cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Prolonged Length of Stay after Urologic Surgery: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program

Background Length of stay (LOS) is important, particularly as a marker for medical resource consumption. Determining which factors increase LOS can provide information on reducing costs and improving delivery of care. The objective of the current study was to identify patient preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for prolonged LOS after common urologic procedures. Study Design Beginning in 2003, a trained surgical reviewer from the University of Michigan used National Surgical Quality Improvement Program protocols to abstract clinical data from urology surgery patients. Data were manually collected and then transmitted through the Internet to a secure National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Web site. Five hundred fifty-six patients were accrued between December 2003 and December 2004. Multiple variable logistic regression analysis was used to identify preoperative and intraoperative factors associated with prolonged LOS, defined as LOS ≥ 75th percentile (in days) for each procedure category based on data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Results Overall, 7.3% of patients experienced prolonged LOS after urologic surgery. A history of previous cardiac surgery was the strongest independent predictor of prolonged LOS (odds ratio=3.55; 95% CI, 1.60 to 7.74). Intraoperative process measures were also associated with prolonged LOS after common urologic procedures. Conclusions In this sample of urologic patients, prolonged LOS is associated with both preoperative and intraoperative factors. Preoperative factors, such as previous cardiac surgery and abnormal creatinine and hematocrit, were independently associated with a prolonged LOS and interoperative processes, such as length of operation and intraoperative transfusion. To help reduce costs and improve the quality of urologic care, efforts should be made to improve intraoperative processes and to minimize preoperative risk factors.
Enhancement of stereo at range discontinuities

Stereo is a key component in many autonomous navigation tasks. These applications demand real-time performance and consequently, the state-of-the-art uses local correlation-based algorithms that lend themselves to algorithmic and hardware optimization. These systems perform well in simple terrain or on open ground. However, when discrete objects such as trees are present in the scene, correlation-based approaches exhibit inherent difficulties. Some of these difficulties are introduced during the preprocessing stage that attempts to compensate for photometric variations between the cameras. Other difficulties occur during the correlation stage due to occlusion. As a result, object portions appear enlarged, contracted, or missing, as the range data bleeds between the foreground object and the background. This complicates subsequent obstacle detection, representation and modeling. These problems have been addressed by more sophisticated stereo algorithms based on energy minimization and global optimization schemes. Such complex algorithms, however, are computationally demanding and not amenable to real-time implementation. Our solution uses a better preprocessing method, intelligent use of edge cues, and a variation of the traditional shiftable window approach to enhance the stereo correlation at and near depth discontinuities. There is additional computational overhead involved, but we are able to maintain real-time performance. We present details of our new algorithm and several results in complex natural environments.
Regional aroma preferences

Abstract Twenty-two microfragrance strips (18 food-related odours, three non-food odours and one blank) were evaluated for degree of liking in quadruplicate by 30 subjects in each of 16 countries. The structures generated by principal component and cluster analyses of the data were similar to the actual geographic distribution of these countries. It is concluded that degree of liking of food-related aromas varies across regions, probably due to differences in traditional food habits and availability of regional flavour sources.
Initial experience of emergency physicians using the intubating laryngeal mask airway: a case series.

Objective Although the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) is widely available, its use by emergency physicians (EPs) has not been reported. The authors report the initial experience of EPs using the ILMA. A review of their experience and the relevant anesthesia literature provides a basis for EPs to use the ILMA more confidently and effectively. Methods Between January 2000 and January 2001, the ILMA was used on a convenience sample of emergency department (ED) patients undergoing "routine" intubations, and "rescue" situations, after failed rapid-sequence intubation (RSI). Patients were identified from the ED resuscitation case database. Chart review and intubating physician interviews focused on success of the device, complications encountered, and "pearls" of the device's use as perceived by the intubating physician. Results Ventilation with the appropriate-size ILMA occurred in less than 15 seconds in all "routine" intubations; tracheal intubation was subsequently accomplished in less than 1 minute. Eight of nine "routine" patients had blind tracheal intubation through the ILMA. One patient required fiberoptic bronchoscopy to guide the endotracheal tube into the trachea. Of the "rescue" intubations, all patients (n = 7) were successfully ventilated and five were successfully intubated using the ILMA. Conclusions In this case series, the ILMA was easy to use in acute resuscitations, and proved to be invaluable in cases of failed RSI.
Abstract B125: Adipose tissue accumulation of d-limonene with the consumption of a lemonade preparation rich in d-limonene content.

