cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chromium infusion reverses extreme insulin resistance in a cardiothoracic ICU patient.

Insulin resistance is common and often multifactorial in acutely critically ill patients. At our institution, glycemic control is achieved in these patients using an intravenous insulin protocol. The authors present a case in which a patient developed severe insulin resistance following surgical repair of a thoracic aorta aneurysm. Postoperatively, the patient required 2110 units of insulin over 40 hours while receiving pressors and glucocorticoids. After the administration of intravenous chromium at 3 μg/h, the blood sugar normalized and insulin therapy was discontinued. This case represents a unique approach using intravenous chromium to achieve glycemic control in a patient with extreme insulin resistance and acute critical illness. Prospective clinical trials using intravenous chromium may provide the means to optimize intensive insulin therapy for critically ill patients.
Electrical Properties and Defect Structure of a (0.13YO1.5·0.87ThO2) Electrolyte

High-density sintered disks of the composition 0.13YO1.5·0.87ThO2 are shown to be mixed conductors at high oxygen pressures (>10−6 atm) by electrical conductivity and electrochemical cell measurements. The ac and dc conductivity measurements were made between 900° and 1600°C over a wide range of oxygen partial pressures. A blocking-electrode polarization technique for determining transference numbers was not applicable at high oxygen pressures but appeared to work at the lower pressures, indicating a transition to n-type behavior. The electrochemical cell measurements show essentially completely ionic behavior at low oxygen pressure but indicate at least 0.1% electronic contribution at 10−13 atm at 1000°C. The lower oxygen pressure limit for completely ionic behavior has not been determined but extends below the equilibrium pressures of an Mn-MnO2, Cr-Cr2O3 electrochemical cell at 1000°C.
A stochastic unit commitment model for integrating renewable supply and demand response

We present a stochastic unit commitment model for assessing the reserve requirements resulting from the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources and deferrable demand in power systems. We present three alternative demand response paradigms for assessing the benefits of demand flexibility in absorbing the uncertainty and variability associated with renewable supply: centralized co-optimization of generation and demand by the system operator, demand bids and coupling renewable resources with deferrable loads. We present simulation results for a model of the Western Interconnection.
Custom selection of aspheric intraocular lens in eyes with previous hyperopic corneal surgery

Purpose To determine the optimum amount of spherical aberration in intra-ocular lenses (IOLs) to maximize optical quality in eyes with previous hyperopic corneal surgery. Setting Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Design Theoretical simulation study. Methods The amount of spherical aberration in the IOL was varied to produce residual ocular spherical aberration ranging from −0.50 to +0.50 μm. With the use of the Zernike Tool Program, the polychromatic point-spread function with Stiles–Crawford effect was calculated for 6.0 mm and 4.0 mm pupils and defocus of 0.00 diopter (D), −0.50 D, and +0.50 D. The IOL spherical aberration at which maximum image quality was achieved was determined. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the predictors of optimum IOL spherical aberration. Results Aspheric IOL implantation was simulated in 106 eyes of 80 patients; ages ranged from 40 to 59 years. With 0.00 D, −0.50 D, and +0.50 D defocus, respectively, the ranges of 25th to 75th percentiles of the optimum IOL spherical aberration were −0.12 to +0.20 μm, +0.10 to +0.42 μm, and −0.35 to −0.03 μm for the 6.0 mm pupil and −0.14 to +0.26 μm, +0.41 to +0.86 μm, and −0.74 to −0.24 μm for the 4.0 mm pupil. The amount of optimum IOL spherical aberration could be predicted on the basis of other higher-order aberrations (HOAs) of the cornea with multiple correlation coefficients up to 0.98. Conclusions The amount of IOL spherical aberration producing the best image quality in eyes with previous hyperopic corneal surgery varied widely and could be predicted on the basis of the full spectrum of corneal HOAs. Financial Disclosure Supported in part by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, New York. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Human Platelet Lysate as a Replacement for Fetal Bovine Serum in Limbal Stem Cell Therapy.

ABSTRACTPurpose: To evaluate the use of human platelet lysate (HPL) as an alternative supplement for limbal explant culture.Methods: Culture media were prepared using either 10% pooled HPL (PHPL), single donor HPL, or fetal bovine serum (FBS). Limbal tissues, obtained from the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank, were cultured in each medium on plastic plates or on denuded amniotic membrane (AM). Immunofluorescence staining was performed for ABCG2, tumor protein p63α, and cytokeratin 3 (K3). Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of ABCG2 and p63. Limbal explants grown in each medium were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to assess the proliferative capacity in each medium. Concentration of growth factors including epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in HPL and PHPL was compared to that in human serum (HS).Results: Immunofluoresc...
Economic Viability of Algal Biodiesel

Production of biodiesel from oleaginous microalgae has been evaluated in terms of economic profitability, as an example that can be extended to other algal biofuels. Biodiesel has to reach cost parity with fossil fuels in order to be economically sustainable in the long term. Major costs for generation of algal biodiesel are not related to the feedstock, but they depend on construction and maintenance of the cultivation system, biomass harvesting and processing. The cost balance of the system can be improved by co-production of high value-added commodities and/or by substantial increase in biomass productivity and oil yield.
A Second Record of Pleistocene Passenger Pigeon from California

