cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of exercise training on left ventricular function in normal subjects: a longitudinal study by radionuclide angiography.

Abstract Radionuclide angiocardiography provides accurate hemodynamic information during maximal exercise in erect subjects. Cardiac function was studied with this noninvasive technique in 12 male and 6 female college athletes before (BT) and after (AT) 6 months of swimming training. Measurements at rest and during maximal exercise of heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume, cardiac output and total body blood volume were determined from first pass and equilibrium precordial counting techniques. The results were as follows: Heart Rate (beats/ min) Ejection Fraction (%) End-Diastolic Volume (ml) Cardiac Output (liters/ min) Total Body Blood Volume (liter) Rest BT 74 ± 11 73 ± 6 133 ± 35 6.9 ± 1.1 8.7 ± 0.8 AT 61 ± 7 67 ± 7 167 ± 40 6.7 ± 1.0 11.4 ± 2.2 Exercise BT 185 ± 10 87 ± 4 166 ± 34 25.5 ± 5.7 8.0 ± 0.9 AT 181 ± 14 86 ± 5 204 ± 39 32.0 ± 8.7 10.8 ± 2.3 Total body blood volume increased after training (p −4 ) and ejection fraction (p −3 ) was associated with an increase in end-diastolic volume (p −5 ). Cardiac output at maximal exercise increased (p −4 ) with a constant heart rate and ejection fraction. Individual variation was observed in the performance level achieved, and the maximal cardiac output at exercise achieved after training (56.6 liters/min) was attained by an Olympic athlete. Exercise training appears to enhance cardiac performance primarily by inducing cardiac dilatation.
Civil commitment is disappearing in Oregon.

Over the past 20 years, in Oregon, the number of individuals entered into the civil commitment process has risen, but the number of those actually committed has gone down dramatically. This commentary compares commitment data during a time when the state’s population has increased substantially, while commitment rates have dropped by 50 percent. There are many possible factors that have contributed to this decline in commitment rates, including a stricter functional definition of “danger to self or others,” but perhaps the most significant reason is the shortage of the acute psychiatric beds that are essential in the commitment process. It is hard not to conclude that civil commitment in this state is headed toward functional extinction.
Evaluation of receptors for somatostatin in various tumors using different analogs.

The binding characteristics of several somatostatin (SS-14) analogs developed in our laboratory were examined in various human and animal tumors and normal tissues. In rat cerebral cortex and human breast cancer membranes the interaction of SS-14 with its binding sites was rapid, specific, saturable, linear with protein concentrations, and dependent on time and temperature. Analysis of kinetic and equilibrium experimental data showed that the interaction of [125I-Tyr11]SS-14 with the binding sites in all normal and tumoral tissue specimens was consistent with the presence of a single class of noncooperative binding sites. Superactive octapeptide analogs of somatostatin-containing hexapeptide sequences or showed significant binding affinities to SS-14 receptors. Among these analogs, D-Trp--Thr-NH2 (RC-98-I) showed the highest binding affinity to normal human pancreatic tissue and human pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In contrast, Sandostatin (SMS 201-995) bound only to normal pancreas, not to human pancreatic c...
The Relationship Between Learning Style Preference and Personality Variables: An Exploratory Investigation with Gifted Students:

The relationship between the Children's Personality Questionnaire (CPQ) and the Your Style of Learning and Thinking (SOLAT) was examined for 94 intellectually gifted students aged 9 to 14 years. Groups formed based on SOLAT scores were: (a) Right, (b) Left, (c) Integrated, and (d) Mixed. Discriminant functions derived from all CPQ factors yielded three functions. One discriminant function which can be described as an action dimension was significant. A classification analysis yielded 61.7% correct classification. These results indicate that there is a relationship between personality variables and preference for a particular style of information processing.
Designing measures for profiling and genotype/phenotype studies of individuals with genetic syndromes or developmental language disorders

Accurate phenotypic description is critical for the success of studies of the genetic basis for developmental language disorders. An important purpose of such a phenotypic description is to differentiate the language and associated cognitive profiles of syndromes or other developmental language disorders with diverse genotypes. In this paper we consider six measurement issues relevant to genotype/phenotype research and profiling: (a) Who is the target population? (b) What is the “ideal” measure of a single component of language? (c) What is the “ideal” measure(s) for quantifying the language (or language and cognitive) profile for a particular syndrome or disorder? (d) What are the special measurement issues for infants and young children? (e) How do we develop a profile? (f) What are the unresolved issues?
An Approximate Solution of Scattering From Reinforced Concrete Walls

