cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract W MP73: Protective Effect of Argatroban on Behavioral Outcome Following MCAo up to Four Hours

Background and Purpose: We showed previously that thrombin enters brain and causes damage to the neurovascular unit (NVU) during ischemia. We hypothesized that the direct thrombin inhibitor argatroban after MCAo would ameliorate behavioral deficits. We explored the therapeutic time window with a standard bioassay following pre-clinical testing guidelines from RIGOR and STAIR. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent MCAo during which each received placebo, 18mg/kg Argatroban over 24 hours (hi dose), or 10mg/kg over 24 hours (lo dose). Blood flow was restored by removing the filament after variable times. At reflow and daily thereafter animals were rated using a modified Bederson scale. After 48 hours the animals were sacrificed and lesion volume measured with TTC imaging (planimetry; Image Pro Plus). Animals were assigned to treatment randomly and studies were triple blinded at surgery, at behavioral assessment, and during histology. We used the quantal bioassay (Exp Neurol 1997;147:346-352) to compute the ED50 for each group, which measures the duration of ischemia in minutes needed to cause abnormal behavior in 50% of the group. Results: Both doses of argatroban were superior to saline when treatment was delayed as long as 3 hours. For example, after 1 hour delay, the ED50±SD for placebo (n=19) was 24.0±5.6, lo dose (n=19) 46.3±3.4, hi dose (n=19) 40.6±5.7 (p<0.05, t-test, Bonferroni). After 3 hours (Figure), placebo (n=25) was 15.5±3.3, lo dose (n=20) 30.1±5.6, and hi dose (n=20) 30.1±3.74 (P<0.05). After 4 hours delay, there were no beneficial effects. Lesion volumes measured by TTC confirmed the behavioral results. Conclusion: Argatroban after MCAo significantly ameliorated behavioral deficits and reduced lesion volume compared to saline. The effect was robust and seen with 2 doses. Protection was noted after a delay as long as 3 hours but not 4 hours. These data support earlier findings that thrombin inhibition shows promise for neuroprotection. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Impact of Long-Term Poor and Good Glycemic Control on Metabolomics Alterations in Type 1 Diabetic People

Context: Poor glycemic control in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with both micro- and macrovascular complications, but good glycemic control does not fully prevent the risk of these complications. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether T1D with good glycemic control have persistent abnormalities of metabolites and pathways that exist in T1D with poor glycemic control. Design: We compared plasma metabolites in T1D with poor (glycated hemoglobin ≥ 8.5%, T1D[−] and good (glycated hemoglobin < 6.5%, T1D[+]) glycemic control with nondiabetic controls (ND). Setting: The study was conducted at the clinical research unit. Patients or Other Participants: T1D with poor (n = 14), T1D(−) and good, T1D(+) (n = 15) glycemic control and matched (for age, sex, and body mass index) ND participants were included in the study. Intervention(s): There were no intervention. Main Outcome Measure(s): Comparison of qualitative and quantitative profiling of metabolome was performed. Re...
Focus on . . . Decumulation

Helping retirees to choose sensible payout strategies is part of an overall approach that must also include two other essential elements: improving retirement plan coverage and increasing the level of retirement savings. No payout strategy can overcome the disadvantage of having inadequate savings as one approaches retirement.
Numerical simulation by TVD schemes of complex shock reflections from airfoils at high angle of attack

The shock-capturing capability of total variation diminishing (TVD) schemes is demonstrated for a more realistic complex shock-diffraction problem for which the experimental data are available. Second-order explicit upwind and symmetric TVD schemes are used to solve the time-dependent Euler equations of gas dynamics for the interaction of a blast wave with an airfoil at high angle-of-attack. The test cases considered are a time-dependent moving curved-shock wave and a contant moving planar-shock wave impinging at an angle-of-attack 30 deg on a NACA 0018 airfoil. Good agreement is obtained between isopycnic contours computed by the TVD schemes and those from experimental interferograms. No drastic difference in flow-field structure is found between the curved- and planar-shock wave cases, except for a difference in density level near the lower surface of the airfoil. Computation for cases with higher shock Mach numbers is also possible. Numerical experiments show that the symmetric TVD scheme is less sensitive to the boundary conditions treatment than the upwind scheme.
FOUR CASES OF RADIATION PNEUMONIA AFTER BREAST CONSERVATIVE THERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER

Between 1983 and 1996, a series of 240 patients with early stage breast cancer were treated with breast conservative treatment, and 201 patients of them all received irradiation at a dose of 46-60 Gy to the affected breast. Among the 201 patients who received breast irradiation, four (2.0%) patients experienced radiation pneumonia. These four patients with radiation pneumonia presented with coughing from 7 to 20 weeks after irradiation. Chest X-ray film revealed interstitial pneumonia in a lung field where coincided with the irradiated field in them. Three out of four patients demanded steroids, but all patients got well within 4 months. Radiation pneumonia following conservative surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer is an infrequent complication, but attention should be paid to radiation pneumonia if the patient suffers from persistent coughing after radiotherapy.
MANAGING BLAME: AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF THE EFFECTS OF POLITICAL ACCOUNTS

