cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined use of off-pump techniques and a sutureless proximal aortic anastomotic device reduces cerebral microemboli generation during coronary artery bypass grafting ☆

Abstract Objective Intraoperative cerebral microemboli are associated with the development of postoperative stroke and neurocognitive decline in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Although cardiopulmonary bypass is responsible for the generation of a significant number of such emboli, the elimination of cardiopulmonary bypass alone has not been conclusively shown to improve neurocognitive outcome. The current study was performed to determine the effects of combined off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and sutureless proximal aortic anastomotic techniques on the generation of intraoperative cerebral microemboli compared with standard coronary artery bypass grafting techniques of cardiopulmonary bypass and hand-sewn proximal anastomoses. Methods Fifty-three patients underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting by using the sutureless Symmetry aortic connector device (St Jude Medical, St Paul, Minn) for all proximal anastomoses. Eighteen of these patients received intraoperative transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to determine right- and left-sided cerebral microembolic counts. These results were compared with those obtained from a similar group of 17 patients undergoing standard coronary artery bypass grafting, in whom cardiopulmonary bypass and hand-sewn proximal anastomoses were used. Results Our use of the proximal anastomotic device in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting was safe, with no aortic complications, postoperative strokes, or in-hospital deaths. Microembolic counts to both the right and left cerebral circulation were significantly reduced in the patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (right = 21.9 ± 20.7 emboli, left=24.9 ± 19.2 emboli) compared with those in patients undergoing standard coronary artery bypass grafting (right = 181.6 ± 85.3, left=189.9 ± 60.401, P Conclusions Our use of a sutureless proximal anastomotic device during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is safe and significantly decreases cerebral microembolism when compared with standard coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass and hand-sewn anastomoses. Long-term follow-up is needed to determine the effects of this technical strategy on neurocognitive outcome.
Thermal Stress Testing of Advanced Optical Ceramics by a Laser Technique

Thermal stress tests are conducted to determine the failure strengths of a material in a thermal stress environment. This can only be done if an accurate thermostructural analysis of the test can be made. An accurate analysis of the test requires a precise definition of both the heat flux and the time of failure. Other thermal stress tests often lack one or both of these requirements. A test technique has been developed, using a flat top laser to provide the heat flux, which offers both a well defined thermal environment and an accurate indication of the time of catastrophic failure. This paper describes the test procedure and the corresponding analytical technique. Additionally the results of some recent tests are presented demonstrating the test applicability.
Producing Nature’s Gene-Chips: The Generation of Peptides for Display by MHC Class I Molecules

Gene-chips contain thousands of nucleotide sequences that allow simultaneous analysis of the complex mixture of RNAs transcribed in cells. Like these gene-chips, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules display a large array of peptides on the cell surface for probing by the CD8(+) T cell repertoire. The peptide mixture represents fragments of most, if not all, intracellular proteins. The antigen processing machinery accomplishes the daunting task of sampling these proteins and cleaving them into the precise set of peptides displayed by MHC I molecules. It has long been believed that antigenic peptides arose as by-products of normal protein turnover. Recent evidence, however, suggests that the primary source of peptides is newly synthesized proteins that arise from conventional as well as cryptic translational reading frames. It is increasingly clear that for many peptides the C-terminus is generated in the cytoplasm, and N-terminal trimming occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum in an MHC I-dependent manner. Nature's gene-chips are thus both parsimonious and elegant.
Percolation and conductivity of random two-dimensional composites

Tessellating an area into convex polygons and labelling a given number of randomly chosen polygons as conducting, the rest not, creates a useful model of a disordered composite. The percolation and conduction properties of composites generated from the random Voronoi tessellation are compared with those from regular tessellations, namely the square and the hexagonal. Percolation properties of interest are the conducting cluster distribution, the percolation threshold, and the percolation probability. Conduction properties are obtained by a lattice network reduction (a finite difference type approximation to conduction) and by finite element analysis.
Automatic information discovery from the "invisible Web"

A large amount of online information resides on the "invisible Web" - Web pages that are generated dynamically from databases and other data sources hidden from the user. They are not indexed by a static URL but are generated when queries are made via a search interface (a specialized search engine). In this paper, we propose a system that is capable of automatically making use of these specialized engines to find information on the invisible Web. We describe our overall architecture and process: from obtaining the search engines to picking the right engines to query. Experiments show that we can find information that is not found by traditional search engines.
High conductivity printing on polymer-ceramic composites

Many mobile structures (aircrafts, ships and automobiles) require conformal antennas for high data rate connectivity, which brings the need for material compatibility and for structurally reinforced antennas. The latter requirement is particularly challenging for small platforms since a large antenna is needed at these frequencies. For small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) spanning a few feet, it is inevitable that the antennas be part of the structure. As the antennas become part of the structural airframe, there is a need for materials that concurrently serve the electrical and structural requirements. Among available materials, fibreglass, although suitable for load bearing applications, is not attractive for antennas due to its higher losses. Suitable materials are polymer-based mixtures because of their inherent low-loss properties, and mixing ease with ceramic and/or magnetic powders.
Mapping the Tree of Life: Progress and Prospects

