cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chlorthalidone: has it always been the best thiazide-type diuretic?

Modern diuretic therapy evolved from 2 seemingly unrelated events in the 1930s: the development of sulfanilamide, the first truly effective antibacterial agent, and the description of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. Sulfanilamide was observed to increase sodium (Na+)/potassium and water excretion by inhibition of carbonic anhydrase activity. Recognition of this action proved the impetus for synthesis of compounds, such as acetazolamide, that could more specifically inhibit carbonic anhydrase; however, acetazolamide was a short-acting compound, and diuretics with greater potency and/or duration of action were quickly sought. Chlorothiazide was the first of these new-generation diuretics, and its introduction in 1957 set the modern era of diuretic therapy in motion. Shortly thereafter several loop diuretics and a host of thiazide-type diuretics found their way to the marketplace as the result of active development programs. As diuretics began to proliferate in numbers, loop diuretics were promptly distinguished from thiazide-type diuretics on the basis of potency and were quickly slotted as the more important diuretic class for volume overload states. Thiazide-type diuretics were early on seen as agents with greater effectiveness in reducing blood pressure (BP), but with a lesser ability to impact volume overload states. In the early days of thiazide-type diuretic use there was little effort expended to seriously distinguish one from the other in their BP-lowering effect even if there were major intraclass pharmacokinetic differences. Inexorably, the term “class effect” crept in to describe the actions of thiazide-type diuretics, applied both to BP reduction and ultimately outcomes. Much of the recent debate on diuretic class effect has centered on the similarities and differences between chlorthalidone …
How to Perform Surgery for Intracranial (Convexity) Meningiomas

Convexity meningiomas are important tumors historically and in contemporary neurosurgery. Felix Plater provided their first recognizable description in 1614 and the first successful surgical removal was by Pecchioli in Siena in 1847 [10]. It was Cushing in 1922 who decided to group many previous meningeal tumors under the general name “meningioma”. In the 1920s, Cushing also established techniques for their removal that became the standard for these tumors. Walter Dandy, Leo Davidoff, Colin McCarty, Lindsay Simon, Jacques Philippon, Giovanni Broggi, Charles Wilson, Ossama Al-Mefty, Robert Ojemann, and many others are among the surgeons who have carried forward the understanding of their optimum care in the twentieth century [1]. In the last decade, improved imaging, navigation, and concepts of minimally invasive surgery have begun to create a quiet revolution in the management of these tumors [2].
South Africa and the International Community

Ever since the discovery there of gold and diamonds in the last half of the nineteenth century, South Africa has engaged the rapt attention of the Western world. The saga of the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902, perhaps the last of the “gentlemen's wars,” and now the refurbished accounts of the gallant defense of Rorke's Drift in the AngloZulu War of 1879 have been fascinating material for both novelists and film scriptwriters. In addition, the history of South Africa is replete with titanic figures who rank with, or perhaps even above, those from the rest of the continent: the aggressive architect of empire, Cecil J. Rhodes; the redoubtable Zulu warrior, Chaka; the dour, stern-willed President of the South African Republic, “Oom” (Uncle) Paul Kruger; the world-renowned statesman and philosopher, Field Marshal Jan C. Smuts; the founding father of Indian independence, Mohandas K. Gandhi; the compassionate and courageous writer, Alan S. Paton; and the dignified, modest Zulu Nobel Laureate, Albert J. Luthuli. By any standard, South Africa and its leaders of all races have made far-reaching and impressive contributions to the continent, the British Empire, and the world at large.
PRBA2CU3OX SUPERCONDUCTING POWDERS

We have been preparing polycrystalline PrBa2Cu3Ox (PBCO) to look for superconductivity at 89 K as has been reported in single crystals and thin films. We have found two transitions one at ≈ 90 K and another one at ≈ 12 K in samples, which we are still unable to make single phase. Additional phases include PrBaO3 and BaCuO2. The PBCO samples all appear to have the usual YBCO crystal structure and this is the phase that we believe contains the ≈ 90 K transition. The ≈ 12 K transition is most likely antiferromagnetic ordering of the PrBaO3 phase. We are continuing to investigate sample preparation. Here we present and discuss the superconducting and magnetic properties of our samples.
How will climate change affect the potential distribution of Eurasian Tree Sparrows Passer montanus in North America

Habitat suitability models have been used to predict the present and future potential distribution of a variety of spe- cies. Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus, native to Eurasia, have established populations in other parts of the world. In North America, their current distribution is limited to a relatively small region around its original introduction to St. Louis, Missouri. We combined data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility with current and future climate data to create habitat suitability models using Maxent for this species. Under projected climate change scenarios, our models show that the distribution and range of the Eurasian tree sparrow could increase as far as the Pacific Northwest and Newfoundland. This is potentially important in- formation for prioritizing the management and control of this non-native species (Current Zoology 57 (5): 648-654, 2011).
NF-κB is dispensable for normal lymphocyte development in bone marrow but required for protection of progenitors from TNFα

