cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Artificial urinary sphincter: the workhorse for treatment of male stress urinary incontinence.

The artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) has been the gold standard treatment for male stress urinary incontinence over the last quarter century and continues to be the workhorse procedure for male incontinence. In this issue of European Urology, Van der Aa et al. provide a systematic review of its use in male nonneurogenic incontinence [1], concluding that data regarding continence, complications, and patient satisfaction are scarce in the literature and suggesting that large-scale prospective studies with standardized methodology and instruments are needed. Unfortunately, there are very few surgeons performing the AUS in meaningful numbers [2], and as such, performing prospective trials will be limited to a very small number of high-volume centers or will have to include multiple centers. With multiple centers, surgical quality becomes an issue. Standardized surgical technique, proper patient selection, and proper surgeon training would be minimal criteria for selection of centers for multicenter trials. As we have shown, surgeon volume plays an enormous role in AUS efficacy as measured by a strict outcome: 5-yr reoperative rates [3]. In our report, reoperative rates decreased by roughly 50% as surgeons reached their 200th case. Increasing surgeon experience likely results not only in improved surgical technique, but also better patient selection and therefore improved surgical outcome. There are very few manuscripts in the literature that report on series with >200 cases [4–6], and only one of these was included in the review by Van der Aa et al. [1]. Patient education after AUS is another very important factor that may also play a role in outcomes. At our
Pericyte NF-κB activation enhances endothelial cell proliferation and proangiogenic cytokine secretion in vitro.

Pericytes are skeletal muscle resident, multipotent stem cells that are localized to the microvasculature. In vivo, studies have shown that they respond to damage through activation of nuclear-factor kappa-B (NF-κB), but the downstream effects of NF-κB activation on endothelial cell proliferation and cell–cell signaling during repair remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine pericyte NF-κB activation in a model of skeletal muscle damage; and use genetic manipulation to study the effects of changes in pericyte NF-κB activation on endothelial cell proliferation and cytokine secretion. We utilized scratch injury to C2C12 cells in coculture with human primary pericytes to assess NF-κB activation and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) secretion from pericytes and C2C12 cells. We also cocultured endothelial cells with pericytes that expressed genetically altered NF-κB activation levels, and then quantified endothelial cell proliferation and screened the conditioned media for secreted cytokines. Pericytes trended toward greater NF-κB activation in injured compared to control cocultures (P = 0.085) and in comparison to C2C12 cells (P = 0.079). Second, increased NF-κB activation in pericytes enhanced the proliferation of cocultured endothelial cells (1.3-fold, P = 0.002). Finally, we identified inflammatory signaling molecules, including MCP-1 and interleukin 8 (IL-8) that may mediate the crosstalk between pericytes and endothelial cells. The results of this study show that pericyte NF-κB activation may be an important mechanism in skeletal muscle repair with implications for the development of therapies for musculoskeletal and vascular diseases, including peripheral artery disease.
Information Flow and Application to Epileptogenic Focus Localization From Intracranial EEG

Transfer entropy (TE) is a recently proposed measure of the information flow between coupled linear or nonlinear systems. In this study, we suggest improvements in the selection of parameters for the estimation of TE that significantly enhance its accuracy and robustness in identifying the direction and the level of information flow between observed data series generated by coupled complex systems. We show the application of the improved TE method to long (in the order of days; approximately a total of 600 h across all patients), continuous, intracranial electroencephalograms (EEG) recorded in two different medical centers from four patients with focal temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) for localization of their foci. All patients underwent ablative surgery of their clinically assessed foci. Based on a surrogate statistical analysis of the TE results, it is shown that the identified potential focal sites through the suggested analysis were in agreement with the clinically assessed sites of the epileptogenic focus in all patients analyzed. It is noteworthy that the analysis was conducted on the available whole-duration multielectrode EEG, that is, without any subjective prior selection of EEG segments or electrodes for analysis. The above, in conjunction with the use of surrogate data, make the results of this analysis robust. These findings suggest a critical role TE may play in epilepsy research in general, and as a tool for robust localization of the epileptogenic focus/foci in patients with focal epilepsy in particular.
PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDATIONS—IV. THE PHOTOOXIDATION OF CYCLOHEXANE WITH OXYGEN

— –For the photooxidation of cyclohexane, data on the rates of formation of cyclohexanol (I), cyclohexanone (II), and cyclohexylhydroperoxide (III) are presented. There are induction periods for the formation of I and II but not for III. The alcohol (I) is not the precursor of II in this reaction. The photooxidation does not occur when optical filters eliminate wavelengths of 260 nm or less from the incident light, and therefore the contact charge transfer absorption is responsible for the initiation of the reaction. Ozone is not involved to any significant extent in this reaction. The photodecomposition of III produces I and II, and this decomposition is first order during the initial stages. An overall 11 step mechanism is suggested for the photooxidation.
A Dynamic 3D Geometry Compression Scheme Based on the Lifted Wavelet Transform