Summary: The intent of this article is to provide a critical assessment of our current understanding of life's phylogenetic diversity. Phylogenetic comparison of gene sequences is a natural way to identify microorganisms and can also be used to infer the course of evolution. Three decades of molecular phylogenetic studies with various molecular markers have provided the outlines of a universal tree of life (ToL), the three-domain pattern of archaea, bacteria, and eucarya. The sequence-based perspective on microbial identification additionally opened the way to the identification of environmental microbes without the requirement for culture, particularly through analysis of rRNA gene sequences. Environmental rRNA sequences, which now far outnumber those from cultivars, expand our knowledge of the extent of microbial diversity and contribute increasingly heavily to the emerging ToL. Although the three-domain structure of the ToL is established, the deep phylogenetic structure of each of the domains remains murky and sometimes controversial. Obstacles to accurate inference of deep phylogenetic relationships are both systematic, in molecular phylogenetic calculations, and practical, due to a paucity of sequence representation for many groups of organisms.
Analyzing Cross-Sector Interdependencies

This paper discusses cross-sector infrastructure interdependencies and key risk considerations, analysis approaches, research and development needs, and the range of interdisciplinary skills required for comprehensive cross-sector analysis. Traditional analysis of interdependencies involves characterization of infrastructure-to-infrastructure linkages to identify the key infrastructure components that, if lost or degraded, could adversely affect the performance of other infrastructures. Such analysis is motivated by the recognition that a series of incidents could interact (cascade) across critical infrastructures to degrade the service upon which all depend. From a risk perspective, cross-sector analysis also must involve identifying and characterizing a wide range of threats (natural and accidental, systems related, and intentional), vulnerabilities (physical and cyber), and consequences of loss (e.g., health and safety, economic, national security, environmental, sociopolitical). Such information provides a foundation for making defensible, cost-effective infrastructure protection and operation decisions to ensure the security and reliability of our interdependent systems
Degree Operations on Periodic Surfaces

In previous work, a periodic surface model for computer-aided nano-design (CAND) was developed. This implicit surface model can construct Euclidean and hyperbolic nano geometries parametrically and represent morphologies of particle aggregates and polymers. In this paper, we study the characteristics of degree elevation and reduction based on a generalized periodic surface model. Methods of degree elevation and reduction operations are developed in order to support multi-resolution representation and model exchange.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Interaction of psoralen-derivatlzed oligodeoxyribonucleoside methyiphosphonates with synthetic DNA containing a promoter for 11 RNA polymerase

The interaction of 4'-N(2-aminoethyl)aminomethyl-4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen-modified oligonucleoside methylphosphonates with synthetic ds-DNA containing a T7 RNA polymerase promoter was studied. The oligomers effectively crosslinked with either coding or noncoding ss-DNA when irradiated at 365 nm, but not with ds-DNA. The extent of the crosslinking reaction, which was complete within 16 min: (a) reached its maximum at an oligomer concentration of 3 microM; (b) remained constant below the Tm of the duplex and then rapidly decreased; and (c) appeared to depend upon the sequence surrounding the psoralen crosslinking site. An oligomer crosslinked to the template strand inhibited transcription by T7 RNA polymerase whereas an oligomer crosslinked to the non-template strand had only a small inhibitory effect. Oligomers did not crosslink to ds-DNA undergoing transcription nor did they inhibit the transcription reaction.
Particle-in-cell simulation of bipolar dc corona

Most of the existing methods for calculating dc ionized fields of monopolar and bipolar corona have ignored the ionization regions and excluded the transient phenomena of corona discharges. In this paper, bipolar dc corona was studied with a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation, which allowed us to model time-dependent, nonlinear, microscopic phenomena involved in the corona discharge. The technique followed simulation particles that represented electrons, positive ions, and negative ions, and self-consistently calculated the associated electric field that determined the simulation particle motion. Finite element and charge simulation methods were used to solve Poisson's equation while a finite difference scheme was applied to move simulation particles. Multi-scale techniques (nonuniform triangle mesh and variable time step) were employed to reduce numerical noise and increase simulation efficiency. The particle-in-cell simulation was applied to a cylindrical bipolar corona cage problem. Simulation results included one primitive streamer, multi-electrode induced currents, conductor temperature effects, memory effects, the approach to a stationary state, and transient corona saturation. >
Learning at a distance II. Statistical learning of non-adjacent dependencies in a non-human primate.

