cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Pt / TiO2 Nanotube Catalysts for Cathodic Oxygen Reduction

Robust titanium oxide nanotube (TONT) arrays were formed by electrochemical anodization on various sample shapes (rod, screw, and foil), which facilitates versatility for electrode applications. From scanning electron microscopy images, it is clearly noted that irrespective of the shape of the sample, the self-organized TONT structure stands perpendicular to the surface with approximately the same width, hole size, and length, leading to its high surface area. To evaluate various TONT samples as catalyst supports for oxygen reduction in acidic solutions, a platinum (Pt) layer was deposited by both dc sputtering and evaporation. From the microscopic comparison between the sputtered and evaporated features of Pt/TONT catalysts, we found that the sputtered Pt is more conformal to the TONT surface morphology than the evaporated one, and this preserves the surface area increased by TONT formation. The cyclic voltammogram obtained from the sputtered Pt/TONT showed a somewhat higher potential value for initiating oxygen reduction than for the evaporated Pt/TONT. This is attributed to better electrochemical catalytic activity enhanced by the high surface area of the Pt layer.
Chemical Potential of Aromatic Compounds in Pure n-Alkanes Using Expanded Ensemble Monte Carlo Simulations

For environmental pollutants, the chemical potential, which provides a measure of the solubility of a solute, is important in determining the fate and transport of pollutants in various media, such as air, particulates, and soil. The chemical potential of benzene and naphthalene in pure n-alkane fluids at infinite dilution ({micro}{sub ex}{sup {infinity}}) is calculated using expanded ensemble Monte Carlo simulations. Simulations are carried out in an isobaric-isothermal ensemble at 1 atm pressure. The effect of temperature and carbon number of the solvent on {micro}{sub ex}{sup {infinity}} is studied. The results indicate that, within the statistical uncertainty of the simulations, there is no strong dependence of the chemical potential of benzene and naphthalene on the carbon number of the solvent between C{sub 6} and C{sub 24}. However, the chemical potential changes substantially with the temperature and the size of the solute. Good qualitative agreement is found between the simulation results and experiments.
Thinking about interracial interactions

White people who have difficulty implicitly pairing black names with positive words also tend to be impaired on tasks requiring cognitive control after interacting with a black experimenter. A new functional imaging study finds that such subjects also show more activity in brain regions associated with cognitive control when looking at black faces that are irrelevant to their task.
Capture Zone Geometry in a Fractured Carbonate Aquifer

This study examined a fractured carbonate aquifer that has a transition from porous media type (continuum) flow near the bedrock surface to discrete fracture (non continuum) flow at depth. Three depth zones were delineated using a borehole flowmeter, borehole video logs, and pumping tests. The upper zone is fractured to the degree where it behaves hydraulically as a continuum, the middle zone is less fractured and behaves as a discretely fractured aquifer, and the lower zone is least fractured, has no measurable fracture interconnection, and behaves as an aquitard. These zones were not related to lithologic boundaries, showing that monitoring well design based solely on lithology may be inappropriate in some fractured systems. The geometries of capture zones in this aquifer were determined by combining the field observations with numerical modeling. The capture zone geometries are very complex, containing thin a really extensive features around fractures in the middle zone which extend over an area 17.5 times greater than the capture area in the upper continuum zone. A capture zone computed with lumped aquifer parameters leads to inaccurate conceptualization of capture zone geometry at this site. The presence of open core hole monitoring wells affected the flow regime under both ambient and pumping conditions. The wells act as short circuits between otherwise isolated fractures and fracture zones. By connecting the continuum to the non continuum flow regime with the wells, ambient flow in the non continuum regime was increased by a factor of 20. Under pumping conditions, the presence of the monitoring wells alters the capture zone of the pumping well. Discrete fractures provide a connection between the pumping and observation wells at depth that causes separate cones of depression to be formed around observation wells in the upper aquifer, and thus, the capture zone in the near-surface aquifer may include multiple, isolated areas around monitoring wells.
Equivalent characterizations of detectability and stabilizability for a class of linear time-varying systems

Abstract This paper addresses four characterizations of detectability and stabilizability for a broad class of linear continuous-time time-varying systems. It is shown that for the class of constant-rank systems all these notions of detectability and stabilizability are actually equivalent to each other.
Charm Hadronic Decay Branching Fractions from Cleo-C

The CLEO-c experiment at the CESR e+e- storage ring has collected data with Ecm = 3.77 GeV and Ecm ~ 4.17 GeV to study the decays of charmed mesons. This paper discusses results on the hadronic branching fractions of the D0, D+, and .
Adaptive classifiers for multisource OCR

When patterns occur in large groups generated by a single source (style consistent test data), the statistics of the test data differ from those of the training data, which consist of patterns from all sources. We present a Gaussian model for continuously distributed sources under which we develop adaptive classifiers that specialize in the statistics of style-consistent test data. On NIST handwritten digit data, the adaptive classifiers reduce the error rate by more than 50% operating on one writer ($\thickapprox 10$ samples/class) at a time.
Determinants of Heterogeneity, Excitation and Conduction in the Sinoatrial Node: A Model Study

