cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilateral Retrobulbar Neuritis Due to Varicella Zoster Preceding Retinal Necrosis in a Patient with AIDS

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe a case report of varicella zoster (VZV) infection presenting as bilateral retrobulbar neuritis affecting optic tracts, chiasm, and bilateral optic nerves preceding bilateral progressive outer retinal necrosis in a single patient with AIDS.Methods:The clinical course of a single patient with confirmed VZV infection will be described including presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.Results:The affected patient presented with acute, bilateral vision loss, and headache. The patient’s history was devoid of past, concurrent, or subsequent development of herpes zoster dermatitis. The patient lacked signs of meningeal irritation or infection. Diagnosis of VZV arachnoiditis and retrobulbar optic neuritis were confirmed by radiological and CSF examination and preceded the clinical identification of retinal involvement. Despite early, aggressive treatment with intravenous antiviral and steroids, as well as intravitreal antiviral therapy, complete bilateral visual l...
Kinetic modeling of tumor growth and dissemination in the craniospinal axis: implications for craniospinal irradiation

Background Medulloblastoma and other types of tumors that gain access to the cerebrospinal fluid can spread throughout the craniospinal axis. The purpose of this study was to devise a simple multi-compartment kinetic model using established tumor cell growth and treatment sensitivity parameters to model the complications of this spread as well as the impact of treatment with craniospinal radiotherapy.
Integration of signals generated by nutrients, hormones, and exercise in skeletal muscle

This review focuses on anabolic signaling pathways through which insulin, amino acids, and resistance exercise act to regulate the protein kinase complex referred to as mechanistic target of rapamycin complex (mTORC) 1. Initially, individual pathways through which the 3 anabolic signals act to modulate mTORC1 signaling will be discussed, followed by a summation of evidence showing an additive effect of the regulators. The emphasis will be on mTORC1 signaling in skeletal muscle and its contribution to modulation of rates of protein synthesis. In addition, results from studies using cells in culture will be used to provide a more complete picture of the molecular details of the individual pathways.
Sensitivity of an Early Step in the Sporulation of Bacillus subtilis to Selective Inhibition by Ethidium Bromide

Abstract When a final concentration of 0.4 μg of ethidium bromide (EB) per ml, which is subinhibitory to vegetative growth, is added to sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis Marburg during either stage 0 or the early part of stage 1, morphogenesis is blocked. If the given concentration of EB is added after the early part of stage 1, sporogenesis is unaffected. The synthesis of the serine protease and antibiotic, which are believed to be associated with sporulation events during the early part of stage 0, are not inhibited by EB. Enhanced binding of [14C]benzylpenicillin to sporulating cells during septation (stage 2) is a measure of the presence of terminal enzymes for germ cell wall peptidoglycan synthesis. EB does not interfere with the binding of penicillin to sporulating cells, but penicillin remains more permanently bound to EB-treated postlogarithmic cells than to untreated sporulating cells. The absence of an interval of increased penicillin binding activity during stage 2 by sporulating cells treated with EB indicates that EB blocks sporulation prior to the completion of the germ cell wall.
Use of Allylic Strain To Enforce Stereochemistry. Direct Syntheses of 7,8-Dihydroxycalamenene and Mansonone C

Direct syntheses of 7,8-dihydroxycalamenene and mansonone C were achieved. The cis-stereochemistry required for the synthesis of 7,8-dihydroxycalamenene was introduced by an intramolecular cyclization directed by allylic strain.
Relaxin concentrations in endometrial, placental, and ovarian tissues and in sera from ewes during middle and late pregnancy.

These studies were designed to determine the tissue source of ovine relaxin and to determine the feasibility of using the pregnant ewe for study of relaxin production and secretion. On Day 4 of gestation, ewes were laparotomized, the nonpregnant uterine horn was ligated, and the ovary not containing the corpus luteum was removed. During a second surgery at Day 45 (n=8) or 140 (n�9) of gestation, 10-mI blood samples were drawn from a uterine artery, the ovarian vein, and veins draining the pregnant and nonpregnant uterine horns. Endometrial, placental, and luteal tissues were obtained for irnmunocytochemistry and extraction. Relaxin was detected by a heterologous porcine radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 3 of 54 serum samples (701.3 ± 25.4 pg/mI, mean ± SEM). Relaxin was not detected in crude tissue extracts, but low quantities were detected by RIA following Sephadex G-50 column chromatography of tissue extracts. Total relaxin activity for all tissues was equivalent to 0.57 ± 0.13 ng of porcine relaxin/g tissue (w.w.). Relaxin was not detected immunocytochemically by light or electron microscopy. These data indicate that low quantities of rela.xin are present in tissues and sera of pregnant ewes.
Automated measurements of morphological, hemodynamic and oxygenation parameters in capillary networks and their use in computational models