B125 Purpose d-Limonene is a bioactive food component commonly found in high concentration in citrus peel. It has demonstrated anti-cancer effects in preclinical studies with the most compelling results in mammary carcinogenesis models. Information on the oral bioavailability and tissue disposition of d-limonene in humans is rather limited for extrapolation of preclinical data to human situations. As a fat-soluble compound, d-limonene is more likely to deposit in fatty tissues such as the breast where we hypothesize that biologic activity may be greatest. We conducted a clinical study to determine the systemic and adipose tissue disposition of d-limonene with the consumption of a lemonade preparation rich in d-limonene content. Methods Seven healthy adults underwent a one-week washout period during which their diets were void of all citrus. At entry, participants consumed a breakfast that included the freshly prepared lemonade (40 oz containing 0.6 gm d-limonene) in the clinic. Serum and needle fat biopsies of the buttocks were collected 6 hours post-feeding. Participants then consumed 40 oz of freshly prepared lemonade daily for 4 weeks. At completion of the 4-week feeding period, participants repeated the controlled breakfast with high d-limonene lemonade prepared in the clinic followed by repeat serum and fat sampling. Matched pre- and post-intervention fat biopsies (n = 7) and serum samples (n = 6) were analyzed for d-limonene levels using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results The d-limonene levels in the initial fat biopsies ranged from non-detectable to 0.79 μM (median = 2.55 μM) concentration. The adipose d-limonene levels increased significantly (p Conclusions Oral consumption of high d-limonene lemonade results in d-limonene deposition in adipose tissue in levels much higher than levels in the systemic circulation. Assessing the serum d-limonene levels is not likely to reflect d-limonene exposure in the adipose tissue. In addition, given d-limonene’s anticarcinogenic properties, and because breast tissue is mostly composed of adipose, the data suggests that d-limonene could also accumulate at this site, thus potentially modulating breast cancer risk. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):B125.
Case report of prolactin and bipolar illness: a longitudinal study.

Abstract 1. 1. A longitudinal and naturalistic study of nine bipolar patients attending a lithium clinic during a six-month period was undertaken. 2. 2. Prolactin plasma levels and psychiatric symptoms were evaluated biweeekly. 3. 3. Wide interindividual and intraindividual fluctuations were observed both in prolactin levels and psychiatric symptoms. 4. 4. The relationship between prolactin and affective episodes was found to be complex. 5. 5. In a few instances, sharp prolactin changes preceded behavioral modifications. 6. 6. Bipolar disorders, even if treated, appeared to be unstable conditions, from both the phenomenological and neuroendocrinological viewpoints.
Neurosarcoidosis: A Personal Perspective Based on the Study of 37 Patients

Clinically apparent involvement of the nervous system occurs in a relatively small number of patients with sarcoidosis. The diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis is often difficult and particularly so in patients who lack either pulmonary or systemic manifestations of sarcoidosis. Furthermore, clinical features of neurosarcoidosis are extremely variable. In this series of 37 patients, seen during the last 30 years, cranial nerve palsies occurred in 52%, polyneuritis or polyneuropathy in 24%, meningeal involvement in 24%, muscle disease in 8%, and Guillain-Barre syndrome in 5% of the patients. Other presentations included seizures, brain mass, pituitary/hypothalamic syndrome, and memory loss associated with confusion. The chest radiograph was abnormal in 8 of every 10 patients with neurosarcoidosis. In 18 (85%) of 21 patients, gallium uptake was consistent with the diagnosis of active sarcoidosis. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels were raised in about half of the patients. Cerebrospinal fluid features, including lymphocyte pleocytosis, raised protein levels, and decreased glucose concentration, were of little help. MRI with gadolinium enhancement was the most sensitive diagnostic tool, particularly in patients with meningeal involvement. The ultimate arbiter of the diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis, the presence of noncaseating granulomas in the involved tissue, was not always available. Although corticosteroids are the mainstay of therapy, in this series, 12 patients received chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine. Prognosis of chronic neurosarcoidosis is poor. Six (18%) of 37 patients died of complications related to sarcoidosis.
Ventricular fibrillation induced by a radiofrequency energy delivery for idiopathic premature ventricular contractions arising from the left ventricular anterior papillary muscle

A 73-year-old man with idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) underwent electrophysiological testing. Left ventricular activation mapping revealed a focal mechanism of the PVCs with the earliest activation on the anterior papillary muscle (APM). Irrigated radiofrequency (RF) current delivered at that site induced a cluster of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia episodes with the same QRS morphology as the PVCs, followed by ventricular fibrillation (VF). The APM might have served as an abnormal automatic trigger and driver for the VF occurrence. Ventricular fibrillation may occur as a complication during RF catheter ablation of papillary muscle ventricular arrhythmias even if the clinical arrhythmia is limited to PVCs.
Counting polymer knots to find the entanglement length

Uncrossability of polymer chains in a melt gives rise to a restricted transverse motion of chains, which is represented by a confining “tube”. Ultimately, the tube must be of topological origin. We propose two definitions of the tube diameter or entanglement length (Ne) in terms of the properties of topologically equilibrated melts of rings: (1) the probability of a ring in such a melt being unknotted is a constant for a ring of length Ne; (2) the topological entropy per entanglement strand is 3/2kB for sufficiently long rings. To test these ideas, we simulated a coarse-grained model for polymer rings under aperiodic, 1D and 2D periodic boundary conditions, with molecular rebridging moves to equilibrate the topological states. We then implemented an efficient algorithm for computing the Jones polynomial, in order to identify the topological states. Our purely topological estimates of Ne are quite consistent with previous values based on heuristic chain-shrinking methods.
Microfluidic biosensor using liquid crystal

this paper reports a reversible microfludic biosensor based on liquid crystal (LC) orientation transition. The biosensor was fabricated using poly(dimethylsiloxance) (PDMS) and glass. Dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) was used to trigger the orientational transition that was easily observed optically.
Distribution of Disease-Associated Copy Number Variants across Distinct Disorders of Cognitive Development.

