cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial, Ethnic and Gender Differences in Response to Medicines

In recent years, researchers have found significant differences among racial, ethnic and gender groups in the ways they respond to and metabolize drugs, and experience side effects. Most studies have focused on cardiovascular, psychotropic and central nervous system drugs. Alcohol, antihistamines and analgesics are other agents with varying effects among different racial, ethnic and gender groups. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted last year that Asian-Americans show increased sensitivity to beta blockers. It also observed that African-Americans are less responsive to ACE inhibitors. Gender differences in drug therapy seem to basically evolve around psychotropic drugs. Environmental, cultural and genetic factors are involved in determining response to medicines in different racial, ethnic and gender groups. Continued research in this area will undoubtedly reveal significant information regarding racial, ethnic and gender differences in response to drugs. These developments will impact on how clinical trials are conducted and challenge conventional thoughts regarding restricted formularies.
Impact of buffer layer design on the performance of AlInAs-GaInAs HEMTs

Summary form only given. The authors report a study of the impact of buffer layer design on the characteristics of Al/sub 0.48/In/sub 0.52/As-Ga/sub 0.47/In/sub 0.53/As HEMTs (high-electron-mobility transistors). The aim of the study is to understand and correct the problem of high output conductance observed in devices with a high transconductance. Devices with 1.0- mu m gate lengths were fabricated using modulation-doped Al/sub 0.48/In/sub 0.52/As-Ga/sub 0.47/In/sub 0.53/As epitaxial layers which had sheet charge densities between 3*10/sup 12/ and 3.5*10/sup 12/ cm/sup -2/ and mobilities at 300 K between 9000 and 10000 cm V/sup -1/ S/sup -1/. The different buffer layer designs used were: (1) a standard undoped Al/sub 0.48/In/sub 0.52/As buffer 250-nm-thick; (2) an Al/sub 0.48/In/sub 0.52/As buffer with a 20-AA thick highly doped p-type region 50 AA below the channel; (3) a Ga/sub 0.47/In/sub 0.53/As buffer with a 20-AA-thick highly doped p-type region below the channel; and (4) a low-temperature AlInAs buffer layer. The device with the low-temperature AlInAs had the best output characteristics, signifying that it was the best mode of confining electrons in the channel. >
Self-gravity driven instabilities of interfaces in the interstellar medium

In order to understand star formation it is important to understand the dynamics of atomic and molecular clouds in the interstellar medium (ISM). Non-linear hydrodynamic flows are a key component to the ISM. One route by which non-linear flows arise is the onset and evolution of interfacial instabilities. Interfacial instabilities act to modify the interface between gas components at different densities and temperatures. Such an interface may be subject to a host of instabilities, including the Rayleigh-Taylor, Kelvin-Helmholtz, and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities. Recently, a new density interface instability was identified. This self-gravity interfacial instability (SGI) causes any displacement of the interface to grow on roughly a free-fall time-scale, even when the perturbation wavelength is much less than the Jeans length. In previous work, we used numerical simulations to confirm the expectations of linear theory and examine the non-linear evolution of the SGI. We now continue our study by generalizing our initial conditions to allow the acceleration due to self-gravity to be non-zero across the interface. We also consider the behaviour of the SGI for perturbation wavelengths near the Jeans wavelength. We conclude that the action of self-gravity across a density interface may play a significant role in the ISM either by fuelling the growth of new instabilities or modifying the evolution of existing instabilities.
Long-term natural selection affects patterns of neutral divergence on the X chromosome more than the autosomes.

Natural selection reduces neutral population genetic diversity near coding regions of the genome because recombination has not had time to unlink selected alleles from nearby neutral regions. For ten sub-species of great apes, including human, we show that long-term selection affects estimates of divergence on the X differently from the autosomes. Divergence increases with increasing distance from genes on both the X chromosome and autosomes, but increases faster on the X chromosome than autosomes, resulting in increasing ratios of X/A divergence in putatively neutral regions. Similarly, divergence is reduced more on the X chromosome in neutral regions near conserved regulatory elements than on the autosomes. Consequently estimates of male mutation bias, which rely on comparing neutral divergence between the X and autosomes, are twice as high in neutral regions near genes versus far from genes. Our results suggest filters for putatively neutral genomic regions differ between the X and autosomes.
Social relations, social support and survival among patients with cancer

This study examined the relationship between social relationships and social support and survival following a first diagnosis of breast, colorectal, or lung cancer. Findings showed different factors related to survival for those with breast vs lung or colorectal cancer and for those with localized vs non-localized cancers. Results provide important evidence that social relations and social support may operate differently depending on cancer site and extent of disease.
Design and testing of the magnetic quadrupole for the Heavy Ion Fusion Program