The sinoatrial node (SAN) is a complex structure that exhibits anatomical and functional heterogeneity which may depend on: 1) The existence of distinct cell populations, 2) electrotonic influences of the surrounding atrium, 3) the presence of a high density of fibroblasts, and 4) atrial cells intermingled within the SAN. Our goal was to utilize a computer model to predict critical determinants and modulators of excitation and conduction in the SAN. We built a theoretical “non-uniform” model composed of distinct central and peripheral SAN cells and a “uniform” model containing only central cells connected to the atrium. We tested the effects of coupling strength between SAN cells in the models, as well as the effects of fibroblasts and interspersed atrial cells. Although we could simulate single cell experimental data supporting the “multiple cell type” hypothesis, 2D “non-uniform” models did not simulate expected tissue behavior, such as central pacemaking. When we considered the atrial effects alone in a simple homogeneous “uniform” model, central pacemaking initiation and impulse propagation in simulations were consistent with experiments. Introduction of fibroblasts in our simulated tissue resulted in various effects depending on the density, distribution, and fibroblast-myocyte coupling strength. Incorporation of atrial cells in our simulated SAN tissue had little effect on SAN electrophysiology. Our tissue model simulations suggest atrial electrotonic effects as plausible to account for SAN heterogeneity, sequence, and rate of propagation. Fibroblasts can act as obstacles, current sinks or shunts to conduction in the SAN depending on their orientation, density, and coupling.
Communication with hospitalized heart failure patients

Background Communication with heart failure (HF) patients about their condition and wishes for end-of-life care is recommended in all HF guidelines. Aims The aims of this study were to: 1) identify whether hospitalized HF patients want to communicate regarding disease management, prognosis and resuscitation wishes, and 2) to identify the relationship of communication with clinical variables and quality of life (QOL). Methods Hospitalized HF patients (n = 47) were asked: 1) Did they want more information about their HF? 2) Did they want to discuss their prognosis? 3) Did they discuss their resuscitation wishes since being hospitalized? Results Patients' mean age was 62.8 ± 17.0, mean QOL score was 29.4 (0-100) and approximately half (n = 22, 47%) were rehospitalized within 3 months. Twenty-eight (62%) wanted more information regarding disease self-management while 20 (44%) wanted more communication regarding their prognosis. Twenty-four (51%) did not recall a conversation about resuscitation during their hospitalization. Multivariate analysis showed patients who wanted more HF information were 4.4 times more likely to have better NYHA class (p = .02). Patients wanting more communication about their prognosis were more than 4 times more likely to experience future rehospitalizations (p = .03). Conclusion The majority of patients desired more information about HF. A minority had not discussed issues around prognosis, despite their desire to do so. Health care professionals are encouraged to communicate with HF patients about self-management when patients are less symptomatic. More research is needed to explain why patients who wanted more discussion about their prognosis were more likely to be rehospitalized.
Introduction to Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging

Noninvasive cardiac imaging refers to a combination of methods that can be used to obtain images related to the structure and function of the heart. As opposed to invasive techniques, which require catheters to be inserted into the heart, noninvasive tests are easier to perform, are safe, and can be used to detect various heart conditions, ranging from plaque in the arteries that supply the heart muscle (known as coronary artery disease) to abnormalities that impair the ability of the heart to pump blood. As a result of technological advances, the number of available noninvasive cardiac tests that physicians can order has increased substantially over the last decade (the Figure). Although these tests have improved physicians' abilities to diagnose and treat heart disease, it is important to understand that not all individuals benefit from noninvasive cardiac imaging. Therefore, these tests should be ordered only at the advice of a physician and should be considered only if the information provided would influence subsequent treatment with medications, procedures, or lifestyle interventions. Figure. Example of images/data typically provided by various noninvasive cardiac tests. CT indicates computed tomography; MRI, …
Anisotropic Excitation by Foils and Surfaces

Recent theories for the production of orientation and alignment in fast ion excited levels by collision with foils or surfaces have emphasized the development of the excited state from an initial state inside the material defined by a density matrix with particular symmetry properties. Due to the path length inside the material, and to the lesser degree of deflection of the fast ions, the initial states defined by a foil collision will not necessarily have the same character as those defined by a collision with a solid. Coherence measurements of orientation and alignment of excited O levels of He, B, and N atoms and ions produced by collisions with carbon foils and carbon-coated solids are contrasted to distinguish such differences in final states which may be correlated with the initial dis-tribution of charge and momentum
Seed oil fatty acids: Evolutionary significance in the Nyssaceae and Cornaceae

Abstract Four species of Nyssa , eleven species of Cornus , and one species each of Davidia, Camptotheca, Aucuba , and Mastixia were analyzed for seed oil fatty acids. Canonical variates calculated from percentage palmitic stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids show that Nyssa biflora lies intermediate to N. sylvatica and N. aquatica in composition. Davidia involucrata should remain allied with the Nyssaceae. Many of the Cornus species from several subgenera comprise a single cluster that represents a fatty acid composition at or near the primitive condition.
Eustrongylides ignotus infecting commercial bass, Morone chrysops female X Morone saxatilis male, and other fish in the southeastern USA.