Public officials are not passive bystanders in the electoral process. Rather, they actively try to shape or manage citizens' perceptions of events (particularly those involving negative outcomes) through explanations or accounts. I argue that consideration of citizens' understandings of political accountability and how these are shaped by public officials represent critical missing components of models of electoral behavior. The distinction between excuses and justifications provides a valuable conceptual framework for understanding the impact of political accounts on a variety of judgments and psychological processes. I examine satisfaction with various excuses and justifications and their impact on subsequent evaluations of the official.
Collective dipole-dipole interactions in an atomic array

The coherent photon scattering of atoms in an atomic array is studied. It is found that due to cooperative photon exchanges, the excitation probability of an atom in an array parallel to the direction of laser propagation ($\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\mathbit{k}}$) will either grow or decay along $\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\mathbit{k}}$, depending on the detuning of the laser. The symmetry of the system for atomic separations of $a=j\ensuremath{\lambda}/2$ causes the excitation distribution and scattered radiation to abruptly become symmetric about the center of the array, where $j$ is an integer and $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the transition wavelength. For atomic separations of $al\ensuremath{\lambda}/2$, a collection of nonradiating states ($\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}\ensuremath{\sim}0$) disrupts the described trend. In order to interpret this surprising result, a band-structure calculation in the $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ limit is conducted, where the decay rates and the collective Lamb shifts of the eigenmodes versus quasimomentum are obtained. This calculation shows that the collective exchange of photons in an array strongly affects its scattered radiation, allowing one to easily manipulate the collective Lamb shift and directly excite either superradiant or subradiant eigenmodes by correctly choosing the angle of the driving laser.
Evidence-based medicine and critical care.

Applying the best available scientific evidence to selecting the most appropriate action for the care of individual patients is not a novel concept. Nevertheless, in these times of exponential growth in medical literature, heavy time constraints on clinicians and increasing health care costs, this approach needed to be reemphasised. The promoters of evidence-based medicine have contributed significantly to this task, by making explicit the steps from the search for the best evidence (randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses) to its application to clinical practice. Moreover, they have developed and made available several invaluable tools for critical appraisal of the medical literature. To illustrate the usefulness of evidence-based medicine, we applied this approach to two clinical situations: (1) the decision whether to use NPPV instead of conventional ventilation in a patient with acute respiratory failure due to severe pneumonia; and (2) whether to administer albumin to critically ill patients with hypovolaemia, burns or hypoalbuninaemia. Finally, the limitations of evidence-based medicine and its main instruments, i.e. randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses, are briefly discussed.
Interventional Management of Vascular Renal Transplant Complications

Renal transplantation is the therapy of choice in patients with end stage renal disease. Although transplant rejection remains the most common complication after renal transplantation, vascular anatomical complications occur in 1%-23% of renal transplant recipients. Interventional radiologists play an important role in the management of these complications. This review discusses the role of image-guided interventions within the context of multidisciplinary patient management. Particular emphasis is given to anatomical considerations unique to this patient population, techniques used for image-guided interventions, and outcomes of image-guided interventions.
Experimental investigation on heat driven self-cooling application based on thermoelectric system

Abstract Thermoelectric generation can be utilized in a self-cooling application in which heat from a device is used to power an air-based cooling system. A thermal strategy that enables self-cooling needs to ensure that the device temperature is kept at an optimum value while being able to run the cooling system. This experimental study explored in detail an arrangement with primary and secondary heat paths to guide heat flow to the thermoelectric generator (TEG) modules and heat sink. Experiments were conducted to analyze the geometric and system parameters affecting the application of thermoelectric based self-cooling in devices. The effect of varying heat load on the time-dependent self-cooling process is also studied. Experimental results show that for the highest heat input studied, the temperature of the device can be reduced by 20–40% as compared to natural convection case. In addition, it has been found that in the self-cooling cases studied, convection thermal resistance could account for up to 60% of the total thermal resistance.
CD36 Ectodomain Phosphorylation Blocks Thrombospondin-1 Binding Structure-Function Relationships and Regulation by Protein Kinase C