The Heavy Ion Fusion Program at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory is conducting experiments in the transport and acceleration of "driverlike" beams. The single beam coming from the four-to-one beam combiner will be transported in a lattice of pulsed magnetic quadrupoles. The present beam transport consists of high field, short aspect ratio magnetic quadrupoles to maximize the transportable current. This design could also be converted to be superconducting for future uses in a driver. The pulsed quadrupole will develop a maximum field of two Tesla and will be housed within the induction accelerator cells at the appropriate lattice period. Hardware implementation of the physics requirements and full parameter testing will be described.
Understanding j-blog adoption: factors influencing Korean journalists' blog adoption

This study investigates factors affecting journalists' adoption of weblogs, using two theoretical frameworks: the theory of planned behavior and the uses and gratifications approach. The results of a national survey of Korean journalists demonstrated that Korean journalists' j-blog adoption was jointly affected by psychological, technological, organizational, and social factors. In particular, findings indicate that j-blog adoption in Korea is influenced more by organizational and social factors such as policy and pressures within groups than by personal and psychological factors such as demographic profiles and motivations.
Perceptions of Juvenile Sexual Abuse Victims: A Meta-Analysis on Vignette-Based Studies on the Effects of Victims’ Age and Respondents’ Gender

This study synthesizes results of vignette-based studies on lay perceptions of juvenile sexual victimization. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify factors affecting perceptions of juvenile sexual abuse victims. Then meta-analytic techniques were utilized to calculate average effects of victim age and respondent gender on perceived victim credibility and culpability. The average effects of victim age and respondent gender were modest. Results from moderation tests suggest that some of the variation in effect size estimates across studies can be explained by vignette and sample characteristics. Findings suggest that prior research may be misstating the effects of victim age and respondent gender by failing to account for vignette content.
Preventing Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infections: A Qualitative Study of Management Practices

OBJECTIVE To identify factors that may explain hospital-level differences in outcomes of programs to prevent central line–associated bloodstream infections. DESIGN Extensive qualitative case study comparing higher- and lower-performing hospitals on the basis of reduction in the rate of central line–associated bloodstream infections. In-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed to determine whether emergent themes differentiated higher- from lower-performing hospitals. SETTING Eight US hospitals that had participated in the federally funded On the CUSP—Stop BSI initiative. PARTICIPANTS One hundred ninety-four interviewees including administrative leaders, clinical leaders, professional staff, and frontline physicians and nurses. RESULTS A main theme that differentiated higher- from lower-performing hospitals was a distinctive framing of the goal of “getting to zero” infections. Although all sites reported this goal, at the higher-performing sites the goal was explicitly stated, widely embraced, and aggressively pursued; in contrast, at the lower-performing hospitals the goal was more of an aspiration and not embraced as part of the strategy to prevent infections. Five additional management practices were nearly exclusively present in the higher-performing hospitals: (1) top-level commitment, (2) physician-nurse alignment, (3) systematic education, (4) meaningful use of data, and (5) rewards and recognition. We present these strategies for prevention of healthcare-associated infection as a management “bundle” with corresponding suggestions for implementation. CONCLUSIONS Some of the variance associated with CLABSI prevention program outcomes may relate to specific management practices. Adding a management practice bundle may provide critical guidance to physicians, clinical managers, and hospital leaders as they work to prevent healthcare-associated infections. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–7
A Step Backward—or Is it Forward?

The time may have come—or at least will soon arrive—when the diagnostic categories related to diabetes and its close relatives, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG), should be reconsidered. IGT, IFG, and the combination of the two are now considered pre-diabetes because, compared with normal glucose tolerance, they signal an increased risk of developing diabetes (1). Before 1979, when the National Diabetes Data Group defined IGT (2) and declared it to be an official diagnostic category, one either did or did not have diabetes and nondiagnostic glucose levels were de facto “normal.” A middle ground was recognized by some physicians, but it was not enshrined in all epidemiological studies or in clinical practice. The addition of IFG in 1997 for the purpose of creating a state equivalent to IGT both added to the middle ground and raised awareness and appreciation of intermediate levels of glucose intolerance (3). There was now a distinctive group of individuals whose fasting plasma glucose (FPG) lay between normal (<110 mg/dl) and the new 1997 lower diabetes cut point of 126 mg/dl and who may not meet the IGT criterion of 140–199 mg/dl 2 h after a standard oral glucose load of 75 g (3). A further refinement of IFG in 2003 altered the lower IFG cut point from 110 to 100 mg/dl, a change recommended to make both intermediate states equivalent and to define a more realistic upper limit of normal (4). Recently, however, more and more studies have demonstrated that at glycemic levels above normal but within the range of either IFG or IGT, there is an increasing risk of crossing the diabetes line (FPG 126 mg/dl and/or a 2-h post–glucose load level of 200 mg/dl) within a few years (1). These latter numbers are based on the association of …
Concerns about human hand transplantation in the 21st century