Levels of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-jB)/Rel family of proteins are carefully modulated in differentiating lymphocytes, where these transcription factors are thought to be important for survival and fate decisions. In contrast, gene-targeting experiments have not revealed clear roles for these transcription factors in lymphopoiesis within bone marrow. Inhibition of NF-jB by introduction of mutated IjBa, a ‘superinhibitor’ of NF-jB, into hematopoietic stem cells or early progenitors suppressed B as well as T lymphopoiesis following transplantation into immunodeficient mice. Furthermore, a NF-jB essential modifier-binding domain (NBD) peptide that blocks IKB kinase (IKK) activity selectively impaired the generation of adult B lineage cells. However, this suppression did not occur when a neutralizing antibody to tumor necrosis factor a (TNFa) was added to the cultures, or in circumstances where few non-lymphoid cells were present. We conclude that while NF-jB plays a survival-promoting role in lymphoid progenitors, this may only be significant in circumstances such as transplantation when levels of TNFa are high.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Synergy Studies of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Isolates from Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a newly emerging pathogen being detected with increasing frequency in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The impact of this multidrug-resistant organism on lung function is uncertain. The optimal treatment for S. maltophilia in CF patients is unknown. We studied the in vitro activity of ten antimicrobial agents, and conducted synergy studies by using checkerboard dilutions of eight pairs of antimicrobial agents against strains isolated from 673 CF patients from 1996 to 2001. This represents approximately 7 to 23% of the CF patients in the United States who harbor S. maltophilia annually. Doxycycline was the most active agent and inhibited 80% of 673 initial patient isolates, while trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole inhibited only 16%. High concentrations of colistin proved more active than high concentrations of tobramycin and gentamicin. Serial isolates (n = 151) from individual patients over time (median, 290 days) showed minimal changes in resistance. Synergistic or additive activity was demonstrated by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole paired with ticarcillin-clavulanate (65% of strains), ciprofloxacin paired with ticarcillin-clavulanate (64% of strains), ciprofloxacin paired with piperacillin-tazobactam (59% of strains), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole paired with piperacillin-tazobactam (55% of strains), and doxycycline paired with ticarcillin-clavulanate (49% of strains). In all, 522 (78%) isolates were multidrug resistant (i.e., resistant to all agents in two or more antimicrobial classes) but 473 (91%) of these were inhibited by at least one antimicrobial combination (median, four; range, one to eight). To determine appropriate treatment for patients with CF, it is important to monitor the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and clinical impact of S. maltophilia in this patient population.
ICA Based Disturbance Specific Control Charts

This paper demonstrates a general method for simplifying multivariate process monitoring so as to allow the use of traditional SPC tools while facilitating process diagnosis. We pool data recycled from factorial design experiments to develop latent variable representations of complex processes which are directly identified with process steps or segments. Our method models disturbances in the process rather than the process itself. The methodology is illustrated on the problem of monitoring electrical test (E-Test) data from a semiconductor manufacturing process. Development and production data from a working semiconductor plant are used to estimate a factor model that is used to develop univariate control charts for particular types of process disturbances. Detection and false alarm rates for data with known disturbances are given. The charts correctly detect and classify all the disturbance cases with a very low false alarm rate.
Hernia Repair Mesh-Associated Mycobacterium goodii Infection

We report on a patient with an abdominal wall abscess that developed after an inguinal hernia repair that utilized synthetic mesh. Mycobacterium goodii, a recently recognized, rapidly growing mycobacterium related to M. smegmatis, was isolated both from the abdominal wall aspirate and from surgically drained material. Infection resolved following thorough debridement, mesh removal, and prolonged antimicrobial therapy. This case report extends our understanding of the spectrum of M. goodii infection.
[Comment on “More evidence indicates link between El Niños and Seismicity”] Link Between El Niños and seismicity is still missing

In a recent Eos article, Walker [1995] presents evidence for a correlation between extreme lows in the Southern Oscillation Index and episodic seismic activity on the southern East Pacific Rise. He speculates that the causative link between seismicity and El Ninos may be direct and indirect thermal effects associated with massive submarine volcanic and hydrothermal activity that may accompany the seismic swarms. In particular, he cites an unusual earthquake swarm at 18°, 116° in 1991/1992 and notes that large numbers of volcanos and young, extensive lava flows have been mapped near the East Pacific Rise from about 15° to 19° [Scheirer et al., 1993].
Understory vegetation indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in longleaf pine forests at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA

Abstract Environmental indicators for longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems need to include some measure of understory vegetation because of its responsiveness to disturbance and management practices. To examine the characteristics of understory species that distinguish between disturbances induced by military traffic, we randomly established transects in four training intensity categories (reference, light, moderate, and heavy) and in an area that had been remediated following intense disturbance at Fort Benning, GA. A total of 134 plant species occurred in these transects with the highest diversity (95 species) in light training areas and the lowest (16 species) in heavily disturbed plots. Forty-seven species were observed in only one of the five disturbance categories. The variability in understory vegetation cover among disturbance types was trimodal ranging from less than 5% cover for heavily disturbed areas to 67% cover for reference, light, and remediated areas. High variability in species diversity and lack of difference in understory cover led us to consider life-form and plant families as indicators of military disturbance. Life-form successfully distinguished between plots based on military disturbances. Species that are Phanerophytes (trees and shrubs) were the most frequent life-form encountered in sites that experienced light infantry training. Therophytes (annuals) were the least common life-form in reference and light training areas. Chamaephytes (plants with their buds slightly above ground) were the least frequent life-form in moderate and remediation sites. Heavy training sites supported no Chamaephytes or Hemicryptophytes (plants with dormant buds at ground level). The heavy, moderate, remediated, and reference sites were all dominated by Cryptophytes (plants with underground buds) possibly because of their ability to withstand both military disturbance and ground fires (the natural disturbance of longleaf pine forests). Analysis of soils collected from each transect revealed that depth of the A layer of soil was significantly higher in reference and light training areas which may explain the life-form distributions. In addition, the diversity of plant families and, in particular, the presence of grasses and composites were indicative of training and remediation history. These results are supported by prior analysis of life-form distribution subsequent to other disturbances and demonstrate the ability of life-form and plant families to distinguish between military disturbances in longleaf pine forests.
Brain response in the processing of Chinese characters: an event-related fMRI study

Due to the entirely different surface form of the writing system and the large population of native speakers, Chinese (Mandarin) processing has evoked broad interest in the field of language study. Recently, fMRI with blocked design has been used in the mapping of Chinese language processing. Comparing to blocked task design, event-related task design takes the advantages of the high temporal resolution of fMRI and provides greater experimental flexibility in task design. In this study, we examine event-related fMRI (ER-fMRI) response in the processing of Chinese characters. Experiments were performed on a 1.9 T MRI scanner, with six subjects. A gradient-echo EPI sequence was used. Ten axial slices were acquired. A single Chinese character was used for each stimulus. The subjects were asked to perform a word generation task. In all the subjects, strong activation was detected in left middle to inferior prefrontal gyri. Highly left hemisphere dominance of the activation in prefrontal cortex was observed in all the subjects, with the locations in well agreement with the previous studies using blocked design. Percent maximum BOLD signal change was 1.45/spl plusmn/0.14%, averaged across the six subjects. Time-to-peak was 7.72/spl plusmn/0.31 sec, and FWHM was 5.99/spl plusmn/0.43 sec. In this study, we demonstrated that ER-fMRI signal change can be reliably detected in single subject, with response to repeated single trials of Chinese character processing. Based on this result, more sophisticated paradigm designs can be utilized in the future study of Chinese language.
Epoxy Resins in Electron Microscopy

A method of embedding biological specimens in araldite 502 (Ciba) has been developed for materials available in the United States. Araldite-embedded tissues are suitable for electron microscopy, but the cutting qualities of the resin necessitates more than routine attention during microtomy. The rather high viscosity of araldite 502 also seems to be an unnecessary handicap. The less viscous epoxy epon 812 (Shell) produces specimens with improved cutting qualities, and has several features—low shrinkage and absence of specimen damage during cure, minimal compression of sections, relative absence of electron beam-induced section damage, etc.—which recommends it as a routine embedding material. The hardness of the cured resin can be easily adjusted by several methods to suit the materials embedded in it. Several problems and advantages of working with sections of epoxy resins are also discussed.
Taking the Bible Seriously

JOHN W. WHITEHEAD, The Second American Revolution. 2d ed. Westchester, Ill.: Good News, Crossway Books, 1985. Pp. 260. $8.95 paper. JOHN W. WHITEHEAD, The Stealing of America. Westchester, Ill.: Good News, Crossway Books, 1983. Pp. 180. $6.95 paper. JOHN W. WHITEHEAD, The End of Man. Westchester, Ill.: Good News, Crossway Books, 1986. Pp. 304. $7.95 paper. JOHN W. WHITEHEAD, Parents' Rights. Westchester, Ill.: Good News, Crossway Books, 1985. Pp. 160. $6.95 paper.
The Apple Iphone

This case describes the introduction of the Apple iPhone, including subsequent price reductions and market share goals. The case includes publicly available data on iPhone production costs, channel margins, and marketing costs. It concludes with the July 2008 introduction of the second generation 3G iPhone.
Consultation about violent students.