The authors have developed a measurement and analysis system to study red blood cell (RBC) dynamics and oxygenation in capillary networks. The system is based on object-oriented principles and it is designed to mimic the structure and hierarchy present in the microcirculation. The system enables analysis of capillaries to study geometry, RBC flow, and hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO/sub 2/). The authors have also developed a very general computer code that can incorporate any realistic microvascular geometry, including capillary anastomoses and tortuosity. The computational model also includes network hemodynamics based on the latest findings for microvascular resistance. The model is capable of taking the geometric and hemodynamic data directly from the newly developed video-based experimental technique.
A review of the wind power developments in Pakistan

Abstract Pakistan is among the 10 countries that face the worst energy crisis of the world. As the country struggles with a number of financial, political and social issues, the transition from a conventional fuels based economy to a green economy is not an easy one. Pakistan has been blessed with immense potential of clean renewable sources of solar, wind and biomass but they have not been exploited yet. Renewable energy technology sector has not penetrated the energy mix and is currently an emerging market. This paper highlights the steps the country has taken in the past and the steps that are being taken at present to emerge out of the prevailing energy crisis when even the most urban areas suffer from power outages of 12 h per day. Until 2009, no single grid interconnected wind farm existed but now the situation has changed considerably and wind farms contributing to the national grid are a reality now. Three grid interconnected farms have been inaugurated and many others are in pipeline. The national policy regarding wind power systems has recently changed after unexpected setbacks to ongoing projects. This paper reviews the developments in the wind power sector of the country and lists some suggestions that can help improve the wind power penetration in the national energy mix.
Maintaining pharmacy as a service-oriented profession.

“While we live, we serve.” That maxim—the motto of the school of pharmacy where we serve as faculty members—speaks to the heart of the pharmacy profession. The service-oriented foundation of the pharmacy profession is expressed in the Oath of a Pharmacist, which calls on members of the
Adenosine deaminase-like protein 1 (ADAL1): characterization and substrate specificity in the hydrolysis of N(6)- or O(6)-substituted purine or 2-aminopurine nucleoside monophosphates.

Human N6-methyl-AMP/dAMP aminohydrolase has been shown to be involved in metabolism of pharmacologically important N6-substituted purine nucleosides and 5′-monophosphate prodrugs thereof. This enzyme was cloned and expressed in E. coli, and mass spectroscopic analysis followed by amino acid sequence analyses indicated that the protein was adenosine deaminase-like protein isoform 1 (ADAL1). An extensive structure–activity relationship study showed that ADAL1 was able to catalyze removal of different alkyl groups not only from N6-substituted purine or 2-aminopurine nucleoside monophosphates but also from O6-substituted compounds. The ADAL1 activity was susceptible to modifications in the phosphate moiety but not to changes in the sugar moiety. Overall, our data indicated that ADAL1 specifically acts at the 6-position of purine and 2-aminopurine nucleoside monophosphates. Our results may help designing of new therapeutic nucleoside/nucleotide prodrugs with desired metabolic profiles. Furthermore, amino acid ...
Polycrystalline VO 2 thin films via femtosecond laser processing of amorphous VO x

Femtosecond laser processing of pulsed laser-deposited amorphous vanadium oxide thin films was investigated. Polycrystalline VO2 thin films were achieved by femtosecond laser processing in air at room temperature. The electrical transport properties, crystal structure, surface morphology, and optical properties were characterized. The laser-processed films exhibited a metal–insulator phase transition characteristic of VO2, thus presenting a pathway for the growth of crystalline vanadium dioxide films on low-temperature substrates.
Relationship between diet composition and body fatness, with adjustment for resting energy expenditure and physical activity, in preadolescent children

We examined the relationship between diet composition and body fatness in 48 children (25 girls, 23 boys) aged 9-11 y. Subjects were identified for two study groups, non-obese [triceps skinfold (TSF) thickness or = 85th percentile). Measures for dietary intake, physical activity, resting energy expenditure (REE), and body composition were obtained by three 24-h dietary and activity recalls; indirect calorimetry; and anthropometrics, respectively. Percentage of body fat correlated positively with intakes of total (P < 0.0001), saturated (P < 0.01), monounsaturated (P < 0.0001), and polyunsaturated (P < 0.01) fatty acids, and negatively with carbohydrate intake (P < 0.001) and total energy intake adjusted for body weight (P < 0.001). After adjustment for study group, energy intake, REE, and physical activity, the associations remained for total, saturated, and monounsaturated fatty acid and carbohydrate intakes. These data suggest that diet composition, independent of total energy intake, REE, and physical activity may contribute to childhood obesity.
Reoviruses and the Interferon System

What are interferons (IFNs)? How do IFNs function to reduce the efficiency of reovirus replication? Considerable progress has been made toward answering these and many other important questions concerning the IFN system. In the course of answering these questions fundamental new insights have been gained that advance our understanding of the processes used to control gene expression in animal cells.
Sodium Diisopropylamide: Aggregation, Solvation, and Stability

