cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inve stigafion on the status of healthy population carrying bacterial pathogens of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis in Guizhou Province in 2005

Objective The present study was conducted to get an insight into the status of healthy population carrying bacterial pathogens of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis and provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis in Guizhou Province.Methods Throat swab specimens from healthy people and those who had had close contact with the patients were collected for culture,identification and analysis.Results Nine hun- dred and four specimens from healthy population and 56 from those who had had close contact with the patients were cultured and 17 strains of Neisseria meningitides were isolated from the former and 6 strains from the later,with the average detection rate being 1.88% and 10.71%, respectively.Of the isolated,there were 19 strains of group A Neisseria meningitides,accounting for 82.61%.It was found that students in the age group from 10 to 14 years had the highest car- der rate (5.56%).The five strains of Neisseria meningitides isolated from cerebrospinal fluid spec- imens of 44 patients were all of group A.Conclusion It is seen that epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis is predominantly caused by group A Neisseria meningitides with students under age of 14 years being at high risk.It is suggested that strengthening the prevention of epidemic cere- brospinal meningitis through vaccination and etiological surveillance should be given top priority in the prevention and control of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis in Guizhou Province.
Influence of Vas Deferens Mobilization on Rat Fertility: Implications Regarding Orchiopexy

AbstractChildren who undergo bilateral orchiopexy often have oligospermia or azoospermia in adulthood. This subfertility generally has been attributed to histological alterations in the cryptorchid testis. However, the possibility that an iatrogenic factor, such as mobilization of the vas deferens during orchiopexy, may have an adverse effect on fertility has not been studied. Six groups of mature Sprague-Dawley rats underwent right orchiectomy and the following procedures on the left side: group 1—sham operation, group 2—2cm. of vas mobilized, group 3—4cm. of vas mobilized, group 4—2cm. of vas mobilized and deferential artery stripped off of vas, group 5—4cm. of vas mobilized and deferential artery stripped off of vas and group 6—vasectomy.Each rat was then housed with 2 female rats for 24 days. Mobilization of the vas with disruption of the mesentery resulted in slight but statistically insignificant reduction in fertility. However, when the deferential artery was dissected off the vas, there was a mark...
Peptide Conformation Analysis Using an Integrated Bayesian Approach

Unlike native proteins that are amenable to structural analysis at atomic resolution, unfolded proteins occupy a manifold of dynamically interconverting structures. Defining the conformations of unfolded proteins is of significant interest and importance, for folding studies and for understanding the properties of intrinsically disordered proteins. Short chain protein fragments, i.e., oligopeptides, provide an excellent test-bed in efforts to define the conformational ensemble of unfolded chains. Oligomers of alanine in particular have been extensively studied as minimalist models of the intrinsic conformational preferences of the peptide backbone. Even short alanine peptides occupy an ensemble of substates that are distinguished by small free energy differences, so that the problem of quantifying the conformational preferences of the backbone remains a fundamental challenge in protein biophysics. Here, we demonstrate an integrated computational-experimental-Bayesian approach to quantify the conformationa...
Effects of injection-level dependent bulk lifetime on cell properties

The injection-level dependent (ILD) lifetime of the silicon bulk material impacts the cell characteristics in multiple and underappreciated ways. Fill factor, FF, is commonly attributed to cell resistances but not to ILD lifetime. Most of the non-ideality behavior, m, and the J 02 , of a commercial p-type PERC cell with rear AlO x passivation is directly attributed to the positive sloped ILD lifetime and resistivity. This work demonstrates through theory and experiment various and counter-intuitive aspects of cell metrics originating from the ILD lifetime. Additional cell metrics are proposed to better optimize efficiency.
On bias correction in drought frequency analysis based on climate models

Assessment of future drought characteristics based on climate models is difficult as climate models usually have bias in simulating precipitation frequency and intensity. In this study, we examine the significance of bias correction in the context of drought frequency and scenario analysis using output from climate models. In particular, we use three bias correction techniques with different emphases and complexities to investigate how they affect the results of drought frequency and severity based on climate models. The characteristics of drought are investigated using regional climate model (RCM) output from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP). The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is used to compare and forecast drought characteristics at different timescales. Systematic biases in the RCM precipitation output are corrected against the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data and the bias-corrected RCM historical simulations. Preserving mean and standard deviation of NARR precipitation is essential in drought frequency analysis. The results demonstrate that bias correction significantly decreases the RCM errors in reproducing drought frequency derived from the NARR data. Different timescales of input precipitation in the bias corrections show similar results. The relative changes in drought frequency in future scenario compared to historical scenario are similar whether both scenarios are bias corrected or both are not bias corrected.
Cultural context moderates neural pathways to social influence