Scattering from reinforced concrete walls, such as vertical rebar and crossed rebar walls, is analyzed by using an approximate analytical approach. The solution is obtained for a plane-wave incidence with an arbitrary angle of incidence and polarization under the thin-wire approximation. The formulation is based on derivation of the Green's function of a 1-D periodic sources inside a dielectric slab. Since the metal thickness is assumed to be small compared to the wavelength, the induced currents are predominantly axial and the transverse components of the induced currents are ignored. This drastically simplifies the solution for this problem which is obtained using a straightforward point-matching technique. The solution for two-dimensional periodic crossed rebar concrete walls is also cast in terms of the periodic Green's function obtained for the 1-D periodic structure of the vertical rebar walls. Using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation results, it is shown that the induced currents on thin crossed re- bars (diameter <lambda0/5) have primarily a progressive phase equal to that of the incident field in both directions. This observation also points to a simple approximate solution where the problem of scattering from a 2-D periodic crossed rebar concrete wall is decomposed into two coupled 1-D periodic structures of vertical and horizontal rebar walls. The Bragg mode scattered fields of the reinforced walls are computed for different wall parameters and incidence angles for an operation frequency range of 0.5-2.0 GHz and validated by FDTD simulation results.
Structural Studies on a Mitochondrial Glyoxalase II

Glyoxalase 2 is a beta-lactamase fold-containing enzyme that appears to be involved with cellular chemical detoxification. Although the cytoplasmic isozyme has been characterized from several organisms, essentially nothing is known about the mitochondrial proteins. As a first step in understanding the structure and function of mitochondrial glyoxalase 2 enzymes, a mitochondrial isozyme (GLX2-5) from Arabidopsis thaliana was cloned, overexpressed, purified, and characterized using metal analyses, EPR and (1)H NMR spectroscopies, and x-ray crystallography. The recombinant enzyme was shown to bind 1.04 +/- 0.15 eq of iron and 1.31 +/- 0.05 eq of Zn(II) and to exhibit k(cat) and K(m) values of 129 +/- 10 s(-1) and 391 +/- 48 microm, respectively, when using S-d-lactoylglutathione as the substrate. EPR spectra revealed that recombinant GLX2-5 contains multiple metal centers, including a predominant Fe(III)Z-n(II) center and an anti-ferromagnetically coupled Fe(III)Fe(II) center. Unlike cytosolic glyoxalase 2 from A. thaliana, GLX2-5 does not appear to specifically bind manganese. (1)H NMR spectra revealed the presence of at least eight paramagnetically shifted resonances that arise from protons in close proximity to a Fe(III)Fe(II) center. Five of these resonances arose from solvent-exchangeable protons, and four of these have been assigned to NH protons on metal-bound histidines. A 1.74-A resolution crystal structure of the enzyme revealed that although GLX2-5 shares a number of structural features with human GLX2, several important differences exist. These data demonstrate that mitochondrial glyoxalase 2 can accommodate a number of different metal centers and that the predominant metal center is Fe(III)Zn(II).
The Transition to Adolescence: the Role of Gender and Stress in Problem Behavior and Competence

– The differential change of boys and girls across pre-adolescence, early adolescence, and middle adolescence was examined. The participants were 259 children, their mothers, and their social studies teachers. The children completed a measure of internalizing problems and adults completed measures of the child's externalizing and internalizing problems and competence. Relative to girls, boys had more problems and less competence at pre- adolescence and/or less problems and more competence by mid-adolescence. A stressor, parental divorce, did not exacerbate the gender by developmental age period interaction. The differential vulnerability of boys and girls at different developmental periods is considered.
Surgical Procedures Overview

The following sections represent typical, uncomplicated postoperative courses for surgeries typically encountered as a medicine consultant. The information is selected from a medical, rather than a surgical, point of view. Clearly, every postoperative course is different. It may have been years since an internist has seen a post-op surgical patient—therefore our goal is to give the internist a general sense of a patient’s postoperative course, and to highlight surgical issues that may impact other medical diagnoses and treatments. As always, it is no substitute for communicating with the surgery team.
Combustion, respiration and intermittent exercise: a theoretical perspective on oxygen uptake and energy expenditure.

While no doubt thought about for thousands of years, it was Antoine Lavoisier in the late 18th century who is largely credited with the first “modern” investigations of biological energy exchanges. From Lavoisier’s work with combustion and respiration a scientific trend emerges that extends to the present day: the world gains a credible working hypothesis but validity goes missing, often for some time, until later confirmed using proper measures. This theme is applied to glucose/glycogen metabolism where energy exchanges are depicted as conversion from one form to another and, transfer from one place to another made by both the anaerobic and aerobic biochemical pathways within working skeletal muscle, and the hypothetical quantification of these components as part of an oxygen (O2) uptake measurement. The anaerobic and aerobic energy exchange components of metabolism are represented by two different interpretations of O2 uptake: one that contains a glycolytic component (1 L O2 = 21.1 kJ) and one that does not (1 L O2 = 19.6 kJ). When energy exchange transfer and oxygen-related expenditures are applied separately to exercise and recovery periods, an increased energy cost for intermittent as compared to continuous exercise is hypothesized to be a direct result.
Optimization principles for arithmetic functions in hardware-software co-design

