cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the BD Phoenix automated system for determining antimicrobial susceptibility against carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae compared with broth microdilution.

ABSTRACT Purpose Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are increasingly widespread in the healthcare system, resulting in infections associated with mortality of up to 50%. Many laboratories use automated systems to identify CRE isolates and determine susceptibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate categorical agreement between the BD Phoenix automated system and the gold standard – broth microdilution – in determining minimum inhibitory concentrations of CRE. Methodology The activity of amikacin, aztreonam, cefepime, ceftazidime, ertapenem, gentamicin, levofloxacin, meropenem, nitrofurantoin, piperacillin-tazobactam and tobramycin on 125 CRE isolates collected from an academic medical centre was evaluated. Categorical agreement between BD Phoenix and broth microdilution was determined, as well as minor error rates, major error rates and very major error rates. Results BD Phoenix significantly overestimates susceptibility of CRE isolates to amikacin, aztreonam, cefepime, ceftazidime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, meropenem, nitrofurantoin and tobramycin compared with broth microdilution. Overall, categorical agreement of 76% between testing methods indicates the potential diminished ability of BD Phoenix to predict resistance accurately in highly drug-resistant isolates. All tested antimicrobials had higher major error rates compared with previous literature. Conclusions BD Phoenix has diminished ability to determine susceptibility of CRE isolates. Further studies are warranted in order to validate BD Phoenix susceptibility testing in highly resistant CRE isolates. The mechanism by which isolates are resistant to carbapenems does not impact the ability of BD Phoenix to determine susceptibility.
Inclusive hadronic production of the $B_c$ meson via heavy quark fragementation.

We summarize the studies on the hadronic production of S- and P-wave $(\bar bc)$ mesons via direct fragmentation of the bottom antiquark as well as the Altarelli-Parisi induced gluon fragmentation.
Degradation Profiles of Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)-based hydrogel nanoparticles

Hydrogel nanoparticles (also known as nanogels) have been utilized for a wide range of applications including analytics, sensors, drug delivery, immune engineering, and biotechnology. While these types of nanoparticles can be characterized using standard colloidal characterization techniques, degradation profiles typically must be inferred from those of bulk gels with the same formulation, typically by applying swelling ratios and rheological measurements that tend to severely underestimate nanoparticle degradation rates. Herein, we present an analysis of the degradation via ester hydrolysis of poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGDA)-based hydrogel nanoparticles in water, varied pH conditions, and reducing environments. We perform this characterization using thermogravimetric analysis and mass spectrometry to analyze rates of degradation and products released, respectively, and compare results to those for equivalent bulk gel formulations. Our findings show that PEGDA-based nanoparticles display significant mass loss over time accompanied by negligible changes in hydrodynamic diameter, indicating a bulk mode of degradation. Nanoparticle mass loss occurs at a much higher rate than for bulk gels under comparable incubation conditions, confirming that bulk gel degradation serves as a poor surrogate for nanoparticle degradation. We further demonstrate that the incorporation of other diacrylate-based co-monomers drastically accelerates nanoparticle degradation rates. Through formulation considerations of co-monomer content and weight percent of PEGDA, we demonstrate the ability to tune the degradation rates of PEGDA-based nanoparticles on a range of hours to weeks. These findings highlight critical design considerations for enhancing the tunability and utility of PEGDA hydrogel nanoparticles and introduce a rigorous framework for the characterization of nanogel degradation.
Longitudinal Associations Between Healthcare Resources, Policy, and Firearm-Related Suicide and Homicide from 2012 to 2016

Firearm-related violence is a leading cause of mortality in the United States (US). Prior research suggests that public policy plays a role in firearm mortality, but the role of healthcare resources (physicians, insurance coverage) within the US policy context has not yet been studied. To examine how healthcare resources and social/firearm policy affect firearm-related suicide and homicide rates in the US. Longitudinal, ecological study. US. US states from 2012 to 2016 (N = 242). The outcome variables were age-adjusted, firearm-related suicide and homicide rates. Predictor variables were healthcare resources (physicians, Medicaid benefits generosity) and policy context (social policy, firearm policy) with covariates for sociodemographic factors. Healthcare provider variables did not have significant associations to firearm-related suicide or homicide. In fully saturated models, more worker protection laws, greater average population density, more alcohol regulation, and more firearm prohibition policies were associated with fewer firearm-related suicides. Higher generosity of Medicaid benefits was associated with fewer firearm-related homicides. Poverty rate was a predictor of both outcomes. This state-level study cannot make individual-level inferences. Only proxy variables were available for measuring gun ownership and actual gun ownership rates may not have been ideally captured at the state level. At the state level, there are protective associations of certain social, healthcare, and firearm policies to firearm-related suicide and homicide rates. Healthcare resources play a role in population-level firearm outcomes but alone are not sufficient to decrease firearm-related homicide or suicide.
Nonlinear system identification for multivariable control via discrete-time Chen–Fliess series