The decision to perform a human hand transplant was justified perhaps on less than an ideal scientific basis-only approximately 60 rat limb transplants and 2 primate limb transplants have survived for longer than 200 days and only 8 of 19 pig limb osteomyocutaneous transplants showed no signs of rejection at 90 days. It seems unlikely that the survival of a human hand transplant will be any better than the survival of a kidney transplant, which has a half-life of approximately 7.5 to 9.5 years. Fourteen hand transplants, however, have now been performed in 11 humans with the skin component of 1 remaining viable up to 3 years after surgery. Intermittent episodes of acute rejection seem to have been relatively simple to reverse by temporarily increasing the dose of immunosuppressive agents and steroids. Chronic rejection has occurred in 1 patient, necessitating re-amputation of the transplanted hand. Active range of motion of the digits has been surprisingly better than would have been expected based on previous results of replantation, but return of sensibility has been less than optimal. The immunosuppression has been well tolerated without any major medical problems or life-threatening episodes, but some patients have developed chronic viral and fungal infections and several have developed posttransplant diabetes. Extrapolating from the previous experience of solid-organ transplants, chronic immunosuppression may predispose a hand transplant patient to an 80% chance of developing an infection, a 20% potential risk of developing posttransplant diabetes, and a 4% to 18% potential risk of developing a malignancy. Even though there is universal agreement that composite tissue allograft transplantation will become the ultimate reconstructive option, no one can predict the eventual role of hand transplantation in the future, but perhaps an international database of these hand transplant patients should be established so that independent reviewers can more objectively evaluate their functional outcome, the incidence of chronic rejection, and the risks of long-term immunosuppression.
Discourses, discursive processes, intertextuality, and identities

The focus on the shared processes of racialization presented by Van Sterkenburg and Knoppers is timely. Given the nature of power and the prevalence of sport, a focus on the shared and intersected ...
Au-(Y 2 O 3 ) X (ZrO 2 ) 1-X Thin Films for High Temperature Gas Detection via Changes in Optical Absorption: Interfacial Influences on Metallic Nanoparticle Optical Properties

Increased dampening of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of Au nanoparticles embedded in yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been observed for Au-YSZ thin films at 500degC under increasing O2 concentrations in N2. It has been proposed that this broadening in the SPR band is due to an adsorbate induced dampening of the SPR band, which was initially observed using gas aggregation techniques on Ag nanoparticles, and can be observed at elevated temperatures by simply changing the gas environment of Au-YSZ films. We have developed a model to describe the changes we see in the SPR band broadening utilizing theoretical models developed by Persson (Surf. Sci., vol.281, p.153-162, 1993) and Pinchuk et al. (Surf. Sci., vol.557, p.269-280, 2004). Our model is in agreement with experimental results within a factor of three and shows promise in furthering the understanding of the optical properties possessed by noble metal nanoparticles embedded in a metal oxide matrix.
Comparison of the effect of Carbovir, AZT, and dideoxynucleoside triphosphates on the activity of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase and selected human polymerases

Abstract Carbocylic 2′,3′-didehydro-2′,3′-dideoxyguanosine (Carbovir; NSC 614846) is an antiretroviral agent which may be useful in the treatment of AIDS. We have synthesized the 5′-triphosphate of Carbovir and examined its ability to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (EC 2.7.7.49) and other retroviral reverse transcriptases, as well as human DNA polymerases α, β, γ (EC 2.7.7.7) and DNA primase (EC 2.7.7.6). Carbovir triphosphate emerges as a highly selective inhibitor of reverse transcriptases with little, if any, effect on the cellular enzymes. 3′-Azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (AZT) triphosphate and the two dideoxynucleoside triphosphates, ddTTP and ddGTP, inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase to the same degree as Carbovir triphosphate, but were less selective in that they also inhibited DNA polymerases β and γ. We conclude that Carbovir is a highly selective antiretroviral agent.
Does Educator Training or Experience Affect the Quality of Multiple-Choice Questions?

Rationale and Objectives: Physicians receive little training on proper multiple-choice question (MCQ) writing methods. Well-constructed MCQs follow rules,which ensurethat a questiontests whatit is intendedto test. Questionsthatbreakthese are describedas ‘‘flawed.’’We examined whether the prevalence of flawed questions differed significantly between those with or without prior training in question writing and between those with different levels of educator experience. Materials and Methods: We assessed 200 unedited MCQs from a question bank for our senior medical student radiology elective: an equalnumberofquestions(50)werewrittenbyfacultywithprevioustraininginMCQwriting,otherfaculty,residents,andmedicalstudents. Questions were scored independently by two readers for the presence of 11 distinct flaws described in the literature. Results: Questions written by faculty with MCQ writing training had significantly fewer errors: mean 0.4 errors per question compared to a mean of 1.5–1.7 errors per question for the other groups (P < .001). There were no significant differences in the total number of errors betweentheuntrainedfaculty,residents,andstudents(Pvalues.35–.91).Amongtrainedfaculty17/50questions(34%)wereflawed,whereas other faculty wrote 38/50 (76%) flawed questions, residents 37/50 (74%), and students 44/50 (88%). Trained question writers’ higher performance was mainly manifest in the reduced frequency of five specific errors. Conclusions: Faculty with training in effective MCQ writing made fewer errors in MCQ construction. Educator experience alone had no effect on the frequency of flaws; faculty without dedicated training, residents, and students performed similarly.
A note on adaptive l-statistics