Paleontological and archaeological records of Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migrutorius), in the western United States have been recently reviewed by Hargrave and Emslie (Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Ang. Cty. Contrib. Sci. 330:257, 1980). The first fossil record of the species, six elements representing at least two individuals, is from California at Ranch0 La Brea (see Howard, Condor 39: 12, 1937). The only other Pleistocene record of Passenger Pigeon in the western United States is from Dark Canyon Cave, Eddv Countv. New Mexico (Howard. Condor 73:237. 197i). With-the paucity of Pleistocene records for this bird, the discovery of a new Pleistocene specimen in California, and therefore only the third record in the western United States, is significant. The fossil was found by Richard A. Cerutti in the fall of 1980 in Bonita, San Diego County, California. The locality, SDSNH (San Diego Society of Natural History) 3 13 1, is in a mud-flow facies of a predominantly conglomeratic fluvial deposit mapped as Quatemary stream terrace deposits by Kennedy and Tan (Calif. Div. Min. Geol. Map Sheet 29, 1977). I have tentatively referred mammal material from this locality to Equus occidentalis corroborating a late Pleistocene, Rancholabrean, designation. The Bonita element, SDSNH 23085 (Fig. I), is an almost complete left tarsometatarsus, lacking only the internal and half of the external cotylae at the proximal end. Measurements: overall length 27.8 mm; width distal end 6.4 mm; depth and width of shaft at midpoint 2.4 mm by 2.9 mm. This specimen agrees with Ectopistes and differs from Columbu in the five diagnostic characters of the tarsometatarsus given by Howard (1937): 1) lengths similar, but Ectopistes more slender, 2) tubercle for tibialis anticus muscle more proximal in Ectopistes; 3) proximal ligamentary attachment well developed and clearly marked in Ectopistes 4) distance of facet for metatarsal-I from distal end less than in Columbu; 5) external condyle less developed anteroposteriorly in Ectopistes than in Columba. In addition, I note other subtle differences in tarsometatarsi of Ectopistes: 1) hypotarsus with more squareda C d
Courtship Behavior and Evidence for a Sex Pheromone in the Apple Maggot Parasite, Opius alloeus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

The probable occurrence and biological role of sex pheromones have been demonstrated in approximately 200 insect species in 8 orders (Jacobson 1965). Of these, 18 species are Hymenoptera, with 3 species in the Braconidae (Fink 1926, Murr 1930, Parker 1931, Whiting 1932). The potential importance of such chemical stimuli in insect control is recognized (Knipling and McGuire 1966). However their potential in increasing the effectiveness of beneficial parasitic species is largely conjecture. Pheromones may provide an invaluable tool in behavioral and taxonomic studies of closely related forms.
Abstract 4131: Genetic variant associations with treatment outcome and safety in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with sorafenib and bevacizumab (BEV) as salvage therapy

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Purpose: Polymorphisms in genes involved in the angiogenesis pathway have been investigated as predictive markers for efficacy and tolerability to anti-angiogenesis treatment, such as BEV. This study examines single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in VEGF, VEGFR2, and HIF-1α for their potential association with outcome and safety in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with the combined vertical blockade of VEGF signaling (i.e., sorafenib and BEV) as salvage therapy. Experimental procedures: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood for 78/79 evaluable patients in the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) Phase II study, N054C (Grothey, et al., ASCO 2010). TaqMan or direct sequencing was used for genotyping VEGF (rs25648, rs3025039, rs2010963, rs1005230, [rs833061][1], [rs699947][2], rs1570360), VEGFR2 (rs2305948, rs2219471, rs2071559, rs1870377), and HIF-1α (rs11549465, rs11549467) SNPs. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test was used to determine genotype associations with the study's primary endpoint, progression-free rate at 3 months of follow-up, as well as genotype associations with the most common grade 3+ adverse events at least possibly related (AE rels) to treatment (i.e., fatigue, hypertension, skin reaction). Results summary: The presence of a mutant T allele in the 5’ UTR of VEGF (rs25648; C534T) was associated with fewer successes in progression-free rate at 3 month follow-up (Fisher's exact test, p=0.0187). In addition, the presence of a C allele in the promoter region of VEGFR2 (rs2071559, T-604C) was associated with fewer grade 3+ hypertension AE rels (Fisher's exact test, p=0.0101). However, after correcting for multiple comparisons using the method of Benjamini & Hochberg none of the p-values were significant at a 0.05 level. At the same time, no differences were observed between the genotype subgroups and either progression-free rate at 3 months or the most common grade 3+ AE rels for the remaining SNPs that were analyzed, before or after correction. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that mCRC patients with the VEGF C534T (rs25648) variant may not benefit from combined treatment of sorafenib and BEV, whereas patients with the VEGFR2 T-604C (rs2071559) polymorphism may experience fewer grade 3+ AE rels. Further prospective validation of these SNPs and their association with this treatment combination in mCRC is warranted. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4131. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4131 [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GEN&access_num=rs833061&atom=%2Fcanres%2F71%2F8_Supplement%2F4131.atom [2]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GEN&access_num=rs699947&atom=%2Fcanres%2F71%2F8_Supplement%2F4131.atom
Dynamic Detection of S-100 Beta Protein in Children with Viral Encephalitis