1 Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center, U. S. Department of Agriculture, AgriculturalResearch Service, Stuttgart, AR, USA2 The University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Costal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, OceanSprings, MS, USA3 Aquaculture/Fisheries Center, Department of Aquaculture/Fisheries, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, AR, USA
Global analysis of circulating metabolites in hibernating ground squirrels

Hibernation in mammals involves major alterations in nutrition and metabolism that would be expected to affect levels of circulating molecules. To gain insight into these changes we conducted a non-targeted LC-MS based metabolomic analysis of plasma using hibernating ground squirrels in late torpor (LT, T(b)~5 °C) or during an interbout arousal period (IBA, T(b)~5 °C) and non-hibernating squirrels in spring (T(b)~37 °C). Several metabolites varied and allowed differentiation between hibernators and spring squirrels, and between torpid and euthermic squirrels. Methionine and the short-chain carnitine esters of propionate and butyryate/isobutyrate were reduced in LT compared with the euthermic groups. Pantothenic acid and several lysophosphatidylcholines were elevated in LT relative to the euthermic groups, whereas lysophosphatidylethanolamines were elevated during IBA compared to LT and spring animals. Two regulatory lipids varied among the groups: sphingosine 1-phosphate was lower in LT vs. euthermic groups, whereas cholesterol sulfate was elevated in IBA compared to spring squirrels. Levels of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and total NEFA tended to be elevated in hibernators relative to spring squirrels. Three long-chain acylcarnitines were reduced in LT relative to IBA; free carnitine was also lower in LT vs. IBA. Our results identified several biochemical changes not previously observed in the seasonal hibernation cycle, including some that may provide insight into the metabolic limitations of mammalian torpor.
Accuracy and precision of intraocular injection volume

Abstract PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy and precision of methods in clinical use for intraocular drug injection. DESIGN: Experimental laboratory investigation. METHODS: A total of 800 injections were performed using 20 different 1-ml syringes at intended volumes of 0.10 ml and 0.05 ml. The volume of each injection was calculated from mass of water delivered onto an analytic balance. RESULTS: The mean measured volume delivered was less than the intended volume for every syringe ( P CONCLUSION: Clinically relevant materials and methods used for intraocular injection of drugs systematically underdelivered the intended volume.
Cross-fertilization and structural comparison of egg extracellular matrix glycoproteins from Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis

Abstract While the anuran amphibian Xenopus laevis is a widely used vertebrate model system, it is not optimal for genetic manipulations due to its tetraploid genome and long generation time. A current alternative amphibian model system, Xenopus tropicalis, has the advantages of a diploid genome and a much shorter generation time. We undertook a comparative investigation of X. tropicalis egg extracellular matrix glycoproteins in relation to those already characterized in X. laevis. Fertilization methods and isolation of egg extracellular molecules were directly transferable from X. laevis to X. tropicalis. Cross-fertilizations were successful in both directions, indicating similar molecules involved in sperm–egg interactions. Egg envelopes analyzed by SDS-PAGE were found to have almost identical gel patterns, whereas jelly component profiles were similar only for the larger macromolecules (>90 kDa). The cDNA sequences for egg envelope glycoproteins ZPA, ZPB, ZPC, ZPD and ZPAX, and also egg cortical granule lectin involved in the block to polyspermy, were cloned for X. tropicalis and showed a consistent ∼85% amino acid identity to the X. laevis sequences. Thus, homologous egg extracellular matrix molecules perform the same functions, and the molecular and cellular mechanisms of fertilization in these two species are probably equivalent.
Surface spin-flop transition in Fe/Cr(211) superlattices: Experiment and theory