As traditional hardware scaling laws have started to break down, Co-Design of hardware and software has become the most promising avenue towards exa-scale computing. We present a bottom-up approach as part of a larger project that develops an optimization framework for computational codesign for molecular dynamics applications. Our approach finds optimum circuit designs for arithmetic functions, such as square root or multiplication, which are the basic building blocks of the domain-specific arithmetic calculations in molecular dynamics simulations. Our design approach employs the Boolean satisfiability problem (SAT) as a vehicle for circuit design, using state-of-the-art SAT solvers that show their algorithmic power on mid-range performance computing platforms to rein in the inevitable combinatorial explosion of possible circuit designs as we increase the bit-length of our operations. While the main emphasis is on the modeling methodology, we show initial results of automated designs for a 4-bit square root circuit and a mini-calculator.
The role of endomyocardial biopsy in ARVC: looking beyond histology in search of new diagnostic markers.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is characterized by a high incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death that appear early in the natural history of the disease and may precede significant ventricular remodeling. The classical pathology of ARVC is degeneration of right ventricular free wall myocardium and its replacement by fat and fibrous tissue. The clinical presentation may be highly variable, however, and genetic penetrance is typically low which makes definitive diagnosis difficult, especially in early stages of the disease. Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) has not been used widely in the diagnosis of ARVC, in part because pathological changes are usually most conspicuous in the epicardium of the right ventricular free wall and tend to spare the endocardium and interventricular septum. Thus, diagnostic pathological features of ARVC are often not seen in conventional septal biopsies. Diagnostic yield may be increased by sampling the RV free wall or by using 3-dimensional electroanatomic voltage mapping to identify affected areas, but these approaches can carry increased risk and require specialized equipment and experience. Moreover, diagnostic pathological changes may not be apparent in early disease despite an increased risk of arrhythmias and sudden death. This review considers the role of EMB in the diagnosis of ARVC and highlights recent advances in identifying potential tissue biomarkers that arise early in the disease process and occur diffusely throughout the myocardium. Analysis of conventional EMB using such biomarkers could improve diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy but widespread clinical application of this approach requires further validation.
What we think before a voluntary movement

A central feature of voluntary movement is the sense of volition, but when this sense arises in the course of movement formulation and execution is not clear. Many studies have explored how the brain might be actively preparing movement before the sense of volition; however, because the timing of the sense of volition has depended on subjective and retrospective judgments, these findings are still regarded with a degree of scepticism. EEG events such as beta event-related desynchronization and movement-related cortical potentials are associated with the brain's programming of movement. Using an optimized EEG signal derived from multiple variables, we were able to make real-time predictions of movements in advance of their occurrence with a low false-positive rate. We asked participants what they were thinking at the time of prediction: Sometimes they were thinking about movement, and other times they were not. Our results indicate that the brain can be preparing to make voluntary movements while participants are thinking about something else.
Learning to Estimate Dynamical State with Probabilistic Population Codes.

Tracking moving objects, including one’s own body, is a fundamental ability of higher organisms, playing a central role in many perceptual and motor tasks. While it is unknown how the brain learns to follow and predict the dynamics of objects, it is known that this process of state estimation can be learned purely from the statistics of noisy observations. When the dynamics are simply linear with additive Gaussian noise, the optimal solution is the well known Kalman filter (KF), the parameters of which can be learned via latent-variable density estimation (the EM algorithm). The brain does not, however, directly manipulate matrices and vectors, but instead appears to represent probability distributions with the firing rates of population of neurons, “probabilistic population codes.” We show that a recurrent neural network—a modified form of an exponential family harmonium (EFH)—that takes a linear probabilistic population code as input can learn, without supervision, to estimate the state of a linear dynamical system. After observing a series of population responses (spike counts) to the position of a moving object, the network learns to represent the velocity of the object and forms nearly optimal predictions about the position at the next time-step. This result builds on our previous work showing that a similar network can learn to perform multisensory integration and coordinate transformations for static stimuli. The receptive fields of the trained network also make qualitative predictions about the developing and learning brain: tuning gradually emerges for higher-order dynamical states not explicitly present in the inputs, appearing as delayed tuning for the lower-order states.
Some observations on the effects of attention to stimuli on the amplitude of the acoustically evoked response.