The purpose of this note is to give a simple demonstration of the apparently widely-known principle that, under suitable conditions (primarily of a symmetry nature) an adaptive L-sta-tistic has the same asymptotic distribution as a non-adaptive L-statistic.
Principal component based analysis of biomechanical inter-trial variability in individuals with chronic ankle instability

article i nfo Article history: Received 10 October 2011 Accepted 16 February 2012 Background: Biomechanical variability during movement may influence joint stability in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). The purpose of this study was to compare the kinematic and the kinetic inter-trial variability between healthy and CAI individuals. Methods: Eleven individuals with CAI and 11 matched controls performed five repetitions of a single-leg landing task. Biomechanical data were collected from 100 ms before to 200 ms after touchdown, and were used to calculate touchdown angles, peak angles and moments at the ankle joint in the frontal and sagittal planes. In addition, principal component analyses were used to quantify kinematic and kinetic patterns in the same planes across the 300 ms time window. Five trial averages and inter-trial variability were calculated for all variables for each subject. Independent t-tests were used to compare variables between groups. Findings: The CAI group displayed greater inter-trial variability for principal component scores in the sagittal and frontal planes. The sagittal plane principal component captured a phase shift in plantar-flexion motion before touchdown, while the frontal plane principal component captured the general magnitude of motion during the entire movement. The CAI group therefore exhibited greater inter-trial variability in the sagittal plane before touchdown and in the frontal plane during the entire movement. Interpretation: While average motions did not differ between groups, the CAI group displayed greater kinematic inter-trial variability when analyzed with the principal component analysis. More variable joint motions may indicate less dynamic stability in the CAI group, which may originate from greater ligamentous laxity or diminished neuromotor control.
Intermediate-representation recovery from low-level code

The goal of our work is to create tools that an analyst can use to understand the workings of COTS components, plugins, mobile code, and DLLs, as well as memory snapshots of worms and virus-infected code. This paper describes how static analysis provides techniques that can be used to recover intermediate representations that are similar to those that can be created for a program written in a high-level language.
Laboratory experiments and computer simulations of the interaction of plasmas with rapidly charged objects

The temporal nature of the particle fluxes to conducting objects that are placed in low-density plasmas and then subjected to fast voltage pulses have been studied. Experimental measurements of the plasma return currents have been compared with theoretical predictions and with estimates of the currents obtained from particle-in-cell computer simulations. By means of the computer simulations, the temporal nature of the kinetic-energy distribution of plasma electrons and ions striking the rapidly biased objects has been examined. By means of computer simulations and laboratory experiments, the perturbations to the plasma by the rapidly charged objects have been studied. These perturbations include density cavity formation very near the objects, caused by particle absorption and particle acceleration, and cavitation away from the objects, driven by the oscillating two-stream instability. >
The anti-tumor effect of Apo2L/TRAIL on patient pancreatic adenocarcinomas grown as xenografts in SCID mice

Apo2L/TRAIL has considerable promise for cancer therapy based on the fact that this member of the tumor necrosis factor family induces apoptosis in the majority of malignant cells, while normal cells are more resistant. Furthermore, in many cells, when Apo2L/TRAIL is combined with chemotherapy, the effect is synergistic. The majority of this work has been carried out using cell lines. Therefore, investigation of how patient tumors respond to Apo2L/TRAIL can validate and/or complement information obtained from cell lines and prove valuable in the design of future clinical trials. We have investigated the Apo2L/TRAIL sensitivity of patient derived pancreatic tumors using a patient tumor xenograft/ SCID mouse model. Mice bearing engrafted tumors were treated with Apo2L/TRAIL, gemcitabine or a combination of both therapies. Patient tumors grown as xenografts exhibited a spectrum of sensitivity to Apo2L/TRAIL. Both Apo2L/TRAIL sensitive and resistant pancreatic tumors were found, as well as tumors that showed heterogeneity of response. Changes in apoptotic signaling molecules in a sensitive tumor were analyzed by Western blot following Apo2L/TRAIL treatment; loss of procaspase 8, Bid and procaspase 3 was observed and correlated with inhibition of tumor growth. However, in a tumor that was highly resistant to killing by Apo2L/TRAIL, although there was a partial loss of procaspase 8 and Bid in response to Apo2L/TRAIL treatment, loss of procaspase 3 was negligible. This resistant tumor also expressed a high level of the anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-XL that, in comparison, was not detected in a sensitive tumor. Importantly, in the majority of these tumors, addition of gemcitabine to Apo2L/TRAIL resulted in a greater anti-tumor effect than either therapy used alone. These data suggest that in a clinical setting we will see heterogeneity in the response of patients' tumors to Apo2L/TRAIL, including tumors that are highly sensitive as well as those that are resistant. While much more work is needed to understand the molecular basis for this heterogeneity, it is very encouraging, that Apo2L/TRAIL in combination with gemcitabine increased therapeutic efficacy in almost every case and therefore may be a highly effective strategy for controlling human pancreatic cancer validating and expanding upon what has been reported for cell lines.
Taxing Executive Processes Does Not Necessarily Increase Impulsive Decision Making