Abstract The nonlinear system identification problem is solved for a multivariable nonlinear input–output system that can be represented in terms of a Chen–Fliess functional expansion. The problem is formulated in terms of a regression which is linear in the parameters and has a nonlinear regressor. An inductive implementation of the nonlinear regressor is developed using the underlying noncommutative algebraic and combinatorial structures. The method is demonstrated in an adaptive control application involving a two-input, two-output Lotka–Volterra dynamical system.
Outlook in life of older adults and their health and community condition

Positive outlook in life is believed to help safeguard aging people against the negative experiences and considered to reduce the risk of health diseases. We analyzed the health condition, cognitio...
‘We will not be pacified’: From freedom fighters to feminists:

Whether hailed for transitioning to the ballot box, or condemned for failing to hold elections, Africa’s postcolonial states exhibit profound contradictions in the arena of gender politics. Where r...
Population manipulations of North American deer Odocoileus spp.: balancing high yield with sustainability

An array of models for sustainable harvesting has been proposed, and most are in some way dependent on a density-dependent response. I tested a subset of these models by manipulating three North American deer populations to reveal density dependence and determine population response to harvests. These were a white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus population on the George Reserve (GR) in southeastern Michigan, and black-tailed deer O. hemionus columbianus populations on Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) in Mendocino County, California, and on Fort Hunter Liggett (FHL) in Monterey County, California. The study areas represented a gradation in size, productivity, management control, and environmental stochasticity. The GR population showed a nearly linear density-dependent relationship of r on N. A mean maximum sustainable yield (MS Y) of 49 deer/year was obtained at an N of 56% of K carrying capacity (KCC). A fixed harvest with stochasticity, however, reduced the sustainable MSY to 43 deer/year. A second population growth experiment 50 years after the initial introduction showed an equivalent growth rate. Analysis of harvest data from FHL showed buck harvest to be positively related to size of previous female harvests. From these results, a ‘linked-sex harvest strategy’ (LSHS) was proposed in which female harvest is sequentially incremented so long as buck harvest continues to increase, up to a presumed ‘safe’ female to buck ratio. At HREC, bucks were harvested in public bucks-only seasons. Buck harvest was monitored for 6-year pre- and posttreatment periods without female removals, and for a 7-year treatment period during which 20 females/year were removed for three years and 30 females/year for four years. There was no significant difference in pre- and post-treatment period buck harvests, so they were combined as a ‘control’. There was a significant (25%) increase in buck harvest during the treatment period despite its coinciding with six consecutive years of drought. The combined-sex harvest was more than double that of the buck harvest alone during the control periods. The relevance of these studies to deer harvest management is discussed.
Effective Management of Hybrid Channel Conflict

The use of several distinct channel types by suppliers to serve a given product-market is rapidly becoming the dominant design. Such increasingly complex distribution systems present unique opportunities and problems for marketers, including how to most effectively manage the intrafirm, interchannel conflict resulting from channel coalitions competing with one another for resources, both internal (e.g., expenditures, personnel, technology) and external (i.e., customers). A hybrid distribution system is a multichannel arrangement characterized by the sharing of distribution tasks among a combination of distinct channels, direct and/or indirect, resulting in a variety of marketing mix offerings designed to satisfy the needs of diverse market segments. Hybrid channel conflict exists when one channel coalition perceives that another channel coalition is engaged in adversarial behavior which is preventing or impeding the first from achieving its goals. A channel coalition is a group of individuals within the supplier firm who are organized as a subunit corresponding to a particular distribution channel used by the firm. Coalition members share the common responsibility of supplying the products, services and resources needed to support the operations of a given channel in the firm’s distribution system. Examples of coalitions include a direct sales-force, a distributor group, and a telemarketing arm.
Complete Problems for Multi-Pseudodeterministic Computations

We exhibit several computational problems that are complete for multi-pseudodeterministic computations in the following sense: (1) these problems admit 2-pseudodeterministic algorithms (2) if there exists a pseudodeterministic algorithm for any of these problems, then any multi-valued function that admits a k-pseudodeterministic algorithm for a constant k, also admits a pseudodeterministic algorithm. We also show that these computational problems are complete for Search-BPP: a pseudodeterministic algorithm for any of these problems implies a pseudodeterministic algorithm for all problems in Search-BPP.
The Value of Cement Augmentation in Patients With Diminished Bone Quality Undergoing Thoracolumbar Fusion Surgery: A Review.