The solution structures, stabilities, physical properties, and reactivities of sodium diisopropylamide (NaDA) in a variety of coordinating solvents are described. NaDA is stable for months as a solid or as a 1.0 M solution in N,N-dimethylethylamine (DMEA) at −20 °C. A combination of NMR spectroscopic and computational studies show that NaDA is a disolvated symmetric dimer in DMEA, N,N-dimethyl-n-butylamine, and N-methylpyrrolidine. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) readily displaces DMEA, affording a tetrasolvated cyclic dimer at all THF concentrations. Dimethoxyethane (DME) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine quantitatively displace DMEA, affording doubly chelated symmetric dimers. The trifunctional ligands N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine and diglyme bind the dimer as bidentate rather than tridentate ligands. Relative rates of solvent decompositions are reported, and rate studies for the decomposition of THF and DME are consistent with monomer-based mechanisms.
Importance of Angelica Lactone Formation in the Hydrodeoxygenation of Levulinic Acid to γ-Valerolactone over a Ru(0001) Model Surface

Using mean-field microkinetic modeling with parameters derived from density functional theory calculations and harmonic transition state theory, we investigated the steady-state catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL) on a Ru(0001) model surface. Focusing on the importance of intramolecular esterification of LA to its stable derivative α-angelica lactone (AGL) during the HDO to GVL, we studied various reaction pathways for GVL production that involve AGL and 4-hydroxypentanoic acid (HPA). We find that in a nonpolar reaction environment these pathways are not kinetically relevant but that GVL can be produced from LA by a single hydrogenation step, followed by ring closure and C–OH bond cleavage. However, AGL reaction pathways lead to surface poisoning at temperatures above 423 K when these pathways become kinetically accessible. As a result of surface poisoning—possibly at low temperatures by hydrogen and at high temperatures by AGL derivatives—we observe two different ...
Molecular characterization reveals that squash chlorosis mottling virus and zucchini tigré mosaic virus are the same newly emerging potyvirus

In 2013, we published the first report of a novel potyvirus isolate, which was tentatively named squash chlorosis mottling virus (SqCMV), from an infected squash plant (Cucurbita pepo) collected in the Homestead area of Florida. The purpose of the current work was to further characterize the virus isolate based on molecular properties, and to determine its relationship to other potyviruses. The complete genome sequence of the virus was 10,292 nucleotides (nt), consisting of a 5’-UTR (182 nt), a complete ORF (10,098 nt) encoding a polyprotein of 3,365 amino acids, a motif for the PIPO protein and a 3’-UTR (112 nt), but excluding the poly-(A) tail. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome and amino acid sequences revealed that the virus from Florida clustered with the type isolate of the newly described potyvirus zucchini tigre mosaic virus (ZTMV) sharing 82-90% nucleotide and 83-86% amino acid identities, respectively. Recombination analysis confirmed one major recombination event in the putative P1 coding region of the virus with the putative parental sequences predicted to resemble to ZTMV-Venezuela and France isolates. In addition, genetic diversity analysis indicated that the CP gene was under the highest selection pressure compared to other genes. Together, these results suggest that SqCMV and ZTMV are both representative isolates of the same species, Zucchini tiger mosaic virus. We present the first complete genome sequence of the ZTMV-HFL isolate from the USA.
Recent advances in management of bacterial meningitis in neonates

The current incidence of neonatal sepsis in the United States varies from less than 1 to 8.1 per 1000 live births. The incidence of bacterial meningitis is about one-third of the number of infants with sepsis. The mortality is 20 to 30% and many survivors are severely impaired. Group B streptococcus andEscherichia coli are the most frequent causes of meningitis. Because of the difficulty of clinical diagnosis, many infants receive presumptive therapy for suspected sepsis or meningitis although few have documented infection. Between 5 and 10% of newborn infants born in the United States receive antimicrobial agents in the nursery, usually a penicillin and an aminoglycoside. To lower the continued high mortality and morbidity of meningitis due to gram-negative enteric bacilli, collaborative randomized trials evaluated the efficacy of gentamicin administered via the intrathecal route, gentamicin administered into the ventricle and most recently, the efficacy of moxalactam. Neither intrathecal or intraventricular drug, both in combination with parenteral drug, was advantageous when compared with parenterally administered drug alone. The mortality rate and number of days of culture positive cerebrospinal fluid were similar in infants who received moxalactam and ampicillin and infants who received amikacin and ampicillin. Adjunctive therapies including granulocyte transfusion, administration of hyperimmune gamma globulin and exchange transfusion are now under investigation. Initial studies of prevention of systemic bacterial infection by prophylactic ampicillin administered to the mother at delivery and use of group B streptococcal vaccine administered to susceptible women in the child bearing age show promise.
Localization of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Cat Carotid Body and Petrosal Ganglion