Objective The purpose of the present study was to discover the extent to which distinct DSM disorders share large, highly recurrent copy number variants (CNVs) as susceptibility factors. We also sought to identify gene mechanisms common to groups of diagnoses and/or specific to a given diagnosis based on associations with CNVs. Method Systematic review of 820 PubMed articles on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), schizophrenia, and epilepsy produced 54 CNVs associated with one or several disorders. Pathway analysis on genes implicated by CNVs in different groupings was conducted. Results The majority of CNVs were found in ID with the other disorders somewhat subsumed, yet certain CNVs were associated with isolated or groups of disorders. Based on genes implicated by CNVs, ID encompassed 96.8% of genes in ASD, 92.8% of genes in schizophrenia, and 100.0% of genes in epilepsy. Pathway analysis revealed that synapse processes were enriched in ASD, ID, and schizophrenia. Disease-specific processes were identified in ID (actin cytoskeleton processes), schizophrenia (ubiquitin-related processes), and ASD (synaptic vesicle transport and exocytosis). Conclusions Intellectual disability may arise from the broadest range of genetic pathways, and specific subsets of these pathways appear to be relevant to other disorders or combinations of these disorders. It is clear that statistically significant CNVs across disorders of cognitive development are highly enriched for biological processes related to the synapse. There are also disorder-specific processes that may aid in understanding the distinct presentations and pathophysiology of these disorders.
Free-space optical interconnection technology in parallel processing systems

A critical element in building parallel computers that use very fast processing elements is interprocessor communication. To utilize the processing elements efficiently, the interconnects in such parallel computers must provide high data rates and low latencies with extremely high reliability, compactness, and reasonable cost. We discuss the application of free-space optical links for interprocessor communication in parallel computers. Free-space transmitter and receiver modules have been fabricated and installed in a card cage enclosure. Repeatable signal levels have been achieved, after board removal and replacement, without the use of any micropositioners or adjustments. A time-division-multiplexed (TDM) ring network using high-speed (1 Gbit/s), point-to-point, free-space links has been designed to provide full connectivity among a set of processors connected to the ring nodes. Work is under way to demonstrate the 1DM ring network concept in a multiprocessor computer.
Local area networks

The processing power of today's computers is relatively ineffective unless they can be efficiently interconnected, both locally and globally. On the horizon is the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) which addresses the switching paradigm for broadband technologies. ATM allocates the total network bandwidth and time to bring multimedia services to the user. Thus, the future of the LAN is ensured. It is the technology for connecting global data bases, world-wide information sources, and data/video/voice communication just to mention a few. The ability to communicate anywhere, anytime has permeated the workplace and personal lives of people. Local Area Networks provide this ability, both as the medium for linking the office/work environment and as a gateway to the world.
WARMER WINTERS DRIVE BUTTERFLY RANGE EXPANSION BY INCREASING SURVIVORSHIP

As the climate warms, many species are moving to higher latitudes and elevations. However, range shifts can be caused by many factors. These factors are unknown in most cases. The specific role of climate in these dynamics needs study to better predict future consequences of global warming. This case study evaluates whether warming is driving the northward range expansion of a skipper butterfly (Atalopedes campestris). Recently colonized areas have warmed 2–4°C over the past 50 years. To assess the importance of climate change for population persistence in these areas, I compared population dynamics at two locations (at the current range edge and just inside the range) that differ by 2–3°C. Population growth rate at these two locations over two years was positively correlated with January mean and annual mean temperatures. To determine whether larval overwinter survivorship could explain this correlation, I transplanted larvae over winter to both sites. Larval survivorship was very low at both locations, ...
Two distinct mechanisms for differential positioning of gene expression borders involving the Drosophila gap protein giant.