In distributed environments, efficient visual information sharing is critical for effective communication in real-time engineering collaboration. Methods of geometry compression are needed for high-volume geometry data distribution over networks with limited bandwidths and heterogeneous storage capacities. In this paper, a new compression scheme for time-varying 3D geometry is introduced to support engineering and scientific visualization while showing potential for the audiovisual presentation and entertainment fields. This hybrid approach allows geometric and topological information to be uniformly encoded as volume grid values then compressed based on the lifted wavelet transform. The compression ratio is significantly increased without compromising surface quality due to rescaling and integer-to-integer lifting. This approach also allows for scalability in terms of additional data streams such as color, audio, and other types of concurrent data necessary for the desired customization of this method.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Associated Mortality in Hospitalized Infants and Young Children

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of pediatric hospitalization, but the mortality rate and estimated annual deaths are based on decades-old data. Our objective was to describe contemporary RSV-associated mortality in hospitalized infants and children aged METHODS: We queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) for 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009 and the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) administrative data from 2000 to 2011 for hospitalizations with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes for RSV infection and mortality. RESULTS: The KID data sets identified 607 937 RSV-associated admissions and 550 deaths (9.0 deaths/10 000 admissions). The PHIS data set identified 264 721 RSV-associated admissions and 671 deaths (25.4 deaths/10 000 admissions) (P CONCLUSIONS: Deaths associated with RSV are uncommon in the 21st century. Children with complex chronic conditions account for the majority of deaths, and the relative contribution of RSV infection to their deaths is unclear.
Spin Spray‐Deposited Nickel Manganite Thermistor Films For Microbolometer Applications

Nickel manganite thin films are good candidates for thermal imaging applications because of their large temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), (>−3%/K) and good environmental stability. To enable low-temperature deposition (90°C) on preexisting circuitry, a spin spray technique was developed for these materials. As-deposited manganese oxide films show well-developed X-ray diffraction patterns, while as-deposited nickel manganite films exhibit a nanocrystalline spinel structure. Low-temperature (400°C) postdeposition annealing leads to densification of the nanocrystalline nickel manganite spinel films. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements on annealed films provide complex dielectric function spectra over a range from 0.75 to 5.15 eV with comparable features with those found in films prepared by a chemical solution method. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicates that the final composition of the films is Ni deficient relative to the starting solution composition. The TCR of the nickel manganite films annealed at 400°C in an argon atmosphere is −3.6%/K. Doping the nickel manganite films with zinc results in an improvement of crystallinity, but leads to substantial increases in the electrical resistivity. Copper doping reduces the resistivity of the films to <1.0 kΩ·cm without degrading the crystalline quality, thus resulting in films suitable for microbolometer applications.
Vapor phase metal-assisted chemical etching of silicon

This work introduces and explores vapor phase metal-assisted chemical etching (VP-MaCE) of silicon as a method to bypass some of the challenges found in traditional liquid phase metal-assisted chemical etching (LP-MaCE). Average etch rates for Ag, Au, and Pd/Au catalysts are established at 31, 70, and 96 nm/min respectively, and the relationship between etch rate and substrate temperature is examined experimentally. Just as with LP-MaCE, 3D catalyst motion is maintained and three-dimensional structures are fabricated with nanoparticle- and lithography-patterned catalysts. VP-MaCE produces less microporous silicon compared with LP-MaCE and the diffusion/reduction distance of Ag+ ions is significantly reduced. This process sacrifices etch rate for increased etch uniformity and lower stiction for applications in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) processing.
Happiness, religion and economic transition

In an important paper, Lelkes (2006) examines the impact of transition on happiness in Hungary using two Hungarian household survey datasets for the years 1992 and 1998. In particular, Lelkes examines the impact of religious behaviour on self-reported well-being. Using ordered logit models, Lelkes estimates and presents the marginal effect associated with membership in the highest ‘fully satisfied’ category, and finds that religious people have a consistently higher probability of being ‘fully satisfied’ than others. This effect is stable in the 1992 and 1998 samples. The goal of this article is to expand and extend Lelkes' earlier work in several ways. First, we use a different dataset. Second, we examine the effect of religious behaviour on well-being after transition not only for Hungary, but also for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Third, unlike Lelkes, we have access to information indicating whether respondents report being financially better off after transition. With a different dataset, additional country samples, and a measure of financial well-being, we are able to confirm and extend Lelkes' finding that religious behaviour is associated with improved well-being after transition in all countries we examine.
Dual Path Internal Frequency Compensator in DC/DC Converter