How the carotid body converts hypoxic stimuli into neural activity remains largely unknown. Several neurotransmitters, which have been demonstrated in type I cells in the carotid body, are still candidates for primary neurotransmitter(s) of chemotransduction.
The Endomembrane System of the Fungal Cell

The eukaryotic endomembrane system can be defined as all the organelles comprising both the endocytic and secretory pathways, including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, endosomes, multivesicular bodies, lysosomes, vacuoles, plasma membrane, and transport intermediates such as vesicles and microvesicles. These membrane-enclosed compartments form a complex intracellular system that can comprise a large percentage of the total cellular volume. To understand the interrelationships between these intracellular compartments it is helpful to consider how each might have evolved. One of the most significant advances in evolution from prokaryotes to eukaryotes was the development of extensive cellular compartmentalization (Stanier 1970), facilitated by the proliferation of internal membranes (Blobel 1980). This elaboration of internal membranes allowed for an organelle-based division of labor for the biochemistry that was previously restricted to the surface of prokaryotic cells (Becker and Melkonian 1996).
Time-Variant Reliability and Load Rating of a Movable Bridge Using Structural Health Monitoring

After the recent bridge collapses in the US, the engineering community demands critical effects of bridge deterioration over long-term to be investigated and closely monitored. Combined with reliability techniques, structural health monitoring (SHM) can provide objective and accurate assessment of existing condition for safety and serviceability trends based on collected data. Two main approaches for this evaluation are rating and reliability. These approaches will be demonstrated analytically on a finite element model and the SHM data of a movable bridge: Sunrise Boulevard Bridge. Firstly, the reliability index and load rating will be analyzed under truck loading. A moving truck will be simulated on the model, obtaining the response reliability indices and ratings as a function of time. Strains from the model will be evaluated as monitoring data and component reliabilities will be calculated according to assumed limit states using random variables for material properties. Then, the same procedure is repeated but this time using the real-time data collected from the actual bridge. Finally, the results coming from both cases are compared and interpreted. These demonstrations will establish a guideline for applying reliability assessment based on monitoring data.
Giving Counsel in a Neoliberal-Anthropocene Age

In this article, the author considers pastoral listening in relation to the sufferings associated with living in a neoliberal Anthropocene age. He takes this up because he believes many people preparing for ministry are unaware of how abstract macro realities such as neoliberalism and global warming concretely undermine the well-being of people within and outside the church, synagogue, or mosque. Students who are aware of these realities may struggle with how to integrate this knowledge into specific pastoral interventions. To make his case, the author briefly describes what he means by neoliberalism and the Anthropocene age and indicates why these are inextricably joined. He then identifies the kinds of suffering that arise from living in a neoliberal Anthropocene age. Knowledge of these macrosystems, which are sources of suffering for many people, alters how one gives counsel, which is parsed into two moments—the immediate pastoral context and the context of community. In each moment, the pastoral minister serves as a compassionate, prophetic, interpretive witness and guide.
General Methods of Assessment

People encounter social interactions throughout the course of a day at their home, job, school, grocery store, and anywhere people are present. What contributes to the accord or conflict during these interactions are social skills. Adequate and poor social skills can be easily identified, even by the lay observer, yet defining what social skills are and what behaviors constitute a person being skilled or unskilled is more difficult. Numerous definitions of social skills exist; many of which are used in the assessment and treatment literature (Merrell & Gimpel,1998). Social skills definitions can be consolidated into three broad categories: a behavioral model, peer acceptance model, and social validity model (Gresham & Elliott,1984).
Urban revival by Millennials? Intraurban net migration patterns of young adults, 1980–2010

This study investigates neighborhood scale net migration of young adults in the top 20 urbanized areas (UAs) in the United States between 1980 and 2010. Both descriptive and regression analyses show that Generation Xers and Millennials were more likely to net migrate into central locations and less aversive to high density at their young ages than late boomers were in the 1980s. Consumption amenities are a critical factor that distinguishes the net migration patterns between young and old adult groups and became a more important location factor for young adults in the 2000s (late Gen Xers and older Millennials) than in the 1990s (early Gen Xers). There exists a considerable degree of heterogeneity across UAs and neighborhoods even within the same UAs.
Energy Storage Sizing and Reliability Assessment for Power Systems with Variable Generation

Energy storage systems (ESSs) mitigate the problems introduced by variable generation (VG) and offer the ability to optimize the operation of power systems with VG. The cost of ESS dictates prudent planning and installation of ESS to achieve specific objectives. This paper presents a mixed integer linear programing (MILP) model for ESS sizing. The model determines the optimal power and energy sizing of ESS taking into account forced outage rates (FORs) of all generating units including VG units (wind turbine systems (WTSs) and solar cell generators (SCGs)) and operational practices of dispatchable units, mainly economic dispatch. For specific sizes of ESS, we evaluate the reliability and projected costs in a probabilistic manner. For demonstration of the method, the ESS sizing and reliability assessment is applied to a power system with 10 conventional generators (CGs) and different numbers of SCGs and WTSs, depending on VG penetration level.
Angiogenesis in Wound Healing