We have combined genetic experiments and a targeted misexpression approach to examine the role of the gap gene giant (gt) in patterning anterior regions of the Drosophila embryo. Our results suggest that gt functions in the repression of three target genes, the gap genes Kruppel (Kr) and hunchback (hb), and the pair-rule gene even-skipped (eve). The anterior border of Kr, which lies 4–5 nucleus diameters posterior to nuclei that express gt mRNA, is set by a threshold repression mechanism involving very low levels of gt protein. In contrast, gt activity is required, but not sufficient for formation of the anterior border of eve stripe 2, which lies adjacent to nuclei that express gt mRNA. We propose that gt9s role in forming this border is to potentiate repressive interaction(s) mediated by other factor(s) that are also localized to anterior regions of the early embryo. Finally, gt is required for repression of zygotic hb expression in more anterior regions of the embryo. The differential responses of these target genes to gt repression are critical for the correct positioning and maintenance of segmentation stripes, and normal anterior development.
Vagueness in the World

There is no doubt that some sentences are vague. For instance, 'Bruce Willis is bald', 'Jones is on Mt. Everest', and 'Tibbles (my shaggy cat) weighs more than fifteen pounds' are, or at least can be, vague, lacking definite truth values. Naturally, then, questions arise about the nature of vagueness; in particular, the question about wherein vagueness lies. There have been three views. The most popular view, the linguistic view, places vagueness in language, specifically, in reference relations between words and their referents (or in havingas-the-extension relations between predicates and their extensions-but in what follows this will often be omitted for the sake of simplicity). According to this view, vagueness is a form of referential indeterminacy: a vague term is a term that has more than one candidate referent, none of which the term exclusively refers to. One minority view of vagueness is what may be called the worldly view (or the objective, metaphysical, or ontic view). According to this view, vagueness is in the world, in objects and properties themselves, and not just in language. In the above examples, the property of baldness, the geographical area Mt. Everest, and the cat Tibbles are themselves vague,
Hypocholesterolemic effect of Eubacterium coprostanoligenes ATCC 51222 in rabbits

Recently, a unique bacterium, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes ATCC 51222, that reduces cholesterol to coprostanol was isolated. Because coprostanol is absorbed poorly, it was hypothesized that oral administration of Eu. coprostanoligenes might decrease cholesterol concentration in blood because the micro-organisms will decrease the absorption of endogenous and dietary cholesterol by conversion to coprostanol. To test the hypothesis, three adult New Zealand White rabbits received 4 ml of Eu. coprostanoligenes suspension (ca 2 x 10(7) cells ml-1) daily per os for 10 d; three other adult New Zealand White rabbits received the same dosage of boiled bacterial suspension. Plasma cholesterol concentration of experimental rabbits (183.3 +/- 11.0 mg dl-1, mean +/- S.E.) was significantly lower (P < 0.001) than that of controls (248.8 +/- 12.3 mg dl-1, mean +/- S.E.). The coprostanol-to-cholesterol ratios in contents of digestive tracts of experimental rabbits were greater than those of controls. The data indicate that oral administration of Eu. coprostanoligenes caused a significant hypocholesterolemic effect in rabbits and that this effect can be explained by the conversion of cholesterol to coprostanol in the intestine.
Trends and perspectives in computer science and engineering education

This paper provides an overview of significant developments in computer science and engineering education with discussions on curriculum development, continuing education, and certification. Forecasts of industry needs in the 1980's for computer professionals are included, together with the trends in curriculum developments they may auger.
Short-term effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I on bone turnover in normal women

Because insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a potent stimulator of osteoblast proliferation, it has potential in the treatment of osteoporosis. However, IGF-I affects multiple organ systems, and it is unclear whether treatment can stimulate bone formation without producing unacceptable side effects. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of treatment with recombinant human IGF-I in 18 postmenopausal women who received various dosages (30, 60, 120, or 180 micrograms/kg.day) by sc injections for 6 days. Serum IGF-I concentrations increased by 2- to 4-fold during treatment. There were dose-dependent increases in serum type I procollagen carboxyl-terminal propeptide concentration (r = 0.85, P < 0.001), an index of collagen synthesis, and of urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline (r = 0.75, P = 0.001), an index of bone collagen breakdown. At the two higher dosages, recombinant human IGF-I caused orthostatic hypotension, sinus tachycardia, bilateral parotid discomfort, weight gain, and edema in some women. Hyp...
Structure and Dynamics of Fluids in Microporous and Mesoporous Earth and Engineered Materials