A technique of dual path internal frequency compensator in the current mode DC/DC converter is described in this paper. An internal compensator circuit is composed of the sum of an integral component and a proportional component. The integral component is composed of a conventional voltage mode with miller capacitor and the proportional component is composed of a trans-conductance amplifier with a resistor load. These two components are easily combined. Therefore just lOpF capacitor and 1M? resistors with voltage amplifier and trans-conductor are required for realization of the internal compensator which has 7 kHz GBW (gain bandwidth product) of closed loop and otherwise in the conventional methods several nF is required for the same GBW. The enhanced dual path internal compensator technique developed in this paper will help enable internally compensated DC/DC converter for mobile system or power package which has small pin number.
Facial Concavity and Anterior Divergence: The Class III Deformity

Regardless of the skeletal etiology for a Class III malocclusion, the common morphologic denominator among these patients is the visual impression of a flat to concave profile. Whatever its severity may be, facial flatness and/or concavity is aesthetically displeasing and it must be corrected. On the other hand, excessive degrees of anterior facial divergence may be an attractive quality provided it is found in association with overall facial convexity. Accordingly, the common surgical denominator in the overwhelming majority of Class III patients should be maxillary advancement surgery, while the treatment planning variable is the necessity for simultaneous mandibular surgery and possibly chin surgery as well. This statement is applicable whether the Class III malocclusion is caused by maxillary deficiency or mandibular prognathism, or a combination of both.
Spin Waves in Doped Manganites

In our study1 3 of the DE model in one dimension, we found that while the SWD differs drastically from Heisenberg shape (HS) for some carrier concentrations, x, there is a range where the shapes are very close. The example La1 xCax MnO3 defines x. Since this range included the value x = 0.3, we offered our result as an explanation for the surprising experimental finding2 that the SWD shape for La. 7 Pb. 3MnO3 at low temperature is HS throughout the Brillouin zone. (We define HS as that of the nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model.) But quite recently there appeared an experimental study6 of Pr. 6 3Sr. 3 7MnO3 that found SWD of drastically different shape from Heisenberg, in contrast to the situation for the La-Pb compound. And since our calculations within the DE model also showed essentially Heisenberg shape for x=.37, we are forced to ask what is the source of the observed shapes. The change in shape of the SWD accompanies changes in dopant and rare earth ions. There is evidence that magnetic properties are correlated with the size of these ions, resulting from a size-dependence of the bandwidth or hopping integral t.1 6 There are three presently pursued corrections to the usual DE model, all of which might possibly be involved in the effects of interest here. Namely, there is orbital degeneracy1 7 2 1 , there are We focus here on the spin waves in the low-temperature ferromagnetic-metal phase of doped manganites. While the experimental discovery of essential remarkable characteristics of these materials occurred as long ago as 19501 , experiments on the fundamental low-lying excitations called magnons or spin waves only appeared within the last 2 years.2 8 The first theoretical consideration of these excitations was in the work of Kubo and Ohata (1972)9 , who presented a semi-classical approximation within the double exchange (DE) model 11 1 0 . This approximation was emphasized recently by Furukawa (1996). The first exact calculations, Zang et al 2 and the present authors1 3, didn’t appear until 1997. An important result of these exact calculations is that the shape of the spin wave dispersion (SWD) curve, energy vs. wave vector, differs in general from that of the famous Heisenberg spin model (with nearest neighbor interactions). In fact such a difference was not at all unexpected in view of fundamental differences found earlier1 4 , 1 5 between the magnetic behavior of the two models. We note though that the semiclassical DE model happens to give precisely Heisenberg shape for the SWD. 9, 11
Application of Micro/Nanotechnology to Stem Cell Research and Technology

Emerging technology has the potential to provide solutions to the devastating complications of illnesses, for people of all ages and genders and all backgrounds. Nevertheless, there are difficulties. Perhaps the most challenging area is transplantation, and in particular using stem cells. Transplantation implies contact, hence surface interactions, between the stem cell and the host tissue. Attachment and spreading of a cell on a substratum are the first part of the process that leads to the ultimate assimilation of the new cell into the host tissue. Together with confocal microscopy, we have exploited a uniquely powerful non-invasive optical technique and a 3-D microfluidic system by integrating a hydrogel scaffold into a PDMS device for cell growth, with co-culture capability to quantity attachment and spreading, and determine how the cell environment (the substratum, which might be tissue or an artificial non-living implant (prosthesis); the complex liquid medium bathing the cell; and the possible presence of congeners) influence attachment and spreading. This novel microfluidic platform has proven to be a versatile and powerful tool to study cell migration for various biological applications. This chapter highlights an overview of the application of Micro/Nanotechnology to stem cell research and technology.
Reproductive processes in Proteus cultures.