Angiogenesis is essential for wound repair. The new blood vessels provide nutrients and oxygen to support cell growth and tissue repair. Neovascularization is a complex multistep process that is dynamic and tightly regulated in a spatial and temporal manner by a variety of signals from soluble factors, extracellular matrix, pericytes, and surrounding stromal cells. Recently, endothelial progenitor cells are known to be involved and, in fact, play a critical role in neovascularization. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate wound angiogenesis may provide novel approaches for treating chronic wounds.
Conversion of h-BN into c-BN for tuning optoelectronic properties

Boron nitride (BN) films containing different percentages of cubic phase contents were grown on a (0001) sapphire substrate using a novel pulsed laser processing method. To synthesize cubic boron nitride (c-BN), the hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) target was ablated by a pulsed KrF laser (λ = 248 nm) during the pulsed laser deposition process followed by the pulsed laser annealing (PLA) with an ArF laser (λ = 193 nm). We performed a set of detailed characterization analyses on the fabricated BN films by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution SEM, EBSD, and UV-Vis measurements. Raman spectroscopy was successfully utilized to identify the crystalline quality and to determine the fraction of c-BN phase quantitatively in the BN films. Here, we report that c-BN phase content can be tuned by the laser energy density during the PLA treatment. The optical bandgap of the fabricated BN films was found to increase with increasing cubic phase content and a correlation was obtained between the optical bandgap and the c-BN phase content in the films. The details of the structure–property correlation and the possible applications of these films are discussed.
Multilevel Models of the Relationship Between Music Achievement and Reading and Math Achievement

We used multilevel mixed modeling to test the extent to which students’ music achievement scores were related to their reading and math achievement scores. Of the four levels examined (individual s...
Tuning of Finite Element Model Parameters to Match Nonlinear Reduced Order Models

There has been a growing demand for nonlinear model updating procedures in the structural dynamics community as advanced vehicles have started to incorporate nonlinearity into their designs. Finite element (FE) model updating is difficult for a nonlinear structure for several reasons: there may be many unknown parameters in the FE model so that multiple solutions may exist, and it is very expensive to compute the structure’s nonlinear normal modes from a full FE model that are an excellent metric to use for nonlinear updating. A recent work showed that some of these challenges can be overcome by updating a nonlinear reduced order model (ROM) rather than the full FE model. The updated ROM can be used to compute response statistics, stresses and ultimately life of the structure. However, one drawback of this approach is that one does not gain physical insight into which parameters in the FE model were in error, and so it is difficult to transfer the lessons learned to future FE models. This work explores the feasibility of updating a FE model to correlate with a ROM with a set of known parameters. The target ROM parameters consist of the linear stiffness and the nonlinear stiffness coefficients which have been identified previously by updating the ROM to correlate with experimental measurements. In this process an optimization routine is setup in which the free parameters are those of the FE model, such as boundary stiffness springs, imperfections, pre-stress, etc. The optimization procedure is wrapped around a ROM creation algorithm that iteratively tunes the FE parameters, creates a ROM, and evaluates the ROM parameters with respect to the target ROM in order to minimize the objective function. This work will demonstrate the procedure on a numerical example of a curved beam in order to verify its effectiveness on the nonlinear model updating.
The novel multiple sclerosis susceptibility gene ATXN1 regulates B cell receptor signaling in B-1a cells.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by complex gene-environment interactions. ATXN1 maps to 6p22.3, within the 233 loci associated with an increased risk of developing MS. Toxic gain-of-function mutations in ATXN1 cause the neurodegenerative disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Conversely, ATXN1 loss-of-function is involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and tumorigenesis. We have recently shown that ATXN1 exerts a protective immunomodulatory activity in the MS model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Specifically, we demonstrated that mice lacking Atxn1 experience aggravated EAE due to aberrant B cell functions. Atxn1-null mice exhibit increased B cell proliferation with the concomitant expansion of specific B cell subsets including B-1a cells. This population of B cells is responsible for the production of natural immunoglobulins and has been associated with the etiology of multiple autoimmune diseases. To understand the role played by Atxn1 in these cells, we performed comprehensive transcriptomic profiling of Atxn1-null B-1a cells before and after stimulation with an encephalitogenic antigen. Importantly, we show that in this sub-population Atxn1 regulates immunoglobulin gene transcription and signaling through the B cell receptor (BCR).
Antimicrobial prescribing for treatment of serious infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pediatrics: an expert review