People from different cultural backgrounds respond differently to social cues, and may use their brains differently in social situations. Socioeconomic status (SES) is one key cultural variable that influences susceptibility to social cues, with those from lower SES backgrounds tending toward greater interdependence, and those from higher SES backgrounds tending toward greater independence. Building on past research linking brain sensitivity during social exclusion with tendency to take risks in the presence of peers, we examined whether SES moderated the relationship between neural measures of sensitivity during social exclusion and later conformity to peer pressure in a driving simulator. Our data show that SES does moderate the relationship between brain responses during social exclusion and conformity to peer influence on driving behavior. Specifically, increased activity in brain regions implicated in social pain and reward-sensitivity during social exclusion were associated with greater conformity to peer passenger driving norms for low SES and decreased conformity for high SES. In addition, increased activity brain regions implicated in understanding others’ mental states during exclusion was associated with similar patterns of decreased conformity for high SES. Overall, results highlight the importance of considering cultural factors, such as SES, in understanding the relationship between neural processing of social cues and how these translate into real-world relevant behaviors.
Computer Scientists with Serious Music Avocations Share Their Thinking

This article presents the cognitive capacities and tendencies in the lives of computer scientists who play classical music as a serious avocation. Using qualitative research and thematic analysis m...
Simulating comparisons of different computing algorithms fitting zero-inflated Poisson models for zero abundant counts

ABSTRACTZero-inflated Poisson models are frequently used to analyse count data with excess zeroes. However, results generated by different algorithms, by various statistical packages or procedures in R and SAS, are often inconsistent, especially for small sample sizes or when the proportion of zero inflation is not large. In this study, we compared the underlying nonlinear optimization approaches and the statistical theories on which common packages and procedures are based. Then, multiple sets of simulated data of small, medium, and large sample sizes were fitted to test the performance of algorithms in available R packages and SAS procedures. They were also compared by using a real-data example. The zeroinfl function with methods CD type 1, CD type 2, and CD type 3 in the PSCL package in R and the GENMOD procedure in SAS generally outperformed in the simulation studies and produced consistent results for the real-data example.
Activation Mode and Origin of Selectivity in Chiral Phosphoric Acid-Catalyzed Oxacycle Formation by Intramolecular Oxetane Desymmetrizations

Density functional theory methods were used to elucidate the activation mode and origin of stereoselectivity in chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed intramolecular oxetane desymmetrizations. Computed enantioselectivities are in excellent agreement with experiment. An unexpected, distortion-driven activation mode was observed, instead of the usual “bifunctional activation”. This mode is favored for only some intramolecular oxetane openings, highlighting an exception to known models. Stereoselectivity in these reactions can be explained by the balance of favorable noncovalent interactions of the substrates with both the aryl substituents and phosphoric acid functionality of the catalysts.
Sex Differences in Mechanisms of Recovery after Isometric and Dynamic Fatiguing Tasks.

ABSTRACTPurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine whether supraspinal mechanisms contribute to the sex difference in fatigability during and recovery from a dynamic and isometric fatiguing task with the knee extensors.MethodsTranscranial magnetic stimulation and electrical stimulation were u
The Temptation to Exist: Overview, Texas

On a plain in Texas, a landscape barren as morality, a drop of water forms on the cactus leaf. A snake uncoils itself, its many spools of skin. On the rare occasion when a person enters this world, he is dressed in nine teenth-century regalia, lost in this century as the rest of us. And when a car drives past on a dirt road, it kicks up dust, clouds and clouds of dust. Just before evening, grandmothers begin to appear on the porches. There is tobacco in the air, the vague rumblings of someone's voice. Soon some thing small and human will occur in the house?mother will drop a dish on the way to the kitchen table, father will push his boot through the door when his daughter disobeys him. Somewhere behind the house a teen-age boy sits with his girl friend on a fence. They invent something to talk about: the virtues of evening, the cactus leaf's odd shape. "I wish I remembered the dust bowl," the girl says, "with all its swirls and swirls." When she lifts the hem of her dress to examine the floral print, the boy wants to say, "How lovely women are," but listens to the radio instead, with its three ugly tunes. What does he care about the irony of human life, that literary invention. Tonight the world outside seems small: the stars are shriveled seeds, the hum of the locusts and the junebugs so familiar they cannot be heard. When he lights a cigarette and the girl sighs, a few cinders from his hand move toward the sky?and in that light, in the bright hiss of a match, they appear 60
Interleukin 6 as a Mediator of the Systemic Inflammatory Response