In earlier work we have shown that adults, infants, and cotton-top tamarin monkeys are capable of computing the probability with which syllables occur in particular orders in rapidly presented streams of human speech, and of using these probabilities to group adjacent syllables into word-like units. We have also investigated adults learning of regularities among elements that are not adjacent, and have found strong selectivities in their ability to learn various kinds of non-adjacent regularities. In the present paper we investigate the learning of these same non-adjacent regularities in tamarin monkeys, using the same materials and familiarization methods. Three types of languages were constructed. In one, words were formed by statistical regularities between non-adjacent syllables. Words contained predictable relations between syllables 1 and 3; syllable 2 varied. In a second type of language, words were formed by statistical regularities between non-adjacent segments. Words contained predictable relations between consonants; the vowels varied. In a third type of language, also formed by regularities between non-adjacent segments, words contained predictable relations between vowels; the consonants varied. Tamarin monkeys were exposed to these languages in the same fashion as adults (21 min of exposure to a continuous speech stream) and were then tested in a playback paradigm measuring spontaneous looking (no reinforcement). Adult subjects learned the second and third types of language easily, but failed to learn the first. However, tamarin monkeys showed a different pattern, learning the first and third type of languages but not the
Performance study of Kalman filter controller for multiconjugate adaptive optics

We compare the performance of the Kalman filter (KF)-based and the minimum variance (MV) control algorithms for a zonal adaptive optics with a phase temporal prediction step included for effective compensation of the errors attributable to latencies in the system. The main goal is to evaluate the performance achievable by the computationally more expensive KF approach, which explicitly accounts for the atmospheric turbulence temporal behavior through a first-order autoregressive evolution model, and the simpler MV algorithm, with and without temporal prediction. For a representative example, the Gemini-South 8 m telescope multiconjugate adaptive optics system performance of the KF and the MV controllers has been compared with respect to their turbulence compensation capability. We show that the KF algorithm, as expected, shows superior performance to that of the MV algorithm, especially for extremely low sampling rates and large control latencies. We also show that for moderate control latencies the MV algorithm with a temporal prediction step added to it approaches the performance of the KF technique.
Lightning Scaling Relations Revisited

Abstract Scaling relations connecting storm electrical generator power (and hence lightning flash rate) to charge transport velocity and storm geometry were originally posed by Vonnegut in the 1960s. These were later simplified to yield simple parameterizations for lightning based upon cloud-top height, with separate parameterizations derived over land and ocean. It is demonstrated that the most recent ocean parameterization 1) yields predictions of storm updraft velocity, which appear inconsistent with observation, and 2) is formally inconsistent with Vonnegut's original theory. Revised formulations consistent with Vonnegut's original framework are presented. These demonstrate that Vonnegut's theory is, to first order, consistent with recent satellite observations. The implications of assuming that flash rate is set by the electrical generator power, rather than the electrical generator current, are examined. The two approaches yield significantly different predictions about the dependence of charge tran...
AN ATTEMPT TO DETECT PYGANODON FRAGILIS (MOLLUSCA: UNIONIDAE) IN MAINE

Historic information, museum collections, and the shells and stomach anatomy of Pyganodon collected from Maine were compared in order to draw conclusions on the occurrence or absence of P. fragilis (Newfoundland floater) in Maine. Stomach anatomy did not differentiate among the Pyganodon specimens, although a distinction in the rightside sorting area was made be- tween P. cataracta (eastern floater) and Anodonta implicata (alewife floater). Coloration of the periostracum was variable, was determined to be closely associated with environmental conditions, and was not diagnostic among P. cataracta populations. Examination of historic museum specimens, specifically beak sculpture, indicates that Maine P. cataracta was previously misidentified as P. fragilis. This suggests that based on adult morphology, P. fragilis has yet to be found in Maine.
Biology of Systena frontalis with Special Reference to Corn

The red-headed flea beetle, Systena frontalis (F.), was studied to assess its potential role as a pest of corn. The studies were centered in northwestern Iowa where the beetle had occurred in greatest density. In August 1968, 47 counties were surveyed to determine the density of flea beetles and their frequency of feeding on corn and weed hosts. The main host of the flea beetle was smartweed. Polygonum pensylvanicum L., but several other hosts were recorded for the first time. Eggs, collected from adults brought into the laboratory, required an exposure to cold before hatching occurred, but up to 70% hatched after various periods of exposure at 5. Only 1 adult was obtained from 1370 larvae placed on an artificial diet. The damage caused by the flea beetle is minor com pared with the rootworm infestations occurring in the area where red-headed flea beetles are most abundant in Iowa.
Inhibition of cancer-associated mutant isocitrate dehydrogenases: synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and selective antitumor activity.

Mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) are frequently found in certain cancers such as glioma. Different from the wild-type (WT) IDH1, the mutant enzymes catalyze the reduction of α-ketoglutaric acid to d-2-hydroxyglutaric acid (D2HG), leading to cancer initiation. Several 1-hydroxypyridin-2-one compounds were identified to be inhibitors of IDH1(R132H). A total of 61 derivatives were synthesized, and their structure–activity relationships were investigated. Potent IDH1(R132H) inhibitors were identified with Ki values as low as 140 nM, while they possess weak or no activity against WT IDH1. Activities of selected compounds against IDH1(R132C) were found to be correlated with their inhibitory activities against IDH1(R132H), as well as cellular production of D2HG, with R2 of 0.83 and 0.73, respectively. Several inhibitors were found to be permeable through the blood–brain barrier in a cell-based model assay and exhibit potent and selective activity (EC50 = 0.26–1.8 μM) against glioma cells with the I...
Images in clinical medicine. Curschmann's spirals.

Figure 1. A 71-year-old woman with a history of asthma presented with a productive cough, fever, and shortness of breath that had begun four days previously. The patient had a white-cell count of 18,400 per cubic millimeter, with 68 percent eosinophils. A centrifuged sample of her bronchoalveolar-lavage specimen contained microscopic structures identified as Curschmann's spirals (Papanicolaou stain, ×1000). Curschmann's spirals, which can be seen on a wet preparation or on a Papanicolaou-stained specimen of respiratory secretions, are associated with the production of excess mucus in conditions such as asthma and bronchitis and as a result of smoking.
Evaluation of the Value Reorganized Bankrupted Enterprises——A Discussion with Cheng Hong,Yuan Guo-dong

Reorganization of bankruptcy is a new addition of China recently-amended Bankruptcy Law.How to evaluate the value of the reorganized bankrupted enterprises and provide a corresponding service for creditors and People's Court is a theoretical and practical problem facing us.It is of practical significance to make a study of the reasons,environment,objectives,contents and reports of such evaluation.
Genetic Gain and Selection Efficiency of Loblolly Pine in Three Geographic Regions

Genetic parameters of annual height to 8 yr and 4 to 8 yr volume were examined for Northern, Coastal, and Piedmont populations of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) from analyses of 23 disconnected half-diallel progeny tests in the southern United States. Genetic gains in year 8 volume predicted by various selection methods at age 6 revealed that selection on volume yielded more gain than selection on height. Among test regions, the Coastal population had the greatest correlated response, followed by the Piedmont population and Northern populations. Family plus within family selection was the most effective to achieve genetic gain for early selection on both height and volume. Additional gain (10-40%) can be achieved by capturing the nonadditive genetic component through mass production of full- sib crosses or vegetative propagation. Early selection efficiency was examined by using the ratio of either gain per year or present value between indirect selection and selection of year 8 volume. Optimal selection ages were determined for various selection methods. The analysis of selection efficiency showed earlier selection could be more efficient than selection on volume at age 8 or later. Family selection can be performed as early as age 3 for height and at age 4 for volume, which was the earliest measurement year for volume in this study. Family plus within family had its optimal selection age at age 3 or age 4. Based on the relatinship of age 8 with rotation gain, the selection criteria and timing were also appropriate. FOR. SCI. 49(2):196-208.
Evaluation of patients and partners 1 to 4 years after penile prosthesis surgery.

AbstractOne to 4 years after penile prosthesis implantation 52 men and 22 partners were interviewed personally. All except 4 patients were having intercourse on a regular basis. A quarter of the patients reported restriction in intercourse positions, possibly because of a smaller penis postoperatively, and 15 per cent reported decreased orgasm intensity. Six men had an undiagnosed prosthesis malfunction or they used an inadequate pumping technique, suggesting that prosthesis patients should be followed on a continuing basis. The 52 men had experienced 10 malfunctions with the prosthesis. Partial erections were reported by 69 per cent of the patients but this could be confirmed in only 1 of 10 with visual sexual stimulation testing. It is suggested that differences between prosthesis models are more a result of psychological, relationship and health factors than mechanical factors. Of the patients 79 per cent would undergo the operation again but only 59 per cent of the partners had no hesitations. The lon...
ULE design considerations for a 3m class light weighted mirror blank for E-ELT M5

It is expected that the next generation of large ground based astronomical telescopes will need large fast-steering/tip-tilt mirrors made of ultra-lightweight construction. These fast-steering mirrors are used to continuously correct for atmospheric disturbances and telescope vibrations. An example of this is the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) M5 lightweight mirror, which is part of the Tip-Tilt/Field-Stabilization Unit. The baseline design for the E-ELT M5 mirror, as presented in the E-ELT Construction Proposal, is a closed-back ULE mirror with a lightweight core using square core cells. Corning Incorporated (Corning) has a long history of manufacturing lightweight mirror blanks using ULE in a closed-back construction, going back to the 1960’s, and includes the Hubble Space Telescope primary mirror, Subaru Telescope secondary and tertiary mirrors, the Magellan I and II tertiary mirrors, and Kepler Space Telescope primary mirror, among many others. A parametric study of 1-meter class lightweight mirror designs showed that Corning’s capability to seal a continuous back sheet to a light-weighted core structure provides superior mirror rigidity, in a near-zero thermal expansion material, relative to other existing technologies in this design space. Corning has investigated the parametric performance of several design characteristics for a 3-meter class lightweight mirror blank for the E-ELT M5. Finite Element Analysis was performed on several design scenarios to obtain weight, areal density, and first Eigen frequency. This paper presents an overview of Corning ULE and lightweight mirror manufacturing capabilities, the parametric performance of design characteristics for 1-meter class and 3-meter class lightweight mirrors, as well as the manufacturing advantages and disadvantages of those characteristics.
Inverse prediction for multivariate mixed models with standard software