SummaryThe complex reproductive processes formerly observed in certain Gram-negative bacteria have also been observed in Proteus cultures. In this species they presented several distinctive characteristics. The large bodies in every case previously studied were produced by gradual swelling of the bacteria. In Proteus they are produced by a process known as “plasmoptysis.” The large bodies so produced possess similar physical properties and show reproductive processes similar to those formed in other species by swelling of the bacteria.Another characteristic of Proteus is that the bacteria from which the large bodies develop differ considerably from the bacteria usually present in the culture. Large bodies develop only from spreading filaments actively motile on solid media. In almost every culture these filaments produce an occasional large body, and most of them are transformed into large bodies when the spreading halo of one strain meets the spreading halo of another appropriate strain. The large bodies...
Imaging Diagnosis of Annular Pancreas in Newborn

Objective To evaluate the imaging findings of the annular pancreas in newborn and the diagnostic value.Methods Clinical data,X-ray and CT features of annular pancreas in 7 cases of newborn were retrospectively analyzed,and 6 cases were confirmed by operations.Results Abdominal erect position plain films were performed in six patients and showed typical "double bubble sign" without distal gas in 5 cases,with a little gas in 1 case.Seven patients underwent upper gastrointestinal contrast studies and showed stenosis of the descending duodenum like "the thin striation",and contrast agent passed with difficulty.There were soft tissue shadows encircling the descending duodenum in 4 cases on CT plain scans,in which 3 cases showed stenosis of the descending duodenum like "the mouse tail",and the soft tissue shadows obviously enhanced the same as enhanced pancreas on contrast-enhanced CT scans.Conclusion The annular pancreas in newborn are of characteristics at imageology.
Quantitation of Corporeal Venous Outflow Resistance in Man by Corporeal Pressure Flow Evaluation

AbstractWe describe a technique that allows us to quantify intracorporeal penile venous resistance in papaverine-induced erections. By increasing intracorporeal pressure to greater than the mean arterial pressure by cavernous perfusion with Ringer’s lactate solution we can control and measure cavernous flow and pressure, and, therefore, calculate venous resistance. We evaluated 78 impotent men and 6 controls with this method. The most important measure of the integrity of the venous resistance mechanism and of the ability to obtain an adequate erection was a post-distension steady state pressure of 50mm. Hg or more and a venous outflow resistance of 20mm. Hg minute per cc or more. Our method aids in the clinical evaluation of the etiology of erectile impotence. (J. Urol., 138: 533–538, 1987)
A Novel Method for In Situ Estimation of Hg 1- x Cd x Te Etch Rate in Real Time

A novel and noninvasive method to determine the in situ etch rate (ER) of inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-etched Hg1−x Cd x Te in real time is described. Various relevant output parameters from the ICP tool were analyzed with the goal of finding correlations with the Hg1−x Cd x Te ER. Of the parameters analyzed, the most promising is the chuck direct-current (DC) bias voltage. Correlations between the chuck DC bias voltage and two different types of Hg1−x Cd x Te detector wafers are reported with a correlation coefficient of R > 0.94. Analyses of these results are presented. Estimates of the Hg1−x Cd x Te ER for all the samples based on the new method are presented and compared with the actual ER. The results show less than 3% differential between the actual and estimated ER.
Invented cities, invented languages: Esperanto and urban textuality, 1887–1914

L. L. Zamenhof saw the creation of his proposed international language, Esperanto, as a process of construction, rather like the building of a city. This new city of words would replace the walls of language difference that had previously separated the nations. His poems imagined a new “foundation” replacing the Tower of Babel and destroying the walls of Jericho. Unlike most other projectors of international languages, Zamenhof saw the creation of a community of Esperanto speakers, who could claim ownership of the language, as crucially important. The language began as text, but soon, as a result of its growing community of users, became a spoken language. The language owed its popularity to the emergence of an urban European middle class, eager to travel and learn about the world — at a time when the modern city was also emerging, its sense of identity defined above all by shared text and a common narrative. A common narrative and a shared text were also generated among the speakers of Esperanto, who were imbued with faith in technological progress and a corresponding belief in the achievement of common values. They developed common symbols and common modes of organization reflecting those that they found around them, notably the holding of annual international congresses in European cities, and other city-based activities. Zamenhof’s own beliefs were driven above all by his experience as a Central European Jew and by his exposure to early manifestations of the Zionist movement, which led him to dream of a kind of post-Zionist universalism embracing all creeds and races. Sadly, this was not to be: he could not put an end to anti-Semitism, nor bring about the kind of ecumenism of which he dreamed. That vision was lost in the rise of nationalism in World War I and beyond.
SU-F-T-487: On-Site Beam Matching of An Elekta Infinity with Agility MLC with An Elekta Versa HD