Objective— CD36 phosphorylation on its extracellular domain inhibits binding of thrombospondin-1. The mechanisms of cellular CD36 ectodomain phosphorylation and whether it can be regulated in cells are not known. We determined structure-function relationships of CD36 phosphorylation related to thrombospondin-1 peptide binding in vitro and explored mechanisms regulating phosphorylation by protein kinase C (PKC) in melanoma cells. Methods and Results— Phosphorylation of CD36 peptide on Thr92 by PKCα suppressed binding of thrombospondin-1 peptides in vitro, and the level of inhibition correlated with the level of phosphorylation. Basal phosphorylation levels of CD36 in vivo in platelets, endothelial cells, and melanoma cells were assessed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblot and were found to be very low. Treatment of CD36-transfected melanoma cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a PKC activator, induced substantial CD36 phosphorylation and decreased ligand-mediated recruitment of Src-family proteins to CD36. PMA treatment did not induce detectable extracellular or cell surface–associated kinase activity, and both cycloheximide and brefeldin A blocked CD36 phosphorylation. Conclusion— New protein synthesis and trafficking through the Golgi are required for PMA-induced CD36 phosphorylation, suggesting that phosphorylation probably occurs intracellularly. These studies suggest a novel in vivo pathway for CD36 phosphorylation that modulates cellular affinity for thrombospondin-related proteins to blunt vascular cell signaling.
A pattern-based risk-stratification scheme for salivary gland cytology: A multi-institutional, interobserver variability study to determine applicability.

BACKGROUND Salivary gland aspiration cytology is useful in the preoperative management of patients but remains challenging, because of the extensive morphologic overlap of some tumors limits the ability to always determine the presence of malignancy. In response to this challenge, there has been increasing drive to develop a risk-based categorization scheme for salivary gland aspirates. Herein, the authors examine the interobserver variability of 1 such pattern and risk-based system. METHODS Select smears and cell-block sections of 50 salivary gland aspirates from 2 large academic centers were digitally imaged. These scanned slides were independently and blindly reviewed by 4 cytopathologists, and each aspirate was assigned to 1 of the proposed pattern-based categories if it was considered neoplastic by the observer. Interobserver agreement was scored and aggregated risks of malignancy were calculated for cases with available surgical follow-up. RESULTS In total, 42 samples (84%) were considered neoplastic by at least 2 observers and were scored for interobserver agreement: 10 of 42 (23.8%) had uniform agreement, 14 of 42 (33.3%) had majority agreement, and 5 of 42 (11.9%) had divided agreement. Only 9 of 42 samples (21.4%) had minimal agreement, and 4 of 42 (9.5%) had no agreement. Condensation of similar categories was able to improve interobserver agreement and still maintain stratified risk of malignancy. CONCLUSIONS The proposed pattern-based risk-stratification scheme, which could be implemented with the forthcoming Milan System, has good overall interobserver agreement and successfully stratifies the risk of malignancy. Some simplification is possible to make the system easier to use and improve interobserver agreement while maintaining stratification of risk. Cancer Cytopathol 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Evaluation of Sleep Deprivation in the Pediatric EEG

The value of sleep deprivation to increase the yield of routine outpatient EEG in the diagnosis of epilepsy was assessed in a randomized, blinded comparison of routine EEG (REEG) versus sleep-deprived EEG (SDEEG) in 206 children aged 0 to 18 years referred by neurologists at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI.
A Sword and a Shield: The Uses of Law in the Bush Administration

The Bush administration has been criticized for departures from the rule of law, but within the administration law was not ignored. Instead it was seen variously as a tool and as a potential threat to the operation of the executive branch. Two narratives compete for attention. In an era when the legality of torture was openly debated, the deployment of law in wartime seemed the most immediate issue. At the same time, however, a decades-long conservative movement to change American law was both significantly furthered and complicated, as Supreme Court appointments moved the Court to the right, but the lack of a common jurisprudence hampered the consolidation of a new conservative constitutional vision. More conservative courts might seem a safe haven for the president, less likely to challenge executive branch actions, but the Bush administration had a complicated relationship with courts. The administration sought out the courts to further aspects of a social policy agenda, such as restricting abortion rights and gun control. But when it came to challenges to the executive branch itself, the Administration used creative means to avoid court jurisdiction, including constitutional theories about executive power. Law was both a sword and a shield: it was a tool used to further some conservative objectives, and it was a shield intended to protect executive autonomy.
Exporting solid models into finite element analysis (FEA) for reverse engineering of electrical components

Some products are reverse engineered RE as an origin in the design process while others are based on a new inception. In a globally competitive market it is important to reverse engineer electrical products and components for manufacture. Competitor's products are reverse engineered to generate a cost basis to keep a manufacturer's pricing in line with markets. The process of reverse engineering can also be used to regenerate obsolete parts or ones that are out of production and needed for service needs. The reverse engineered part or one designed completely in a solid modeling (SM) package parallels the future manufacture of the part and corresponding assembly. Animation and analysis are integrated into the SM and FEA modeling of the part
A Method for Classifying Products Designed for the Developing World

Researchers in the area of design for the developing world have synthesized knowledge from location-specific product case studies in the form of design guidance, which includes pitfalls, principles, and methods. Much of the design guidance relates to specific product classes and regions, while recent work is directed towards generalized principles. The aim of this paper is to fill gaps in product class-specific design guidance by creating larger groups of similar products, which share design characteristics. In this paper, we present a method for classifying products into such groups utilizing cluster analysis. We present a five-step method, which includes optional synthesis of design principles. The potential value of the method is demonstrated in a case study. The result included two distinct product groups, titled Products for Relief and Products for Development, and corresponding design principles for each group.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
A review of transformer aging and control strategies