Objective To explore the relationship between the changes of illness and S-100 B protein concentration of acute and convalescent serum and cerebrospinal fluid in children with viral encephalitis.Methods 30 children with viral encephalitis were selected as the observation group,and 25 children with upper respiratory tract infection were selected as the control group.ABC-ELISA was used to detect the S-100 B protein concentration in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of both groups.The results were observed and compared between the two groups.Results The serum and cerebrospinal fluid S-100 B protein concentration in children with acute viral encephalitis was higher than that in children with convalescent viral encephalitis and upper respiratory tract infection,the difference between two groups was statistically significant(P 0.01).Conclusions The serum and cerebrospinal fluid S-100 B protein concentration reflects the damage extent of glial cells,which can be used as the marker of brain injury,and has important clinical value in monitoring infantile viral encephalitis illness changes and the curative effect.
Model Supported Metal Catalysts

The modeling of supported metal catalysts to allow the identification of the chemical species present on the active surface is an exciting application of tunneling spectroscopy. Such catalysts are essential to a growing number of industrial processes, and while much is known about their general use little is known about the reaction intermediates formed on their catalytic surfaces. Since the chemistry of interest is in a surface monolayer in close proximity to an oxide (often aluminum oxide) modeling the essential features of these catalysts with tunneling junctions is a promising area of research.
Haptic Relay - Including Haptic Feedback in Online Video Game Streams

The popularity of streaming video game sessions has been on a constant increase. Players stream their games as well as cameras facing them, while providing a description of the game play to the viewers. Fellow players watch the games to learn tips and tricks, as well as to learn what to expect when playing the game themselves. This is a great learning tool; however, the current rendition of streaming video games is missing a key factor in video game satisfaction - tactile feedback. All mainstream video game consoles contain some sort of haptic feedback in the form of a rumble and provides greater immersion in to the game; however, this modality is missing from the live streams. Haptic information in some games is also essential for game play by people who are visually impaired. This paper presents Haptic Relay, a method of providing real time haptic feedback for online video game broadcasts.
Preliminary Findings for a Relationship between Instream Flow and Shoal Chub Recruitment in the Lower Brazos River, Texas

AbstractSeasonal flow pulses in rivers facilitate spawning, dispersal, and early life stage survival of many fish species. To evaluate the effectiveness of current flow standards to sustain threatened fish populations, we investigated the relationship between hydrology and recruitment of the Shoal Chub Macrhybopsis hyostoma, a broadcast-spawning minnow in the Brazos River, Texas. From March 2013 to March 2014, we collected metalarval and juvenile Shoal Chub bimonthly at night using arrays of stationary drift nets. Otoliths were examined to estimate age, and the relationship between hatch date and discharge was analyzed. Shoal Chub recruited under both base-flow and pulse-flow conditions, including intervals of increasing, decreasing, and stable discharge. However, hatch dates of surviving fish indicated greater levels of recruitment during flow pulses, particularly on the rising limb. Greatest recruitment occurred during flow pulses of a magnitude defined as two per season according to the method of hydro...
The Subtleties of Success in Simultaneous Augmentation-Mastopexy.

Background:Many have challenged the safety of performing breast augmentation and mastopexy simultaneously. However, staging these procedures incurs the increased risk and inconvenience of two periods of anesthesia and recuperation. The authors set out to evaluate the occurrence of complications acro
Narcissism, gender, and evolutionary theory: The role of private and public self-absorption

Abstract Narcissism manifests differently in men and women, and this may be due to a dysregulated status-seeking evolutionary mechanism. This article describes two studies of relationships between private self-absorption (thinking about oneself), public self-absorption (thinking about how others think about oneself), gender, and narcissism in large samples of U.S. college students. Results of both studies found that, among women, narcissism was associated with both private and public self-absorption, whereas among men, narcissism was associated only with public self-absorption. Additionally, results of both studies found that public self-absorption mediated the relationship between private self-absorption and narcissism and that this relationship was moderated by gender. These results suggest that self-absorption and narcissism share a component of pathological self-focused attention, and that a dysregulated status-seeking mechanism may be involved in narcissism.
Decision-theoretic Measures of Influence in Regression