Violence in the schools is a growing problem. Psychiatrists consulting to schools can play an important role in helping school- based professionals with early identification, diagnostic evaluations, program planning, and prevention. They can also serve as educators and child advocates and help to coordinate and to organize a team approach.
Plasma Spray of Nano Composite Ceramics Using Solution Precursors and Combustion Synthesized Nano Powders

Plasma spraying is a well-established method for depositing nanostructured ceramic coatings on structural components. Two different plasma spraying techniques - solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) and suspension plasma spray (SPS) - have been used to produce MgO-50vol% ZrO2 composite coatings. The microstructural features of the coatings were characterized using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) and X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD). The micro hardness of the coatings was measured on cross-sectional samples. The coatings produced using the SPS process with ethanol-based suspensions at a high plasma torch power (45.5 kW) exhibited the densest microstructures with hardnesses as high as ~1350 HV. However, the backscattered electron (BSE) ESEM characterization of these coatings revealed that the coatings obtained using the SPPS technique had superior chemical homogeneity over those obtained using the SPS technique.
Effect of drought stress on plant morphological traits and dry matter accumulation of various super rice varieties

With pot-cultivation and drought stress simulation from the panicle initiation to grain filling stage,the effect of drought stress on plant morphological traits and dry matter accumulation of different panicle type rice varieties(more or middle grains per panicle) was studied.The moisture content in soil was monitored by using a W.E.T Sensor(ML2x type) and an electronic balance.The results showed that a moderate drought stress in different stages had varying degrees of influence on the plant morphological traits and dry matter accumulation.The drought stress affected more on the biomass in 15-30d after panicle initiation and 0-15d after flowering,followed by 0-15d after panicle initiation and 15-30d after flowering.Moderate drought stress during panicle initiation affected panicle development and inhibited the elongation of the flag leaf and the 2nd leaf from top.This led to a reduced leaf photosynthesis and plant height.Moderate drought stress during panicle initiation and grain filling also resulted in reduction of biomass and dry matters,as compared to normal water supply.Sensitivity to drought stress varied among different varieties.Thus,the degree of change on plant morphological characteristics and dry matter accumulation differed among them.In general,the effects on super rice varieties were less than those on common hybrid rice variety(e.g.,Shanyou 63).On the rice varieties with more grains per panicle(e.g.,Guodao 6 and Liangyoupeijiu),influence of drought stress on plant morphological traits and dry matter accumulation was less than the rice varieties with less grains per panicle(e.g.,II-you 602 and Tianyou 998),indicating the changes were variety-specific.
Magnetic resonance imaging of bone marrow disorders of the knee.

SUMMARY Bone marrow abnormalities around the knee are encountered frequently when performing MR imaging. Some of these so-called abnormalities may represent normal variations of the bone marrow contents and have no clinical significance. On other occasions, MR imaging may be the only technique that demonstrates a bone marrow lesion. Edema, osteonecrosis, infection, and tumor are entities frequently detected and assessed with MR imaging. We now, perhaps for the first time, are able to visualize and assess directly the bone marrow and its disorders. Knowledge of normal anatomy, variants, and pathologic signs coupled with meticulous imaging techniques are of paramount importance for accurate interpretation of such MR images.
Covalent Modification of Synthetic Hydrogels with Bioactive Proteins via Sortase-Mediated Ligation

Synthetic extracellular matrices are widely used in regenerative medicine and as tools in building in vitro physiological culture models. Synthetic hydrogels display advantageous physical properties, but are challenging to modify with large peptides or proteins. Here, a facile, mild enzymatic postgrafting approach is presented. Sortase-mediated ligation was used to conjugate human epidermal growth factor fused to a GGG ligation motif (GGG-EGF) to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels containing the sortase LPRTG substrate. The reversibility of the sortase reaction was then exploited to cleave tethered EGF from the hydrogels for analysis. Analyses of the reaction supernatant and the postligation hydrogels showed that the amount of tethered EGF increases with increasing LPRTG in the hydrogel or GGG-EGF in the supernatant. Sortase-tethered EGF was biologically active, as demonstrated by stimulation of DNA synthesis in primary human hepatocytes and endometrial epithelial cells. The simplicity, specificity, and reversibility of sortase-mediated ligation and cleavage reactions make it an attractive approach for modification of hydrogels.
Resilient subclass discriminant analysis with application to prelens tear film interferometry

The study of tear film thickness and breakup has important implications for understanding tear physiology and dynamics. We have developed a complete end-to-end automated system for robust and accurate measurements of the tear film thickness from interferometric video as a function of position and time (following a blink). This paper will primarily address the problem of identifying dry regions on the surface of the contact lens, which is one of the four major components of the system. (The others are motion stabilization, image normalization, and phase demodulation to infer absolute thickness and map the surface. To address the challenging wet/dry segmentation problem, we propose a new Gaussian clustering method for feature extraction in high dimensional spaces. Each class is modeled as a mixture of Gaussians, clustered using Expectation-Maximization in the lower-dimensional Fisher's discriminant space. We show that this approach adapts to a wide range of distributions and is insensitive to training sample size. We present experimental results on the real-world problem of identifying regions of breakup (drying) of the prelens tear film from narrowband interferometry for contact lens wearers in vivo.
Transmission probability of diffusing particles—A case study