We report experimental and theoretical studies of the magnetization curves of Fe/Cr(211) superlattices with antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling and uniaxial in-plane anisotropy. There are substantial differences between structures with an even and an odd number of Fe layers, when the magnetic field is applied along the easy axis. For even layered superlattices, the inequivalence of the terminal Fe layers gives rise to a surface spin-flop transition that evolves into a bulk spin-flop arrangement with increasing magnetic field, as originally envisioned by Keffer and Chow [Phys. Rev. Lett. 31, 1061 (1973)].
Diverticulum of the left ventricle in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Abstract An unusual case of diverticulum of the left ventricle is presented. The most distinctive feature was the presence of a circumferential mid-ventricular contraction ring with histologic abnormalities similar to those described in patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy. This abnormal ring of tissue obstructed emptying of the ventricular apex and isolated it from the rest of the ventricle. The obstructed apex assumed the appearance of a muscular diverticulum, and the residual portion of the ventricle was markedly diminished in volume. In addition, the abnormal mid-ventricular hypertrophy interfered with papillary muscle function, producing mitral valve prolapse and mitral regurgitation. The patient's age was equally unusual; she was 65 at the time of diagnosis, probably the oldest known patient with ventricular diverticulum. She was treated surgically by transapical myotomy and myectomy of the mid-ventricular contraction ring, in order to increase effective ventricular volume. The relationship of this entity to other types of ventricular diverticula and aneurysms, and to hypertrophie cardiomyopathy, is discussed.
A New Family of Explicit Solutions for the Similarity Equations Modelling Flow of a non-Newtonian Fluid over a Stretching Sheet

where T is the stress tensor, /~ is viscosity, and ~1 and ~2 are material constants. The coordinates are (x, y) with the x-axis in the direction of motion along the flat sheet and the y-axis perpendicular to it. Then the xand y-components of velocity are u = cxf'(~) and v ~--(~c)1/2f(~), respectively, with u c x = v = O at y = 0 (hence f ( 0 ) = 0 , f ' ( 0 ) = 1), and with ~]=(c/~) l/2y. The kinetic viscosity is v = #/~ the density is ~o. In (1) the constant k = --(oq/#) c, where the sign of 0q (and hence that of k) can be either positive or negative depending upon the fluid. The sign of ~t is the subject of much controversy. Details regarding this may be found, for example, in a paper by FosoIcK & RAJAGOPAL [21. Existence and uniqueness of the solution (1 -e -'7) of (1), (2) for k = 0 were proved by McLI;oD & RAJAGOVAL [3] and TROY, OVERMAN, ERMENrROUT, & KEENER [5]. For -ec < k < 1, TROY et al. [5] also found an explicit one-parameter family of solutions
Population policy: Payments for fertility limitation in the United States?

The purpose of this paper is to specify what this writer sees as criteria which any policy aimed at zero growth in the United States must meet to critically assess a potentially effective program of payments to women for limiting their fertility and to estimate the cost of such a program. In 1967 the proportion of women under 25 with no births one birth two births and three or more births was 74.9% 14.3% 7.3% and 3.5% respectively. The respective proportions for women 25-34 were 14.7% 16.0% 26.5% and 43.1%. The respective proportions for women 35-44 were 10.7% 12.1% 23.5% and 53.7% (National Center for Health Statistics 1968). Thus in 1967 96.5% of women under 25 56.9% of women 25-34 and 46.3% of women 35-44 had had two births or less.
Structure and Expression of the Scallop Ω-Crystallin Gene EVIDENCE FOR CONVERGENT EVOLUTION OF PROMOTER SEQUENCES

Omega-crystallin of the scallop lens is an inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase (1A9). Here we have cloned the scallop Omega-crystallin gene. Except for an extra novel first exon, its 14-exon structure agrees well with that of mammalian aldehyde dehydrogenases 1, 2, and 6. The -2120/+63, -714/+63, and -156/+63 Omega-crystallin promoter fragments drive the luciferase reporter gene in transfected alphaTN4-1 lens cells and L929 fibroblasts but not in Cos7 cells. Putative binding sequences for cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB)/Jun, alphaACRYBP1, AP-1, and PAX-6 in the Omega-crystallin promoter are surprisingly similar to the cis-elements used for lens promoter activity of the mouse and chicken alphaA-crystallin genes, which encode proteins homologous to small heat shock proteins. Site-specific mutations in the overlapping CREB/Jun and Pax-6 sites abolished activity of the Omega-crystallin promoter in transfected cells. Gel shift experiments utilizing extracts from the alphaTN4-1, L929, and Cos7 cells and the scallop stomach and oligonucleotides derived from the putative binding sites of the Omega-crystallin promoter showed complex formation. Gel shift experiments showed binding of recombinant Pax-6 and CREB to their respective sites. Our data suggest convergent evolutionary adaptations that underlie the preferential expression of crystallin genes in the lens of vertebrates and invertebrates.
An introduction to typographic fonts and digital font resources

Type has evolved from blocks of wood or metal bearing the raised character shape to the many and varied digitized representations of the character that are available through computer system technology. Typography is the art or technique of composing printed material from type. The evolution of digital type into the computers of today has opened the door of typography to people who have had little or no previous knowledge of the subject. It has also introduced a higher level of complexity to document composition and presentation service software than was previously required. Discussed in this paper are the art of composing printed material, the selection of an appropriate type design for a given application, the information required to create and manage a digital font resource, and the computer system's use of digital font resources to produce typographic-quality documents. These matters are examined in a way that introduces the reader to typographic fonts, the additional complexities involved, and the need for consistency in the definition and application of digital font resources.
Queueing Networks of Random Link Topology: Stationary Dynamics of Maximal Throughput Schedules