The amplitude of averaged auditory evoked responses (AER) was studied under four different conditions designed to alter subjects' attention to stimuli. The conditions were reading, counting stimuli, discriminating intensity increments, and ignoring stimuli. The results indicate that the discriminating condition produces larger AER than do the other conditions. Also, depending on the reference for measurement, the counting condition produces larger AER.Nous avons etudie l'amplitude des reponses auditives evoquees (RAE) dans quatre conditions differentes, toutes etablies de facon a alterer l'attention des sujets aux stimuli. Ces conditions etaient les suivantes: lire, compter les stimuli, distinguer les accroissements de l'intensite, et ignorer les stimuli. Les resultats indiquent que le fait de distinguer les accroissements de l'intensite produit une reponse auditive evoquee plus grande que les autres conditions.
Identification of human single-chain antibodies with broad reactivity for noroviruses

Norovirus infections are a common cause of gastroenteritis and new methods to rapidly diagnose norovirus infections are needed. The goal of this study was to identify antibodies that have broad reactivity of binding to various genogroups of norovirus. A human scFv phage display library was used to identify two antibodies, HJT-R3-A9 and HJT-R3-F7, which bind to both genogroups I and II norovirus virus-like particles (VLPs). Mapping experiments indicated that the HJT-R3-A9 clone binds to the S-domain while the HJT-R3-F7 clone binds the P-domain of the VP1 capsid protein. In addition, a family of scFv antibodies was identified by elution of phage libraries from the GII.4 VLP target using a carbohydrate that serves as an attachment factor for norovirus on human cells. These antibodies were also found to recognize both GI and GII VLPs in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) experiments. The HJT-R3-A9, HJT-R3-F7 and scFv antibodies identified with carbohydrate elution were shown to detect antigen from a clinical sample known to contain GII.4 norovirus but not a negative control sample. Finally, phages displaying the HJT-R3-A9 scFv can be used directly to detect both GI.1 and GII.4 norovirus from stool samples, which has the potential to simplify and reduce the cost of diagnostics based on antibody-based ELISA methods.
270 CHARACTERIZATION OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS FOR MINOR CLOSED HEAD INJURY IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN.

Purpose From 11/1/04-10/31/05, there were 1,194 emergency department (ED) visits for closed head trauma in all age groups, accounting for 2.4% of all ED visits that year. Our objective was to describe the pattern of these visits and their outcomes in the school age group of 5-15 years. Methods A 1-year (11/1/04-10/31/05) retrospective ED chart review is in process, of which a 100-chart representative sample is to be presented in this abstract as preliminary data. The sample represents patient visits from 5 well-distributed months of the year and includes the first 20 patients in the defined age group that presented in each of those months. Data included age, gender, mechanism of head injury, presence of loss of consciousness, symptoms, head imaging results if done, and disposition. Results Of all of the visits for closed head injury, those in the 5- to 15-year age group varied from 25-54%, but 4/5 months were very close to 50%. The balance was overwhelmingly under 5 years of age. We therefore anticipate a full chart review to include approximately 550 charts. Of the charts reviewed to date, the male:female ratio was 73:27. Seven fell off bikes, with only one patient wearing a helmet. Four fell off other riding toys (go-cart, skateboard), with no helmet worn. Twenty injuries were in the setting of a team sport event. Forty-two injuries resulted from falls. Others resulted from accidental collisions during play, freak accidents such as being hit in the head by a falling box, or fights. Of the 100 patients reviewed, 21 had documented or believed loss of consciousness. The top 3 reported symptoms were headache (45), altered mental status/cognition, meaning sleepiness, disorientation, perseveration, or a component of amnesia (31), and vomiting (19). Other symptoms included visual changes and dizziness. Thirty-nine patients received noncontrast CT studies of the brain; 8 had positive findings including skull fracture and/or intracranial hemorrhage. Of these 8, half had loss of consciousness and half did not. All were neurologically intact. Seven of the 8 were admitted to the hospital. No one with a negative head CT was admitted. Conclusions Closed head injury is a very common occurrence and reason to seek emergency care. Causes are varied in this very active age group but are likely to be somewhat avoidable by safety measures (such as helmet use). Serious findings of skull or intracranial hemorrhage can be associated with a normal neurological exam, and in this series, the history of loss of consciousness may not be a sensitive indicator of who is at higher risk.
Analysis of survival time and influencing factors of AIDS patients in Shandong Province

Objective To analyze the survival status of AIDS patients in Shandong Province,to explore the influencing factors related to survival time. Methods The follow-up data of AIDS patients from 1992 to 2012 in Shandong Province was analyzed by a retrospective cohort study. Life table and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze survival rate,and influencing factors were analyzed by Cox regression analysis. Results Totally 1 345 cases were analyzed.44. 5% was transmitted by heterosexual behavior,23. 2% by blood transfusion or commercial blood donation and 21. 8%by homosexual behavior. 41. 9% was reported by medical institutions and 39. 5% by counselling and testing. 98. 1% received antiviral therapy. 320 cases died of AIDS-related diseases. The median survival time was 117. 6 months with a 13-year survival rate of 71. 6% by the end of the observation. Cox regression analysis showed that the difference of survival time was statistically significant( P 0. 05) in sex,race,standard of culture,transmission routes,sample resources,status of antiviral therapy,and CD4+T lymphocyte count at diagnosis. Conclusions It is important to prolong the survival time of AIDS by enlarging surveillance,testing and antiviral therapy.
Three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic hot spots for label-free sensing and effective photothermal killing of multiple drug resistant superbugs