This paper reviews factors that influence the aging of distribution transformers, including root causes of transformer failure. Existing and proposed load control methods are then reviewed. A distribution model is introduced to help evaluate potential control methods. Coping with transformer aging is an important challenge in power system. The nature of transformer loads is changing with the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) and electric vehicles (EVs). Distribution transformers themselves are minimally controllable, but smart meters provide excellent, new insights into electrical loads, which insights can be used to understand and mitigate transformer aging.
COMPARISON OF HIGH EFFICACY CZT SPECT MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IMAGING (MPI) AND NA-I SPECT MPI WITH GOLD STANDARD CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY

Newly introduced Calcium-zinc-telluride(CZT) SPECT camera has shown to reduce radiation exposure without affecting image quality. There is limited data on comparison between MPI and coronary angiography. Our goal was to follow these patients and assess the results of nuclear testing using the new
‘The pumpkins are coming…vienen las calabazas…that sounds funny’: Translanguaging practices of young emergent bilinguals:

In this paper, we utilize the theory of translanguaging to make sense of the biliterate activities of young emergent bilinguals in a before-school program for Latinx students at an elementary schoo...
Perception-Oriented 3D Rendering Approximation for Modern Graphics Processors

Anisotropic filtering enabled by modern rasterization-based GPUs provides users with extremely authentic visualization experience, but significantly limits the performance and energy efficiency of 3D rendering process due to its large texture data requirement. To improve 3D rendering efficiency, we build a bridge between anisotropic filtering process and human visual system by analyzing users’ perception on image quality. We discover that anisotropic filtering does not impact user perceived image quality on every pixel. This motives us to approximate the anisotropic filtering process for non-perceivable pixels in order to improve the overall 3D rendering performance without damaging user experience. To achieve this goal, we propose a perceptionoriented runtime approximation model for 3D rendering by leveraging the inner-relationship between anisotropic and isotropic filtering. We also provide a low-cost texture unit design for enabling this approximation. Extensive evaluation on modern 3D games demonstrates that, under a conservative tuning point, our design achieves a significant average speedup of 17% for the overall 3D rendering along with 11% total GPU energy reduction, without visible image quality loss from users’ perception. It also reduces the texture filtering latency by an average of 29%. Additionally, it creates a unique perception-based tuning space for performance-quality tradeoffs on graphics processors.
Acid- and base-treated Fe3+-TiO2-pillared clays for selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3

Fe3+-ion-exchanged delaminated pillared clays (PILCs) have been found previously to be more active than the vanadia-based catalysts for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by NH3. The effects of acid treatment of the clay (before pillaring) and base treatments of the TiO2-PILC (before ion exchange) on the activities of the Fe–TiO2-PILC catalysts were studied. It was found that the acid treatment increased the activity (by 33%), but the base treatments decreased the activity (although they increased the cation exchange capacity of the pillared clay and, hence, the Fe content). The activities of the catalysts were directly related to their surface Bronsted acidities as identified by FT-IR of chemisorbed NH3.
The Impact of Estrogen Receptor α Expression in the Pathogenesis of the Metabolic Syndrome

Considering the trends in life expectancy, women in the modern era are challenged with facing menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, sleep and mood disorders, and sexual dysfunction as well as heightened disease risk associated with increasing adiposity and metabolic dysfunction for up to three decades of life. Treatment strategies to combat menopausal symptoms and associated pathologies have been hampered by our lack of understanding regarding the biological causes of these clinical conditions and our incomplete understanding of the effects of estrogens and the tissue-specific functions and molecular actions of its receptors. In this chapter we provide evidence supporting a critical and protective role for the estrogen receptor α in the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Studies identifying the ER-regulated pathways required for disease prevention will lay the important foundation for the rational design of novel and better-targeted therapeutic strategies to improve the health of women while limiting complications that have plagued traditional hormone replacement interventions.
High-throughput extraction of arthropod vector and pathogen DNA using bead milling.