Study Design:Systematic review.Objectives:Osteoporosis predisposes patients undergoing thoracolumbar (TL) fusion to complications and revision surgery. Cement augmentation (CA) improves fixation of...
Effects of a Brief Parenting Intervention In Shelters For Mothers And Their Children Experiencing Homelessness

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of an evidence-based parenting program—Triple P Positive Parenting Program—in shelter settings for families experiencing homelessness. The intervention has not previously been evaluated in a shelter setting, where there is a critical need for evidence-based parenting programs. Using a within-group pre- and post-intervention with 3-month follow-up design, 39 mothers residing in a shelter with a child ages 2–6 years participated. Results of this preliminary study showed positive effects of Triple P Discussion Groups. There were significant improvements in mother-reported parenting practices and child behavior across time, but no change in child maltreatment risk as measured by the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Mothers rated satisfaction with the program high immediately after the group and again three weeks later. Results showed Triple P Discussion Groups are acceptable and have some positive effects for this vulnerable population in need of parenting support. We discuss implications of findings, limitations of the study (including a 33% attrition rate), and recommendations for further study.
Acute HCV in HIV-Infected MSM: Modes of Acquisition, Liver Fibrosis, and Treatment

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not considered to be efficiently transmitted sexually, but since the early 2000s, HCV infection of HIV-infected men who have sex with men has emerged as an epidemic worldwide. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology of sexually transmitted acute HCV, the growing body of literature regarding risk factors for acquisition, and possible mechanisms of transmission. We also discuss the progression of liver disease in these men and the advances in therapy of acute HCV with interferon-free regimens and put forth our current approach of evaluating and treating these men in New York City.
Retrospective review and telephone follow-up to evaluate a physical therapy protocol for treating persistent postural-perceptual dizziness: A pilot study.

Background Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) (formerly chronic subjective dizziness) may be treated using the habituation form of vestibular and balance rehabilitation therapy (VBRT), but therapeutic outcomes have not been formally investigated. Objective This pilot study gathered the first data on the efficacy of VBRT for individuals with well-characterized PPPD alone or PPPD plus neurotologic comorbidities (vestibular migraine or compensated vestibular deficits). Methods Twenty-six participants were surveyed by telephone an average of 27.5 months after receiving education about PPPD and instructions for home-based VBRT programs. Participants were queried about exercise compliance, perceived benefits of therapy, degree of visual or motion sensitivity remaining, disability level, and other interventions. Results Twenty-two of 26 participants found physical therapy consultation helpful. Fourteen found VBRT exercises beneficial, including 8 of 12 who had PPPD alone and 6 of 14 who had PPPD with co-morbidities. Of the 14 participants who found VBRT helpful, 7 obtained relief of sensitivity to head/body motion, 5 relief of sensitivity to visual stimuli, and 4 complete remission. Comparable numbers for the 12 participants who found VBRT not helpful were 1 (head/body motion), 3 (visual stimuli), and 0 (remission). Conclusions This pilot study offers the first data supporting the habituation form of VBRT for treatment of PPPD.
α -Degrees of maximal α -r.e. sets

Martin [10] has computed the degrees of several classes of ω -r.e. sets. Lachlan [3] and Shoenfield [14] have obtained some additional results. For most of the examples, a class of r.e. sets is given by a property that is first-order definable over the lattice of ω -r.e. sets. Then the set of degrees of sets in this class is computed. The only sets of nonzero degrees which arise from the known examples are the following: ϕ, { a ∣ a is ω -r.e. and a ≠ 0}, { a ∣ a is ω -r.e. and a ′ = 0″}, and { a ∣ a is ω -r.e. and a ″ > 0″} (see [14]). There have been some results in this direction for α an arbitrary admissible ordinal. Sacks [13] has shown that every nonzero α -r.e. α -degree contains a regular α -r.e. set. Thus regularity does not separate the α -r.e. α -degrees. Simpson [18] has several theorems which give information about the kinds of α -r.e. sets a given α -degree can contain. The classes of α -r.e. sets considered do separate the α -r.e. α -degrees into two nonempty pieces for some α 's, but they are not necessarily given by properties which are definable over the lattice of α -r.e. sets. Using some definability results of Lerman [6], we shall make some comments about the definability of these classes of sets.
An analysis of noise in timing-based communications over local area networks

In a communications channel based on the timing of information, noise is introduced by any delay of the information as it is transmitted across the network. We examine this noise by measuring the deviation of timing differences as packets are transmitted across local area networks. Parameters affecting these timing differences are determined to include the operating system, the level of background network traffic, and the performance characteristics of the host computer and network.
Thyroid hormone action on mitochondria. II. Effect of dinitrophenol.

Abstract 2,4-Dinitrophenol, uniformly 14C-labeled, was injected intraperitoneally into rats 2 minutes before they were killed. Mitochondria prepared from their livers contained 14C. Almost all the 14C behaved like dinitrophenol-C14 on two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Functional changes in the liver mitochondria (partial loss of respiratory control and of sensitivity to inhibition of respiration by added amytal) were consistent with the presence and amount of dinitrophenol. Hypothyroid rats, and normal and hypothyroid rats pretreated with l -thyroxine, were injected with dinitrophenol -14C; the amount of 14C in their liver mitochondria per gram protein did not change from that in normal mitochondria. The increase in mitochondrial respiration as a function of the concentration of dinitrophenol added in successive increments was accomodated by the Hill equation. By the criterion of apparent stoichiometry in the Hill equation, the sensitivity of liver mitochondria to added dinitrophenol was controlled by the previous thyroid state of the rat: sensitivity was low in mitochondria from hypothyroid rats and was restored toward normal levels in mitochondria from hypothyroid rats killed 3 hours after injection with 5.2 mμg of l -thyroxine per gram or 2 minutes after injection with 5.2 μg of l -thyroxine per gram; sensitivity to dinitrophenol was raised above normal levels when normal rats were killed 6 hours after receiving 5.2 μg of l -thyroxine per gram. The respiratory responses of the liver mitochondria in vitro resembled the responses of the metabolic rate in vivo to dinitrophenol in previous reports.
Toward efficient hybrid silicon distributed feedback lasers