Drug resistant superbug infection is one of the foremost threats to human health. Plasmonic nanoparticles can be used for ultrasensitive bio-imaging and photothermal killing by amplification of electromagnetic fields at nanoscale “hot spots”. One of the main challenges to plasmonic imaging and photothermal killing is design of a plasmonic substrate with a large number of “hot spots”. Driven by this need, this article reports design of a three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic “hot spot”-based substrate using gold nanoparticle attached hybrid graphene oxide (GO), free from the traditional 2D limitations. Experimental results show that the 3D substrate has capability for highly sensitive label-free sensing and generates high photothermal heat. Reported data using p-aminothiophenol conjugated 3D substrate show that the surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) enhancement factor for the 3D “hot spot”-based substrate is more than two orders of magnitude greater than that for the two-dimensional (2D) substrate and five orders of magnitude greater than that for the zero-dimensional (0D) p-aminothiophenol conjugated gold nanoparticle. 3D-Finite-Difference Time-Domain (3D-FDTD) simulation calculations indicate that the SERS enhancement factor can be greater than 104 because of the bent assembly structure in the 3D substrate. Results demonstrate that the 3D-substrate-based SERS can be used for fingerprint identification of several multi-drug resistant superbugs with detection limits of 5 colony forming units per mL. Experimental data show that 785 nm near infrared (NIR) light generates around two times more photothermal heat for the 3D substrate with respect to the 2D substrate, and allows rapid and effective killing of 100% of the multi-drug resistant superbugs within 5 minutes.
Is Death is Life Crisis? On the Confrontation with Death in Theory and Practice

ABSTARCT Life and death are not strangers to each other. However, life-span developmental theory as such has taken little notice of death and dying. This exploration of possible relationships between the two realms offers a discussion of death as variable, event, state, analogy, and mystery. Detailed consideration is given to a well-known stage theory of dying, and selected problems in theory and practice are then identified. Caution is advised against the premature enshrinement of death as one more “normative life crisis.”
Echocardiographic variables after left ventricular assist device implantation associated with adverse outcome.

Background— Operative mortality after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is heavily influenced by patient selection and the technical difficulty of surgery. However, how we treat our patients and LVAD setting may affect the patient outcome beyond this period. We postulated that the presence of echocardiographic variables 1 month after surgery suggesting appropriate degree of LV unloading and an adequate forward flow would be important in determining clinical outcomes after the initial successful LVAD implantation. Methods and Results— We retrospectively analyzed various variables in echocardiographic examinations performed 30 days after LVAD implant in 76 consecutive patients receiving continuous flow device for their association with a compound end point (90-day mortality, readmission for heart failure, or New York Heart Association class III or higher at the end of the 90-day period). The echocardiographic associations examined included estimated LVAD flow, with and without native LV contribution, interventricular septal position, the status of aortic valve opening, an estimated left atrial pressure (ELAP), the mitral flow E-wave deceleration time, and the ratio of deceleration time to E-wave velocity (mitral deceleration index \[MDI]). Four patients died during the 30- to 90-day period, 6 patients were readmitted for heart failure, and 25 patients were considered to have New York Heart Association class III or higher at the end of the 90-day period. Variables associated with adverse outcome included increased ELAP (odds ratio, 1.30 [1.16–1.48]; P <0.0001), MDI <2 ms/[cm/s\] (odds ratio, 4.4 implantation [1.22–18]; P =0.02) and decreased tricuspid lateral annulus velocity (odds ratio, 0.70 implantation [0.48–0.95]; P =0.02). A leftward deviation of interventricular septum was associated with a worse outcome (odds ratio, 3.03 implantation [1.21–13.3]; P =0.01). Conclusions— Mortality and heart failure after LVAD surgery appear to be predominantly determined by echocardiographic evidence of inefficient unloading of the left ventricle and persistence of right ventricular dysfunction. Increased estimated LA pressure and short MDI are associated with worse mid term outcome. Leftward deviation of the septum is associated with worse outcome as well.
Platelet Factor 4 Levels Inversely Correlate with Platelet Transfusion Needs In Pediatric Patients Treated for Standard Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract 725 Platelet factor 4 (PF4) is a chemokine found almost exclusively in megakaryocytes and platelets. PF4 has been previously shown to be a negative paracrine inhibiting megakaryopoiesis in vitro in humans and mice. We confirmed this finding and also found an inverse correlation between PF4 and steady-state platelet counts in mice. In both chemotherapy- and radiation-induced thrombocytopenia, platelet PF4 levels inversely correlated with platelet count recovery after bone marrow injury, and blocking this effect ameliorated the thrombocytopenia. We now asked whether platelet PF4 levels are of clinical relevance on human platelet biology in patients undergoing chemotherapy. We selected pediatric patients who had completed treatment for standard risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the Children9s Hospital of Philadelphia, as this was a fairly large population that have reached remission after relatively uniform therapy. Enrolled patients had completed therapy since January 1999. Blood samples were obtained and medical records were retrospectively reviewed for platelet counts, platelet transfusion requirements and duration of therapy during delayed intensification (DI). DI was chosen for investigation as a preliminary study showed that 35% of our patients require platelet transfusion during DI and need for transfusion at that point in therapy is unlikely to be related to primary underlying bone marrow disease. To date, 68 subjects have been enrolled. Sixty-two subjects had evaluable PF4 levels. PF4 levels were independent of age and sex. Leukemia survivors did not have significantly different PF4 levels when compared to a pediatric control population. There was a direct relationship between measured total PF4 level and platelet count (Pearson r 0.36, p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Factors Associated With Infectious Laryngitis: A Retrospective Review of 15 Cases.