1.Wang, W. and B.A. Malcolm. 2002. Twostage polymerase chain reaction protocol allowing introduction of multiple mutations, deletions, and insertions, using QuikChange site-directed mutagenesis. Methods Mol. Biol. 182:37-43. 2.Cabre, A., J. Girona, G. Zalba, M.U. Moreno, J. Diez, and L. Masana. 2004. Generation of eight adjacent mutations in a single step using a site-directed mutagenesis kit. Clin. Chem. Lab. Med. 42:384-386. 3.Mehta, R.K. and J. Singh. 1999. Bridgeoverlap-extension PCR method for constructing chimeric genes. BioTechniques. 26:10821086. 4.Russell, C.B., D.S. Thaler, and F.W. Dahlquist. 1989. Chromosomal transformation of Escherichia coli recD strains with linearized plasmids. J. Bacteriol. 171:26092613. 5.Farrar, M.A., S.H. Olson, and R.M. Perlmutter. 2000. Coumermycin-induced dimerization of GyrB-containing fusion proteins. Methods Enzymol. 327:421-429. 6.Plaper, A., M. Golob, I. Hafner, M. Oblak, T. Solmajer, and R. Jerala. 2003. Characterization of quercetin binding site on DNA gyrase. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 306:530-536. 7.Gruber, A., M. Mancek, H. Wagner, C.J. Kirschning, and R. Jerala. 2004. Structural model of MD-2 and functional role of its basic amino acid clusters involved in cellular LPS recognition. J. Biol. Chem. 279:2847528482. 8.Weiner, M.P., G.L. Costa, W. Schoettlin, J. Cline, E. Mathur, and J.C. Bauer. 1994. Site-directed mutagenesis of double-stranded DNA by the polymerase chain reaction. Gene 151:119-123.
Correction to: 1HN, 13C, and 15N resonance assignments of human calmodulin bound to a peptide derived from the STRA6 vitamin A transporter (CaMBP2).

Vitamin A is a necessary nutrient for all mammals, and it is required for the transcription of many genes and vital for vision. While fasting, the vitamin A alcohol form (Retinol) from storage in the liver is mobilized and transported through the bloodstream while bound to retinol binding protein (RBP). Details of how exactly vitamin A is released from RBP and taken into the cells are still unclear. As part of the effort to elucidate the specifics of this process, single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structural studies of STRA6 (the RBP receptor 75-kDa transmembrane receptor protein) were recently reported by Chen et al. (Science, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad8266 , 2016). Interestingly, STRA6 from zebrafish was shown to be a stable dimer and bound to calmodulin (CaM), forming a 180-kDa complex. The topology of the STRA6 complex includes 18 transmembrane helices (nine per protomer) and two long horizontal intramembrane helices interacting at the dimer core (Chen et al., in Science, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad8266 , 2016). CaM was shown to interact with three regions of STRA6, termed CaMBP1, CaMBP2, and CaMBP3, with the most extensive interactions involving CaMBP2. To further our understanding of Ca2+-dependence of CaM-STRA6 complex formation, studies of the structure and dynamic properties of the CaMBP2-CaM complex were initiated. For this, the 1HN, 13C, and 15N backbone resonance assignments of the 148 amino acid Ca2+-bound calmodulin protein bound to the 27-residue CaMBP2 peptide derived from STRA6 were completed here using heteronuclear multidimensional NMR spectroscopy.
Impact of Non-perturbative QCD on CP Violation in Many-Body Final States of Flavor Transitions

The title of my talk pointed out central statements: the impact of non-perturbative QCD on {\bf CP} asymmetries in many-body FS in charm \& beauty hadrons. For practical reasons one measures first {\bf CP} violation in two-body final states of heavy flavor hadrons. However, those are small parts of charm hadrons and tiny ones for beauty hadrons; therefore one has to probe {\bf CP} asymmetries in three- \& four-body final states. Thus the transitions to the many-body FS basically give information about the underlying dynamics. The impact of non-perturbative QCD on {\bf CP} asymmetries in many-body FS shows that -- in principle; it is a true challenge even in a semi-quantitative way. One needs correlations with other transitions. That is my strategy; however, I have to discuss the tactics on the same level like using consistent parameterization of the CKM matrix. Our community has entered a novel era: direct {\bf CP} violation has been found in $D^0 \to h^+h^-$ decays \cite{CHARM}. Finally I give short comments about the possible impact of New Dynamics on direct {\bf CP} violation in $K_L \to 2 \pi$ and probe {\bf CP} asymmetry in $J/\psi \to \bar \Lambda \Lambda$ transitions.
Outcomes of Macroplastique injections for stress urinary incontinence after suburethral sling removal.