In this paper, we study the stationary dynamics of a processing system comprised of several parallel queues and a single server of constant rate. The connectivity of the server to each queue is randomly modulated, taking values 1 (connected) or 0 (severed). At any given time, only the currently connected queues may receive service. A key issue is how to schedule the server on the connected queues in order to maximize the system throughput. We investigate two dynamic schedules, which are shown to stabilize the system under the highest possible traffic load, by scheduling the server on the connected queue of maximum backlog (workload or job number). They are analyzed under stationary ergodic traffic flows and connectivity modulation. The results also extend to the more general case of random server rate. We then investigate the dynamics of acyclic (feed-forward) queueing networks with nodes of the previous type. Their links (connectivities) are stochastically modulated, inducing fluctuating network topologies. We focus on the issue of network throughput and show that it is maximized by simple node server schedules. Rate ergodicity of the traffic flows traversing the network is established, allowing the computation of the maximal throughput. Queueing networks of random topology model several practical systems with unreliable service, including wireless communication networks with extraneous interference, flexible manufacturing systems with failing components, production management under random availability of resources etc.
Periodic error calculation from spectrum analyzer data

This paper describes the Monte Carlo evaluation of a single equation that can be used to determine periodic error magnitudes from spectrum analyzer data. In this approach, the optical interference signal is recorded during constant velocity target motion using a spectrum analyzer and the magnitudes of the individual periodic error contributors are used to calculate error magnitudes. This study builds on prior work by treating the general case where both first and second order error components exist and arbitrary initial phase values are considered. Significant experimental results are presented which verify the new approach.
Abstract 3281: TGFβ pathway alteration, body mass index, physical activity and breast cancer outcomes: The Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study

Background: Cumulative evidence suggests that the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) pathway may have prognostic significance in human breast cancer. It also has been shown that the TGF-β pathway may play a role in glucose regulation and energy homeostasis. However, no previous study has examined the potential modifying effects of obesity and physical activity on associations between TGF-β pathway biomarkers, such as TGFβRII and pSmad2, and breast cancer outcomes. Methods: Breast cancer patients aged 20 to 75 years were recruited 6 months after diagnosis between 2002 and 2005 and participated in in-person baseline and follow-up surveys that collected information on cancer diagnosis, treatment, lifestyle exposures, anthropometrics, and physical activity. The expression of TGFβRII and nuclear pSmad2 in breast cancer cells and breast stromal tissue cells was evaluated immunohistochemically. Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were estimated by Kaplan Meier method. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) with adjustment for other prognostic variables and further stratified by body mass index (BMI) or physical activity. Results: Breast cancer cells exhibited either a membranous or a cytoplasmic expression pattern of TGFβRII. Compared with the membranous pattern, the cytoplasmic pattern was more prevalent among patients with low BMI (P interaction =0.02). Analyses of OS showed similar patterns of association with a significant interaction between BMI and pSmad2 (adjusted HR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.38-3.15 for patients with low BMI, P interaction Citation Format: Yinghao Su, Wei Zheng, Hui Cai, Ying Zheng, Qingchao Qiu, Wei Lu, Xiao-Ou Shu, Qiuyin Cai. TGFβ pathway alteration, body mass index, physical activity and breast cancer outcomes: The Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3281. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3281
Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers as a stationary phase in microbore high-performance liquid chromatography columns

Microbore columns utilizing polypropylene capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers as the stationary phase in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been investigated. The polypropylene C-CP fiber diameter is approximately 50 microm, with eight channels along the periphery of the fiber ranging in diameter from approximately 12 to 35 microm. The polypropylene C-CP fibers were packed into fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) tubing, 1.3 mm inner diameter, with lengths of 500, 750, and 1,000 mm, to examine the effects of increased column length with regards to plate height, resolution and analysis time. The low backpressures characteristic of the C-CP fiber stationary phases allow the length of the column to be increased without significantly decreasing the specific permeability. The high specific permeability (approximately 5x10(-8) cm2) of the C-CP packed microbore columns yields a relatively low backpressure of 2.35 MPa at the highest flow rate of 17 microL/s (54 mm/s) for a 1,000 mm column. Radial compression of the soft-walled FEP tubing is accomplished by pulling the 1.7 mm o.d. column through a 1.4 mm diameter orifice. Reducing the inner diameter of the column from 1.3 to 1.0 mm lowered the interstitial fraction from 47% to 42%, decreased the A-term contributions to band broadening, resulted in a significant decrease in average plate height (approximately 30%), and increased resolution (approximately 36%) at identical linear velocities. Although the lower void volume of the radially compressed column increased the backpressure from 0.57 to 2.11 MPa at a linear velocity of approximately 20 mm/s, the specific permeability only decreased from approximately 7x10(-8) to 4x10(-8) cm2.
Moderate Liver Impairment Has No Influence on Daptomycin Pharmacokinetics