Tissue injury from any cause initiates an inflammatory response in the host characterized by redness, swelling, pain, temperature, and loss of function. This response can be manifest locally in the area of injury or systemically. The systemic response can follow direct injury (trauma), blood loss (ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm), invading microorganisms (infection), or a nonspecific inflammatory event (pancreatitis). Generally, this response is associated with healing of the injury and has survival benefit for the host.
Mixing of Transverse Jets and Wall Jets in Supersonic Flow

A critical review of the available high speed mixing experimental database is presented. Experiments of concern involve measurements of species concentration downstream of sonic or supersonic injection of a light gas into a supersonic air stream. Several classes of injection are considered including transverse jets, wall slots, and some hybrid cases. The review is made difficult by the sparseness of the current database. Mixing data is summarized primarily in the form of the downstream decay of the maximum concentration. Most of the data in the far field can be fitted to a. power law curve with the exponent giving an indication of the rate of mixing. The resulting plot of the experiments presented provides a basis for preliminary comparison of high speed injection concepts. Spacing of jets below a critical value can reduce the rate of mixing by a factor ot two. Initial mixing for transverse jets is strongly dependent on the dynamic pressure ratio. The farfield mixing rate for wall slot injectors is found to be comparable to that for arrays of transverse jets, not slow as has been believed. As a crude estimate, it is shown that all the data for all the configurations falls into a band with a decay rate of about.T0,8. The need for more high quality experiments for high speed mixing in support of such difficult problems as supersonic combustion is apparent. The need for careful sampling probe design is emphasized. Finally, the state of analyses for these flows is discussed. A new analysis for arrays of transverse jets is presented.
Toward enacting a Zapatista feminist agenda somewhere in la Selva Lacondona: We are all Marias?

Women’s participation in the Zapatista Revolutionary Movement improved women’s potential for gender justice as outlined in the 1994 Declaration of Women’s Rights; however, Zapatismo has struggled t...
ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) SYSTEMS SUCCESS MEASUREMENT: AN EXTENDED MODEL

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are diffusing globally, and it is important to measure the success of such software in adopting firms. Evidence suggests that firms investing huge sums of money in information systems (IS) sometimes do not assess the success of such systems for a variety of reasons, including the lack of knowledge about what to assess. Also, the IS success evaluations research area is varied, often providing little succour to practitioners. ERP systems success assessment is just beginning to surface, and this paper discusses an effort towards extending an available success measurement model. Essentially, two relevant success dimensions not included in the model proposed by Gable and colleagues (Gable et al., 2003; Sedera and Gable, 2004) were incorporated and tested using criterion analysis and structural equation modeling technique. The implications of our findings for practice and research are
The Role of Ions and Mineral-Organic Interfacial Bonding on the Compressive Properties of Cortical Bone

Bone tissue is a composite material composed of an inorganic stiff mineral phase embedded in a compliant organic matrix. Similar to other composites, the mechanical properties of bone depend upon the properties, volume fraction, and orientation of its constituents as well as the bonding interactions. Interfacial bonding between the mineral and organic constituents are based, in part, on electrostatic interactions between negatively charged organic domains and positively charged mineral surface. Phosphate and fluoride ions can alter mineral-organic interfacial causing a permutation in the mechanical properties. Partial debonding between the mineral and organic constituents of bone may play an important role in the mechanical properties of aged and diseased bone. The present study examines the effects of phosphate and fluoride ion treatment on the compression properties of cortical bone and the reversibility of the effect.
Exercise Response Variations in Skeletal Muscle PCr Recovery Rate and Insulin Sensitivity Relate to Muscle Epigenomic Profiles in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Some individuals with type 2 diabetes do not reap metabolic benefits from exercise training, yet the underlying mechanisms of training response variation are largely unexplored. We classified individuals with type 2 diabetes ( n = 17) as nonresponders ( n = 6) or responders ( n = 11) based on changes in phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery rate after 10 weeks of aerobic training. We aimed to determine whether the training response variation in PCr recovery rate was marked by distinct epigenomic profiles in muscle prior to training. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS PCr recovery rate as an indicator of in vivo muscle mitochondrial function in vastus lateralis ( 31 P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy), insulin sensitivity (M-value; hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp), aerobic capacity ( V o 2peak ), and blood profiles were determined pretraining and post-training. Muscle biopsies were performed pretraining in vastus lateralis for the isolation of primary skeletal muscle cells (HSkMCs) and assessments of global DNA methylation and RNA sequencing in muscle tissue and HSkMCs. RESULTS By design, nonresponders decreased and responders increased PCr recovery rate with training. In nonresponders, insulin sensitivity did not improve and glycemic control (HbA 1c ) worsened. In responders, insulin sensitivity improved. V o 2peak improved by ∼12% in both groups. Nonresponders and responders were distinguished by distinct pretraining molecular (DNA methylation, RNA expression) patterns in muscle tissue, as well as in HSkMCs. Enrichment analyses identified elevations in glutathione regulation, insulin signaling, and mitochondrial metabolism in nonresponders pretraining, which was reflected in vivo by higher pretraining PCr recovery rate and insulin sensitivity in these same individuals. CONCLUSIONS A training response variation for clinical risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes is reflected by distinct basal myocellular epigenomic profiles in muscle tissue, some of which are maintained in HSkMCs, suggesting a cell-autonomous underpinning. Our data provide new evidence to potentially shift the diabetes treatment paradigm for individuals who do not benefit from training, such that supplemental treatment can be designed.
Inductor Energy Reduction Schemes for Overshoot Mitigation in Voltage Regulators