Purpose: Historically, beam matching of similar Linear Accelerators has been accomplished by sending beam data to the manufacturer to match at their factory. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate that fine beam matching can be carried out on-site as part of the acceptance test, with similar or better results. Methods: Initial scans of a 10 × 10 Percent depth dose (PDD) and a 40 × 40 beam profile at the depth of Dmax, for 6MV and 10 MV were taken to compare with the standard beam data from the Versa. The energy was then adjusted and the beam steered to achieve agreement between the depth dose and the horns of the beam profile. This process was repeated until the best agreement between PDD and profiles was achieved. Upon completion, all other clinical data were measured to verify match. This included PDD, beam profiles, output factors and Wedge factors. For electron beams PDD’s were matched and the beam profiles verified for the final beam energy. Confirmatory PDD and beam profiles for clinical field sizes, as well as Output Factors were measured. Results: The average difference in PDD’s for 6MV and 10MV were within 0.4% for both wedged and open fields. Beam profile comparisons over the central 80% of the field, at multiple depths, show agreement of 0.8% or less for both wedged and open fields. Average output factor agreement over all field sizes was 0.4% for 6MV and 0.2 % for 10MV. Wedge factors agreement was less than 0.6% for both photon energies over all field sizes. Electron PDD agreed to 0.5mm. Cone ratios agreed to 1% or less. Conclusion: This work indicates that beam matching can be carried out on-site simply and quickly. The results of this beam matching can achieve similar or better results than factory matching.
Lower Plasma Zinc Levels in Hyperglycemic People Living with HIV in the MASH cohort.

Background: Zinc deficiency is prevalent in HIV and hyperglycemic patients. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a treatment to control HIV progression; however it increases the risk for hyperglycemia. The objective of this study was to assess the plasma zinc levels in hyperglycemic people living with HIV (PLWH). Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted on the data from the Miami Adult Studies in HIV (MASH) cohort in Florida. Patients were categorized into hyperglycemic group (fasting blood glucose ≥100 mg/dL) and normal group (<100 mg/dL). Results: Plasma zinc status and CD4 levels were lower in the hyperglycemic group, however the difference was not significant. There was a greater percentage of plasma zinc deficiency in the hyperglycemic group (69%) compared to the normoglycemic group (64%). Discussion: Although not statistically significant, related biomarkers such as plasma zinc levels and CD4 levels were lower in the hyperglycemic group. This may be due to the role zincplays in the immune system. Due to the fact that there was a higher percentage of plasma zinc deficiency in the hyperglycemic group (69%) compared to the normoglycemic group (64%), it is important to monitor and manage blood glucose levels to minimize complications. Our findings along with previous findings suggest that zinc supplementation may benefit hyperglycemic PLWH.
Object-Oriented Programming via Fortran 90/95: Features of Programming Languages

The preceding chapter described the programming process as starting with a clearly specified task, expressing it mathematically as a set of algorithms, translating the algorithms into pseudocode, and finally, translating the pseudocode into a “real” programming language. The final stages of this prescription work because most (if not all) computational languages have remarkable similarities: they have statements, the sequencing of which is controlled by various loop and conditional constructs, and functions that foster program modularization. We indicated how similar M atlab , C++, and Fortran are at this level, but these languages differ the more they are detailed. It is the purpose of this chapter to describe those details and bring you from a superficial acquaintance with a computational language to fluency. Today, the practicing engineer needs more than one programming language or environment. Once achieving familiarity with one, you will find that learning other languages is easy. When selecting a programming tool for engineering calculations, one is often faced with two different levels of need. One level occurs when you need to solve a small problem quickly once, such as a homework assignment, and computational efficiency is not important. You may not care if your code takes 10 seconds or 100 seconds to execute; you want convenience. At that level it may make sense to use an engineering environment like M atlab or Mathematica.
Sea Turtles Return to China

Previous studies of Chinese students in the U.S. have identified three factors that have affected the post-Tiananmen period return migration: career potential, political reasons, and family ties. On a personal level, in the current study, many Chinese women doctoral students began to rethink and reexamine their identities as they approached graduation. That is when their relationships with parents and potential spouses began to change.
LLPA: Logic State Based Leakage Power Analysis

Numerous side-channel attacks on integrated circuitimplementations of cryptographic systems have been demonstrated in literature. Insecure implementations can reveal secret information through data dependencies in dynamic and leakage power profiles. Side-channel resistant logic styles are effective against dynamic power analysis attacks, but are suggested to exhibit weaknesses against the less common Leakage Power Analysis (LPA) attacks. We present a novel LPA attack that uses knowledge of a circuit's internal structure to mount a stronger attack via the leakage power side-channel, and show that even dual-rail side-channel resistant logic styles are susceptible to these LPA attacks. Our proposed LPA attack can successfullyextract secret key information from S-boxes even in the presenceof large amounts of random on-chip noise, and in scenarioswhere Hamming-weight based techniques are unsuitable. We alsoevaluate the impact of process variations on our scheme, andpropose strategies for mitigating this impact.
Detection of mucormycetes and other pathogenic fungi in formalin fixed paraffin embedded and fresh tissues using the extended region of 28S rDNA