A diffusing particle is subjected to a variety of collisions that lead to a random or Brownian motion. The aim of this study is to compute the transmission probability and highlight the visualization of Brownian motion under the conditions of varying viscosity, particle size and temperature. As a preliminary study, two simulation results such as transport of diluted species and particle based approach have been compared and the transmission probability is computed by a particle based approach. We validate our results with Stokes-Einstein equation and Fang and Ning’s experimental and theoretical work and show that the transmission probability increases with decrease in viscosity and particle size and increase in temperature. The obtained results also describe the Brownian motion for various particle sizes, viscosity and temperature.
Short-circuit protection of 1200V SiC MOSFET T-type module in PV inverter application

A de-sat based short-circuit protection scheme using commercial driver for SiC MOSFETs is presented and experimentally verified on 1200V 3-level T-type SiC MOSFET module in this paper. Response time is very critical for the short-circuit protection of SiC MOSFETs due to the limited short-circuit withstand time (SCWT). Soft turn-off is required to avoid high voltage spike during the turn-off of the fault current. With the presented circuit, 600 ns response time is realized, and a two-stage soft turn-off circuit with gate voltage clamping is implemented. A gate voltage stabilizing circuit without affecting the switching loss is also proposed to prevent false trigger. Since de-sat protection scheme is not applicable for the neutral branch of T-type module due to polarity changes of branch voltage, the short-circuit protection of neutral branch is realized with the half-bridge device protection. Detail circuit design for the 1200 V T-type SiC module in 1 kV PV application is described, and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the circuit.
Precision Pointing Flexible Optical Systems: Reaction Actuator Control-Structure Interaction

Abstract This paper examines the Control-Structure Interaction (CSI) phenomena associated with the control of a reaction actuator mounted to a flexible structure. CSI analysis of the reaction actuator control problem is performed on a single-mode model as a function of flexible mode location. The analysis describes the CSI effects on both stability and performance of a high gain PID controller. This paper introduces the idea of bicollocated control of a reaction actuator. It also shows that control of a reaction actuator in the classical 'collocated' sense may lead to nonminimum phase zeros in the plant model and may result in an unstable closed loop system.
Strategic stances and programme performance: assessing outcomes of the US states’ delivery of the child support enforcement programme

ABSTRACTSince being added as an amendment to the Social Security Act of 1975, the US child support enforcement (CSE) programme has provided services to both Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and non-TANF families under the name of reducing expenditures on welfare programmes and securing children’s rights to be protected by their parents. The federal government mandates that states collect five performance measures in the CSE programme: (1) paternity establishment, (2) support order establishment, (3) current collection, (4) arrearage collection, and (5) cost-effectiveness. Implementing federal programmes does not give states full discretion, but there exists room for states to exercise discretion in developing their own strategies to effectively deliver services and improve performance. In this paper, using Miles and Snow’s strategic dimensions (1978) and Boyne and Walker’s later studies (2004), states’ strategic stances are categorized into Analyser, Prospector, and Defender, and the effects...
Dissociative Chemisorption and Oxidation of H 2 on the Stoichiometric IrO 2 (110) Surface

We investigated the dissociative chemisorption and oxidation of H2 and D2 on the stoichiometric IrO2(110) surface (“s-IrO2(110)”) using temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We find that the dissociative chemisorption of hydrogen occurs efficiently on s-IrO2(110) during adsorption at 90 K, with ~ 90% of the dissociated H2 oxidizing to H2O during TPRS and evolving in a broad feature between 400 and 800 K. We also observe small quantities of H2 desorbing in TPRS peaks at 200 and 530 K, and show that these peaks arise from the desorption of molecularly-adsorbed H2 and the recombination of atomic hydrogen, respectively. Our results demonstrate that H2 dissociation on s-IrO2(110) occurs by a precursor-mediated mechanism wherein H2 molecules adsorb strongly on coordinatively-unsaturated Ir atoms (Ircus) and the resulting σ-complexes then serve as precursors for H2 bond cleavage. Our DFT calculations predict that H2 adsorbs strongly on an atop-Ircus site, and that the H2 complex can dissociate by a facile pathway involving H-transfer to a neighboring bridging O atom (Obr) to produce an H-Ircus/HObr pair. For this pathway, we predict that the energy barrier for dissociation is ~ 65 kJ/mol lower than the binding energy of the adsorbed H2 complex. We also find that the total hydrogen uptake on s-IrO2(110) saturates at an H2 coverage of ~ 0.65 ML during adsorption at 90 K, and present evidence that this limited uptake results from a strong influence of HObr groups on H2 σ-complex formation. Finally, we used DFT to examine pathways for H2O formation on s-IrO2(110) and find that steps leading directly to H2O formation are energetically demanding and likely determine the overall rate of H2 oxidation on s-IrO2(110).
Frequency Selective Propagation of Extracellular Electrical Stimuli to Intracellular Compartments