The identification of influential observations is a crucial phase of fitting a model. Because such observations have a strong impact on inferences or decisions based on the fit, an aberrant influential observation should be excluded from the data used to fit the model. On the other hand, if an influential observation arises from the same model underlying the rest of the data, it ought to be included. We address the characterization of influence measures, justified by the principles of decision theory. Texts by Belsley, Kuh, and Welsch (1980) and by Cook and Weisberg (1982) develop many measures of influence and survey others which have appeared in the literature. Most measures are motivated in a frequentist perspective, but several Bayesian measures have also been developed. See, for example, Pettit and Smith (1985) and Johnson and Geisser (1982). Armed with the ability to compute these measures one can generate reams of computer output when fitting a regression model to even a small data set. Apart from the discussion in Section 4.4 of Cook and Weisberg (1982) comparing four types of influence diagnostics, little has been said about the relative merits of different measures. Consequently, data analysts lack practical guidance in parsimoniously choosing appropriate influence measures when fitting a regression model to data. We use a Bayesian decision-theoretic framework to develop measures of influence. In Section 2, the regression-fitting problem is set up as a formal decision problem, complete with action space, loss function and a prior distribution for the unknown parameters. We then define influence measures in Section 3 based on the change in Bayes risk resulting from an observation's inclusion in or exclusion from the analysis. To express regression fitting as a decision problem, it must be simplified, perhaps to an unrealistic extent. Still, our study provides insight for defining influence measures in ideal settings. An observation's influence will depend on the purpose and context of the regression fitting, as characterized by the loss function and the prior distribution. Two examples are presented. For some cases of the loss and prior, these measures are equivalent to ones already proposed in the literature, and in' other cases new measures result.
PowerPACK: A wireless power distribution system for wearable devices

Motivated by the prevalence of small, battery-powered devices in many pervasive computing research and deployment scenarios, and the frustration encountered when a particular device is found to be useless due to a discharged internal battery, we present a backpack-worn wireless (non-contact) power distribution system. This system is designed to distribute power from a single point of generation or bulk storage to a variety of endpoint devices. Endpoint devices can operate or recharge their internal batteries from the central source when they are stowed in a powered pocket in the backpack. We also demonstrate low bandwidth (10 Kbps) bidirectional communication across the power link. This communication channel could be used to inventory the coupled devices, prioritize power delivery to more important devices, detect the unauthorized removal of a device, authenticate the recipients of power, or distribute cryptographic keys for further data exchange using a Bluetooth, WiFi, or another high data rate connection. Using a 125 KHz resonant inductive coupling mechanism and a dynamic tuning system, we demonstrate a power transfer efficiency of 80% for small (USB class) device loads.
“Local” as an indicator of beef quality: An exploratory study of rural consumers in the southern U.S.

Abstract A ’turn’ to quality is frequently associated with the proliferation of alternative agrifood networks and food system localization has been a prominent expression of such efforts. Yet quality is subjective and is influenced by historical, social, and cultural contexts. While there is a strong tradition of studying European consumers’ quality perceptions, less is known about U.S. consumers. Due to increasing consumer interest in local beef, this paper examines U.S. consumer definitions of local beef and how these notions inform consumers’ perceptions of beef quality. This study investigated beef consumers (N = 174) at grocery stores across Alabama using face-to-face intercept surveys designed to elicit meanings associated with the term ’local beef’. Content analysis identified five major definition types: geographic, production, knowledge, relational, and sociopolitical. Consumers’ top-of-the mind definitions also provided insight into how and what type of quality inferences consumers made about local beef. Analysis revealed that local beef was perceived as quality cue that was generally tied to a specific geographic area (80.3%). Overall, quality inferences were made about local beef and shipping distances, freshness, type of animal feed, animal treatment, additives, and contributions to the local economy and community.
SAT0097 Effective Control of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Prevents Development or Acceleration of Subclinical Atherosclerosis over 3 Years

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associates with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality due to accelerated atherosclerosis, attributed to both classical risk factors and chronic inflammation. Objectives To examine whether effective inflammation control prevents development and/or modifies acceleration of subclinical atherosclerosis in RA. Methods Consecutive, non-diabetic RA patients (n=139), aged 61.3 (52.9–67.9) years, with RA duration 10 (5–17) years, followed-up at least every 4 months in our center and previously examined by ultrasonography for subclinical atherosclerosis, were prospectively re-evaluated after 3.2 (3.1–3.3) years. None had known CVD, malignancy, chronic renal failure, or other chronic or acute inflammatory disease at baseline. The only inclusion criterion in the prospective study was effective disease control during the follow-up period, determined arbitrarily as the presence of remission or of low disease activity (DAS28 Results Formation of new atheromatic plaques in carotid and femoral arterial beds, reflecting atheromatosis, was evident in 22% of RA patients versus 28% of controls. Carotid intima-media thickness, reflecting arterial wall hypertrophy, increased per year by 0.010 (0.002–0.023) in RA versus 0.011 (0.002–0.023) in controls for the left common carotid artery and by 0.010 (0.002–0.023) in RA versus 0.011 (0.000–0.025) for the right common carotid artery. Pulse wave velocity, reflecting arterial stiffness, changed per year by 0.071 (-0.149- 0.275) in RA versus -0.015 (-0.247–0.184) in controls. Two of 139 patients versus 1 of 251 controls developed clinical CVD during follow-up. By multivariate analysis after correcting for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, as well as anti-hypertensive and lipid lowering therapies, no statistically significant differences for any of the evaluated markers of subclinical atherosclerosis were found between patients and controls. Conclusions Effective inflammation control seems to abrogate any RA-specific effect on the progression of atherosclerosis. Whether early and sustained disease control translates to the expected for the general population rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in RA patients remains to be proven by large prospective cohort studies. References Arida A, Zampeli E, Konstantonis G, et al. Rheumatoid arthritis is sufficient to cause atheromatosis but not arterial stiffness or hypertrophy in the absence of classical cardiovascular risk factors. ClinRheumatol. 2015:34(5):853–9. Zampeli E, Protogerou A, Stamatelopoulos K, et al. Predictors of new atherosclerotic carotid plaque development in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a longitudinal study. Arthritis Res Ther. 2012:14(2):R44 Disclosure of Interest None declared
Excitation of Terahertz Charge Transfer Plasmons in Metallic Fractal Structures