Inverse prediction (IP) is reputed to be computationally inconvenient for multivariate responses. This paper describes how IP can be formulated in terms of a general linear mixed model, along with a flexible modeling approach for both mean vectors and variance–covariance matrices. It illustrates that results can be had as standard output from widely-available statistical computing packages.
AREAS OF INTERACTION IN THE HbS POLYMER

We have explored the residues involved in the area of contact between hemoglobin tetramers in the HbS polymer. The present communication brings up to date the number and location of the β and α chain sites that our laboratory, in collaboration with investigators around the world, and other authors, have determined.
FPGA-based ultrasonic signal processing platform

Ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) has been widely used in quality assessment and failure analysis for critical structures. The NDE system is commonly designed on microcontrollers and digital signal processors, which fall short of meeting the demands of high speed and requirements of adaptability. This requires reconfigurable computing devices to implement the system. This study aims to build a prototype real-time ultrasonic signal processing platform using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The platform acquires ultrasound data at the speed of 100 MSPS. The embedded system running on an FPGA is reprogrammable to evaluate signal processing algorithms and NDE methods. To demonstrate the system, a split spectrum processing algorithm is implemented and the result is displayed on a touch screen LCD. Thanks to the flexibility of FPGA, the platform is not limited to ultrasound NDE application. It may have a broader impact on future project development for signal processing research and education.
An Intron-Derived Insertion/Truncation Mutation in the BCR-ABL Kinase Domain in Three CML Patients Undergoing Kinase Inhibitor Therapy.

Although targeted inhibition of BCR-ABL with imatinib is an effective therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, a minority acquire mutations in the kinase domain (KD) that cause imatinib resistance. The spectrum of KD mutations thus far discovered, although quite heterogeneous, includes almost exclusively single nucleotide substitutions in key amino acids regulating drug binding or BCR-ABL function. Here, we describe a KD insertion/truncation mutation in 3 CML patients undergoing kinase inhibitor therapy. Two of these patients were being treated with imatinib (for 12 and 17 months), and one with dasatinib (for 13 months after a prior relapse while on imatinib). Suspected drug resistance was assessed by direct DNA sequencing of a BCR-ABL PCR product extending to the end of the kinase domain. Each of these 3 patients had 35 nucleotides from ABL intron 8 inserted at the normal exon 8–9 splice junction, after nucleotide 1423 (amino acid 475) of Genbank cDNA clone NM_005157. In all 3 cases, the mutation was co-expressed with wild type BCR-ABL sequence. The inserted sequence is derived from intron 8, beginning 1151 bp downstream from the normal splice donor site at the end of exon 8. This 35 bp intronic sequence is flanked by excellent consensus splice donor and acceptor sequences, suggesting alternative splicing as the likely mutational mechanism. The insertion creates a premature translational stop codon after 10 intron-encoded amino acids (figure), thus truncating 653 C-terminal amino acids including part of the KD and the entire last exon region - including a proline-rich domain, 3 nuclear localization signals, a DNA-binding domain, an actin-binding domain, and a nuclear export signal. These 3 insertion mutation cases were detected in our diagnostic clinical molecular pathology laboratory after sequencing 174 cases referred to us for suspected kinase inhibitor resistance, 78 of which contained a detectable mutation. The estimated prevalence of the exon 8/9 insertion/truncation mutation is then approximately 1.7% among patients with suspected drug resistance, and this mutation constitutes approximately 3.8% of all mutations. Conclusion: Kinase domain insertions are an alternative (and not entirely uncommon) mutational mechanism in CML patients undergoing kinase inhibitor therapy. The functional significance in terms of kinase activity and drug resistance remains to be addressed.
Ultrahigh-Vacuum Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Molecule–surface interactions and processes are at the heart of many technologies, including heterogeneous catalysis, organic photovoltaics, and nanoelectronics, yet they are rarely well understood at the molecular level. Given the inhomogeneous nature of surfaces, molecular properties often vary among individual surface sites, information that is lost in ensemble-averaged techniques. In order to access such site-resolved behavior, a technique must possess lateral resolution comparable to the size of surface sites under study, analytical power capable of examining chemical properties, and single-molecule sensitivity. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), wherein light is confined and amplified at the apex of a nanoscale plasmonic probe, meets these criteria. In ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), TERS can be performed in pristine environments, allowing for molecular-resolution imaging, low-temperature operation, minimized tip and molecular degradation, and improved stability in the presence of ultrafast irradiation...
Multiple sclerosis in pregnancy: prevalence, sociodemographic features, and obstetrical outcomes.