We review recent research on distributed feedback (DFB) lasers made using the III-V on Si platform.
Pairwise selection of guests in a cylindrical molecular capsule of nanometre dimensions

‘Container’ complexes in which a guest molecule is held mechanically within a cage-like host have been known for over a decade1,2. They provide a means to stabilize reactive intermediates3 and to create new forms of stereoisomerism4. Molecular capsules held together by hydrogen bonds are more recent; they are formed reversibly on timescales of milliseconds to hours, long enough formolecular motions5 and even reactions6 to be seen for the encapsulated species. Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of a hydrogen-bonded molecular capsule of nanometre dimensions, which is large enough to encapsulate two different molecules. This allows us to explore the size- and shape-selectivity of the encapsulation process: we see, for example, the exclusive formation of the hetero-guest pair when benzene and p -xylene are both added to a solution. This presumably reflects optimal occupancy of the capsule—two benzene guests leave too much empty space in the interior, and two p -xylene molecules make it too crowded.
High Strain Rate Compression of Martensitic NiTi Shape Memory Alloys

The compressive response of martensitic NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs) under high strain rate (1200 s−1) was investigated on a modified Kolsky (Split Hopkinson) compression bar. The single-loading momentum trapping system ensures precise deformation control (1.4, 1.8, 3.0, 4.8, and 9.6 % strain) and single loading during dynamic compression. With increasing strain, the phase transformation peaks shift toward lower temperatures, while the intensities of these peaks decrease and eventually disappear completely at strains above ~7 %, where the onset of plastic deformation of reoriented martensite occurs. All transformation peaks are recoverable after deformation simply by annealing at 873 K (600 °C) for 30 min, except those peaks corresponding to strains above ~7 % (e.g., 9.6 %) which return upon annealing, but at a lower temperature. XRD results showed the variation of the strongest diffraction peak from (1 $$\bar{1}$$ 1) to (111) crystal plane before and after high strain rate compression.
The Allocation and Impact of Social Funds

Between 1992 and 1998 the Peruvian Social Fund (FONCODES) spent about US$570 million funding microprojects throughout the country. Many of these projects involved constructing and renovating school...
Identifying fibromyalgia-associated symptoms and conditions from a clinical perspective: a step toward evaluating healthcare resource utilization in fibromyalgia.

Objective: The study aims to determine from the physician's perspective, the conditions and symptoms most relevant to the diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM) for identifying International Classification of Diseases-diagnosis codes and prescription medications to evaluate FM-related healthcare resource utilization. Methods: A questionnaire was administered using an online physician network (SERMO™) from which responses of 102 physicians were evaluated: anesthesiologists (n = 6), neurologists (n = 18), primary care physicians (n = 16), pain specialists (n = 16), psychiatrists (n = 15), and rheumatologists (n = 31). Physicians scored the relative importance to a diagnosis of FM (0 = least relevant/important, 10 = most relevant/important) of 24 conditions and symptoms derived from a list provided by the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases. Conditions and symptoms with mean scores ≥ 5 were considered the most relevant. Other survey questions included treatment goals, assessment of disease severity, medication use, and characterization of the physicians' experience and clinical practice. Results: Ten conditions and symptoms (mean score) were reported as most relevant: Muscle pain (8.7), Fatigue/tiredness (8.5), Insomnia (8.0), Depression (7.8), Thinking/remembering (6.7), Nervousness (6.0), Muscle weakness (5.9), Headache (5.7), Irritable bowel syndrome (5.5), and Pain/cramps in abdomen (5.1). Treatment goals, severity assessment, and use of medications were generally similar across physician specialties. Conclusions: This survey identified 10 conditions and symptoms that physician respondents considered most relevant to a diagnosis of FM. Further evaluation to determine how these conditions and symptoms contribute to FM-associated healthcare resource utilization is warranted.
Low-temperature migration of lead, thallium, and selenium onto a palladium modifier during the analysis of solutions and slurries by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A palladium/magnesium modifier, when premixed with solutions or slurries, stabilizes many analytes to higher pyrolysis and atomization temperatures. Similar behavior was seen when analyte and modifier were physically separated by pipetting them onto opposite sides of a L'vov platform. During the pyrolysis stage of the furnace heating cycle, lead, thallium, and selenium migrated from the platform surface and interacted with the modifier on the opposite side. This behavior explains the consistent stabilization by palladium of analytes in slurry samples. Under conventional operating conditions the modifier is premixed with the slurry, and on drying in the furnace, the analyte and modifier may not make close contact. However, this is unimportant since the analyte will migrate to the palladium on heating. Then the rate-limiting step leading to atomization is the release of analyte from palladium, and it is the same for solutions and slurries. Therefore, aqueous standards can be used for slurry analysis.
The influence of turbulence on erosion by a particle-laden fluid jet