Molecular methods of detection based on DNA-sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) or 5΄ end region of 28S (D1-D2 region) of ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) have been used extensively for molecular identification and detection of fungal infections. However, these regions are not always informative for identification of mucormycetes and other rare fungal pathogens as they often contain large introns, heterogenic regions, and/or cannot be PCR-amplified using broad range fungal PCR primers. In addition, because of the difficulties of recovering intact fungal DNA from human specimens, smaller regions of DNA are more useful for the direct detection of fungal DNA in tissues and fluids. In this study, we investigated the utility of 12F/13R PCR primers targeting a 200-230 bp region of the extended 28S region of rDNA for molecular identification of fungal DNA in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues and other clinical specimens. We demonstrated that this region can be successfully used for identification of all genera and some species of clinically relevant mucormycetes, as well as other medically important fungi, such as Aspergillus, Fusarium, Coccidioides, and Cryptococcus. We also demonstrated that PCR amplification and direct sequencing of the extended 28S region of rDNA was more sensitive compared to targeting the ITS2 region, as we were able to detect and identify mucormycetes and other fungal pathogens in tissues from patients with histopathological and/or culture evidence of fungal infections that were negative with PCR using ITS-specific primers.
Acute Effect of Cluster and Traditional Set Configurations on Myokines Associated with Hypertrophy

This study compared the acute cytokine response, and kinetic and kinematic profile following back squat exercise in resistance-trained men. In a randomized, cross-over design, 10 resistance-trained men (27±4 y, 1.80±0.07 m, 82.8±6.7 kg, 16.3±3.5% fat) performed the back squat exercise using traditional and cluster set configurations. Kinetic and kinematic data were sampled throughout each condition. Venous blood was sampled prior, immediately post, 30 min, 60 min, 24 h, and 48 h post-exercise for plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-15 (IL-15). Cluster sets allowed for greater mean power (mean difference, 110 W; 90% confidence interval, ±63 W; benefit odds, 41 447:1), driven by higher overall mean velocities (0.053 m∙s−1; 0.039 m∙s−1; 3 105:1) as evidenced by the lack of clear contrasts for mean force. IL-15 increased post-exercise in both conditions, but increased at 24 h (0.13 pg·mL−1; ±0.11 pg·mL−1; 486:1) and 48 h (0.12 pg·mL−1; ±0.10 pg·mL−1; 667:1) in traditional sets only. IL-6 increased similarly in both conditions, post-exercise through 60 min post. Cluster set configurations allow for greater mean power, attributed to higher velocities. Despite a similar response of IL-6, traditional set configuration may provide a greater stimulus for hypertrophy as evidenced by a secondary increase in IL-15.
Joining the Party Critical Education and the Question of Organization

In the proliferation of "critical" educational scholarship there is a glaring omission, and that is research on the Party-form. Indeed, even when theorists like Gramsci and Lukacs are discussed in critical education their work is always abstracted from its context: the Communist Party. This article contends that if critical education wants to orient toward the overthrow of capitalism then it has to take the Party seriously. I counter the misrepresentaitons and caricatures of the Party-form by carefully reading Lenin, Lukacs, and Dean. I show that the Party is a student of the mass struggle, that it is disciplined to the full subjectivity of the proletariat, and that it is ultimately a form of unknowing and the organization of a lack. I conclude by delineating four concrete steps that critical educators can take toward building the Party.
A Rare Case of Raoultella planticola Pneumonia: An Emerging Pathogen

Raoultella planticola (R. planticola), considered an environmental organism, is a gram negative, motile, bacillus with phenotypic similarities to the genus Klebsiella. The organism remains a rare cause of human infection with a few cases reported in the literature. However, since its description in 1981 there have been increasing rates of infections caused by R. planticola with reports of conjunctivitis, liver abscess, cholangitis, pancreatitis, and necrotizing fasciitis. More concerning are reports of carbapenemase-producing isolates which have led to the only 2 mortalities associated with R. planticola infections. To our knowledge, we report the third case of R. planticola pneumonia in an immunocompromised patient with no known direct exposure to the reported risk factors.
Ensuring Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Women