AbstractObjective: We sought to describe the prevalence, sociodemographic features, and antenatal/peripartum outcomes of multiple sclerosis (MS) in pregnancy.Study design: A retrospective cohort study was performed using deliveries in California from 2001 to 2009. Cases of MS as well as other morbidities were identified via ICD-9-CM code. Logistic regression was performed to adjust for potential confounders.Results: About 1185 out of 4,424,049 deliveries were complicated by MS. MS prevalence increased with maternal age, with Caucasians comprising a higher proportion of MS subjects. MS subjects were older and more likely to have private insurance. Women with MS were more likely to have preexisting medical conditions such as asthma, chronic hypertension, thyroid disease, or cardiac disease. However, no significant antepartum and peripartum morbidities were found to be increased in patients with MS. Urinary tract infection, cesarean delivery, and induction of labor were slightly increased in MS patients.Conc...
Magnetic resonance imaging connectivity for the prediction of seizure outcome in temporal lobe epilepsy

SummaryObjective Currently, approximately 60–70% of patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) remain seizure-free 3 years after surgery. The goal of this work was to develop a presurgical connectivity-based biomarker to identify those patients who will have an unfavorable seizure outcome 1-year postsurgery. Methods Resting-state functional and diffusion-weighted 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was acquired from 22 unilateral (15 right, 7 left) patients with TLE and 35 healthy controls. A seizure propagation network was identified including ipsilateral (to seizure focus) and contralateral hippocampus, thalamus, and insula, with bilateral midcingulate and precuneus. Between each pair of regions, functional connectivity based on correlations of low frequency functional MRI signals, and structural connectivity based on streamline density of diffusion MRI data were computed and transformed to metrics related to healthy controls of the same age. Results A consistent connectivity pattern representing the network expected in patients with seizure-free outcome was identified using eight patients who were seizure-free at 1-year postsurgery. The hypothesis that increased similarity to the model would be associated with better seizure outcome was tested in 14 other patients (Engel class IA, seizure-free: n = 5; Engel class IB-II, favorable: n = 4; Engel class III–IV, unfavorable: n = 5) using two similarity metrics: Pearson correlation and Euclidean distance. The seizure-free connectivity model successfully separated all the patients with unfavorable outcome from the seizure-free and favorable outcome patients (p = 0.0005, two-tailed Fisher's exact test) through the combination of the two similarity metrics with 100% accuracy. No other clinical and demographic predictors were successful in this regard. Significance This work introduces a methodologic framework to assess individual patients, and demonstrates the ability to use network connectivity as a potential clinical tool for epilepsy surgery outcome prediction after more comprehensive validation.
Identifying the antecedents to ERP adoption

As small businesses grow in size, they eventually consider transitioning from their existing information system to an enterprise resources planning (ERP). This paper attempts to find the antecedent motivators for such a transition especially as it can be painful, expensive, and involve considerable business risk. This paper examines the business software involved along with an analysis of three case studies involving in ERP transition. The research concludes with a framework that can be used by small or medium businesses to evaluate if they should transition to an ERP system or just move to a more advanced version of the system they have been using. This research offers valuable guidelines to business executives as any ERP considerations are of strategic importance to any organisation. The research also provides new directions for academicians as there are few studies on the true motivators that drive ERP adoption.
Is Insight Merely Response Chaining?: A Reply to Epstein

Epstein’s attempted simulation and reduction of the problem-solving process to the interconnection of discrete repertoires was examined. His position was challenged on both empirical and conceptual grounds. It was concluded however that the difference in perspective between cogni-tively oriented theorists and those persuaded by a radical behavioristic model represents an attitudinal problem and is not susceptible to resolution by empirical means.
Warfarin plus aspirin prevented ischemic heart disease in high-risk men

Source Citation The Medical Research Council's General Practice Research Framework. Thrombosis prevention trial: randomised trial of low-intensity oral anticoagulation with warfarin and low-dose as...
Design and implementation of a lightweight high-voltage power converter for electro-aerodynamic propulsion

Recent studies in electro-aerodynamic (EAD) propulsion have stimulated the need for lightweight power converters providing outputs at tens of kilovolts and hundreds of watts [1] [2]. This paper demonstrates a design of a lightweight high-voltage converter operating from a 160–200 V dc input and providing dc output of up to 600 W at 40 kV. It operates at around 500 kHz and achieves a specific power of 1.2 kW/kg. This is considerably lighter than comparable industrial and academic designs at this power level. High voltage converters generally comprise an inverter, a step-up transformer and a rectifier, with the large needed voltage gain distributed among these stages. Several means of realizing these stages are compared in terms of weight. The weight of the converter is minimized by properly selecting and optimizing the design and the voltage gain of each stage within the constraints of device limitations and losses. A prototype circuit is developed based on this approach and used to drive an EAD-propulsion system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In addition to addressing the power conversion needs for EAD, this research can potentially benefit the development of lightweight high-voltage converters in many other applications where weight and size are important.
Minor Insect Orders

