardiovascular health risks associated with the long-term use of some of these preparations. The following study was done to determine if similar effects occur in men. The men in this study were divided into three DMPA dose groups (50, 100, 200 mg/month) and received intramuscular injections for six months; all men received 250 mg/month TC. There was no significant change in serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels during the six months of drug administration when compared to levels in the control period. However, there was a marked decrease in HDL-C during the first three months after discontinuation of the drugs (p
Asymptotic analysis by the saddle point method of theAnick-Mitra-Sondhi model

We consider a fluid queue where the input process consists of N identical sources that turn on and off at exponential waiting times. The server works at the constant rate c and an on source generates fluid at unit rate. This model was first formulated and analyzed by Anick et al. (1982). We obtain an alternate representation of the joint steady-state distribution of the buffer content and the number of on sources. This is given as a contour integral that we then analyze in the limit N→∞. We give detailed asymptotic results for the joint distribution as well as the associated marginal and conditional distributions. In particular, simple conditional limits laws are obtained. These show how the buffer content behaves conditioned on the number of active sources and vice versa. Numerical comparisons show that our asymptotic results are very accurate even for N=20.
Comparison of norepinephrine and isoproterenol in experimental coronary shock: Observations on the effects of dextran infusion☆

Abstract Shock was produced in dogs by embolization of the coronary arteries with microspheres of divinylbenzene. The comparative efficacy of norepinephrine versus isoproterenol in returning hemodynamic function and tissue perfusion toward normal was assessed. In six dogs showing rapidly progressive deterioration within 15 minutes after embolization neither drug was effective. In eight dogs surviving this initial 15 minute period of observation, isoproterenol in large doses resulted in significant increases in stroke volume, cardiac output, body oxygen consumption, and adequacy of tissue perfusion persisting up to 3 hours of therapy. Concomitant lidocaine infusion prevented the development of fatal ventricular arrhythmias. Metabolic studies directed toward assessing adequacy of coronary blood flow during isoproterenol infusion suggest improved over-all myocardial oxygenation but do not exclude continuing or increasing regional myocardial ischemia. In seven other dogs in shock of similar severity, norepinephrine infusion resulted in significant increases in blood pressure and prevented the high incidence of early deaths occurring in a control group of eight untreated shocked dogs, but failed to produce sustained increases in stroke volume, cardiac output, or body oxygen consumption. Systemic excess lactate either increased or remained elevated during norepinephrine infusion. Myocardial metabolic studies suggest that over-all myocardial oxygenation was worsened during norepinephrine therapy of coronary shock, although regional improvements could not be excluded. When shocked dogs initially treated with norepinephrine were given isoproterenol, hemodynamic function and tissue perfusion were significantly improved; when shocked dogs initially treated with isoproterenol were then given norepinephrine, hemodynamic function and tissue perfusion worsened. Dextran infusion in shocked dogs sufficient to increase left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased cardiac output only when isoproterenol was being given. Generally, similar responses to norepinephrine and isoproterenol therapy were seen in a group of dogs with less severe hemodynamic depression following coronary embolization. From these studies, it is concluded that isoproterenol infusion concomitant with continuous lidocaine infusion and intermittent expansion of blood volume merits clinical evaluation in the therapy of shock due to myocardial infarction.
Nucleolar staining cannot be used as a screening test for the scleroderma marker anti-RNA polymerase I/III antibodies

Objective Anti–RNA polymerase I/III (anti–RNAP I/III) antibodies are clinically useful markers of scleroderma, and their presence is associated with diffuse skin disease and an increased risk of cardiac and kidney involvement. Although RNAP I antibodies localize to the nucleolus, nucleolar staining by many anti-RNAP antibody–positive sera is not always observed. Nucleolar staining by anti-RNAP antibody–positive sera was examined by double staining with antifibrillarin antibodies to evaluate whether nucleolar staining can be used as a screening test for anti–RNAP I/III antibodies. In addition, the relationships between nucleolar staining and levels of anti–RNAP III antibodies were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. Methods Sera were tested using immunofluorescent antinuclear antibodies on HEp-2 cell slides, by anti–RNAP III ELISA, and by IP assay using 35S-labeled K562 cell extract. Nucleolar staining by anti-RNAP antibody IP-positive sera was confirmed by double staining using antifibrillarin monoclonal antibodies. The levels of anti–RNAP III antibodies were quantitated by ELISA and by IP assay using a serially diluted reference serum as a standard, and their relationship was analyzed. Results All 18 anti–RNAP I/III antibody–positive sera showed nuclear speckled patterns, but nucleolar staining was readily noticeable in only 44% of the sera. A positive correlation was found between ELISA and IP units for anti–RNAP III antibodies. The levels of anti–RNAP III antibodies and anti–RNAP I antibodies correlated well, with the exception of a few sera. Levels of anti–RNAP III antibodies were low in sera with nucleolar staining, whereas several sera with high levels of anti–RNAP I antibodies clearly showed nucleolar staining. Conclusion Although some sera positive for anti–RNAP I/III antibodies clearly stain nucleoli, nucleolar staining is inconsistent and cannot be used to screen for anti–RNAP I/III antibodies.
Transcription factor 4 as an important determinant of gating function in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex disorder that results from the interplay of genetic and environmental risk factors. It is characterized by the presence of delusions and hallucinations (positive symptoms), apathy and social withdrawal (negative symptoms), and stable impairments in specific domains of cognitive function. Over the past decade, significant progress in understanding SZ has been made by establishing consortia that conduct very large genome-wide association studies (GWASs). The GWAS design provides high-throughput SNP genotyping, following an “agnostic” approach that lacks subjective assumptions concerning gene candidacy. The report by Quednow et al. (1) in PNAS focuses on SZ risk polymorphisms in the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene, a locus that has been identified as a significant genetic risk factor for SZ in recent GWASs (2, 3). The authors examined whether any of the TCF4 risk alleles affect sensory gating, as measured by the P50 suppression of the auditory evoked potential. As initially hypothesized, P50 suppression was significantly decreased in carriers of four TCF4 risk alleles.
Coping with Economic Hardship in Argentina: How Material Interests Affect Individuals' Political Interests

The political impact of difficult economic conditions in the democracies of the developing world depends in part on how people at the grass roots evaluate their political interests. This article argues that understanding the political interests of lower-income persons requires two separate analyses: how people think about their material conditions, which is affected by the type of material hardships and the objective capacity to cope with those conditions; and how people think about politics, given party and class identities and economic, historic and political contexts. Using in-depth interviews in Argentina, the research develops an analytical framework through which to evaluate the conditions under which people would, and would not, support a government that does not alleviate their economic difficulties. The analysis is used to examine recent events in Argentina and is applied to other cases.
Anilide tertiary carbinols: A new structural class of potent potassium channel openers

Abstract A new structural class of anilide tertiary carbinol potassium channel openers (PCOs) is described.