In this issue of the Journal, investigators from Denmark present a comprehensive review of the adverse pregnancy outcomes encountered in women who received quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine during pregnancy, as compared with those who did not.1 The investigators assembled data on all the pregnancies in Denmark that occurred within a 7-year period, and they used nationwide registries to identify the dates of pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and maternal characteristics, including receipt of HPV vaccine and dates of vaccine administration. Vaccinated women and unvaccinated women were propensity-score matched in a 1:4 ratio, and pregnancy outcomes were compared. Although a large number . . .
Critical Care Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 85% of all strokes. Although severe strokes constitute a minority of cases, they are associated with a majority of the subsequent disability and death. Reperfusion therapy with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and/or endovascular thrombectomy is a mainstay of acute stroke management. Intensive care management of stroke is focused on reducing complications of reperfusion, such as hemorrhagic transformation, and minimizing secondary brain injury, including brain edema and progressive stroke. Additionally, severe stroke patients frequently need ventilatory or hemodynamic support provided in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Here, we discuss the current medical and surgical ICU management aspects of acute ischemic stroke and identify areas where ongoing studies may reveal new treatments to improve neurological recovery.
The Dose-Dependent Efficacy of Cefepime in the Empiric Management of Febrile Neutropenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Despite reports questioning its efficacy, cefepime remains a first-line option in febrile neutropenia. We aimed to re-evaluate the role of cefepime in this setting. Methods We searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify randomized comparisons of (1) cefepime vs alternative monotherapy or (2) cefepime plus aminoglycoside vs alternative monotherapy plus aminoglycoside, published until November 28, 2016. Results Thirty-two trials, reporting on 5724 patients, were included. Clinical efficacy was similar between study arms (P = .698), but overall mortality was greater among cefepime-treated patients (risk ratio [RR] = 1.321; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.035-1.686; P = .025). Also of note, this effect seemed to stem from trials using low-dose (2 grams/12 hours, 100 mg/kg per day) cefepime monotherapy (RR = 1.682; 95% CI, 1.038-2.727; P = .035). Cefepime was also associated with increased mortality compared with carbapenems (RR = 1.668; 95% CI, 1.089-2.555; P = .019), a finding possibly influenced by cefepime dose, because carbapenems were compared with low-dose cefepime monotherapy in 5 of 9 trials. Treatment failure in clinically documented infections was also more frequent with cefepime (RR = 1.143; 95% CI, 1.004-1.300; P = .043). Toxicity-related treatment discontinuation was more common among patients that received high-dose cefepime (P = .026), whereas low-dose cefepime monotherapy resulted in fewer adverse events, compared with alternative monotherapy (P = .009). Conclusions Cefepime demonstrated increased mortality compared with carbapenems, reduced efficacy in clinically documented infections, and higher rates of toxicity-related treatment discontinuation. The impact of cefepime dosing on these outcomes is important, because low-dose regimens were associated with lower toxicity at the expense of higher mortality.
A New Real-Time Optimal Energy Management Strategy for Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Based on the equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS), a novel real-time energy management (EM) strategy for parallel hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is introduced. Given the full trajectory of the driver demanded power, the ECMS optimal equivalent factor $\lambda ^{*}$ can be determined. For causal EM strategies, the entire drivecycle is not known in advance. Thus, adaptive ECMS (A-ECMS) was introduced, which sets the time-varying equivalent factor $\lambda$ as an estimate of $\lambda ^{*}$ . The proposed EM strategy is an A-ECMS. This EM strategy is designed to catch energy-saving opportunities (CESOs) during the trip, and thus, it is named ECMS-CESO. Since ECMS-CESO eliminates the calculations used for predicting the vehicle velocity and performing horizon optimization, it is easy to implement and fast for real-time applications. Simulation results show that ECMS-CESO yields fuel economy (FE) close to the maximum FE. Compared with an A-ECMS, the proposed strategy improves FE by 7%.
Comparison of a pressure-sensing sheath and radial arterial line for intraoperative blood pressure monitoring in neurointerventional procedures

Purpose The efficiency of neuroendovascular procedures may partly depend on the time devoted to placement of a radial arterial line (RAL) for intraoperative blood pressure monitoring. An alternative approach is to use a pressure-sensing sheath (PSS) that serves to provide invasive blood pressure monitoring without requiring a separate procedure for placement. We compared the use of a RAL versus PSS and assessed procedure time, anesthetist and patient satisfaction, and cost. Methods We performed a single-center, prospective, blockwise, comparative trial of procedure start time using traditional RAL placement versus the EndoPhys PSS for invasive blood pressure monitoring. Endpoints included time from room arrival to groin puncture, patient and anesthetist satisfaction ratings, and costs associated with RAL placement. Results Twenty patients were enrolled in the PSS+RAL arm and 20 in the PSS-alone arm. Mean time from arrival in the room until groin puncture was 61.9±14.0 min in the RAL group and 51.2±10.8 min in the PSS-alone group (P=0.01; difference=10.7 min). Patients in the PSS-alone group reported less pain than those in the RAL group. Furthermore, anesthetists reported accurate blood pressure in the PSS group. The average cost estimate of RAL placement was US$774.70, with a range of US$743 to US$1171. Conclusions Placement of a RAL at the start of the neuroendovascular procedures resulted in increased delays to procedure start time and more patient-reported pain compared with the PSS, which may offer a more efficient means of blood pressure monitoring for neurointerventional procedures. Clinical trial registration NCT03239847.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Chronic Hepatitis C Treatment and Its Challenges: A Survey of Internal Medicine Residents in a Community Hospital.