There have been extensive researches on terahertz (THz) plasmonic structures supporting resonant modes to demonstrate nano and microscale devices with high efficiency and responsivity as well as frequency selectivity. Here, using antisymmetric plasmonic fractal Y-shaped (FYS) structures as building blocks, we introduce a highly tunable four-member fractal assembly to support charge transfer plasmons (CTPs) and classical dipolar resonant modes with significant absorption cross section in the THz domain. We first present that the unique geometrical nature of the FYS system and corresponding spectral response allow for supporting intensified dipolar plasmonic modes under polarised light exposure in a standalone structure. In addition to classical dipolar mode, for the very first time, we demonstrated CTPs in the THz domain due to the direct shuttling of the charges across the metallic fractal microantenna which led to sharp resonant absorption peaks. Using both numerical and experimental studies, we have investigated and confirmed the excitation of the CTP modes and highly tunable spectral response of the proposed plasmonic fractal structure. This understanding opens new and promising horizons for tightly integrated THz devices with high efficiency and functionality.
Value of intrusion detection systems for countering energy fraud

The large-scale deployment of smart meters has spurred innovations in customer analytics and network inspection tools. In this article, we focus on the practical question faced by many electricity distribution utilities: How to assess the value of these technological tools in limiting nontechnical losses, specifically energy diversion? We present a Bayesian inspection game that models the interaction between a profit-maximizing distribution utility and a population of strategic customers. A fraction of customer population is fraudulent and can choose to conduct energy diversion attacks by under-reporting their energy consumption. The distribution utility can tune (or configure) an intrusion detection system (IDS) to achieve an “optimal” tradeoff between the detection and false alarm rates. Our analysis provides a way to estimate value of IDS products to a monopolist distribution utility in a regulatory environment with a fixed tariff schedule for all customers and fine (penalty) to the fraudulent customers whose energy diversions are successfully investigated. We analyze how the value of IDS varies with the fraction of fraudulent customers and the extent to which they under-report their consumption.
Pregnancy after bariatric surgery: the effect of time-to-conception on pregnancy outcomes

Abstract Background At our medical center, female patients who have undergone bariatric surgery are advised to defer pregnancy for 2 years after surgery to avoid the following complications and their potential consequences for the fetus: inadequate gestational weight gain, inadequate postsurgical weight loss, hyperemesis gravidarum, nutritional deficiencies, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension. Objectives To examine the effect of time from surgery to conception on pregnancy course and outcomes in bariatric patients. Setting University. Methods We identified 73 pregnancies in 54 women who became pregnant after undergoing bariatric surgery. Surgery to conception interval was compared between pregnancies that were carried to delivery and 8 pregnancies that resulted in spontaneous abortion. Of 41 pregnancies that were carried to delivery, 26 occurred in women who had undergone surgery less than 2 years before conception, and 15 occurred in women who had undergone surgery greater than 2 years before conception. Gestational age at delivery, number of neonatal intensive care unit admissions, gestational weight gain, hyperemesis gravidarum, nutritional deficiencies, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension during pregnancy were compared for the 2 groups. Results Eight patients who had spontaneous abortion had a significantly shorter time from surgery to conception. There were no significant differences between our 2 groups in rates of preterm deliveries, neonatal intensive care unit admission, gestational weight gain, hyperemesis, nutritional deficiencies, gestational diabetes, or gestational hypertension. Conclusions Becoming pregnant within the first 2 years after bariatric surgery appears to have no effect on pregnancy course and outcomes. Women who miscarried had a significantly lower mean surgery to conception interval. These results fail to show an increased rate of pregnancy complications during the first 2 years after bariatric surgery.
Left Ventricular Septal Hypertrophy in Elderly Patients With Aortic Stenosis.