Objectives:To identify the culturable microbes associated with infectious laryngitis and outline effective treatment strategies.Methods:This is a retrospective chart review of adult patients with p...
Substrate Preferences Establish the Order of Cell Wall Assembly in Staphylococcus aureus.

The Gram-positive bacterial cell wall is a large supramolecular structure and its assembly requires coordination of complex biosynthetic pathways. In the step that merges the two major biosynthetic pathways in Staphylococcus aureus cell wall assembly, conserved protein ligases attach wall teichoic acids to peptidoglycan, but the order of biosynthetic events is a longstanding question. Here, we use a chemical approach to define which of the possible peptidoglycan intermediates are substrates for wall-teichoic acid ligases, thereby establishing the order of cell wall assembly. We have developed a strategy to make defined glycan chain-length polymers of either un-cross-linked or cross-linked peptidoglycan, and we find that wall teichoic acid ligases cannot transfer wall teichoic acid precursors to the cross-linked substrates. A 1.9 A crystal structure of a LytR-CpsA-Psr (LCP) family ligase in complex with a wall teichoic acid precursor defines the location of the peptidoglycan binding site as a long, narrow ...
Sustainable Transportation Planning in the BosWash Corridor

Mobility in the twenty-first century has transformed into a multimodal experience. With goals of reducing impacts on the environment, society, and economy, sustainable transportation systems including trails, bikeways, transit, and even high-speed rail plans are being integrated and adopted within the Boston to Washington, D.C. (BosWash) corridor. Although rail and highway facilities originally formed the spine, the development and expansion of this megaregion requires reliance on non-vehicular mobility. This chapter highlights sustainable transportation systems, specifically non-motorized mobility and transit, using examples within the BosWash corridor. The facilities are explored in terms of their strengths in promoting sustainable mobility as well as future challenges and barriers to shifting away from automobile reliance and toward a more balanced multimodal system.
Instrument Pilot Course Syllabi: A Content Analysis

The purpose of this research was to examine syllabi collected from four-year, University Aviation Association (UAA) member schools that offer Title 14 of the CFR Part 141 approved instrument pilot instruction through content analysis. These documents were examined for elements deemed essential by the research literature. This investigation sought to identify the inclusion of course descriptions, learning objectives, the coverage of topics required by regulation, the textbooks and other materials used, course assignments, evaluative tools (e.g. tests, quizzes, papers), instructional methods utilized, statements concerning class policies, and statements of academic integrity. Also, this study sought to determine if instrument pilot courses included contemporary issues, namely global position system navigation, and how this subject is conveyed to students. Instrument pilot course syllabi were found to vary widely on the inclusion of critical elements. Only 28.1% incorporated all of the recommended items. Few (15.6%) syllabi complied with Part 141 regulatory requirements for subject/objective coverage. The majority of syllabi (71.9%) included GPS instruction however the coverage of the material was very limited.
Engineering Issues in the Fabrication of a Hybrid Nano-Propeller System Powered by F 1 -ATPase

A hybrid nanoscale device consisting of nanofabricated structures integrated with a biomolecular motor was constructed on a 25-mm diameter round glass cover slip. Glass substrates were patterned using electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching to define elevated nickel anchor points with a minimum feature size of 60 nm in diameter. Subsequent additions of histidine-tagged F1-ATPase biomolecular motor resulted in selective attachment of the biomotors to the nanofabricated substrates. Electron beam lithography also was employed to fabricate 1 μm long nickel propellers, which subsequently were released through wet etching, collected, and concentrated in buffer solution. Biotin-Cys-6x-His peptides were attached to nickel propellers for interfacing with a biotinylated biomolecular motor through a streptavidin linker. Successful assembly of the hybrid system was demonstrated with observation of rotating nickel propellers. This engineered hybrid nanomechanical system demonstrates the potential application of a new class of devices with enhanced functionality in biological environments.
An island on the brink