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), remains a significant pathogen in children. Despite evidence of decreasing prevalence, MRSA bacteremia has been closely associated with complications, including certain infections (i.e. musculoskeletal and endovascular) linked to increased treatment failures.Areas covered: This expert review summarized recent published literature on the role of treatment, dosing and administration of antibiotics used to combat serious S. aureus infections in children. The pertinent antibiotics presented were vancomycin, oxazolidinones, semi-synthetic glycopeptides, daptomycin, tigecycline, novel cephalosporins, fosfomycin and lefamulin. Vancomycin has been the most commonly used antibiotic in empiric therapy for serious MRSA infection, with new key recommendations emphasizing a different approach to dosing and therapeutic monitoring. For other antibiotics, data remain limited or clinical trials are underway.Expert opinion: MRSA remains a significant pathogen in the pediatric population. As numerous therapeutic agents are available, many agents have limited data on usage in pediatric patients. Future studies require pharmacokinetic, safety and efficacy studies in pediatric patients to ensure appropriate therapeutic treatment and outcomes. Phage therapy has been used to treat deep-seated MRSA infections and is an emerging investigational treatment option.
State of the art for treatment of bony defects around anterior shoulder instability—the American perspective

While arthroscopic Bankart repair yields high success rates, bone loss on the glenoid or humeral head can portend a poor outcome. The authors recommend a thorough evaluation including computed tomography (CT) scanning to best evaluate the amount of bone loss. Multiple studies have shown that the outcomes of revision stabilization procedures are inferior to the respective primary procedure; thus, it is of paramount importance to select the correct index procedure to optimize patient outcome. The authors present the American perspective on treating shoulder instability. For patients with a small on-track Hill Sachs lesion and less than 10 % glenoid bone loss, an isolated arthroscopic Bankart repair is appropriate. This procedure is also recommended for bony Bankart lesions, as well as in overhead throwing athletes. With an engaging Hill Sachs lesion and less than 15 % glenoid bone loss, the authors recommend the addition of a remplissage to the arthroscopic Bankart repair. For patients with up to 15 % bone loss or following a failed previous arthroscopic repair, the authors advocate for open Bankart repair. They recommend Latarjet in patients with a non-engaging Hill Sachs lesion greater than 15 % bone loss. Patients with bone loss over 30 % would benefit from bone grafting with iliac crest autograft or distal tibia allograft for stabilization. In summary, the authors believe that the index procedure provides an opportunity to optimize patient outcome and careful consideration of the treatment options is warranted.
Prone Position: A Strategy in Expansion?

The use of prone positioning has been in popularized in the lay press and in academic literature with increasing frequency recently. There are several mechanisms of actions that contribute to improvement in gas exchange for patients in the prone position. First, transpulmonary pressures are lowest
Slower dispositional respiration is associated with lower pain sensitivity, higher mindfulness and multiple unique neural mechanisms

The relationship between non-volitionally controlled breathing and pain remains unknown. The psychological mechanisms supporting this relationship are also poorly characterized. Anxiety and dispositional mindfulness, two antithetical constructs, are postulated to mediate the relationship between pain and respiration. Anxiety increases breathing and pain. In contrast, dispositional mindfulness is associated with lower anxiety and pain. Importantly, the neural correlates of respiration rate have not been identified. Seventy-four pain-free participants were administered the Five Faceted Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) before scanning. Two innocuous (35°C) and noxious (49°C; right calf) stimulation series during pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling functional MRI and continuous respiratory were then acquired. Subjects were instructed to “remain still and close their eyes” and visual analogue scale (0 = “no pain” – 10 = “worst pain imaginable”) pain intensity ratings were collected after each series. Slower respiration was associated with lower pain intensity ratings during noxious (r = .26, p = .03) and innocuous (r = .28, p = .02) stimulation. Higher mindfulness scores were associated with slower respiration (r = -.28, p = .02) and lower pain (r = -.25, p = .03). State anxiety did not significantly co-vary with pain or respiration (ps > .18). When compared to 35°C, 49°C stimulation produced significant activation in the primary somatosensory cortex corresponding to the stimulation site, bilateral thalamus, secondary somatosensory cortex, anterior/posterior insula, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Slower respiration was associated with greater activation in the subcallosal cortex, subgenual ACC, right-lateralized dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), putamen, anterior insula, and left caudate. Faster breathing was associated with greater activation in respiratory control centers within the pons, medulla, and cerebellum. These findings suggest that individuals who naturally breathe slower report lower pain and engage multiple unique executive-level processes supporting psychological resilience and self-regulation of affect. This work was supported by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (R21-AT007247, F32-AT006949, K99/R00-AT008238, R01-AT009693; F32 AT010843) and the Mind and Life Institute's Francisco J. Varela Award.
Facing Uncertainty: Norms and Formal Institutions as Shared Mental Models