Objectives Left ventricular (LV) septal hypertrophy in aortic stenosis raises diagnostic and therapeutic questions. However, the etiology and clinical consequences of this finding have not been well studied. The aim of this study was to perform a morphologic evaluation of the LV in aortic stenosis and to investigate the contributing factors and consequences of septal hypertrophy. Methods Patients with moderate or severe aortic stenosis were prospectively enrolled. Patients with previous myocardial infarction, wall motion abnormalities, at least moderate valvular regurgitation, known cardiomyopathy, an LV ejection fraction of less than 50%, and age younger than 65 years were excluded. Results Forty-one patients underwent a final analysis. Septal hypertrophy (LV septal wall thickness ≥15 mm) was confirmed in 21 of 41 patients. The septal hypertrophy group had higher peak aortic valve velocity, a higher diabetes mellitus rate, and a higher rate and longer duration of hypertension than those without septal hypertrophy. The peak aortic valve velocity (odds ratio, 7.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.4–37.1) and diabetes mellitus (odds ratio, 7.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–46.2) were the significant factors associated with septal hypertrophy by multivariate analysis. Intraventricular conduction disturbance on electrocardiography was more frequent in the septal hypertrophy group (P = .021). Conclusions Left ventricular septal hypertrophy was commonly observed in elderly patients with aortic stenosis, and a higher aortic valve velocity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were associated factors. Intraventricular conduction disturbance occurred more often in patients with septal hypertrophy than those without, which implies the pathophysiologic consequence. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of septal hypertrophy and intraventricular conduction disturbance on the prognosis of patients after aortic valve interventions.
Failure to Provide Safety Equipment

A student who was injured during physical education class when a ball hit him in the eye filed a suit against his physical education teacher alleging willful and wanton misconduct for failing to provide protective eyewear during a floor-hockey game.
A Production-Rule Analysis System for Nuclear Plant Monitoring and Emergency Response Applications

A Production-Rule Analysis System for Nuclear Power Plant Monitoring is presented. The signals generated by the Zion-1 Plant are considered for Emergency Response applications. The integrity of the Plant Radiation, the Reactor Coolant, the Fuel Clad, and the Containment Systems, is monitored. Representation of the system is in the form of a goal-tree generating a Knowledge-Base searched by an Inference Engine functioning in the forward-chaining mode. The Goal-tree is built from Fault-Trees based on plant operational information. The system is implemented on a VAX-8500 and is programmed in 0PS-5.
Neurogenesis in adult primate neocortex: an evaluation of the evidence.

Reports of continuous genesis and turnover of neurons in the adult primate association neocortex — the site of the highest cognitive functions — have generated great excitement. Here, I review the available evidence, and question the scientific basis of this claim.
Biocontrol efficacy of Trichoderma spp. against sesame wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. sesami

AbstractSesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the most important oilseed crops in Egypt and worldwide. It is being infected with many pathogens, among these pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. sesami (Zap.) Cast is causing severe economic losses on sesame. In this study, antagonistic capability of 24 isolates of Trichoderma spp. was assessed in vitro against F. oxysporum f.sp. sesami. Two strains; T. harzianum (T9) and T. viride (T21) were revealed to have high antagonistic effect against F. oxysporum f.sp. sesami in vitro with inhibition percentage about 70 and 67%, respectively. These two isolates proved to have high ability to control Fusarium wilt disease under greenhouse conditions. The highest reduction in disease severity was achieved with T. viride followed by T. harzianum with reduction in disease severity about 77 and 74%, respectively. This study revealed that the time of application of bioagents is a decisive factor in determining the efficacy of Trichoderma isolates to control Fusarium wilt of...
Happiness and consumption: evidence from China

Using the 2012 China Household Finance Survey, this study finds that happiness in China is positively associated with expenditures on status-related and socially motivated goods, not with spending on improving material well-being or primarily intended for procuring material goods. It also reveals that socially motivated consumption has a status element and the effects of different types of consumption on happiness vary with people’s educational background.
Automated classification of food products using 2D low-field NMR.

Abstract In this work, low-field proton (1H) and sodium (23Na) relaxation and diffusion measurements are used to detect and classify different types of food products. A compact and low-cost system based on a small 0.5 T permanent magnet has been developed to autonomously authenticate such products. The system uses a simple but efficient double-tuned matching network suitable for 1H/23Na NMR. Various machine learning algorithms are used to classify food samples based on T 1 - T 2 and D- T 2 data generated by the system, and the accuracy and prediction speed of these algorithms are studied in detail. The influence of temperature drift upon prediction accuracy is also studied. Experimental results demonstrate reliable classification of cooking oils, milk, and soy sauces.
Sulfur Compounds as Photosynthetic Electron Donors