Introduction To evaluate outcomes following urethral Macroplastique (MPQ) injection in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) following suburethral sling removal (SSR) for synthetic sling complications. Methods Following Institutional Review Board approval, charts of non-neurogenic women with SUI after SSR who underwent MPQ injection(s) and had at least 6 months minimum follow-up were reviewed from a prospectively maintained database. Demographic data, questionnaire (Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 [UDI-6] and Quality of Life) scores, and pad usage were recorded. Patients were followed with repeat questionnaires and three-dimensional ultrasound evaluating MPQ volume. Success following MPQ was defined as a composite score of a UDI-6 question 3 score of 0 to 1 at last visit and no additional anti-incontinence therapy. Results From 2011 to 2018, 70 women with mean age 62.7 years met study criteria. At a mean follow-up of 46.4 ± 1.5 months, the success rate after the first MPQ injection was 46%. Following a repeat MPQ injection when indicated, the overall success rate for the entire cohort was 69%. Despite the objective failure, the majority of patients reported subjective improvement (83%) and reduced pad usage (78%). On multivariate analysis: age, body mass index, previous hysterectomy, hormone replacement therapy, type of sling removed and baseline urodynamics (UDS) parameters were not predictors of MPQ failure. Higher parity was a predictor of MPQ failure (hazard ratio = 1.980; P = .032). Conclusion MPQ injection is a durable and effective management option for SUI following SSR, although a second injection may be required to achieve the desired success.
Nationwide study of therapeutic plasma exchange vs intravenous immunoglobulin in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Background We compared outcomes of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) vs intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) among hospitalized patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Methods In a retrospective cohort study of 6642 records (2637 TPE and 4005 IVIG) from the 2002-2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, treatment type was examined as predictor of length of stay, total charges, and in-hospital death, with regression modeling using risk adjustment and propensity scoring to control for confounders. Results Compared with those receiving IVIG, patients who underwent TPE experienced prolonged hospitalization by approximately 7.5 days, greater hospitalization costs by approximately $46,000, and increased in-hospital death with an odds ratio of 2.78. Results did not change after controlling for confounders through risk adjustment, propensity score adjustment, or matching. Conclusions TPE may be associated with poorer healthcare utilization outcomes vs IVIG, although confounding by indication could not be ascertained.
COUMADIN RIDGE MASS: DIFFICULTIES IN DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Coumadin ridge (CR) is a LA structure that is commonly mistaken for thrombus. Rarely it becomes an origin for intracardiac masses, differential diagnosis of which can be challenging despite advanced imaging modalities. A 72 y.o. F with remote history of CVA presented with chest pain and underwent
Chapter 95 – Imidacloprid: A Neonicotinoid Insecticide

Publisher Summary Imidacloprid is the most well-known and widely used representative of the neonicotinoid insecticides. It is a broad-spectrum neonicotinoid insecticide, with excellent systemic and contact activity that supports its use on many food crops, turf, and ornamentals and for termite and flea control. They are designed to act on nicotinic receptors to control insect pests and, at the same time, to express low toxicity to vertebrate species. This chapter explores the toxicokinetics, chemistry, and neurotoxicity. By oral administration, imidacloprid is rapidly absorbed, metabolized in the liver, and excreted, primarily via the urine. There are two major routes of metabolism in mammals. The first involves oxidative cleavage to imidazolidine and 6-chloronicotinic acid, with the imidazolidine moiety excreted via the urine. The second substantive route in the biotransformation of imidacloprid involves the hydroxylation of the intact molecule in the imidazolidine ring, followed by the elimination of water and the formation of an unsaturated metabolite. Imidacloprid is absorbed and widely distributed to organs within 1 h following oral administration to rats. Imidacloprid was determined to produce minimal evidence of toxicity by acute dermal and inhalation routes of exposure and moderate acute toxicity by acute oral administration. Imidacloprid is not an irritant and does not produce evidence of dermal sensitization. Acute toxicity is characterized by nicotinic signs at relatively high levels of exposure. Due to its high insecticidal potency and relatively low mammalian toxicity, imidacloprid has a very high margin of safety. Imidacloprid is not mutagenic or carcinogenic, it is not a primary embryotoxicant, is not teratogenic, and has no effect on reproduction or development.
Prediction versus understanding in computationally enhanced neuroscience

The use of machine learning instead of traditional models in neuroscience raises significant questions about the epistemic benefits of the newer methods. I draw on the literature on model intelligibility in the philosophy of science to offer some benchmarks for the interpretability of artificial neural networks (ANN’s) used as a predictive tool in neuroscience. Following two case studies on the use of ANN’s to model motor cortex and the visual system, I argue that the benefit of providing the scientist with understanding of the brain trades off against the predictive accuracy of the models. This trade-off between prediction and understanding is better explained by a non-factivist account of scientific understanding.
Dichroic coatings for astronomical instrumentation

Due to the increasing number of astronomical projects and of their associated instruments, the request of large optics with higher optical performances does not stop growing. An important step in the manufacture of these optics is the deposition of high-precision optical coatings. To answer to this request, we developed dichroic coatings, with sharp transition for large optics, working at different angles of incidence and spectral ranges. The work done for the dichroic optics of the HRS and LRS instruments for the 4MOST project will be presented.
Production system influences tomato phenolics and indoleamines in a cultivar-specific manner.