Background Despite recent advances in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment, only a small proportion of patients are connected with care and receive treatment. Internal medicine (IM) residents spend nearly one-third of their training in primary care settings and play a crucial role in diagnosing and counseling patients as well as linking patients with care and following up. Methods IM residents in a community hospital completed an anonymous questionnaire regarding their knowledge, attitude, and practice associated with CHC treatment and its challenges. Results Descriptive analysis of the survey showed that there is a substantial gap in knowledge regarding the newer treatment of CHC between IM residents' perceptions of patient awareness and IM residents. Conclusion Updated education regarding CHC that is geared towards medical residents and focused on new modalities of treatment can narrow the gap and lead to considerable increases in the rates of diagnosis and treatment and decreases in morbidity and mortality.
A numerical simulation capability for electroelastic wave propagation in dielectric elastomer composites: Application to tunable soft phononic crystals

Abstract Phononic crystals are periodic, composite solids that exhibit phononic band gaps – frequency ranges in which elastic waves are prohibited. For phononic crystals made from soft elastomers, phononic band gaps may be reversibly manipulated through large elastic deformation of the periodic structure. By using dielectric elastomers, which undergo large, reversible deformations when subjected to an applied electric field, the frequency ranges of band gaps may be adjusted, or new band gaps may be created, through electrical stimuli. In this work, we present our finite-element-based numerical simulation capability for designing electrically-tunable, soft phononic crystals. Our finite-element tools address both nonlinear quasi-electrostatic processes and the linearized dynamics of electroelastic wave propagation through a pre-deformed state and may be applied to general composite unit-cell geometries subjected to arbitrary far-field electromechanical preloading. We apply our simulation capability to electrically-tunable, soft phononic crystals consisting of periodic lattices of aligned circular-cross-section fibers embedded in a matrix and demonstrate the shifting of band gaps with electrical preloading parallel to the fibers and the opening, closing, and shifting of band gaps with electrical preloading perpendicular to the fibers. The roles of large-stretch chain-locking behavior, material parameter contrasts, and fiber volume fraction are also investigated.
Effect of Piezoelectric Material in Mitigation of Aerodynamic Forces

In this study, piezoelectric materials were used to generate perturbations on the surface. This perturbation was used to combine upward wall motion and surface curvature. For this purpose, a Macro Fiber Composite (MFC) material was mounted on the surface of a cylindrical specimen for generating perturbation in the wind tunnel. Four different perturbation frequencies (1 Hz, 2 Hz, 3 Hz and 4 Hz) as well as the baseline specimen were tested in a low-speed wind tunnel (Re = 2.8 × 104). The MFC materials were mounted in a specimen to apply a combination of upward wall motion and surface curvature on the specimen in order to their effects on the leeward flow filed. The results showed that in the leeward flow field, for all actuation frequencies flow is bounded to a narrower width. In addition, Confinement of the flow in high actuation frequencies result in more turbulence in the leeward locations. In this case, the actuation frequencies resulted in up to 27% increase in turbulence intensity in the leeward.
Thoracic Nerve, Long

The long thoracic nerve (LTN) forms directly from the cervical spinal nerves root of C5, C6, and C7. It is a pure motor nerve that innervates only the serratus anterior muscle. The serratus anterior is a scapulothoracic muscle that is responsible for laterally rotating and elevating the scapula, and when weak due to LTN injury, it results in scapular winging. Conditions associated with long thoracic neuropathy include trauma, surgical injury, infection, and autoimmune causes. Conservative, nonsurgical treatment is used for LTN palsy, whereas acute transections are best managed with nerve grafting. Dynamic muscle transfers can provide stability in chronic cases.
A Novel Denitrification Regulator, Adr, Mediates Denitrification Under Aerobic Conditions in Sinorhizobium meliloti

Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil dwelling bacteria capable of forming a symbiotic relationship with several legume hosts. Once symbiosis is established, S. meliloti fixes atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogenated compounds, thus carrying out an important step in the nitrogen cycle. S. meliloti is also capable of the reverse process, denitrification, the reduction of nitrate and nitrite to nitrogen gas. In this study we have identified a novel regulator of denitrification in S. meliloti , Adr, which affects the expression of the denitrification genes in aerobically grown cultures. Analysis of the Adr sequence reveals a LuxR-like quorum sensing regulator, however, it does not respond to the known quorum sensing signals produced by S. meliloti . Additionally, we show that FixJ, the major regulator of denitrification and microaerobic respiration in S. meliloti , is active under our growth conditions. Comparison of the FixJ microarray to our Adr microarray shows a significant overlap between the two regulons. We also show that while Adr is not necessary for symbiotic nitrogen fixation, a functional copy of this regulator confers a competitive advantage to S. meliloti during host invasion. Our findings suggest that Adr is a new type of denitrification regulator and that it acts at the same regulatory level as FixJ.
Adjuvant Pharmaceutical Therapy for Perioperative Use in Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery has been demonstrated as a very safe and effective therapy for patients with obesity. Considerable understanding of obesity as a disease has also occurred, indicating a variable response to any form of intervention. Accompanying this understanding of obesity as a disease are multiple anti-obesity medications, which can serve as primary and adjuvant therapy for patients with obesity. This chapter describes indications and appropriateness in the use of anti-obesity medications in the bariatric surgery population.