A link has been established between impulsivity in real-world situations and impulsive decision making in laboratory tasks in brain-damaged patients and individuals with substance abuse. Whether or not this link exists for all individuals is less clear. We conducted an experiment to determine whether taxing central executive processes with a demanding cognitive load task results in impulsive decision making in a normal sample. Participants (n = 53) completed a delay discounting task under the presence (load condition) and absence (control condition) of a demanding generation task. Results indicated that taxing working memory is neither necessary nor sufficient to produce impulsive decision making; instead, the demanding generation task resulted in an increase in the number of inconsistent choices.
Design considerations for network processor operating systems

Network processors (NPs) promise a flexible, programmable packet processing infrastructure for network systems. To make full use of the capabilities of network processors, it is imperative to provide the ability to dynamically adapt to changing traffic patterns and to provide run-time support in the form of a network processor operating system. The differences to existing operating systems and the main challenges lie in the multiprocessor nature of NPs, their on-chip resources constraints, and the real-time processing requirements. In this paper, we explore the key design tradeoffs that need to be considered when designing a network processor operating system. In particular, we explore the performance impact of (1) application analysis for partitioning, (2) network traffic characterization, (3) workload mapping, and (4) run-time adaptation. We present and discuss qualitative and quantitative results in the context of a particular application analysis and mapping framework, but the observations and conclusions are generally applicable to any run-time environment for network processors.
Negotiated Order and the Clinical Pharmacist: The Ongoing Process of Structure

Negotiated order theory was initiated about twenty-five years ago within the interactionist perspective as an alternative to the dominant perspective of organizational behavior as structurally determined. Since that time, the theoretical framework has proven itself to be a viable means of understanding individual relationships within their larger contexts, for understanding the relationship between process and structure. This theoretical perspective is particularly appropriate for analyzing the attempts of hospital pharmacists to negotiate an expanded, more “clinical” role for themselves on the medical team. This article presents data gathered through extensive participant observation of pharmacists in two hospital settings as it applies to negotiated order theory.
Heterochromatin Position Effects on Circularized Sex Chromosomes Cause Filicidal Embryonic Lethality in Drosophila melanogaster

Some circularized X-Y chromosomes in Drosophila melanogaster are mitotically unstable and induce early embryonic lethality, but the genetic basis is unknown. Our experiments suggest that a large region of X-linked satellite DNA causes anaphase bridges and lethality when placed into a new heterochromatic environment within certain circularized X-Y chromosomes. These results reveal that repetitive sequences can be incompatible with one another in cis. The lethal phenotype also bears a remarkable resemblance to a case of interspecific hybrid lethality.
Adsorption of Dissolved Organic Compounds by Black Carbon

Black carbon is the carbonaceous product of pyrolysis or incomplete combustion of biomass or fossil fuels. Due to its widespread occurrence in atmospheric aerosols, soils and sediments, and its intrinsic strength as an adsorbent, black carbon potentially plays an important role in the partitioning of organic pollutants from water and air to natural solids, especially at low pollutant concentration. The adsorptive strength of black carbon depends greatly on pyrolysis time, temperature and other formation conditions, as well as subsequent weathering in the environment. The predominant property of black carbon governing its adsorptive strength is its small-pore porosity. The filling of micropores and mesopores of molecular dimensions eliminates the need for the cavity penalty that otherwise accompanies partitioning of molecules into bulk nonporous phases such as organic liquids, polymers and natural organic matter to accommodate incoming molecules. However, the filling of these small pores exhibits a steric effect due to size exclusion at pore throats. The polyaromatic (graphite-like) surface of black carbon serves as a strong π-electron donor in the formation of π-π electron donor-acceptor complexes with strong π-deficient aromatic systems, for example, polynitroaromatics and charged aromatic amines. Polar functional groups on the rims of polyaromatic sheets attract water clusters that crowd out adsorbates, regardless of polarity. Nevertheless, compounds such as phenols, carboxylic acids and others that are capable of forming especially strong hydrogen bonds with carboxyl or phenoxyl groups on the surface may interact strongly. In the environment, the adsorptive strength of black carbon becomes quickly attenuated by fouling with humic substances, which block pores and compete for adsorption sites. Quantifying the contribution of native black carbon to retention of a contaminant in a given natural sample is a challenge due to the lack of reliable methods for determining black carbon content in geosolids, the difficulty of separating black carbon particles from the sample, the absence in most cases of a basis for choosing an appropriate reference standard, and a poor quantitative understanding of the weathering process. Adding to the challenge is the strong hysteresis that is often seen to accompany adsorption to black carbon materials, but that is unpredictable and poorly understood mechanistically.
Depolarized guided acoustic wave Brillouin scattering in photonic crystal fibers