Abstract Very few investigations on wear by particle impact have accounted for the influence of turbulence on erosion. In this study, the effects of turbulent diffusion on particle dispersion, and hence on erosion, are demonstrated numerically. Variations imposed on the level of turbulence intensity in a particle-laden jet impinging normally on a flat wall show a strong dependence of wear parameters on this quantity. Impacting particle velocities, trajectories and surface densities are predicted from lagrangian equations of motion. Eulerian equations are used to describe fluid motion, with the turbulence viscosity evaluated from a k-ϵ model of turbulence. Non-essential complexities are avoided by assuming one-way coupling between phases and using an adjusted Stokes' drag relation. Numerical calculations reveal that the relative rate of erosion decreases and that the location of maximum wear is displaced toward the stagnation point as the turbulence intensity increases. Efforts to remove present model limitations have been hindered by the unavailability of suitable experimental data.
Wave Propagation in Linear, Bilinear and Trilinear Elastic Bars

This paper is concerned with the role of supplementary conditions, such as the entropy inequality at shock waves or kinetic relations at phase boundaries, in the selection of physically appropriate solutions to systems of quasi-linear differential equations describing wave propagation. The differences in this respect among various materials are illustrated by constrasting the behaviour of waves in linear, bilinear and trilinear elastic bars.
False Alarm Probability of a DWT-Based Estimation Algorithm

Abstract Noonan, J. P., and Marquis, D. A., False Alarm Probability of a DWT-Based Estimation Algorithm, Digital Signal Processing 6 (1996), 155–159. Recently, the wavelet transform has been applied to the problem of detecting and estimating transient signals in additive white noise. The general procedure of these algorithms is to take a discrete wavelet transform (DWT) of the data, eliminate some of the DWT coefficients based on some criteria, and then inverse DWT the remaining coefficients to obtain the transient signal estimate. Most of the research has focused on the estimation performance of these algorithms. This research computes the false alarm probability on each DWT scale level for the algorithm described in (Noonan et al., Digital Signal Processing 3, 1993, 89–96). The false alarm probability is the probability that one or more DWT coefficients on a difference level is nonzero.
Phase‐space representation of iterative design processes

A large variety of design optimization methods have been proposed in recent years. Comparison of the relative performance of each method is a difficult task, and attempts to do so are often based on a limited number of numerical experiments. Recently, a ‘basins of attraction’ construction has been proposed as a graphical tool for investigating global performance of iterative design optimization methods, and as a basis for comparison of different methods. The phase-space representation presented in this paper is a companion to the basins of attraction construction. Basins of attraction reveal the relationship between starting design and final outcome of the solution process; the phase-space construction reveals that nature of the paths connecting the starting design and final outcome. The two constructions complement one another in summarizing the performance of design optimization processes. Both constructions are demonstrated in this paper, applied to the optimal design of an elastic grillage structure using Newton's method and the stress ratio method.
SU‐GG‐T‐121: An Initial Study of Dose Distribution in the Junction of SmartArc and 3D Superclavical Fields for Head and Neck Tumors

Purpose: It has been common practice in head and neck radiotherapy to combine IMRT and 3d fields for larynx protection. Half beam block technique ensures a smooth dose distribution in the junction volume. The newly emerged VMAT technique, such as SmartArc, has proved in a variety of cases to achieve similar, or even better, dosimetrictumor coverage and critical organ protection compared with IMRT with the advantage of less needed MU and shorter delivery time. However, dose distribution of junction of VMAT fields with other fields is still an underexplored area. This abstract will present the result of our study on this topic and discuss issues exiting if VAMT is to replace IMRT for head and neck cases in combination with 3D fields. Method and Materials:Treatment planning was performed using Pinnacle version 9.0 planning system on Varian's 21EX Linac treatment machine with constant jaw. Coplanar double arc of 360° was selected in combination with 2 superclavical 3D fields. Control point spacing of the arc beams was set at the default 4°. Results: Dose distribution in the conjunction volume is very sensitive to the collimator angle. With the commonly preferred collimator angle of 45°, dose in the junction volume can be as high as double the prescription dose. Decreasing the collimator angle improved dose uniformity in the junction, but the tumor coverage in proximity to the junction could be compromised. 0° degree angle proved to produce the best tumor coverage and junction dose uniformity. Best jaw match requires a collimator angle of 90°, but it proved to product the coldest tumor coverage from the VMAT fields. Conclusion: More study and efforts are needed to resolve the issue of dose uniformity in the junction volume if VMAT fields are to be combined with 3D fields for head and neck tumors.
Evaluation by serial electrophysiologic studies of an abbreviated oral loading regimen of amiodarone.