This paper presents a theoretical argument focused on how social norms and formal institutions operate as cognitive coping mechanisms among groupings of boundedly rational actors who face fundamental uncertainty concerning their political and economic environments. Broadly speaking, informal and formal institutions facilitate strategic decision making by coordinating agents’ understandings of their social environments and their conceptions of how myriad actions of involved participants (including themselves) may affect such environments, along with their positions and wellbeing. Yet institutions and the associated cognitive processes, are subject to periods of rapid transformation that sometimes exhibit properties of cascading imitation across individuals and groups. After addressing background concepts, this paper makes four related assertions. First, heuristics and, by extension, mental models respond to shared narratives in a fashion that often generates conformity of belief and action. Second, mental models follow the dynamics of punctuated equilibrium processes. Third, institutions are a type of shared mental model that convey basic understandings across uncertain environments. Fourth, by enabling boundedly rational actors to manage uncertainty, institutions effectively choreograph social activity. Discussion includes reference to classical, evolutionary and epistemic game-theoretic modeling. Social choreography thus follows punctuated equilibrium dynamics that offer relative predictability during stable phases and stark uncertainty during rapid phases of punctuation. The paper closes with a fewon implications on the political economy of institutional change.
Day-By-Day: Higher Education in Afghanistan

This paper examines higher education in Afghanistan. Based on qualitative research, including interviews with key policymakers and stakeholders, the paper examines the primary issues, challenges, progress, and future vision for higher education in the country. The research reveals that one of the most significant issues in the country in the post-Taliban era is female participation in higher education. It also shows the importance of alternative forms of higher education, such as two-year institutions, private education, and technical/vocational education. The paper also discusses the emergence of quality assurance mechanisms and international partnerships with other universities. Regarding the future direction and vision for higher education, the paper reveals two primary focuses: preparing students for the labor market, and the potential for education to influence democratic values and social cohesion in a divided country. The full text of the article can be found at 10.18275/fire201401031034
Mechanisms of skill acquisition and the law of practice

Abstract : Practice, and the performance improvement that it engenders, has long been a major topic in psychology. In this paper, both experimental and theoretical approaches are employed in an investigation of the mechanisms underlying this improvement. On the experimental side, it is argued that a single law, the power law of practice, adequately describes all of the practice data. On the theoretical side, a model of practice rooted in modern cognitive psychology, the chunking theory of learning, is formulated. The paper consists of (1) the presentation of a set of empirical practice curves; (2) mathematical investigations into the nature of power law functions; (3) evaluations of the ability of three different classes of functions to adequately model the empirical curves; (4) a discussion of the existing models of practice; and (5) a presentation of the chunking theory of learning. (Author)
CANARIES IN THE COAL MINE: THE TACTICAL USE OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT TO AID IN THE PROTECTION OF WORKERS EXPOSED TO POLLUTANTS

Canaries were used in times past to alert miners to the presence of dangerous gases in a mine. A canary would die, and the miners would thereby become aware of deadly, but sometimes odorless, gases. Just as canaries have alerted miners to the presence of dangerous gases in mines, workers exposed to dangerous pollutants and conditions in workplaces may function as societal canaries warning the broader public of environmental dangers; but hopefully without having to die in the process. To perform this role, the workers must live to work (and protest) another day. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act is an underappreciated tool for making that outcome more likely for non-union workers not enjoying the safety provisions of collective bargaining agreements. It protects workers engaged in concerted activities to, in effect, save their lives.
Sample Size in Epidemiologic Studies

This article provides a broad overview of sample size determination methods for epidemiologic studies. Concepts related to sample size and power calculations are introduced. Formulas for sample size calculations are given for cohort and case–control (unmatched or matched) studies with binomial and Poisson outcomes. Methods for sample size calculations in survival studies and longitudinal studies are also presented. Factors that may affect the sample size and study power are discussed. A brief review of the computational methods and software packages commonly used for sample size calculations is also provided. Keywords: power; precision; cohort studies; case–control studies; confounding variables; survival studies; longitudinal studies
The Planning Theory of Law I: The Nature of Legal Institutions1

This paper and its companion (“The Planning Theory of Law II: The Nature of Legal Norms”) provide a general introduction to Scott Shapiro’s Planning Theory of Law as developed in his recent book Legality. The Planning Theory encompasses both an account of the nature of legal institutions and an account of the nature of legal norms. This first paper concerns the account of legal institutions. The second concerns the account of legal norms.
Overlapped digital subarray architecture for multiple beam phased array rada

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and a panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.
Rice hull ash and silicic acid as adsorbents for concentration of bacteriocins