Guided acoustic wave Brillouin scattering (GAWBS) in PCFs is altered by the air-silica structure of the inner cladding and does not depend on the cladding diameter as with standard fibers. This dependence is investigated.
Effect of maternal PCOS and PCOS-like phenotype on the offspring's health

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder with both reproductive and metabolic abnormalities affecting women of reproductive age. While the exact origin of PCOS is unknown, observations from clinical and animal studies suggest that maternal hyperandrogenism may be a contributing factor. Because women with PCOS manifest hyperandrogenism during pregnancy, changes in the gestational endocrine milieu may play a role in the vertical transmission of this syndrome. This review discusses the potential developmental origins of PCOS, the impact of maternal PCOS on the offspring's health and contributions of the postnatal environment, capitalizing on findings from animal models that exhibit a PCOS-like phenotype. In addition, this review highlights the scarcity of data at early gestational stages in humans and the importance of animal experimentation to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the programming of adult diseases, therefore, helping identify therapeutic targets for preventive and treatment strategies.
Endovascular Thrombectomy for Anterior Circulation Stroke Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose— Stroke affects ≈700 000 patients annually. Recent randomized controlled trials comparing endovascular thrombectomy (ET) with medical therapy, including intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with tissue-type plasminogen activator, have shown effectiveness of ET for some stroke patients. The study objective is to evaluate the effect of ET on good outcome in stroke patients. Methods— We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane databases to identify original research publications between 1996 and 2015 that (1) reported clinical outcomes in patients for stroke at 90 days with the modified Rankin Scale; (2) included at least 10 patients per group; (3) compared outcome with a control arm, and (4) included anterior circulation strokes in each arm. Two authors reviewed articles for inclusion independently. Results— Nine of 23 809 studies met inclusion criteria. In primary analysis, ET was associated with increased odds for good outcome (odds ratio [OR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–2.54). In secondary analysis, younger patients (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.50–2.28), older patients (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.10–3.37), patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.46–2.31), patients with worse strokes (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.56–3.18), and patients with more moderate strokes (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.36–2.18) had increased odds for good outcome. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and mortality were similar between ET and control patients. No evidence of publication bias was seen. Conclusions— ET improves good outcomes after anterior circulation stroke. ET should be strongly considered for all patients presenting within 6 hours of onset with a stroke affecting a proximal, anterior circulation vessel without a contraindication to ET.
REDUCING INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE IN A LEVEL III NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Background Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a common complication of prematurity and has been associated with adverse short and long term outcomes. Despite the identification of risk factors for IVH, the overall rate has remained stable during the last decade. Objectives Our aim was to reduce the incidence of severe IVH in preterm infants ( Methods A multidisciplinary team drafted a charter using the Model for Improvement (fig 1). Implementation began in October 2014. Ongoing interventions include: midline head positioning (MHP) during the first week of life, a minimal handling bundle inclusive of a multidisciplinary admission huddle (fig 2), increasing IVH awareness using a web-based risk calculator (www.neoqic.org/sivh-calculator), and standardizing infusion rates for boluses/blood products. Outcome measures include number of severe and overall IVH by birth month and fiscal year rate (%). Process measures include compliance with MHP and admission huddle (%), and discussion of IVH risk (%). Balancing measure is the rate of unplanned extubation. Results The average monthly rate of severe IVH has decreased from 8.3% in FY14 to 5.1% in FY15 (fig 3). We report 227 days and 37 infants Conclusions By implementing potentially better practices, we have measurably reduced severe IVH. Future directions include delayed cord clamping, prophylactic indomethacin for IVH prevention, and reviewing IVH cases with providers.
Mapping the Terrain of Competing Risk Following Primary Prevention Defibrillator Implantation