The behavior of liquids in confined geometries (pores, fractures) typically differs, due to the effects of large internal surfaces and geometrical confinement, from their bulk behavior in many ways. Phase transitions (i.e., freezing and capillary condensation), sorption and wetting, and dynamical properties, including diffusion and relaxation, may be modified, with the strongest changes observed for pores ranging in size from <2 to 50 nm—the micro- and mesoporous regimes. Important factors influencing the structure and dynamics of confined liquids include the average pore size and pore size distribution, the degree of pore interconnection, and the character of the liquid–surface interaction. While confinement of liquids in hydrophobic matrices, such as carbon nanotubes, or near the surfaces of mixed character, such as many proteins, has also been an area of rapidly growing interest, the confining matrices of interest to earth and materials sciences usually contain oxide structural units and thus are hydrophilic. The pore size distribution and the degree of porosity and inter-connection vary greatly amongst porous matrices. Vycor, xerogels, aerogels, and rocks possess irregular porous structures, whereas mesoporous silicas (e.g., SBA-15, MCM-41, MCM-48), zeolites, and layered systems, for instance clays, have high degrees of internal order. The pore type and size may be tailored by means of adjusting the synthesis regimen. In clays, the interlayer distance may depend on the level of hydration. Although studied less frequently, matrices such as artificial opals and chrysotile asbestos represent other interesting examples of ordered porous structures. The properties of neutrons make them an ideal probe for comparing the properties of bulk fluids with those in confined geometries. In this chapter, we provide a brief review of research performed on liquids confined in materials of interest to the earth and material sciences (silicas, aluminas, zeolites, clays, rocks, etc.), emphasizing those neutron scattering techniques that assess both structural modification and dynamical behavior. Quantitative understanding of the complex solid–fluid interactions under different thermodynamic situations will impact both the design of better substrates for technological applications (e.g., chromatography, fluid capture, storage and release, and heterogeneous catalysis) as well as our fundamental understanding of processes encountered in the environment (i.e., fluid and waste mitigation, carbon sequestration, etc.).
Learning Simple Arithmetic Procedures

Rumelhan et al. (1986b) proposed a model of how symbolic processing may be achieved by parallel distributed processing (PDP) networks. Their idea is tested by training two types of recurrent networ...
High-density, low-power optical interconnects for computing systems

Multicore architecture has been widely exploited in computing systems to increase performance under power-constrained environment, and realized the highest-performance supercomputers [1]. Mulicore systems are high-level integration of many power-efficient microprocessors with high-bandwidth interconnects, which requires high data rate per channel, high channel counts, or both. Optical transmission is inherently suited for high-bandwidth interconnects with low propagation loss as well as low dispersion, and the latest top-performance supercomputers have exploited many optical channels [2]. Recent advancements in optical interconnect technologies have demonstrated high-density packaging as well as low-power dissipation of high-speed optical channels, both of which are superior to electrical counterparts.
Regulation of Ovarian Steroidogenesis In Vitro by Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone During Sexual Maturation in Salmonid Fish

The regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis in vitro by coho salmon FSH and LH was investigated in intact coho salmon follicles and isolated follicular layers at various stages of oocyte maturation, from late vitellogenesis until the completion of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). In granulosa layers from all stages, LH, but not FSH, stimulated 17alpha,20beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17, 20beta-P) production. In theca-interstitial layers from all stages, FSH and LH stimulated steroid production, LH being more potent than FSH. The basal steroid output of intact follicles was significantly lower than that of isolated follicular layers, and their response to FSH and LH also differed. First, the intact follicles produced 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in response to FSH during the central germinal vesicle stage while theca-interstitial layers did not. Second, estradiol-17beta production was not inhibited by LH during final oocyte maturation in intact follicles, as observed for granulosa layers. Our results indicate that LH is the determining factor regulating the production of the maturation-inducing steroid, 17,20beta-P, and the induction of GVBD in the salmonid ovary. In summary, we have provided evidence for maturation-associated changes in the effects of FSH and LH in the salmonid ovary, which further supports the hypothesis that FSH and LH have distinct functions in the teleost ovary.
Survival after Surgery in Stage IA and IB Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Rationale: Whether histologic subtype of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has an important effect on prognosis after surgery is unknown.Objectives: We hypothesized that we could predict mortality more effectively by integrating precise tumor size and histology rather than relying on conventional staging.Methods: We used the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) registry. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) primary squamous cell or adenocarcinoma; (2) potentially curative surgery, defined as a lobectomy or bilobectomy; (3) lymph node dissection performed; and (4) pathologic stage IA or IB.Measurements and Main Results: From 1988 to 2000, 7,965 patients were included. For both all-cause and lung cancer–associated mortality, tumor size demonstrated the strongest association (log-rank P < 0.0001 for each). When tumors were small (⩽2 cm), lung cancer–associated mortality was similar for adenocarcinoma when compared with squamous cell carcinoma. When tumors were 3 cm or larger in size, lung c...
Trainee Impairment A Review of Identification, Remediation, Dismissal, and Legal Issues

This article reviews the professional literature on the topic of evaluating the competence of trainees in professional psychology training programs including program policies, procedures, and actual practice for identifying, remediating, and, in extreme cases, dismissing trainees who are judged unable to provide competent, professional care. This review covers the literature on the following major issues related to trainee performance: (a) problems with definitions of impairment, (b) established professional standards for supervision and evaluation of trainees based on accreditation guidelines and ethical standards, (c) methodological critiques of empirical studies on trainee impairment, (d) issues related to evaluation and identification of trainees who are making inadequate progress toward professional competence, (e) issues related to remediation, (f) dismissal and due process, and (g) relevant legal cases and considerations. The review of these topics provides the platform for an extensive list of rec...
The Technique of Angioplasty and Stent Placement in Acute Ischemic Stroke Therapy