Abstract Optimal loading and maintenance regimens for amiodarone are undefined. Serial electrophysiologic testing was used in 25 patients with ventricular tachycardia to assess the adequacy of a 1-week oral loading regimen at 1,200 mg/day, to modify maintenance dosing at the conclusion of loading, and to evaluate the appropriateness of maintenance dosing after 2 months of therapy. During the loading period, highly significant (p
Über die Verbindung [PCl4] [PCl5Br]

Aus Phosphortrichlorid und Brom entsteht in Arsentrichlorid als Losungsmittel die Verbindung [PCl4] [PCl5Br], deren Struktur und Eigenschaften beschrieben werden. In der Literatur vorhandene undurchsichtige Angaben uber Phosphor–Chlor–Brom-Verbindungen werden gedeutet.
Gamma-Ray Burst Energetics in the Swift Era

We examine the rest-frame energetics of 76 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with known redshift that were detected by the Swift spacecraft and monitored by the satellite's X-Ray Telescope (XRT). Using the bolometric fluence values estimated by Butler and coworkers and the last XRT observation for each event, we set a lower limit to their collimation-corrected energy Eγ and find that 68% of our sample is at high enough redshift and/or low enough fluence to accommodate a jet break occurring beyond the last XRT observation and still be consistent with the pre-Swift Eγ distribution for long GRBs. We find that relatively few of the X-ray light curves for the remaining events show evidence for late-time decay slopes that are consistent with that expected from post-jet break emission. The breaks in the X-ray light curves that do exist tend to be shallower and occur earlier than the breaks previously observed in optical light curves, yielding a Eγ distribution that is far lower than the pre-Swift distribution. If these early X-ray breaks are not due to jet effects, then a small but significant fraction of our sample have lower limits to their collimation-corrected energy that place them well above the pre-Swift Eγ distribution. Either scenario would necessitate a much wider post-Swift Eγ distribution for long cosmological GRBs compared to the narrow standard energy deduced from pre-Swift observations. We note that almost all of the pre-Swift Eγ estimates come from jet breaks detected in the optical whereas our sample is limited entirely to X-ray wavelengths, furthering the suggestion that the assumed achromaticity of jet breaks may not extend to high energies.
Serum anticholinergic radioreceptor assay: A selective review of the 25-year history of a simple idea

Drug-induced cognitive impairments, especially those caused by anticholinergic medications, are common in the elderly. These “drug reactions” range from mild confusional states to frank delirium. Even though the medical community is good at identifying medications with significant anticholinergic side effects, medications with less severe, but still disabling cognitive effects, or more importantly, medication combinations leading to a significant “anticholinergic load” are frequently undetected. The serum anticholinergic radioreceptor assay was developed 25 years ago to help elucidate these problems and measures serum activity of all anticholinergics present in human serum. In this assay, serum is compared against an internal standard of a known anticholinergic compound (atropine) and in competition for all muscarinic cholinergic receptors against a potent muscarinic receptor antagonist. This paper reviews the published literature using this assay. This method has been proven reliable, highly reproducible, and a potent predictor of a wide range of cognitive impairment in a wide range of clinical conditions. The implications of the findings as well as future research are discussed.
Lack of Effect of a Low-Fat, High-Fruit, -Vegetable, and -Fiber Diet on Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen of Men Without Prostate Cancer: Results From a Randomized Trial

PURPOSE: To determine whether a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and fiber may be protective against prostate cancer by having an impact on serial levels of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). METHODS: Six hundred eighty-nine men were randomized to the intervention arm and 661 to the control arm. The intervention group received intensive counseling to consume a diet low in fat and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables. The control group received a standard brochure on a healthy diet. PSA in serum was measured at baseline and annually thereafter for 4 years, and newly diagnosed prostate cancers were recorded. RESULTS: The individual PSA slope for each participant was calculated, and the distributions of slopes were compared between the two groups. There was no significant difference in distributions of the slopes (P = .99). The two groups were identical in the proportions of participants with elevated PSA at each time point. There was no difference in the PSA slopes between the two groups...
Theoretical study of adsorption of tabun on calcium oxide clusters

Abstract Interactions of tabun (GA) with non-hydroxylated and hydroxylated CaO clusters have been studied using density functional (DFT) and Moller–Plesset second order perturbation (MP2) levels of theory. The nature of interactions has been further investigated from the topology of charge distribution (using Atoms in Molecules formalism) and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surfaces. These adsorption studies indicate that GA adsorbs strongly on the non-hydroxylated CaO cluster through its P O bond, while interactions of GA on the hydroxylated cluster are weak. These model studies could thus be useful to characterize inorganic oxides for efficient detection and disposal of GA.
Location-aware privacy and more: a systems approach using context-aware database management systems