Landmark clinical trials have firmly established implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy as the cornerstone of sudden death prevention in patients with systolic heart failure stemming from both ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies.1,2 Despite the widespread use of ICDs, a recent analysis of the Get With The Guidelines Heart Failure Registry suggested that an ICD may be indicated to prolong survival for an additional 800 000 patients with heart failure in the United States.3 Guideline recommendations for primary prevention ICD therapy are based on efficacy demonstrated among highly selected outpatient trial participants with stable, mild-to-moderate heart failure symptoms. These efficacy data have in turn been used to generate estimates of cost-effectiveness.4 In contrast to those patients enrolled in the pivotal trials, a substantial proportion of real-world ICD recipients are older, hospitalized at implant, or have a greater burden of comorbid medical conditions.5,6 Each of these factors may increase the risk of nonarrhythmic death and attenuate the incremental survival benefit conferred by primary prevention ICDs in otherwise eligible patients.7 Clearer identification of those patients whose dominant risk is from decompensated heart failure or noncardiac comorbidities will allow more focused ICD therapy in those for whom the device promises to provide meaningful prolonging of life. Article see p 927 Most primary prevention ICD recipients never experience an appropriate defibrillator shock. Multiple strategies have been studied to better target ICD therapy to those at highest risk. Sophisticated tools, such as magnetic resonance imaging, invasive electrophysiology study, and surface ECG analysis, have unfortunately proven to be neither a practical nor an efficient means of stratifying sudden death risk.8 Only a persistently reduced left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% has endured in the guidelines as the central risk marker to triage candidates with chronic heart failure to a …
An anatomical study of arcuate foramen and its clinical implications: a case report

The objective of this paper is to describe the relationship of the vertebral artery (VA) to the Atlas (C1) in the sub-occipital region in the presence of arcuate foramen; and discuss the clinical implications related to manual therapies and surgical implications related to screw placement. This study is an anatomical cadaveric case report of symmetrical bilateral lateral and dorsal arcuate foramina on the C1 dorsal arch. Out of 40 cadavers that were available for use in teaching anatomy in the university setting, three presented with anomalies of the C1 dorsal arch. The sub-occipital regions were skillfully prosected to preserve related structures, especially VAs, sub-occipital and greater occipital nerves. Visual observations, photographs, measurements, and radiographic examinations were performed between January 15, 2014 and August 25, 2014. One cadaver (Specimen A) presented with complete bilateral ossified arcuate foramina, and two presented with partial ossification of the atlanto-occipital membrane. Specimen A presented the bilateral anomaly which is almost symmetrical. The VAs were found passing through double foramina (lateral and dorsal) on each side. Arcuate foramina have been shown to be commonly found anomalies with highly variable shapes and sizes, even in the same individual with a bilateral condition. This study found a rare type of the anomaly associated with the C1 dorsal arch, which protected the VA against manual pressure. However, VA, in this case, would be more susceptible to dissection. The presence of the arcuate foramen would also complicate screw placement during surgery. Clinical pre-screening for signs of vertebrobasilar insufficiency is important for chiropractic and manual therapies.
Joint dictionary learning and recovery algorithms in a jointly sparse framework

We address the general multiple measurement vectors (MMV) problem when signals are jointly sparse, i.e. sharing the same locations of non-zero elements, but are measured by different sensing matrix. We propose practical algorithms to implement joint sparse signal recovery and present its superiority over independent signal recovery. When signals are not sparse themselves, but can be jointly sparsely represented in some basis, we propose a joint dictionary learning algorithm that learns dictionaries in which the joint sparsity is enforced. Simulation study shows that when performing dictionary learning jointly, each of the learned dictionaries achieves improved percentage of successful recovery.
Evaluation of a preplant method for detecting damage to germinating corn seeds by multiple species of insects

Field studies were conducted in Virginia cornfields from 1989 to 1991 to evaluate a preplant method for detecting damage to germinating corn seeds by multiple species of insect pests, including seedcorn maggots, Delia platura (Meigen); several species of wireworms in the genera Melanotus, Conoderus , and Aeolus ; and several species of white grubs in the genera Popillia, Cyclocephala, Cotinis , and Maladera . The method used consisted of evaluating feeding damage to com seeds in wire-mesh traps (i.e., baited wire traps) that were buried in cornfields for ≍2 wk before planting. In the 1989 study conducted in a cornfield with a large infestation of wireworms, a significantly greater proportion of com seeds exhibited feeding damage in the baited wire traps (38.3%) compared with corn seeds planted by hand at conventional plant spacings (i.e., simulated commercial plantings) (31.5%). Further evaluation in 47 cornfields in 1990 and 1991 revealed no significant difference between the proportion of damaged corn seeds in the baited wire traps (2.7%) and simulated commercial plantings (2.0%). A Significantly greater proportion of com seeds exhibited feeding damage in the commercial plantings (5.4%) compared with the baited wire traps; however, mean stand loss associated with insect feeding in the commercial plantings was only 0.4%, which was substantially less than the proportion of damaged com seeds in the haited wire traps. Significant linear regressions were obtained between the proportion of damaged seeds in the baited wire traps and the proportion of damaged seeds in the simulated commercial plantings, commercial plantings, and proportion of stand loss in the commercial plantings. However, the lack of economic stand loss in the commercial plantings and low regression coefficient of determination precluded the development of a baited wire trap damage threshold to predict stand loss in fields subsequently planted with corn.
Absolute cross section for the formation of N2+ (X 2Sigmag+) ions produced by electron impact on N2