Daptomycin (N-decanoyl-L-tryptophyl-L-asparaginyl-L-aspartyl-L-threonylglycyl-L-ornithyl-L-aspartyl-D-alanyl-L-aspartylglycyl-D-seryl-threo-3-methyl-L-glutamyl-3-anthraniloyl-L-alanine-lactone) is a novel cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic derived from the fermentation of Streptomyces roseosporus. Daptomycin was recently approved for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections caused by aerobic gram-positive bacteria, including those caused by methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. This single-dose, parallel-design, matched-controlled study was designed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of daptomycin in subjects between ages 18 and 80 years with moderately impaired hepatic function (Child-Pugh Class B, n = 10). Subjects were administered a single intravenous dose (6 mg/kg total body weight) over 30 minutes using a syringe pump. A normal volunteer control group matched by weight (+/-25 lb/11 kg), age (+/-10 years), and sex was included in this study for comparison to the hepatic-impaired group. The pharmacokinetic parameters of daptomycin were similar in both groups. Adverse events occurred only in the hepatic-impaired patients and were consistent with the subjects' disease state. In conclusion, subjects with moderate hepatic impairment receiving daptomycin do not require an adjustment in daptomycin dose or dose regimen.
Equation of state of matter at supernuclear density.

Vector meson model state equation to describe matter at supernuclear density - gravitational collapse
A population-based prospective evaluation of risk of sudden cardiac death after operation for common congenital heart defects

Abstract Objectives. This study sought to define 1) the risk of sudden death after operation for common congenital heart defects; and 2) factors associated with an increased risk of sudden death. Background. Although the prognosis for patients with congenital heart defects is improved by surgical treatment, they remain at a well recognized but poorly defined risk of late sudden death. Methods. This population-based study evaluated all patients Results. There were 41 unexpected late sudden deaths during 45,857 patient-years of follow-up, an overall event rate of 1/1,118 patient-years. Thirty-seven of the 41 late sudden deaths occurred in patients with aortic stenosis, coarctation, transposition of the great arteries or tetralogy of Fallot, an event rate of 1/454 patients-years. In contrast, only four sudden deaths occurred among the other defects, an event rate of 1/7,154 patient-years (p Conclusions. The risk of late sudden death for patients surviving operation for common congenital heart defects is 25 to 100 times greater than an age-matched control population. This increased risk is primarily represented by patients with cyanotic or left heart obstructive lesions. The risk of sudden death appears to be time dependent, increasing primarily after the second postoperative decade.
An analysis of semantic relations between mild dysphasic and nondysphasic speakers.

Abstract The availability of different semantic relations between mild anomic dysphasic and non-dysphasic subjects was investigated using a picture description task. Results of the analyses revealed statistically nonsignificant differences between the two groups for the variables of total utterances and mean length of utterances. Of the different cases examined, a significant difference between the two groups of subjects was revealed in their use of the “other” case relation category. Also, within the dysphasic group maximum verbal paraphasias occured for the object case. Discussion of the obtained results relate the selective availability of specific cases to the possible differences in linguistic coding between the two groups. Also, the interrelationship between quantity of verbal output and incidence of verbal paraphasia is discussed.
Dynamic consensus estimation of weighted average on directed graphs

Recent applications call for distributed weighted average estimation over sensor networks, where sensor measurement accuracy or environmental conditions need to be taken into consideration in the final consensused group decision. In this paper, we propose new dynamic consensus filter design to distributed estimate weighted average of sensors’ inputs on directed graphs. Based on recent advances in the filed, we modify the existing proportional-integral consensus filter protocol to remove the requirement of bi-directional gain exchange between neighbouring sensors, so that the algorithm works for directed graphs where bi-directional communications are not possible. To compensate for the asymmetric structure of the system introduced by such a removal, sufficient gain conditions are obtained for the filter protocols to guarantee the convergence. It is rigorously proved that the proposed filter protocol converges to the weighted average of constant inputs asymptotically, and to the weighted average of time-varying inputs with a bounded error. Simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed protocols.
Factors That Predict Short-term Complication Rates After Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background There remains uncertainty regarding the relative importance of patient factors such as comorbidity and provider factors such as hospital volume in predicting complication rates after total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Treatment of statin compounds by advanced oxidation processes: Kinetic considerations and destruction mechanisms