Abstract A number of insect orders are infrequently collected in freshwater habitats and have relatively low richness of aquatic species; however, these taxa may be locally abundant and can play important roles in freshwater food webs. The two families of Megaloptera, Corydalidae (fishflies and dobsonflies) and Sialidae (alderflies), have fully aquatic, predatory larvae. Larval corydalids, known as hellgrammites, are large, long-lived, and especially diverse in streams of Indomalaya and the Neotropics; larval sialids are smaller, found in a variety of lotic and lentic habitats, and have high diversity in the Holarctic. Aquatic Neuroptera include the cosmopolitan family Sisyridae (spongillaflies), whose larvae are obligate predators of freshwaters sponges, and Nevrorthidae, exclusively found in mountain streams of Indomalaya, Australasia, and the Palearctic. Additionally, several taxa of Osymidae are water-dependent and occasionally collected in aquatic samples. Five insect orders that are often considered fully terrestrial are known to have aquatic representatives: Blattodea, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Mecoptera, and Orthoptera. A number of species of Blattodea (cockroaches) in the family Blaberidae are aquatic or amphibious in habitats such as phytotelmata and streams. Many species of Hymenoptera (wasps) are endoparasitoids of aquatic invertebrates; additionally, adult Pompilidae (spider wasps) in the genus Anoplius dive underwater to prey upon semiaquatic spiders. Four different taxa of Lepidoptera (moths) have aquatic or amphibious larval stages (caterpillars) that consume aquatic plants, including the speciose subfamily Acentropinae (=Nymphulinae). One relict family of Mecoptera (scorpionflies), Nannochoristidae, has stream-dwelling larvae. Finally, a diverse fauna of aquatic and water-dependent Orthoptera (grasshoppers) are known, with the greatest richness in Indomalaya and the Neotropics. Future ecological investigations of the minor aquatic insect orders will undoubtedly uncover additional taxa with aquatic life stages.
Comparison of a fast 5-min knee MRI protocol with a standard knee MRI protocol: a multi-institutional multi-reader study

To compare diagnostic performance of a 5-min knee MRI protocol to that of a standard knee MRI. One hundred 3 T (100 patients, mean 38.8 years) and 50 1.5 T (46 patients, mean 46.4 years) MRIs, consisting of 5 fast, 2D multi-planar fast-spin-echo (FSE) sequences and five standard multiplanar FSE sequences, from two academic centers (1/2015–1/2016), were retrospectively reviewed by four musculoskeletal radiologists. Agreement between fast and standard (interprotocol agreement) and between standard (intraprotocol agreement) readings for meniscal, ligamentous, chondral, and bone pathology was compared for interchangeability. Frequency of major findings, sensitivity, and specificity was also tested for each protocol. Interprotocol agreement using fast MRI was similar to intraprotocol agreement with standard MRI (83.0–99.5%), with no excess disagreement (≤ 1.2; 95% CI, −4.2 to 3.8%), across all structures. Frequency of major findings (1.1–22.4% across structures) on fast and standard MRI was not significantly different (p ≥ 0.215), except more ACL tears on fast MRI (p = 0.021) and more cartilage defects on standard MRI (p < 0.001). Sensitivities (59–100%) and specificities (73–99%) of fast and standard MRI were not significantly different for meniscal and ligament tears (95% CI for difference, −0.08–0.08). For cartilage defects, fast MRI was slightly less sensitive (95% CI for difference, −0.125 to −0.01) but slightly more specific (95% CI for difference, 0.01–0.5) than standard MRI. A fast 5-min MRI protocol is interchangeable with and has similar accuracy to a standard knee MRI for evaluating internal derangement of the knee.
Rupture processes of the 2013-2014 Minab earthquake sequence, Iran