A combination of electron scattering and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques has been employed in an absolute experimental determination of the N2+ (X 2g+) ionization cross section as a function of electron energy from threshold to 200 eV. N2+ ground-state ions, resulting from electron impact on N2, are detected by laser-induced fluorescence of the N2+ X 2g+B 2u+ transition at 391 nm. The relative ionization cross section obtained from LIF spectra taken at different electron energies is put on an absolute scale by calibration relative to the well known electron-impact cross section for the formation of helium atoms in the 2 3S state from the 1 1S ground state. The He 2 3S atoms are probed via LIF of the 2 3S3 3P transition at 389 nm in the same apparatus using the same detection equipment and laser-induced fluorescence technique at essentially the same wavelength that is used in the measurement of the N2+(X) cross section. The cross section peaks at 60 eV with a maximum value of 80 × 10-18 cm2. At 100 eV, our cross section value is (74.9±7.5) × 10-18 cm2, which is in good agreement with the value of (86.9±7.0) × 10-18 cm2 reported by Doering and Yang (1996 J. Geophys. Res. 102 9683) who used a different experimental technique.
Photochemical Charge Separation in Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) Films Observed with Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy

Surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) was used to probe photon induced charge separation in thin films of regioregular and regiorandom poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a function of excitation energy. Both positive and negative photovoltage signals were observed under sub-band-gap ( 2.0 eV) excitation of the polymer. The dependence of the spectra on substrate work function, thermal annealing, film thickness, and illumination intensity was investigated, allowing the identification of interface, charge transfer (CT), and band-gap states in the amorphous and crystalline regions of the polymer films. The ability to probe these states in polymer films will aid the development and optimization of organic electronic devices such as photovoltaics (OPVs), light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and field effect transistors (OFETs). The direction and size of the observed photovoltage features can be explained using the depleted semiconductor model.
Persistence and Degradation of Carbofuran in Soil

The persistence and degradation of 14C-carbofuran and 14C-2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-hydroxy benzofuran were examined in several soils under laboratory conditions. The time required for 50% breakdown of the insecticide varied from 3 weeks to more than 50 weeks. Persistence was influenced by soil sterilization and soil p H. Carbofuran degraded 7–10 times faster in alkaline soil ( p H 7.9) than in acid and neutral soils ( p H 4.3–6.8). 14CO2 was rapidly expired from degraded carbonyl-labeled insecticide in both radiation-sterilized and nonirradiated soils. Degradation of ring-labeled carbofuran was associated with an accumulation of nonextractable radioactivity in the soil residue followed by a gradual evolution of 14CO2. Only minute quantities of carbofuran phenol, the expected hydrolysis product of the insecticide, were recovered from treated soils. Addition of 14C-carbofuran phenol to soil resulted in an accumulation of tightly adsorbed nonextractable radioactivity followed by slow expiration of 14CO2. Indirect evidence suggests carbofuran is hydrolyzed to its phenol which is immediately bound to soil constituents and slowly metabolized by microorganisms.
Hypoxic effect of exogenous insulin on normal and diabetic peripheral nerve.

Insulin administration can cause or worsen experimental and human diabetic neuropathy ("insulin neuritis"). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that insulin administration impairs tissue oxygen...
Optimum heat of absorption for CO2 capture using the advanced flash stripper

Abstract Solvent selection is one of the promising ways to reduce energy use of amine scrubbing for CO 2 capture. The heat of CO 2 absorption is an important property of the solvent. Its effect on total energy use is not obvious: it directly increases the heat duty of regeneration, but indirectly reduces stripping steam and compression work. The optimum heat of absorption was quantified using the approximate stripper models developed in this work, including one of the most promising alternatives, the advanced flash stripper. Total equivalent work was used to indicate the overall energy performance. A wide range of lean loading, reboiler temperature, and compression efficiency was investigated. The optimum heat of absorption is 70–125 kJ/mol CO 2 at various conditions, which is generally higher than existing solvents with 60–80 kJ/mol. Operation at low lean loading and low reboiler temperature requires higher heat of absorption to boost the partial pressure of CO 2 . The advanced flash stripper requires lower heat of absorption than the simple stripper to achieve minimum total equivalent work and was demonstrated as a flexible system that can be applied to a wide range of heat of absorption while still maintaining remarkable energy performance.