Abstract Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit is a rich source of health-promoting compounds, and epidemiological studies show that tomato consumption may reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This study compared the effect of genotype, production system, and their interaction on eight tomato varieties grown in the open-field (OF) or net-house (NH), a structure completely covered with a 50-mesh screen to reduce pest and wind damage, in South Texas. The NH structure reduced solar radiation up to ~30% and decreased wind speed by 6.44 km/h compared with conditions measured in the OF. We simultaneously analyzed 16 phenolics and indoleamines using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI-HR-QTOFMS). The chemometric analysis showed a distinct difference between NH– and OF-grown tomatoes irrespective of the variety. The melatonin and serotonin contents showed a cultivar-specific effect of the production system. Likewise, the effect of cultivation systems on levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids varied based on tomato cultivar. Among the studied phenolic acids, significantly enhanced levels of sinapic acid were observed in OF-grown tomatoes. Similarly, we detected a considerable genotypic effect on gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, and naringin. The interaction of cultivar and production system substantially affected gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, sinapic acid, and apigenin. However, further studies need to be performed to explore the environment-specific effects on the total composition. In summary, our results indicate that the production system plays an important role in tomato composition beyond the natural genetic variation among cultivars.
The Protective Effects of Pre-collegiate Civic Engagement on College Alcohol Use and Well-being

The transition from high school to college as well as the time during college is a risk period for problematic alcohol use among adolescents and young adults. The protective effect of civic activity on alcohol use and other aspects of well-being have been documented in both adolescence and young adulthood. However, the trajectory of this relationship between these two stages of the life course has not been well examined. This prospective survey study (N = 220) examined the influence of civic activity on alcohol use, flourishing, and college self-efficacy across the transition into college. Logistic regression models showed that higher participation in civic acts during high school was associated with lower likelihood of college alcohol problems among the sample as they began their college careers. However, collegiate civic activity showed no added protective effect on alcohol use during the first year of college. The only significant predictor of alcohol problems at the end of the first year of college was alcohol problems at the beginning of the year. Participants who reported any alcohol problems upon entering college had 6.4 times the odds of reporting drinking problems at the end of the first year than their peers who did not report any alcohol problems at the beginning of the year. Both pre-collegiate and collegiate civic activity predicted increased flourishing and college self-efficacy. Findings suggest that high school civic activity may have protective effects during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood.
Local Justice and the Algorithmic Allocation of Societal Resources.

AI is increasingly used to aid decision-making about the allocation of scarce societal resources, for example housing for homeless people, organs for transplantation, and food donations. Recently, there have been several proposals for how to design objectives for these systems that attempt to achieve some combination of fairness, efficiency, incentive compatibility, and satisfactory aggregation of stakeholder preferences. This paper lays out possible roles and opportunities for AI in this domain, arguing for a closer engagement with the political philosophy literature on local justice, which provides a framework for thinking about how societies have over time framed objectives for such allocation problems. It also discusses how we may be able to integrate into this framework the opportunities and risks opened up by the ubiquity of data and the availability of algorithms that can use them to make accurate predictions about the future.
Eulerian numbers and operators

From either generating function we can obtain the recurrence (1.3) An+hk = (n-k + 2)Anfk_1+kAnfk and the symmetry relation (1.4) Anrk = An^k+1 . For references see [5, pp. 487-491], [6], [7], [8, Ch. 8]. In an earlier expository paper [1] one of the writers has discussed algebraic and arithmetic properties of the Eulerian numbers but did not include any combinatorial properties. The simplest combinatorial interpretation is that Ank is the number of permutations of . Zn = I lZ~.,n I with k rises, where we agree to count a conventional rise to the left of the first element. Conversely if we define Ank as the number of such permutations, the recurrence (1.3) and the symmetry relation (1.4) follow almost at once but it is not so easy to obtain the generating function. The symmetry relation (1.4) is by no means obvious from either (1.1) or (1.2). This suggests the introduction of the following symmetrical notation: (1.5) A(r,s) = Ar+s+1fS+1 = Ar+s+Ur+l = Ms,r). It is then not difficult to verify that (1.1) implies oo
Surgical treatment of an arteriovenous malformation of the mandible in a child: A case report

Summary Arteriovenous malformations of the mandible are rare and potentially life threatening lesions. They are very unusual in young individuals. A case is reported in which a form of surgical treatment is advocated that permits preservation of the continuity of the mandible and the dentition with little potential for life threatening bleeding.
Questioning as a Mode of Instruction

(1979). Questioning as a Mode of Instruction. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 14-16.
The Impact of the Reduction in Tick Increments in Major U.S. Markets on Spreads, Depth, and Volatility

This study presents an analysis of the impact of the introduction of quotes in sixteenths of a dollar on the AMEX, Nasdaq, and NYSE in mid-1997 on select market characteristics such as spreads, effective spreads, quoted depth, and volume. The findings of the study document reductions in the bid-ask spread, effective spread, and a statistically significant increase in the number of quotes. Interestingly, we find that liquidity, as measured by the total depth at the bid and ask, declines significantly on the AMEX and NYSE, but increases on the Nasdaq. Trading volume increases on the NYSE, but remains unchanged for the AMEX and Nasdaq. We also find that the proportion of even-increment quotes is a relevant factor affecting percentage spreads for Nasdaq both before and after and for the NYSE only after the change in quoting increments.
Delivering Better Outcomes in Education: The World Bank's Experience