Considerable efforts have been made during the past two decades to explore the relationship between ambient field strength and flux values of electromagnetic fields and field strength values or specific absorption rates (SAR) in man and animals (1). These macroscopic studies extend over the total frequency range from very low frequencies to the microwave range and established the “coupling” mechanism which relates in situ to external ambient values.
CU-move": Analysis & corpus development for interactive in-vehicle speech systems

In this paper, we present our recent work in the analysis and formulation of a new acoustic speech corpus for developing in-vehicle interactive systems for route planning and navigation. The CU-Move Corpus development is partitioned into two phases: [I] acoustic noise collection and analysis across vehicles, and [II] data collection consisting of +1000 speakers from across the United States. We present results from Phase I acoustic noise data analysis across vehicles to determine guidelines for Phase II large-scale data collection using a single vehicle type. A total of 14 noise conditions are identified for analysis across 6 vehicles. We also present our plan for Phase II collection including speakers, dialect regions, data collection hardware, prompts and dialog domains. Since previous studies in speech recognition have shown significant loses in performance when speakers are under task stress, it is important to develop conversational systems that minimize operator stress for the driver. This will be the first U.S. based corpus of its kind consisting of multichannel data, intended for use in developing mixed-initiative dialog speech systems; the initial application being route planning and navigation through a wireless information retrieval sub-system connected to the WWW.
Moyamoya vasculopathy with anti-SCL-70 antibodies: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract Moyamoya disease and syndrome constitute two distinct pathological entities with a primary finding of progressive distal internal carotid artery occlusion, which results in either an ischemic or hemorrhagic sequela. While the disease entity stands as a primary arterial vasculopathy, moyamoya syndrome represents a secondary vasculopathy associated with a systemic inflammatory process. We describe a patient with an ischemic stroke and angiographic findings of moyamoya in the setting of positive antinuclear antibodies and anti-Scl-70 antibodies with clinical features of scleroderma on exam. A review of current literature identified three similar cases where immunosuppression in addition to secondary stroke prevention led to reduced frequency of neurological sequelae. These cases plus our own demonstrate that patients with moyamoya vasculopathy in association with anti-Scl 70 antibodies exist on a spectrum with either predominant scleroderma features or neurological symptoms. There are a limited number of cases reported of moyamoya vasculopathy in association with anti-Scl 70 antibodies. This case report demonstrates that not only may the association be more common than we think, but that it exists on a dynamic spectrum with variable clinical presentation and course.
Correction: fNIRS measurement of cortical activation and functional connectivity during a visuospatial working memory task.

Demands on visuospatial working memory are a ubiquitous part of everyday life. As such, significant efforts have been made to understand how the brain responds to these demands in real-world environments. Multiple brain imaging studies have highlighted a fronto-parietal cortical network that underlies visuospatial working memory, is modulated by cognitive load, and that appears to respond uniquely to encoding versus retrieval components. Furthermore, multiple studies have identified functional connectivity in regions of the fronto-parietal network during working memory tasks. Together, these findings have helped outline important aspects of the neural architecture that underlies visuospatial working memory. Here, we provide results from the first fNIRS-based investigation of fronto-parietal signatures of cortical activation and functional connectivity during a computer-based visuospatial working memory task. Our results indicate that the local maxima of cortical activation and functional coherence do not necessarily overlap spatially, and that cortical activation is significantly more susceptible to task-specific demands compared to functional connectivity. These results highlight important and novel information regarding neurotypical signatures of cortical activation and functional connectivity during visuospatial working memory. Our findings also demonstrate the utility of fNIRS for interrogating these cognitive processes.
System of Systems for Tripwires Activation of Algorithms and Reasoning (STAAR) for Analysis of Mission Success

The flood of data from Multi-Intelligence sources (e.g., air and space sensors, street cameras, and social media) is overwhelming mission operators who manually or semi-autonomously ingest and make decisions on these data. This data glut is driving the development of Systems of Systems (SoS) solutions that exhibit emergent behavior evolving to fully autonomous methods that allow end users to focus on critical data first in order to make timely decisions and assure mission success.
Abstract 173: Atrial Cardiopathy and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke in the Cardiovascular Health Study

Introduction: Several lines of evidence indicate that some cases of cryptogenic stroke may be due to an atrial cardiopathy that forms a nidus for thrombus formation and embolization even in the abs...
ECG-based Human Authentication using High-level Spectro-temporal Signal Features