Abstract This study examined the use of advanced oxidation/reduction processes (AO/RPs) for the destruction of cholesterol lowering statin pharmaceuticals. AO/RPs which utilize the oxidizing hydroxyl radical ( OH) and reducing aqueous electron (e − aq ), to degrade chemical contaminants are alternatives to traditional water treatment methods, and are alternatives as water reuse becomes more generally implemented. Four major statin pharmaceuticals, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin, were studied, and the absolute bimolecular reaction rate constants with OH determined, (6.96±0.16)×10 9 , (2.92±0.06)×10 9 , (4.16±0.13)×10 9 , and (3.13±0.15)×10 9 M −1 s −1 , and for e − aq (2.31±0.06)×10 9 , (0.45±0.01)×10 9 , (1.26±0.01)×10 9 , and (0.69±0.02)×10 9 M −1 s −1 , respectively. To provide additional information on the radicals formed upon oxidation, transient spectra were measured and the overall reaction efficiency determined. Radical-based destruction mechanisms for destruction of the statins are proposed based on the LC-MS determination of the stable reaction by-products formed using 137 Cs γ-irradiation of statin solutions. Knowing the reaction rates, reaction efficiencies and destruction mechanisms of these compounds is essential for the consideration of the use of advanced oxidation/reduction processes for the destruction of statins in aqueous systems.
Impact of atmospheric infrared sounder observations on weather forecasts

Experimental weather forecasts at the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) using Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) radiance observations indicate significant improvements in global forecast skill compared with the operational system without AIRS data. The improvement in forecast skill at six days is equivalent to gaining an extension of forecast capability of several hours. This magnitude of improvement is quite significant when compared with the rate of general forecast improvement over the last decade. A several hour increase in forecast range at five or six days normally takes several years to achieve at operational weather centers.
Modulation of American ginseng on brainstem GABAergic effects in rats

Single neurons in the region of the medial nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), responding or not responding to gastric vagal branch stimulation, were recorded in an in vitro neonatal rat brainstem-gastric preparation. The spontaneous activity of the majority of these two types of NTS units was inhibited by GABA(A) receptor agonist, muscimol (30 microM), and this inhibition (approximately 52% compared to 100% of the control level) could be antagonized by selective GABA(A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline (10 microM). Application of Panax quinquefolium L. extracts (3.0 microg/ml) into the brainstem compartment of the preparation also significantly reduced the discharge rate of these NTS neurons (approximately 27% compared to the control level), but this reduction could not be reversed by bicuculline (10 microM). Pretreatment with Panax quinquefolium L. (3.0 microg/ml) significantly decreased the NTS inhibitory effects induced by muscimol (30 microM), approximately from 51 to 33%. Our results demonstrated the interactions of Panax quinquefolium L. with ligand-bindings of GABA(A) receptors, and the modulation of the brainstem GABAergic mechanism by Panax quinquefolium L. Our data suggest that the regulation of GABAergic neurotransmission may be an important action of Panax quinquefolium L.
The diagnosis of sacral lesions

Clinical courses are reviewed in 4 recent patients with sacral lesions, each of whom was believed on initial clinical evaluation to have symptomatic herniations of intervertebral discs. In each patient pain in the back tended to overshadow radicular symptoms, and sphincteric disturbances were not prominent. Each patient presented some related objective abnormality on general or neurologic examination. The sacral lesion was invariably visible on technically satisfactory plain roentgenograms of the spine and was obvious on sacral tomography. Conventional myelography was useful in defining communication between the lesion and the subarachnoid space, but otherwise typically it was only subtly and nonspecifically abnormal. Computerized tomography (CT) proved to be the most revealing radiographic technique, demonstrating bony detail as well as internal structure and extent of the lesion; in conjunction with metrizamide myelography, CT provided the most definitive anatomical study. The limited utility of angiography in diagnosing these lesions is discussed, as are the respective hazards of and indications for needle biopsy and open surgical exploration.
Creativity and primary process: a study of adaptive regression.

Beginning with Freud (191lb, 1907a), but especially since Kris’ explorations of creative processes (Kris, 1952; also Pappenheim & Kris, 1946), psychoanalytic theorists have described relationships among creativity, primary process (Freud, 1900a), and a particular kind of ego control that permits adaptive use of primary process. The concept “regression in the service of the ego” (Kris, 1952; see also Schafer, 1958b) refers to a momentary and at least partially controlled use of primitive, nonlogical, and drive dominated modes of thinking in the early stages of the creative process. The present study is one of the degree to which characteristic individual modes of expression and control of primary process in the Rorschach test are related to the quality of productions created in a variety of experimental tasks.
Graphene nanosheet supported bifunctional catalyst for high cycle life Li-air batteries

Abstract Rechargeable lithium-air batteries offer great promise for transportation and stationary applications due to their high specific energy and energy density. Although their theoretical discharge capacity is extremely high, the practical capacity is much lower and is always cathode limited. A key for rechargeable systems is the development of an air electrode with a bifunctional catalyst on an electrochemically stable carbon matrix. The use of graphene as a catalyst matrix for the air cathode has been studied in this work. A Li-air cell using an air cathode consisting of nano-Pt on graphene nanosheets (GNS) has shown promising performance at 80% energy efficiency with an average capacity of 1200 mAh g−1 and more than 20 cycles without significant loss of total energy efficiency. Replacement of Pt with a bifunctional catalyst resulted in more than 100 cycles with an average capacity of 1200 mAh g−1 and total energy efficiency of about 70%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data revealed increasing solution and charge transfer resistance during cycling, which hindered the cycle life. The increased solution resistance can be attributed to the evaporation and decomposition of electrolyte especially at high charge voltages. Further investigation on ionic liquid based electrolytes in Li-air systems is being conducted.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA downregulation produced by social isolation is blocked by intrahippocampal interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