When a user issues a query, database engines will usually return results based solely on the query and the content of the database. However, query issuers have a "context" which if taken into account will certainly change the outcome of the query. Thus, when responding to the query, the database system can consider the query issuer's context and return only the objects/tuples in the database that not only satisfy the query predicates but also are relevant to the query issuer's context. In this paper, we give an overview of Chameleon; a context-aware database management system. Chameleon introduces SQL-level constructs that describe the "context" in which the query is issued as well as the reciprocal contexts of the objects in the database. By tying the query issuer's contexts with the corresponding contexts of the objects in the database, Chameleon can retrieve the objects of relevance to the query context. Using Chameleon's general interfaces for context definition and awareness activation, we show how database systems that offer not only location-sensitive privacy but also other forms of privacy, e.g., both location-sensitive and timesensitive privacy profiles for their users can be realized easily. Several modeling and performance challenges for realizing context-aware database management systems are presented.
The effect of famciclovir on delayed facial paralysis after acoustic tumor resection.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To determine the efficacy of prophylactic famciclovir to significantly reduce the percentage of patients experiencing postoperative delayed facial paresis. Study Design: Prospective evaluation of facial nerve grade for two groups (treated and untreated) with famciclovir before and after surgery. All procedures were conducted by the same group of experienced neurotologists. Methods: In a tertiary neurotologic private practice, the percentage of 1,023 patients with delayed facial paresis after undergoing microsurgical removal of unilateral acoustic tumor with no preoperative treatment was compared to the percentage of 530 patients with preoperative famciclovir treatment. Patients were prescribed famciclovir 500 mg BID for 3 days before surgery and 5 days postoperative. The House-Brackmann Facial Nerve Grade was assessed prospectively at preoperative, immediate postoperative, and discharge from the hospital in both groups. Results: Twenty-five percent of the no famciclovir group experienced delayed facial palsy compared to 20% in the famciclovir group, a statistically significant difference (P < .04). The famciclovir group undergoing translabyrinthine craniotomy showed a significantly greater decrease in percentage of patients with delayed facial palsy than those undergoing middle fossa craniotomies (P < .003). Conclusions: Famciclovir administered preoperatively and after craniotomies resulted in a smaller percentage of patients developing delayed facial weakness. We are continuing the routine use of famciclovir in perioperative acoustic tumor management and recommend that others do so.
Troubling Methods-Centric “Teacher Production”: Social Foundations in Dance Education Teacher Preparation

Preparing dance specialist teachers to successfully educate an increasingly diverse student population highlights a number of challenges within an educational policy landscape characterized by technical production, methods-centric teacher preparation, teacher-proof curriculum, and standardization. The ramifications of these policies have significantly narrowed the scope of teacher preparation and stripped curricula of educational foundations content. This article presents a praxis-incorporative approach for integrating social foundations content into dance teacher preparation based on a review of relevant national standards. Recommendations and insights, grounded in research findings from an undergraduate dance pedagogy course (n = 59) taught from critical and feminist pedagogical perspectives, are discussed.
Leukocyte chemotaxis under agarose: manipulations of serum and plasma before incorporation into agarose can influence cell movement.

Abstract In the migration under agarose assay for measurement of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis and random migration, the agarose gel ordinarily contains 10% human serum or plasma. Influences of serum and plasma on cell movement using this assay were defined. Utilizing plasma as protein source allowed more random migration and chemotaxis than when serum was used. Heat inactivation of both serum and plasma decreased random migration and chemotaxis. If heating at 56°C was prolonged beyond 15–30 min, leukocyte movement was augmented. Excessive concentrations of platelets or platelet products, or heparin in agarose, also augmented migration, but storage of plasma or sera at various temperatures for 24 h did not appreciably affect migration. Large amounts of hemoglobin in agarose decreased chemotaxis, but the effect of trace amounts of hemolysis was negligible. Handling plasma or sera in standard ways prior to use in the under agarose assay may make this assay more reproducible and sensitive.
Determining ternary phase diagrams with electrochemical cells and in situ X-ray diffraction

Abstract We discuss how in situ X-ray diffraction and measurements of electrochemical potential in electrochemical cells can be used to determine the phase diagrams of ternary and pseudoternary compounds. These techniques reduce the number of samples needed, and also allow the phase diagram to be presented as a function of chemical potential, a presentation that makes it easier to appreciate analogies between different systems.
INSECT CELL-EXPRESSED P180ERBB3 POSSESSES AN IMPAIRED TYROSINE KINASE ACTIVITY