Stroke is a second leading cause of death and disability in both developed and developing countries. 8-10% of ischemic strokes are caused by stenosis consequent to intracranial atherosclerotic disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that an aggressive approach may be indicated for patients with intracranial stenosis in the face of persistent symptoms despite adequate medical management, as the incidence of stroke or death in such situations is greater than 50%. By comparison, patients who fail medical management and intravenous thrombolysis, the risk of neurological complications from angioplasty, stenting, or both together, has been reported as 0% to 28%. The technical success rates for immediate, delayed and rescue angioplasty are very good (71-100%). Stenting is an option following angioplasty of a stenosed vessel and in case of embolic strokes where angioplasty alone produces only a temporary recanalizing effect. The rate of stroke and death from intracranial angioplasty and stenting is up to 10%, which is favorable when taking into consideration the risks of failed medical management. Currently, endovascular intervention is usually undertaken when medical management fails. Studies demonstrate angioplasty and stenting to be safe and effective. Technical success rate of angioplasty and stenting is up to 98-99%. In this review, we address the indications for intracranial angioplasty and stenting and provide a reasonably detailed account for readers who perform these procedures. We will also address the potential complications that might arise during intervention and provide practical tips towards successful resolution. doi:10.4021/jnr31w
Channel coding for binary recording with intersymbol interference

The saturation recording channel with fixed-amplitude bipolar inputs, a linear Lorentzian read-back transition response, and additive Gaussian noise is modeled. Linear density increase on such a channel can be achieved only by increasing the clock rate of the written data signal. The authors define a measure of coding gain for the recording channel that compares a coded system with an uncoded system, each at a different clock rate, but with the same linear density (or data rate). This measure can be decomposed into the sum of an equalization gain and a fundamental coding gain. It is shown that good equalization gain can be achieved by choosing multidimensional codewords such that their power spectra are 'matched' to the channel pulse response spectrum, and they have increased minimum distance at the channel output. >
New Insight into Filamentous Hemagglutinin Secretion Reveals a Role for Full-Length FhaB in Bordetella Virulence

ABSTRACT Bordetella filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), a primary component of acellular pertussis vaccines, contributes to virulence, but how it functions mechanistically is unclear. FHA is first synthesized as an ~370-kDa preproprotein called FhaB. Removal of an N-terminal signal peptide and a large C-terminal prodomain (PD) during secretion results in “mature” ~250-kDa FHA, which has been assumed to be the biologically active form of the protein. Deletion of two C-terminal subdomains of FhaB did not affect production of functional FHA, and the mutant strains were indistinguishable from wild-type bacteria for their ability to adhere to the lower respiratory tract and to suppress inflammation in the lungs of mice. However, the mutant strains, which produced altered FhaB molecules, were eliminated from the lower respiratory tract much faster than wild-type B. bronchiseptica, suggesting a defect in resistance to early immune-mediated clearance. Our results revealed, unexpectedly, that full-length FhaB plays a critical role in B. bronchiseptica persistence in the lower respiratory tract. IMPORTANCE The Bordetella filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) is a primary component of the acellular pertussis vaccine and an important virulence factor. FHA is initially produced as a large protein that is processed during secretion to the bacterial surface. As with most processed proteins, the mature form of FHA has been assumed to be the functional form of the protein. However, our results indicate that the full-length form plays an essential role in virulence in vivo . Furthermore, we have found that FHA contains intramolecular regulators of processing and that this control of processing is integral to its virulence activities. This report highlights the advantage of studying protein maturation and function simultaneously, as a role for the full-length form of FHA was evident only from in vivo infection studies and not from in vitro studies on the production or maturation of FHA or even from in vitro virulence-associated activity assays.
Investigating the relationship between working memory and emotion regulation in mothers

ABSTRACTRecent work suggests that executive functions, specifically working memory, may facilitate emotion regulation (ER). Here we examined whether measures of visuospatial working memory and verbal working memory relate to ER in a group of recent mothers. We found that while visuospatial working memory was associated with, and predictive of, self-reported measures of ER and emotion dysregulation—verbal working memory was correlated to only one dimension of emotion dysregulation. These findings suggest that working memory may play a unique role in everyday regulatory functioning. We frame our results in terms of the broader implications they may have for the potential role of executive functioning in parenting.
Low-pass filtering, a new method of fractal analysis: application to PET images of pulmonary blood flow

The pattern of a spatial structure that repeats itself independently of the scale of magnification or resolution is often characterized by a fractal dimension (D). Two-dimensional low-pass filterin...
NOx Emissions From Oceangoing Ships: Calculation and Evaluation