Electrocardiography (ECG) is the process of recording the electrical activity of the human heart over time using electrodes that are placed over the skin. While the primary usage of electrocardiograms, the recorded signals, has been focused on the check of signs of heart-related diseases, recent studies have moved also toward their usage for human authentication. Thus, an ECG signal can be unique enough to be used independently as a biometric modality. In addition to its inherent liveness detection, it is easy to collect and can be easily captured either via sensors attached to the human body (fingertips, chest, wrist) or even passively using wireless sensors. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that exploits the spectro-temporal dynamic characteristics of the ECG signal to establish personal recognition system using both short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and generalized Morse wavelets (CWT). This process results in enriching the information extracted from the original ECG signal that is inserted in a 2D convolutional neural network (CNN) which extracts higher level and subject-specific ECG-based features for each individual. To validate our proposed CNN model, we performed nested cross-validation using eight different ECG databases. These databases are considered challenging since they include both normal and abnormal heartbeats as well as a dynamic number of subjects. Our proposed algorithms yield superior performance when compared to other state-ofart approaches discussed in the literature, i.e. the STFT-based one achieves an average identification rate, equal error rate (EER), and area under curve (AUC) of 97.86%, 0.0268, and 0.9933 respectively, whereas the CWT achieves comparable to STFT results in 97.5%, 0.0386, and 0.9882 respectively.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis: A chronic cheater.

The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen causing life-threatening acute infections in individuals with compromised immune systems. It is also the most common cause of chronic respiratory infections and the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF). In the CF lung, the P. aeruginosa population expands, and a chronic infection ensues. Chronic phenotypes and genotypes emerge during these infections due to ecological adaptation to the CF lung milieu as well as intraspecies competition between P. aeruginosa strains. A perplexing observation is that P. aeruginosa from chronic CF infections appears to frequently lose the ability to perform quorum sensing (QS), a mechanism of chemical communication that allows bacteria to detect the density of a population within a given space. This finding is surprising because animal models of infection implicate P. aeruginosa QS as essential for productive infections. In PNAS, two papers (1, 2) use experimental evolution to address this discrepancy and identify mutations that reengineer the P. aeruginosa QS regulatory pathway, suggesting that QS is not lost during infection but rather rewired. The QS system of P. aeruginosa is highly complex and controlled by two acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) systems, LasI-LasR and RhlI-RhlR (RhlIR). LasI catalyzes the production of the autoinducer (AI) signal N -3-oxo-dodecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone, which binds to its cognate receptor LasR (3, 4), whereas RhlI catalyzes the production of AI N -butanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL), which binds to the transcription factor RhlR (5, 6). In addition, P. aeruginosa has a third, non-AHL QS system, the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS), which is mediated through several quinolone AI signaling molecules (7). In P. aeruginosa, QS was originally recognized as a regulatory mechanism controlling the transcription of genes associated with virulence in the laboratory strain PAO1 … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: joanna.goldberg{at}emory.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
On the viability of the complex-intensity-based near-field acoustical holography method

Because of the instrumentation difficulties of Fourier acoustical holography, it is desirable to find a holography method that does not require reference signals during array scanning. Among the methods that have been investigated to remove the need for references are those based on acoustic intensity measurements, including the complex-intensity-based near-field acoustical holography (CIBNAH) method [A. Nejade, J. Sound Vib. 333(16), 3598–3608 (2014); Appl. Acoust. 116, 348–356 (2017)]. The CIBNAH method has previously been applied to simple contrived sources and real-world machinery but has not been verified using analytical source models. This work shows the application of CIBNAH to an analytical model of a simply-supported plate, revealing key shortcomings of the method. The theory behind CIBNAH is discussed in light of these shortcomings. It is shown that while CIBNAH may be useful for finding radiation hot spots, it is not an adequate method to overcome the need for references in scan-based acoustical holography. [Work supported by NSF.]
Decrease in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus colonization associated with a reduction in carbapenem use as empiric therapy for febrile neutropenia in patients with acute leukemia.

OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of empiric carbapenems versus cycling cefepime and piperacillin/tazobactam on the rates of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization, bloodstream infections, and outcomes of patients admitted with acute leukemia. DESIGN Retrospective clinical study with VRE molecular strain typing and gastrointestinal microbiome comparison. SETTING A regional referral center for acute leukemia. PATIENTS 342 consecutive patients admitted with newly diagnosed acute leukemia. METHODS In September 2015, we changed our empiric antibiotic of choice for neutropenic fever from a carbapenem to the cycling regimen. We studied 214 consecutive patients during the carbapenem period and 128 during the cycling period. Surveillance for VRE stool colonization was conducted weekly. Representative stool samples were analyzed for VRE MLST types and changes in the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota. RESULTS The change in empiric antibiotics was associated with a significant decrease in VRE colonization (hazard ratio [HR], 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.66), a switch in the dominant VRE MLST types on the unit, and some modifications in the gastrointestinal microbiome. There were no differences in total gram-positive or gram-negative BSIs. During the carbapenem period, we observed higher absolute numbers of Candida spp and fewer ESBL BSIs, but these did not reach statistical significance. Patients during the carbapenem period had longer lengths of stay and durations of severe neutropenia and 10% higher hospital cost. CONCLUSIONS Carbapenem-sparing empiric antibiotic regimens may have advantages related to VRE ecology, gastrointestinal dysbiosis, duration of neutropenia, cost and length of stay.
Association between frailty syndrome and survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Frailty is a syndrome characterized by weakness, slow gait, weight loss, exhaustion, and low activity. We sought to determine whether frailty was associated with age or stage in newly diagnosed patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and determine its association with survival. METHODS Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PDAC of all stages underwent baseline assessment. Frailty (per Fried criteria) was defined as having three or more abnormalities in: grip strength, gait speed, weight loss, self-reported exhaustion, or self-reported physical activity. Baseline clinicodemographic characteristics, anatomic stage, performance status, and laboratory markers of prognosis were included. The association between baseline characteristics, frailty, and survival was determined. The associations of individual frailty measures with age, stage, comorbidities, and performance status were examined. Body composition was measured from computed tomographic images using SliceOMatic software. RESULTS Of 150 patients enrolled, 8 were excluded because they did not have PDAC on final diagnosis. The median age was 65 years (range, 32-89). Seventy-nine patients (55.6%) were sarcopenic, and 36 (25.4%) were frail. Frailty was associated with increasing comorbidities (P = 0.03) and worse performance status (P < 0.01). During follow-up, 79 patients (56%) died. Frailty was significantly associated with death during the follow-up period (P < 0.001) for the entire cohort, including patients with curative (P = 0.038) and palliative (P = 0.003) treatment plans. CONCLUSIONS Frailty was seen frequently in patients with newly diagnosed PDAC and was not associated with increasing age or more advanced stage. Frailty was a predictor of survival, including patients treated with curative intent.
Emerging blood–brain-barrier-crossing nanotechnology for brain cancer theranostics

Brain cancer, especially the most common type of glioblastoma, is highly invasive and known as one of the most devastating and deadly neoplasms. Despite surgical and medical advances, the prognosis for most brain cancer patients remains dismal and the median survival rarely exceeds 16 months. Drug delivery to the brain is significantly hindered by the existence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which serves as a protective semi-permeable membrane for the central nervous system. Recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology have yielded multifunctional theranostic nanoplatforms with the ability to cross or bypass the BBB, enabling accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of brain tumours. Herein, we make our efforts to present a comprehensive review on the latest remarkable advances in BBB-crossing nanotechnology, with an emphasis on the judicious design of multifunctional nanoplatforms for effective BBB penetration, efficient tumour accumulation, precise tumour imaging, and significant tumour inhibition of brain cancer. The detailed elucidation of BBB-crossing nanotechnology in this review is anticipated to attract broad interest from researchers in diverse fields to participate in the establishment of powerful BBB-crossing nanoplatforms for highly efficient brain cancer theranostics.
Reappraising the utility of Google Flu Trends.

Estimation of influenza-like illness (ILI) using search trends activity was intended to supplement traditional surveillance systems, and was a motivation behind the development of Google Flu Trends (GFT). However, several studies have previously reported large errors in GFT estimates of ILI in the US. Following recent release of time-stamped surveillance data, which better reflects real-time operational scenarios, we reanalyzed GFT errors. Using three data sources—GFT: an archive of weekly ILI estimates from Google Flu Trends; ILIf: fully-observed ILI rates from ILINet; and, ILIp: ILI rates available in real-time based on partial reporting—five influenza seasons were analyzed and mean square errors (MSE) of GFT and ILIp as estimates of ILIf were computed. To correct GFT errors, a random forest regression model was built with ILI and GFT rates from the previous three weeks as predictors. An overall reduction in error of 44% was observed and the errors of the corrected GFT are lower than those of ILIp. An 80% reduction in error during 2012/13, when GFT had large errors, shows that extreme failures of GFT could have been avoided. Using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, one- to four-week ahead forecasts were generated with two separate data streams: ILIp alone, and with both ILIp and corrected GFT. At all forecast targets and seasons, and for all but two regions, inclusion of GFT lowered MSE. Results from two alternative error measures, mean absolute error and mean absolute proportional error, were largely consistent with results from MSE. Taken together these findings provide an error profile of GFT in the US, establish strong evidence for the adoption of search trends based 'nowcasts' in influenza forecast systems, and encourage reevaluation of the utility of this data source in diverse domains.
No Shipping Fees or Free Shipping? Impact of Temporal Proximity on the Relative Effectiveness of Promotional Framing

In this research, we find that the relative effectiveness of framing a shipping promotion as “no shipping fees” versus “free shipping” may depend on temporal proximity of the promotional offer. Our...
A CASE OF PAN-AORTIC DISSECTION MASQUERADING AS AN INFERIOR STEMI

Aortic dissections can present in a myriad of ways, with symptoms reflecting locations of end-organ damage. Thus, a proper diagnosis can be made based on a high clinical index of suspicion. A 62-year old female presented for altered level of consciousness with minimal responsiveness and bilateral