Abstract Protein kinases share a number of highly conserved or invariant amino acid residues in their catalytic domains, suggesting that these residues are necessary for kinase activity. In p180erbB3, a receptor tyrosine kinase belonging to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor subfamily, three of these residues are altered, suggesting that this protein might have an impaired protein tyrosine kinase activity. To test this hypothesis, we have expressed human EGF receptor and bovine p180erbB3 in insect cells via baculovirus infection and have compared their autophosphorylation and substrate phosphorylation activities. We have found that, while the EGF receptor readily undergoes EGF-stimulated autophosphorylation and catalyzes the incorporation of phosphate into the model substrates (E4Y1)n (random 4:1 copolymer of glutamic acid and tyrosine) and GST-p85 (glutathione S-transferase fusion protein with the 85-kDa subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase), p180erbB3 autophosphorylation and substrate phosphorylation are at least 2 orders of magnitude less efficient. However, p180erbB3 is capable of binding the ATP analog 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine, indicating that the lack of observed kinase activity is probably not due to nonfunctional or denatured receptors expressed by the insect cells. On the basis of these results, we propose that p180erbB3 possesses an impaired intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity.
Importance of Protein Context on the Unfolding Pathways of β-hairpins

Small β-hairpin peptides as well as three-stranded WW domains have been used as models for the folding of β-hairpins in larger proteins. Previous studies of the FBP28 WW domain proposed that side chain contacts between residues in the strands and not the precise order of backbone hydrogen bond formation guide β-hairpin folding. But how applicable is the folding of model systems, such as FBP28 WW domain, to the folding of β-structure in larger proteins with conventional hydrophobic cores? Here we present multiple unfolding molecular dynamics simulations of three proteins that share a double hairpin motif structurally similar to WW domains: cold shock protein A (CspA), cold shock protein B (CspB) and glucose permease IIA domain. The motif forms a sheet in both cold shock proteins while the double hairpin is part of a larger, 7-stranded β-sheet in the IIA domain. We characterized the unfolding pathways of each protein, all showing no consistent order to the loss of backbone hydrogen bonds, similar to the FPB28 WW domain. The smaller cold shock proteins both lose contacts between the β-hairpins and the hydrophobic core early in the unfolding simulations, while the larger, more complex IIA domain maintains contacts to the core and surrounding β-strands later in the simulations, resulting in a more varied unfolding pathway. We show that the larger protein context affects the details of the unfolding pathway of the double hairpin motif.
Strengthening Mechanisms in a High-Strength Bulk Nanostructured Cu-Zn-Al Alloy Processed Via Cryomilling and Spark Plasma Sintering

Abstract A bulk nanostructured alloy with the nominal composition Cu–30Zn–0.8Al wt.% (commercial designation brass 260) was fabricated by cryomilling of brass powders and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) of the cryomilled powders, yielding a compressive yield strength of 950 MPa, which is significantly higher than the yield strength of commercial brass 260 alloys (∼200–400 MPa). Transmission electron microscopy investigations revealed that cryomilling results in an average grain diameter of 26 nm and a high density of deformation twins. Nearly fully dense bulk samples were obtained after SPS of cryomilled powders, with average grain diameter 110 nm. After SPS, 10 vol.% of twins is retained with average twin thickness 30 nm. Three-dimensional atom-probe tomography studies demonstrate that the distribution of Al is highly inhomogeneous in the sintered bulk samples, and Al-containing precipitates including Al(Cu,Zn)–O–N, Al–O–N and Al–N are distributed in the matrix. The precipitates have an average diameter of 1.7 nm and a volume fraction of 0.39%. Quantitative calculations were performed for different strengthening contributions in the sintered bulk samples, including grain boundary, twin boundary, precipitate, dislocation and solid-solution strengthening. Results from the analyses demonstrate that precipitate and grain boundary strengthening are the dominant strengthening mechanisms, and the calculated overall yield strength is in reasonable agreement with the experimentally determined compressive yield strength.
Proximal promoter of the surfactant protein D gene: regulatory roles of AP-1, forkhead box, and GT box binding proteins.

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) plays roles in pulmonary host defense and surfactant homeostasis and is increased following lung injury. Because AP-1 proteins regulate cellular responses to diverse environmental stimuli, we hypothesized that the conserved AP-1 motif (at −109) and flanking sequences in the human SP-D promoter contribute to the regulation of SP-D expression. The AP-1 sequence specifically bound to fra-1, junD, andjunB in H441 lung adenocarcinoma nuclear extracts. Mutagenesis of the AP-1 motif in a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter construct containing 285 base pairs of upstream sequence nearly abolished promoter activity, and co-transfection of junD significantly increased wild type but not mutant promoter activity. The sequence immediately downstream of the AP-1 element contained a binding site for HNF-3 (FOXA), and simultaneous mutation of this site (fox-d) and an upstream FoxA binding site (−277,fox-u) caused a 4-fold reduction in chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity. Immediately upstream of the AP-1-binding site, we identified a GT box-containing positive regulatory element. Despite finding regions of limited homology to the thyroid transcription factor 1-binding site, SP-D promoter activity did not require thyroid transcription factor 1. Thus, transcriptional regulation of SP-D gene expression involves complex interactions with ubiquitous and lineage-dependent factors consistent with more generalized roles in innate immunity.