Manipulations that increase the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the hippocampus (e.g. peripheral administration of lipopolysaccharide, i.c.v. glycoprotein 120, social isolation) as well as the intrahippocampal injection of IL-1β following a learning experience, dramatically impair the memory of that experience if the formation of the memory requires the hippocampus. Here we employed social isolation to further study this phenomenon, as well as its relation to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF was studied because of its well-documented role in the formation of hippocampally based memory. A 6 h period of social isolation immediately after contextual fear conditioning impaired memory for context fear measured 48 h later, and decreased BDNF mRNA in the dentate gyrus and the CA3 region of the hippocampus assessed immediately after the isolation. Moreover, an intrahippocampal injection of the IL-1 receptor antagonist prior to the isolation period prevented both the BDNF downregulation and the memory impairments produced by the isolation. These data suggest that hippocampal-dependent memory impairments induced by elevated levels of brain IL-1β may occur via an IL-1β-induced downregulation in hippocampal BDNF.
Constructing a real symmetric Toeplitz matrix with two prescribed eigenpairs

This paper is concerned with the inverse eigenvalue problems for symmetric Toeplitz matrices. A kind of inverse problem for constructing a real symmetric Toeplitz matrix from the given k eigenpairs is proposed. By using the special structure of symmetric Toeplitz matrices, the Kronecker product and the vec operator of matrices, the problem is transformed into the system of linear equations. Some necessary and sufficient conditions for the solvability of the problem are given. The general solutions of the problem are presented.
Pubic contouring after massive weight loss in men and women: correction of hidden penis, mons ptosis, and labia majora enlargement.

Background:Weight gain and subsequent weight loss usually result in unsightly large fat deposition in the pubic areas along with ptosis of the fat pad and skin. Men also complain of burying of the penis and the woman complains of labia majora enlargement, both causing secondary sexual dysfunction, h
Management of the total ischemic burden in angina pectoris

Recent reports suggest that neither the severity nor control of angina influences prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease. One possible explanation for such findings is that episodes of angina are only a small fraction of the daily ischemic episodes occurring in these patients. Silent episodes represent most of the ischemic burden in many patients with coronary disease who have positive exercise test results despite the absence of pain. Silent episodes also represent most of the ischemic burden in patients with either stable or unstable angina. Since silent episodes may have prognostic significance, a major goal of therapy should be the modification of both silent and painful ischemic episodes. Currently available pharmacotherapy has the potential to reduce the total ischemic burden caused by both painful and painless attacks and, thereby, alter prognosis.
Sequential development of multiple mechanical complications of myocardial infarction.

A 71-year-old man with a medical history of hypertension and chronic renal failure presented to the emergency room with chest discomfort and dyspnea for 12 hours. The findings of the ECG (Figure 1) showed acute inferolateral ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The first troponin-I, creatine phosphokinase, and creatine kinase (CK-MB) measurements were 19.3 ng/mL, 575U/L, and 68.6 ng/mL, respectively. Coronary catheterization revealed a right dominant coronary system with 70% middle-segment thrombotic occlusion of the right coronary artery. A successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of the right coronary artery with the placement of a drug-eluting stent was performed. Twenty-four hours after the procedure, the patient complained of dyspnea, and consequent transthoracic echocardiography suggested the presence of a left ventricle inferolateral pseudoaneurysm. A cardiac MRI study was performed and revealed …
Kingship in the Late Preclassic Maya Lowlands: The Instruments and Places of Ritual Power

The Maya of Central America constitute the only truly literate pre-Columbian civilization. Analysis of ancient Maya hieroglyphic texts and accompanying images dating from the Classic period (A.D. 200–900) documents the presence of a central and pervasive institution of governance: ahaw. The material symbol systems of the Lowland Maya of the protoliterate Late Preclassic period (350 B.C.-A.D. 100), as evinced in monumental decorated buildings and in portable art, suggest that these Maya innovated ahaw, the institution of kingship. The authority of ahaw rested upon direct descent and spiritual communion with the ancestors of all Maya, the Ancestral Heroes. Along with noble lineage, ahaw claimed charismatic power through the performance of shamanistic ritual. The Late Preclassic antecedents of the shamanistic parameters of ahaw are discussed in light of Classic and Postclassic ritual expressions.
Valerie Geller, Creating Powerful Radio. Burlington, MA: Focal Press, 2007

Valerie Geller's book reminds you why you wanted to listen to the radio when you were growing up. Radio was fun. The air personalities were relevant and kept you entertained. Geller, a radio consul...