Most photosynthetic bacteria can grow photoautotrophically using inorganic sulfur compounds (i. e. sulfide, sulfur, polysulfides, thiosulfate, or sulfite) as electron donors for CO2 fixation. The different types of phototrophs that use sulfur compounds as electron donors, and their varying sulfur-oxidizing capabilities are briefly described. Several species of purple sulfur bacteria can also grow aerobically or microaerophilically as chemolithotrophs, oxidizing sulfur compounds to obtain energy as well as electrons for CO2 reduction. They share this ability with nonphotosynthetic sulfur bacteria such as thiobacilli. Although thiobacilli are not particularly closely related to purple sulfur bacteria, studies on sulfur oxidation by thiobacilli have yielded information that may be relevant to sulfur oxidation by photosynthetic bacteria. A variety of enzymes catalyzing sulfur oxidation reactions have been isolated from photosynthetic bacteria, and possible pathways for sulfur oxidation involving those enzymes are discussed. Except for flavocytochrome c and sulfide-quinone reductase, which catalyze electron transfer from sulfide to cytochrome c and quinone, respectively, the in vivo electron acceptors used by the sulfur-oxidizing enzymes are generally unknown. So far, no enzyme has been isolated that catalyzes oxidation of elemental sulfur, and some new possibilities for how elemental sulfur is oxidized are considered. Finally, some suggestions for future research are made that use metabolically versatile purple bacteria to examine donation of electrons by sulfur compounds to the electron transport chain, active transport of ionic sulfur compounds, and the molecular genetics of sulfur-oxidizing enzymes.
Importance of Shared Decision-Making for Vulnerable Populations: Examples from Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction

Abstract Shared decision-making (SDM) is a process through which patients and providers collaborate to select a treatment option that aligns with patients' preferences and clinical context. SDM can...
Glycol-functionalized ionic liquids for high-temperature enzymatic ring-opening polymerization

Enzymatic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) is a benign method for preparing polyesters, such as polylactides and other polylactones. These reactions are typically carried out at relatively high temperatures (60–130 °C), however, there is a deficiency of enzyme-compatible solvents for such thermally-demanding biocatalytic processes. In this study, we have prepared a series of short-chained glycol-grafted ionic liquids (ILs) based on a phosphonium, imidazolium, pyridinium, ammonium, or piperidinium cationic headgroup. Most of these glycol-grafted ILs exhibit relatively low dynamic viscosities (33–123 mPa s at 30 °C), coupled with excellent short-term thermal stabilities with decomposition temperatures (Tdcp) in the 318–403 °C range. Significantly, the long-term thermal stability under conditions matching those for enzymatic ROP synthesis (130 °C for 7 days) is excellent for several of these task-specific ILs. Using Novozym 435-catalyzed ROP, these ILs are demonstrated to be viable solvents for the enzymatic production of reasonable yields (30–48%) of high molecular mass (Mw ∼20 kDa) poly(L-lactide) and poly(e-caprolactone) compared to solventless conditions (12–14 kDa).
ADEpedia-on-OHDSI: A next generation pharmacovigilance signal detection platform using the OHDSI common data model.

Abstract Objective Supplementing the Spontaneous Reporting System (SRS) with Electronic Health Record (EHR) data for adverse drug reaction detection could augment sample size, increase population heterogeneity and cross-validate results for pharmacovigilance research. The difference in the underlying data structures and terminologies between SRS and EHR data presents challenges when attempting to integrate the two into a single database. The Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) collaboration provides a Common Data Model (CDM) for organizing and standardizing EHR data to support large-scale observational studies. The objective of the study is to develop and evaluate an informatics platform known as ADEpedia-on-OHDSI, where spontaneous reporting data from FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) is converted into the OHDSI CDM format towards building a next generation pharmacovigilance signal detection platform. Methods An extraction, transformation and loading (ETL) tool was designed, developed, and implemented to convert FAERS data into the OHDSI CDM format. A comprehensive evaluation, including overall ETL evaluation, mapping quality evaluation of drug names to RxNorm, and an evaluation of transformation and imputation quality, was then performed to assess the mapping accuracy and information loss using the FAERS data collected between 2012 and 2017. Previously published findings related to vascular safety profile of triptans were validated using ADEpedia-on-OHDSI in pharmacovigilance research. For the triptan-related vascular event detection, signals were detected by Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR) in high-level group terms (HLGT) level, high-level terms (HLT) level and preferred term (PT) level using the original FAERS data and CDM-based FAERS respectively. In addition, six standardized MedDRA queries (SMQs) related to vascular events were applied. Results A total of 4,619,362 adverse event cases were loaded into 8 tables in the OHDSI CDM. For drug name mapping, 93.9% records and 47.0% unique names were matched with RxNorm codes. Mapping accuracy of drug names was 96% based on a manual verification of randomly sampled 500 unique mappings. Information loss evaluation showed that more than 93% of the data is loaded into the OHDSI CDM for most fields, with the exception of drug route data (66%). The replication study detected 5, 18, 47 and 6, 18, 50 triptan-related vascular event signals in MedDRA HLGT level, HLT level, and PT level for the original FAERS data and CDM-based FAERS respectively. The signal detection scores of six standardized MedDRA queries (SMQs) of vascular events in the raw data study were found to be lower than those scores in the CDM study. Conclusion The outcome of this work would facilitate seamless integration and combined analyses of both SRS and EHR data for pharmacovigilance in ADEpedia-on-OHDSI, our platform for next generation pharmacovigilance.
228) Pain Hypersensitivity in Chronic Traumatic Neuropathy is Mediated by Peripheral Macrophages and AT2R Signaling