Currently available global inventories of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other pollutant emissions from merchant ships are based, at least partly, on data published by international marine bunker fuel suppliers. However, the uncertainty of such data seems to be quite high, because the figures released by bunker fuel companies might be incomplete or based, for example, on data collected from only the largest ports. Besides, all similar other studies conducted so far were based on simplified average emission and fuel consumption characteristics of diesel engines and did not take into account variations with engine type, size, engine load and engine speed, as well as only being valid for new state-of-the-art diesel engines as supplied by the industry today. Furthermore, fuel consumption rates of the auxiliary engine equipment onboard vessels were neglected. The author therefore adopted a different approach by calculating the actual bunker amount and the fleet’s 2001 NOx emissions in order to reduce uncertainty in existing inventories and to assist in achieving a better modeling of the effects of ships’ pollutants on atmospheric chemistry. For this study, all ships of 100 gross tonnage (gt) and above were taken into account. This methodology resulted in a significantly higher world fleet fuel consumption, and, consequently, much higher oceangoing ships’ NOx emissions than known or anticipated so far. In spite of the fleet’s high NOx emission rate in absolute figures this paper shows, that when emissions are based on the annual seaborne trade, merchant shipping is an environmentally efficient mode of transportation of freight.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Irradiation-Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of Austenitic Stainless Steels in BWR Environments

The internal components of light water reactors are exposed to high-energy neutron irradiation and high-temperature reactor coolant. The exposure to neutron irradiation increases the susceptibility of austenitic stainless steels (SSs) to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) because of the elevated corrosion potential of the reactor coolant and the introduction of new embrittlement mechanisms through radiation damage. Various nonsensitized SSs and nickel alloys have been found to be prone to intergranular cracking after extended neutron exposure. Such cracks have been seen in a number of internal components in boiling water reactors (BWRs). The elevated susceptibility to SCC in irradiated materials, commonly referred to as irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC), is a complex phenomenon that involves simultaneous actions of irradiation, stress, and corrosion. In recent years, as nuclear power plants have aged and irradiation dose increased, IASCC has become an increasingly important issue. Post-irradiation crack growth rate and fracture toughness tests have been performed to provide data and technical support for the NRC to address various issues related to aging degradation of reactor-core internal structures and components. This report summarizes the results of the last group of tests on compact tension specimens from the Halden-II irradiation. The IASCC susceptibility of austenitic SSs andmore » heat-affected-zone (HAZ) materials sectioned from submerged arc and shielded metal arc welds was evaluated by conducting crack growth rate and fracture toughness tests in a simulated BWR environment. The fracture and cracking behavior of HAZ materials, thermally sensitized SSs and grain-boundary engineered SSs was investigated at several doses (≤3 dpa). These latest results were combined with previous results from Halden-I and II irradiations to analyze the effects of neutron dose, water chemistry, alloy compositions, and welding and processing conditions on IASCC. The effect of neutron irradiation on the fracture toughness of austenitic SSs was also evaluated at dose levels relevant to BWR internals.« less
Subfreezing Body Temperatures in Dormant Ground Squirrels

One of the features typical of mammals which normally pass into a seasonal state of deep dormancy is the marked lowering of their body temperature. This usually becomes only slightly above that of the environment. Subsequently, during the actual dormant period, their body temperatures parallel more or less the variations in the environmental temperature. Thus a homeothermic mammal becomes a heterothermic animal. In the literature, among the many references to this phenomenon, are the works of Dubois (1896), Shaw (1925), Johnson (1931), Suomalainen and Suvanto (1953), among others. These investigators have demonstrated that the body temperature of hibernating mammals while in the dormant state is usually maintained a few degrees C. above the environmental temperature if the latter is above freezing. However, if the surrounding temperature is lowered to freezing or below, the torpid animal may react to this low temperature by awakening. Valentin (1857), Horvath (1881) and Dubois (1896) have stated that awakening always occurs under such conditions. The explanation usually given for this awakening is that by so doing the animal may keep from …
FISH Analysis of Chromosome 22 from Peripheral Nerve Biopsies of Intraneural Perineurioma (P05.146)

Objective: We sought to evaluate for abnormalities in chromosome 22 in a large cohort of nerve biopsies of intraneural perineurioma using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Background Intraneural perineurioma is a benign hypertrophic peripheral nerve tumor presenting insidiously in young people with motor predominant mononeuropathy or plexopathy. There has been debate whether perineurioma is due to trauma or neoplasm. Abnormalities of chromosome 22 (as in other nerve sheath tumors) have been reported in one case of intraneural perineurioma suggesting clonal neoplasm. Design/Methods: The Mayo Clinic Cytogenetics Core hybridized and analyzed 28 paraffin embedded perineurioma tissues and two normal brain tissues. The FISH probe applied to each specimen localize to the DiGeorge/TUPLE1 gene regions located at 22q11.21 and the ARSA gene region located at 22q13. The tissues were probed and analyzed according to their marked H&E slides. Tissues were scanned to assess tissue morphology, hybridization efficiency and signal ratio. Once the tissue was scanned, signals from 100 nuclei were counted. Results: Twenty-six of 28 tissues were normal. One of 28 tissues was found to be abnormal with loss of ARSA at 22q13. The patient was a 35 year old man who presented with a 15 year history of gradually progressive tibial neuropathy. MRI demonstrated an enlarged sciatic nerve with T2 hyperintensity and enhancement. Fascicular nerve biopsy of the tibial division of the sciatic nerve was diagnostic of perineurioma. 1/28 tissues failed following several re-hybridization and set up attempts. Conclusions: Intraneural perineurioma is a focal hypertrophic peripheral nerve tumor of unknown cause. Based on previous studies, the cause of perineurioma may be due to abnormalities on chromosome 22. Our study demonstrated that rare cases may be due to loss of ARSA at 22q13 but this is not the major cause. FISH analysis of other regions of chromosome 22 is ongoing. Disclosure: Dr. Mauermann has nothing to disclose. Dr. Klein has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer Inc as a consultant. Dr. Dyck has nothing to disclose. Dr. Engelstad has nothing to disclose. Dr. Flynn Gilmer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Jenkins has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dyck has nothing to disclose.
Effect of the subcutaneous route for iliac screw insertion in lumbopelvic fixation for vertical unstable sacral fractures on the infection rate: A retrospective case series.