We constrain epicentroid locations, magnitudes and depths of moderate-magnitude earthquakes in the 2013-2014 Minab sequence using surface-wave cross-correlations, surfacewave spectra and teleseismic body-wave modelling. We estimate precise relative locations of 54 Mw ≥ 3.8 earthquakes using 48 409 teleseismic, intermediate-period Rayleigh and Lovewave cross-correlation measurements. To reduce significant regional biases in our relative locations, we shift the relative locations to align the Mw 6.2 main-shock centroid to a location derived from an independent InSAR fault model. Our relocations suggest that the events lie along a roughly east-west trend that is consistent with the faulting geometry in the GCMT catalogue. The results support previous studies that suggest the sequence consists of leftlateral strain release, but better defines the main-shock fault length and shows that most of the Mw ≥ 5.0 aftershocks occurred on one or two similarly oriented structures. We also show that aftershock activity migrated westwards along strike, away from the main shock, suggesting that Coulomb stress transfer played a role in the fault failure. We estimate the magnitudes of the relocated events using surface-wave cross-correlation amplitudes and find good agreement with the GCMT moment magnitudes for the larger events and underestimation of small-event size by catalogue MS. In addition to clarifying details of the Minab sequence, the results demonstrate that even in tectonically complex regions, relative relocation using teleseismic surface waves greatly improves the precision of relative earthquake epicentroid locations and can facilitate detailed tectonic analyses of remote earthquake sequences.
Analytical predictions of moment curvature relationship of steel beam columns under fire attack

Fire attack is one of the worst scenarios that may cause catastrophic consequences of steel buildings such as progressive collapse and failure. Current design codes and standards have addressed fire as one of the extreme loading conditions to be accounted for in the design of buildings. However, most of the approaches and procedures suggested by these codes and standards still lack accuracy and rationality. The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytical approach to predict the elastic-plastic moment-curvature relationship of steel beam - columns section under elevated temperature. The analytical method was derived based on dividing the steel section to layers and integrating the resistance moment equation of each layer in terms of the section curvature taking into account the effect of elevated temperature on the material properties of the steel by using EC3 reduction factors of the yield stress and modulus of elasticity. The suggested method has been validated against numerical simulation results. Validation results have shown the reliability of the suggested method to predict the resistance moment - curvature relationship of steel beam-column members at different elevated temperatures and under different values of the axial compressive force. The suggested methods may be used to develop more accurate design approaches for steel beam columns under fire condition.
Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Method for Measuring Transfection Efficiency

We describe here the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to measure the transfection efficiency of the transient expression vector pCMVcat in lymphoblasts and fibroblasts. By using a pCMVcat probe, we can visualize the location of the plasmid after transfection and thus determine transfection efficiency. In this report, we show that, for transfection of pCMVcat by the diethylaminoethyl-dextran method, the transfection efficiency was about 15 and 70 times greater in fibroblasts and lymphoblasts, respectively, when measured by the FISH method as compared to the efficiency measured by cotransfection with pCMV beta gal. Based on these results, we conclude that the FISH method is a highly sensitive, specific and direct measure of transfection efficiency of a transient expression vector and that it may be useful for evaluating laboratory assays in which the quantitative aspects of transfection and the effect of plasmid DNA damage on transfection efficiency are important.
The Health of Children in Cities

According to the 2000 census, 72.6 million children aged 0–18 live in the U.S., accounting for approximately one fourth of the total population (Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2003). Nearly one-third of these children live in central cities and one-half live in the suburbs (Sawhill and Chadwick, 1999). The number of children under 5 years of age has increased by 0.5% since 1990, while the number of children ages 5–19 years increased by 12.4% during the same time period (Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 2004). Over the next 50 years the proportion of children in the U.S. population will fall, as the population ages and birth rates plateau. By 2050, it is estimated that children will constitute 24% of the population, down from 26% in 1995 (Guyer, et al., 1996). On the other hand, the ethnic diversity of this child population will be even greater than that of the overall population; in 2050, only 22% of U.S. children will be non-latino white, compared to 50.1% of the total population (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1996). These changing U.S. child population demographics suggest that more children will live in cities and that these urban children will be more ethnically and racially diverse than the child population as a whole. While many similarities exist, the health of children and adolescents living in urban centers differs in several important ways when compared to that of children and adolescents not living in urban centers. Children living in urban centers are more likely to, 1) lack health insurance, 2) be living with a family with an income below the poverty line and receiving cash welfare benefits, 3) be living with a parent who does not possess a high school education, and 4) be more likely to be living in a single parent home (Wertheimer, et al., 2002). All of these unique features have implications for the health of urban children. Clearly within every city unique characteristics can be found that distinguish it from other cities. Yet, large urban centers also share many social, cultural, physical, and public infrastructure characteristics (Vlahov and Galea, 2002). Examination of
Meanings and Institutional Domains

The studies reported in this book demonstrate that notions of institutional domains are embedded in meanings of human identities, and consequently individuals can draw on their linguistic knowledge in order to comprehend their institutional roles. Linguistic studies of institutional domains usefully specify an institutional domain’s identities, settings, actions, and things. Such studies also can enable historical studies of institutional domains and might stimulate theoretical developments regarding institutional domains. Problems include dealing with words with multiple senses, and obtaining an initial list of words to study, as well as other issues specific to each method of assessing meanings. The second half of this chapter offers a sketch of institutional processes viewed from the standpoint of the individuals embodying the institutions. The presentation shows the importance of language as a carrier of culture that individuals use in their performances within institutional domains, while also allowing that other factors contribute to institutional functioning.