Tangier Island, located in the middle of Chesapeake Bay, is one of the mainstays of the region9s blue crab fishery. No location on the small island is more than 5 feet above sea level, and two-thirds of its land mass has been lost since 1850. Much of its upland is being converted to tidal marsh as sea-level rise accelerates while the land subsides at one of the highest rates in the mid-Atlantic region. In Chesapeake Requiem, Earl Swift warns that the very waters on which Tangier Islanders depend now threaten the community9s future. This book is a chronicle about the lives of Tangier Islanders and about their history, culture, and beliefs, set within the context of what is known about the likely fate of this vulnerable, isolated island.
The Nrf2 activator tBHQ inhibits the activation of primary murine natural killer cells.

Tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) is a commonly used food preservative with known immunomodulatory activity; however, there is little information regarding its role on natural killer (NK) cell activation and function. tBHQ is a known activator of the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which results in induction of cytoprotective genes. Activation of Nrf2 has been shown to modulate immune responses in a number of different models. In addition, studies in our laboratory have shown that tBHQ inhibits numerous early events following T cell activation. In the current study, we investigated whether activated NK cells are impacted by tBHQ, since many signaling cascades that control NK cell effector function also contribute to T cell function. Splenocytes were isolated from female, wild-type C57Bl/6J mice and treated with 1 μM or 5 μM tBHQ. NK cell function was assessed after activation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin for 24 h. Activation of NK cells in the presence of tBHQ decreased total NK cell percentage, production of intracellular interferon gamma (IFNɣ), granzyme B, and perforin, and induction of the cell surface proteins CD25 and CD69, which are markers of NK cell activation. In addition to NK cell effector function, NK cell maturation was also altered in response to tBHQ. Notably, this is the first study to demonstrate that the Nrf2 activator, tBHQ, negatively impacts effector function and maturation of NK cells.
Dietary copper effects on lipid metabolism, performance, and ruminal fermentation in finishing steers.

Sixty Angus steers (391.1+/-6.1 kg) were used to determine the effects of dietary Cu concentration on lipid metabolism and ruminal fermentation. Steers were stratified by weight and randomly assigned to treatments. Treatments consisted of 0 (control), 10, or 20 mg of supplemental Cu (as CuSO4)/kg diet DM. Steers were housed in pens equipped with individual electronic Calan gate feeders. On d 86 and 92, ruminal fluid was collected from two steers/treatment for IVDMD determination. Equal numbers of steers per treatment were slaughtered after receiving the finishing diets for 96 or 112 d. Gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, IVDMD, and ruminal VFA molar proportions were not affected by Cu supplementation. Copper supplementation increased (P < .05) liver Cu concentrations, and steers supplemented with 20 mg Cu/kg DM had higher (P < .05) liver Cu concentrations than steers supplemented with 10 mg Cu/kg DM. Serum total cholesterol concentrations were reduced by d 56 and at subsequent sampling dates in steers receiving supplemental Cu. Longissimus muscle cholesterol concentrations were lower (P < .10) in steers supplemented with Cu. Backfat depth was less (P < .05) in steers receiving supplemental Cu, but marbling scores were similar across treatments. Unsaturated fatty acid composition of longissimus muscle was increased (P < .05) and saturated fatty acid composition tended (P < .12) to be reduced in Cu-supplemented steers. Polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations were higher (P < .05) in steers receiving Cu. These results indicate that addition of 10 or 20 mg Cu/kg to a high-concentrate diet containing 4.9 mg Cu/kg DM alters lipid and cholesterol metabolism in steers but does not affect ruminal fermentation.
Factors associated with the successful completion of randomized controlled trials in gynecological oncology

Abstract Purpose The aim of our review was to ascertain factors associated with the successful completion of a randomized controlled trial in gynecological oncology. Materials and methods This retrospective cohort study utilized data collected from the National Institutes of Health's US National Library of Medicine database on ClinicalTrials.gov . Data was collected over a five year period (2009–2013). Utilizing the search terms under the National Institutes of Health recommended “Studies by Topics” gynecological oncology studies were identified. Randomized controlled trials were selected for based on intervention and randomization criteria. Elements were then compared with statistical analysis performed using SASS. Results As of September 1st 2018, 149 of the 318 identified randomized controlled trials were successfully completed over a median length of 44 months (IQR 30.0–55.0). Completed randomized controlled trials were more likely to be performed at single centers (p Conclusions Prospective randomized trials are essential for establishing the standard of care in clinical medicine. They are, however, time and resource intensive. Herein we have attempted to identify factors associated with successful and timely completion of gynecologic oncology randomized controlled trials including site of origin, number of participating sites, funding source, intervention type, enrollment size, and study length; however, none of these factors were observed to have an association with increased rates of trial publication.
How Robots in a Large Group Make Decisions as a Whole? From Biological Inspiration to the Design of Distributed Algorithms