Abstract Objective To report the perioperative results and surgical outcomes of patients with vertical unstable sacral fractures who underwent lumbopelvic fixation through a modified subcutaneous route for iliac screw fixation. Summary of background data Treating vertical unstable sacral fractures is still challenging for orthopedic surgeons. Among various methods for treating these fractures, lumbopelvic fixation provides a high reduction quality and promising stability for early weight-bearing ambulation. However, wound healing disturbance and surgical site infection (SSI) are the drawbacks of this extensive technique, especially after inserting iliac screws. Methods Here, we provide an alternative subcutaneous route for iliac screw insertion during lumbopelvic fixation surgery to lessen soft tissue retraction and injury, and thus decrease soft tissue complications. Results Using this modified technique, 28 patients with vertical unstable sacral fractures were treated between 2012 and 2014. One patient had an SSI (infection rate: 3.5%). All fractures were united with a mean sacral kyphosis correction angle of 10.5°. The mean Majeed score of the 17 patients during the 12-month follow-up was 84.5. Conclusions The subcutaneous route for iliac screw insertion is a simple, safe, and effective technique when performing lumbopelvic fixation for vertical unstable sacral fractures.
Conformational Uniqueness via Designed Ion Pairs

GCN4-p1 is a 33 amino acid peptide derived from the leucine zipper region of the protein GCN4. In solution, this peptide adopts a two stranded parallel coiled coil whose conformation is specified by the formation of a single buried H-bond between two asparagine residues located at position 16 of each helix [1,2]. It has been shown that an N16D mutant of GCN4-pl will specifically form a heterodimer with an N16dap (diaminopropionic acid) mutant through formation of a single buried salt-bridge between the Asp and Dap sidechains. The free energy advantage for the formation of this heterodimer over any possible homodimers (ΔΔGspecificity) is 1.6 kcal/mol, indicating that a single buried salt bridge can specify the desired heterodimeric fold to an impressive degree. However, this heterodimer is about 2 kcal/mol less stable than wild-type GCN4-pl. This difference in thermodynamic stability is attributed to an increase in desolvation energy during the folding of the heterodimer as compared to GCN4-pl [3]. (It is more difficult to desolvate charged side chains upon folding than the neutral asparagine side chains.) In order to circumvent the energetic cost of desolvation upon heterodimer formation, a novel basic amino acid having a side chain with increased hydrophobicity has been synthesized. A heterodimer formed between an N16D mutant and an N16mmdap (monomethylated dap) mutant shows increased thermal stability, demonstrating that by increasing the hydrophobicity of the basic side chain involved in salt bridge formation, a more stable heterodimer can be realized.
Modeling in R and Weka for Course Enrollment Prediction

Predicting course enrollment is a common university resource planning problem. California State University Northridge (CSUN) faces many unique challenges when predicting student enrollment in its undergraduate Computer Science (CS) and Computer Information Technology (CIT) courses. In this paper, we discuss the design of an enrollment prediction tool which applies three Time Series models using R and four Time Series models using Weka utilizing a database of 19 semesters of enrollment data. The seven different models are tested against varying amounts of holdout data to see which can best predict enrollment for undergraduate CS and CIT courses to within one standard class size of 25 students. Predictions on holdout data are compared both in modified form, with numbers rounded up and negative values zeroed out, and unmodified form. All models were most accurate when predicting three semesters of holdout data using the maximum available enrollment data from Spring term of 2010 to Spring term of 2015 for training. The best resulting predictions were accurate within one standard class size of 25 students for 93.5% of Computer Science Department (CSD) courses, and the worst predictions were accurate within one standard class size for 77.4% of CSD courses.
Use of Costal Perichondrium as an Interpositional Graft for Septal Perforation Closure.

Importance Closure of septal perforations remains a technically difficult procedure to perform. Objective To assess the use of costal perichondrium as an interpositional graft to enhance closure of...