Yang et al. (16) purified bacteriocins (pediocin AcH, nisin, sakacin A, and leuconocin Lcm1) by adsorbing them to heat-killed producer bacteria. They found that the adsorption of all bacteriocins tested was pH dependent with maximum adsorption occurring at a pH near 6.0. By reducing the pH to 2.0 and adding 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), they were able to release 93 to 100% of the bound bacteriocins from the producer cells. Daba et al. (5) also purified pediocin PA-1 by adsorption onto producer cells but desorbed the bacteriocin by acid treatment alone and recovered only 10% of the initial concentration. Bacteriocins (nisin, pediocin PO3, brevicin 286, and piscicolin 126) have also been removed from fermentation broths by adsorption onto diatomic calcium silicate (4). However, once adsorbed to diatomic calcium silicate, these bacteriocins could not be desorbed between a pH range of 1.0 to 12.0 except with the addition of 1% SDS. Methods therefore need to be devised to extract large quantities of purified bacteriocins from crude bacteriocin-containing culture supernatants for use in food preservation. Rice hull ash (RHA) is a coproduct of rice milling and is composed primarily of silica and carbon (12). Analysis of rice hull silica by infrared spectroscopy indicated it was similar to silicic acid (13). Proctor and Palaniappan (11) found that heating RHA at 500°C for 10 h and treating it with sulfuric acid improved the adsorption of lutein from soy oil. However, the acid-activated RHA (aRHA) reduced the extraction of free fatty acids from crude soy oil while the heat-treated alkaline RHA (kRHA) effectively removed the free fatty acids from crude soy oil (14). However, under commercial bleaching conditions, kRHA was not effective in reducing the levels of pigments, free fatty acids, and peroxides from soy oil (13). In addition, aRHA was used to effectively immobilize a lipase produced by Candida cylindracea (15). In this study, the optimum pHs for adsorption of five bacteriocins onto kRHA, aRHA and silicic acid (SA) were investigated. In addition, the optimum conditions for the desorption of bacteriocins from kRHA, aRHA, and SA and resulting specific activities were determined. The purity of the resulting bacteriocins after desorption was determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE).
Nursing Care in Alcohol and Drug User Treatment Facilities

Registered and advanced practice nurses are employed in substance user treatment facilities across the US and in most industrialized countries. Patterns of employment and job descriptions for nurses, however, are highly inconsistent and seriously flawed. Many regulatory system, legislative and government agency factors and to some degree, the nursing profession itself, sustain the flaws and limit the delivery of comprehensive care. Competencies linked to addictions nursing best practices are often underutilized because of narrow job descriptions. This results in limited health and nursing service delivery to vulnerable populations receiving treatment in these government funded programs. This article highlights the increasing demand for the delivery of integrated care to psychiatric and substance using populations. The author considers factors which stake holders can influence to change flawed employment patterns and limited access to comprehensive care for substance users.
Chapter 22 Peripheral neuropathies in human immunodeficiency virus infection

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the various peripheral neuropathies in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, including HIV-associated sensory neuropathies (HIV-SN), inflammatory polyneuropathies, mononeuritis multiplex, autonomic neuropathy, neuropathy in diffuse infiltrative lymphomatosis syndrome, and neuropathies caused by opportunistic infections. There are two main forms of predominantly sensory polyneuropathies. The first is neuropathy associated with advanced HIV-l infection and the second is distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) due to antiretroviral neurotoxicity, most commonly called “antiretroviral toxic neuropathy (ATN).” While clinically and physiologically similar, these disorders are different in etiopathogenesis. Inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (IDP) are divided historically into two types, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP form of GBS) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). The clinical features of HIV-l-infected individuals with IDP are not different from those patients without HIV-l infection. There are no clinical trials to guide definitive decisions about therapy in HIV-l-seropositive patients with IDP. However, because the clinical diseases are similar to HIV-l-seronegative patients with IDP, studies in presumably HIV-l-seronegative populations probably apply to the HIV-l-seropositive patient.
Power Estimation and Optimization

The sections in this article are 1 Sources of Power Dissipation 2 The Power Design Space 3 VLSI Design Abstraction Levels 4 Power Estimation 5 Power Optimization
Pulsational magnetic radiation from the neutron star in supernova 1987A

THE 0.5-millisecond period of pulsar PSR0535-69 in supernova 1987A (ref. 1) may be hard to explain by a conventional rotating neutron-star model, but might more naturally be understood if the neutron star is undergoing radial pulsation2. If this is the case, the pulsations will give rise to a time-varying dipole moment, and thus to electromagnetic radiation. I show here that any pulsar heating of the supernova remnant greater than ∼1.5 x 1037 erg s−1 must be due to this pulsational magnetic radiation (PMR). Recent observations3,4 suggest a pulsar power ∼7xl037 ergs-1. This implies that PMR is indeed heating the supernova nebula, and that the amplitude of the neutron-star surface oscillation after ∼2 yr is ∼10 B−112 m, where B12 is the polar magnetic field in units of 1012 Gauss. The vibrating pulsar model makes several testable predictions: in particular, any PMR component in the light curve will have a characteristic decay time of ∼0.5 yr (with large uncertainty) which is the result of rotation-induced damping by gravitational radiation. This would be very different from the usual pulsar heating rate, which is approximately flat on timescales of the order of years.