Traumatic modes of experimental neuropathy in rodents have been extensively utilized in pre-clinical studies to understand mechanisms underlying chronic neuropathic pain, and to test the in vivo efficacy of experimental and known analgesic drugs. The vast majority of studies probe anatomical, transcriptomic and tissue/cell functional analysis, as well as pain hypersensitivity-related behavioral outcome measures within 1 to 3 weeks of the induction of trauma/surgical procedures. This models the acute/sub-chronic phases of neuropathic pain in humans, and thus represents a disconnect from chronic neuropathy conditions/diseases and the associated pain in humans. With this in mind, we investigated whether the mechanisms elucidated at 1 to 3 weeks post-injury also drive pain hypersensitivity at more chronic stages (>100 days post-injury). We used evoked and voluntary behavioral measures of mechanical and cold hypersensitivity along with immunohisochemical analysis in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of traumatic neuropathy in mice. Elevated macrophage density was detectable in the injured nerve at this late stage, and mechanical and cold hypersensitivity also persist in these animals. We recently reported a role for peripheral macrophages and the function of the type II angiotensin II receptor (known as AT2R) therein, at the site of nerve injury in the development of neuropathic pain. In the present study, we found that the AT2R antagonist EMA401, which is currently in phase II clinical trials for post-herpetic neuralgia and diabetic neuropathic pain, attenuated mechanical and cold pain hypersensitivity in SNI mice. Collectively, our observations suggest that in addition to being a crucial driver of neuropathic pain hypersensitivity in the more acute stages, peripheral macrophage infiltration and AT2R signaling therein continues to drive sustained pain hypersensitivity associated with neuropathy in chronic pathological states of the disease.
Effect of non-ionic surfactants on the formation of DNA/emulsion complexes and emulsion-mediated gene transfer.

Purpose. To study the structure-function relationship of non-ionic surfactants in emulsion-mediated gene delivery.
Partially HLA Matched, Non-Myeloablative Allogeneic Transplantation.

We have investigated the use of partially matched family member donors in combination with alemtuzumab and a non-myeloablatvie preparative regimen in an effort to expand the population of patients who may benefit from allogeneic immunotherapy. Methods: Sixty three patients received fludarabine 30mg/sq m, cyclophosphamide 500mg/sq m IV qd x 4 days and alemtuzumab 20mg IV qd x 5 days followed by infusion of partially matched family member donor stem cells. Mycophenolate alone or in combination with cyclosporine was given for 6–8 weeks following transplantation. Results: Patient diagnoses included lymphoma/myeloma n= 16, leukemias/MDS n=33, myelofibrosis/aplasia n=3 and metastatic solid tumours n=11. The median age was 48 (range 17–66) with a median follow up of 28 months. The donor matching was 5/6 in 8, 4/6 in 22, and 3/6 in 33 cases. The median CD34+ cell dose collected was 13.47 x 10 6 /kg (SD= 5.10) with nearly 2 logs of T cells depletion. Engraftment occurred in 92% of patients with a median of 87% donor cells responsible for patient hematopoiesis by 6 weeks following therapy. Twenty patients also received a DLI (range 10 5 –10 7 CD3+ cells/kg). Grade III–IV acute GVHD occurred in only 8/63 (13%) with 14 (22%) experiencing grade II–IV. Nine patients developed chronic GVHD or failure to thrive (15%). The transplant regimen was well tolerated with 10% TRM. In those with hematologic malignancies, only 6 (12%) started in remission, though 38 (73%) attained a CR. The most common cause of death in this group was progressive disease (33%), followed by infections (19%), and GVHD (12%). Overall 1 year survival for this high risk group of 63 patients was 26%. A subgroup had aplastic anemia/myelofibrosis or leukemia/lymphoma in second or greater CR, PR and had a median disease free and overall survival of 3 years. Phenotypic analysis of lymphocyte subsets (measured by flow), and T cell VBeta family recovery (spectratype analysis using PCR) revealed robust recovery by 6 months in those without GVHD (dark bars) compared to those with GVHD (gray bars), despite T depletion. Further, the measured T cell recovery is from peripheral expansion of residual transplanted T cells as newly educated T cells are not measurable (using TRECs analysis) for at least 1 year, if at all. Conclusions: The results demonstrate reasonable tolerance and reliable engraftment using T cell depleted, partially matched family member donors in a non-myeloablative setting with low treatment related mortality and severe GVHD. The future challenge will to be to develop strategies to improve immune recovery to enhance immune-mediated graft-versus-tumour effect and to minimize the risk of infections.
Sonographer’s Role in the Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Dialysis Fistula Pseudoaneurysms:

Pseudoaneurysm (PSA) formation, in an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) undergoing hemodialysis, can occur as a result of frequent venipunctures and can lead to a weakened vessel wall. Since many dialysi...