The following addresses the research question: Do World Bank supported education projects achieve better outcomes when there is deeper attention to designing monitoring and evaluation systems during project design?The paper draws on a recently constructed database of World Bank investment projects in the education sector. Ratings of these projects’ M&E and their outcomes will be compared to see whether there is a correlation between high M&E ratings, and better outcomes. This pattern has been observed in other service areas supported by the Bank. Further analysis will look at other factors associated with better outcomes, to determine their importance relative to the use of M&E systems. The next step will be to analyze detailed project components to see if there are design features common to high performing projects with effective M&E and other outcome enabling features that are missing in weaker performing projects. Case studies are then introduced to illustrate how this can be brought about through implementation.The findings will be of interest to World Bank operational staff, education professionals, client governments, and other development partners. Evaluations of World Bank projects have shown a decline in outcome ratings in recent years. Improvements in M&E and other features may point the way to reversing this trend. We expect that when the enabling environment encourages experimentation and the use of tight feedback mechanisms, constant communication makes it possible for project managers to make real-time changes to projects throughout the project cycle. Feedback mechanisms typically include such measures as evaluation committees, seminars and workshops, automated systems, reporting and follow-up procedures. It is also essential to tailor project components to local factors such as implementation capacity and political dynamics.
Unexpected course of olefin loss from some alkylcyclopentanone ions. Gaseous ion structure by ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry, mass‐analyzed ion kinetic energy spectrometry and collision‐induced dissociation

Ion cyclotron resonance results show that the ions formed by single and by double McLafferty rearrangement in 2-ethyl-5-propylcyclopentanone have neither keto nor enol structures. Collision-induced dissociations confirm that these ions are structurally distinct from the keto ions formed directly by electron impact upon the corresponding neutral molecules. It is suggested that the major reaction path for olefin loss from 2-ethyl-5-propylcyclopentanone and from 2-ethylcyclopentanone involves ring opening followed by hydrogen transfer to carbon in the alkene elimination step. Only in metastable ions is there evidence for the occurrence of the normal McLafferty rearrangement. The techniques mentioned in the title, together with conventional low and high resolution mass spectrometry, have been used to characterize the sometimes complex mixtures of cyclic and acyclic ions formed from cyclopentanone and some of its alkyl derivatives. Use of a number of different techniques of ion structure characterization allowed corroboration of particular results by quite distinct methods and it also allowed the effects of ion internal energy and lifetime upon structure to be partly elucidated.
A basis expansion approach for detecting transient plant disturbances and jumps

Rapid changes in the behavior of linear systems are usually modeled by sudden jumps in the system's parameters. In this paper, basis expansion techniques are considered to address the more general case, where the transient disturbance cannot be adequately described by simple jumps (piecewise constant parameters). Each parameter's time history is expanded onto a set of basis sequences that can well describe the transient disturbance. Short Time Fourier transform as well as wavelet bases are investigated to model the local cyclostationarity or local erratic behavior of the system's parameters. The resulting time varying system is tested against the time invariant alternative (constant parameters) using variations of the AIC criterion or /spl Aring/strom's F-test. >
Adrenocorticotropin production by a mammary carcinoma

A patient with clinical hypercortisolism and an infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the right mammary gland is presented. Provocative testing of adrenal function demonstrated the pattern of ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production. Ultrastructural analysis of the tumor revealed 150-200 nm electron-dense granules that when primarily fixed in OsO4 appeared as membrane-bound, centrally dense cored granules. ACTH was extracted from the tumor tissue and immunocytochemically localized in the tumor cell cytoplasm. A clinically significant level of estrogen receptor protein was present in the tumor tissue (120 fmol/mg protein). This case confirms the ability of mammary carcinoma to produce the ectopic ACTH syndrome.
Allosteric modification of factor XIa functional activity upon binding to polyanions.

The effects of several polyanions on the hydrolysis of the chromogenic substrate l-pyroglutamyl-l-prolyl-l-arginyl-p-nitroaniline (S-2366) and on the activation of factor IX by factor XIa have been investigated. Two forms of dextran sulfate (Mr ∼500000 and Mr ∼10000, DX10) and two forms of heparin (64 disaccharide units, Mr ∼14000, and hypersulfated heparin, S-Hep, Mr ∼12000) inhibited both factor XIa amidolytic activity and factor IX activation in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect was not due to binding of either substrate by the polyanions since only a decrease in Vmax without any effect on Km was observed in kinetic assays. Steric inhibition is unlikely since the concentrations of polyanions required for inhibition of small peptide hydrolysis were lower than those required for macromolecular substrate cleavage. In contrast, an allosteric inhibitory mechanism was supported by an enhancement of the dansyl fluorescence of 5-(dimethylamino)-1-(naphthalenesulfonyl)glutamylglycylarginyl...