Nature provides us with abundant examples of how large numbers of individuals can make decisions without the coordination of a central authority. Social insects, birds, fishes, and many other living collectives, rely on simple interaction mechanisms to do so. They individually gather information from the environment; small bits of a much larger picture that are then shared locally among the members of the collective and processed together to output a commonly agreed choice. Throughout evolution, Nature found solutions to collective decision-making problems that are intriguing to engineers for their robustness to malfunctioning or lost individuals, their flexibility in face of dynamic environments, and their ability to scale with large numbers of members. In the last decades, whereas biologists amassed large amounts of experimental evidence, engineers took inspiration from these and other examples to design distributed algorithms that, while maintaining the same properties of their natural counterparts, come with guarantees on their performance in the form of predictive mathematical models. In this paper, we review the fundamental processes that lead to a collective decision. We discuss examples of collective decisions in biological systems and show how similar processes can be engineered to design artificial ones. During this journey, we review a framework to design distributed decision-making algorithms that are modular, can be instantiated and extended in different ways, and are supported by a suit of predictive mathematical models.
Contrast-enhanced XROMM reveals in vivo soft tissue interactions in the hip of Alligator mississippiensis

Extant archosaurs exhibit highly divergent articular soft tissue anatomies between avian and crocodilian lineages. However, the general lack of understanding of the dynamic interactions among archosaur joint soft tissues has hampered further inferences about the function and evolution of these joints. Here we use contrast-enhanced computed tomography to generate 3D surface models of the pelvis, femora, and hip joint soft tissues in an extant archosaur, the American alligator. The hip joints were then animated using marker-based X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) to visualize soft tissue articulation during forward terrestrial locomotion. We found that the anatomical femoral head of the alligator travels beyond the cranial extent of the bony acetabulum and does not act as a central pivot, as has been suggested for some extinct archosaurs. Additionally, the fibrocartilaginous surfaces of the alligator's antitrochanter and femoral neck remain engaged during hip flexion and extension, similar to the articulation between homologous structures in birds. Moreover, the femoral insertion of the ligamentum capitis moves dorsoventrally against the membrane-bound portion of the medial acetabular wall, suggesting that the inner acetabular foramen constrains the excursion of this ligament as it undergoes cyclical stretching during the step cycle. Finally, the articular surface of the femoral cartilage model interpenetrates with those of the acetabular labrum and antitrochanter menisci; we interpret such interpenetration as evidence of compressive deformation of the labrum and of sliding movement of the menisci. Our data illustrate the utility of XROMM for studying in vivo articular soft tissue interactions. These results also allow us to propose functional hypotheses for crocodilian hip joint soft tissues, expanding our knowledge of vertebrate connective tissue biology and the role of joint soft tissues in locomotor behavior.
Current Perspectives on Ligand-Binding Assay Practices in the Quantification of Circulating Therapeutic Proteins for Biosimilar Biological Product Development

Bioanalysis in biosimilar biological product development (BPD) plays a critical role in demonstrating pharmacokinetic (PK) similarity across products. The 2018 FDA Bioanalytical Method Validation guidance for industry provides general principles in the development, validation, and conduct of bioanalytical assays. Given that the PK similarity assessment in BPD programs involves two or more non-identical products, there are additional considerations for bioanalytical methods. Here in, we provide our perspectives on the definition of (1) a single bioanalytical method in the context of BPD in supporting a PK similarity study, (2) bioanalytical method comparability during accuracy and precision experiments to determine the potential bias difference prior to assessing other validation parameters, and (3) bioanalytical method validations that support PK similarity assessments.
Carleman State Feedback Control Design of a Class of Nonlinear Control Systems

Abstract We consider optimal feedback control design for nonlinear control systems with polynomial right-hand sides. The control objective is to minimize a quadratic cost functional over all state feedback control laws with polynomial structure subject to dynamics of the system. First, we utilize ideas from Carleman linearization to lift a given finite-dimensional nonlinear system into an infinite-dimensional linear system. Finite-order truncations of the resulting infinite-dimensional linear system are investigated and connections between (local) stability properties of the original nonlinear system and its finite-order truncations are established. We show that the optimal feedback control design can be approximated and cast as an optimization problem with bilinear matrix equation constraints. Through several simulations, we show that this approximate method can be efficiently implemented using the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) methods.