High current voltage regulators for microelectronic loads like microprocessors and field programmable gate arrays have stringent overshoot requirements due to reliability and performance implications. Toward this end this paper presents two novel inductor energy reduction schemes for overshoot mitigation. In first scheme inductor energy is transferred to load capacitance in a physically adjacent domain via an inter-domain switch. Results show a 40% reduction in overshoot magnitude. The second scheme eliminates inductor energy increase via a fast duty ratio clamp resulting in 22% overshoot reduction. Both schemes save overall system power - the former via energy transfer and the latter via reduction in energy build up, thereby making them superior to conventional methods. Salient equations describing overshoot behavior, and simulation results of mitigation mechanisms for multi-domain scenarios are provided.
Times Up World History: Broadening the World History Narrative

The emergence of the Times Up and the #MeToo movements has sparked a conversation in the United States uncovering the grim realities that many women face. As the focus on gender equity and power dy...
Designing cost-efficient payments for forest-based carbon sequestration: An auction-based modeling approach

Abstract Conservation auctions can reveal information about the opportunity costs of afforestation, which can be combined with the carbon sequestration benefits of land-use changes to design cost-efficient payment systems. Furthermore, the impact of integrating cost-benefit information to ensure efficiency gains or to ensure minimal efficiency losses in multi-round conservation auctions, where landowners learn to extract information rents, depends on the level of correlation between costs and benefits. Incorporating discriminatory-price auction theory, and an agent-based model, simulated data are used to examine the cost-efficiency of cost-ranked and cost-benefit-ranked auction-based payment designs for forest-based carbon storage for alternative levels of correlation between afforestation opportunity costs and carbon sequestration capacities in static and dynamic settings. Results show that the cost-benefit-ranked design is more cost-efficient than the cost-ranked design in a static setting even though the relative spatial heterogeneities of costs and benefits are identical. More importantly, the cost-efficiency of the cost-benefit-ranked design is generally robust to deterioration as bidders learn over repeated auction rounds, compared with the cost-ranked design, and more resistant to deterioration for some levels of correlation.
Single-cell transcriptomics of human T cells reveals tissue and activation signatures in health and disease

Human T cells coordinate adaptive immunity in diverse anatomic compartments through production of cytokines and effector molecules, but it is unclear how tissue site influences T cell persistence and function. Here, we use single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to define the heterogeneity of human T cells isolated from lungs, lymph nodes, bone marrow and blood, and their functional responses following stimulation. Through analysis of >50,000 resting and activated T cells, we reveal tissue T cell signatures in mucosal and lymphoid sites, and lineage-specific activation states across all sites including distinct effector states for CD8+ T cells and an interferon-response state for CD4+ T cells. Comparing scRNA-seq profiles of tumor-associated T cells to our dataset reveals predominant activated CD8+ compared to CD4+ T cell states within multiple tumor types. Our results therefore establish a high dimensional reference map of human T cell activation in health for analyzing T cells in disease.
A Survey on Mechanical Switches for Hybrid Circuit Breakers

Hybrid circuit breakers are a class of protection devices to facilitate fault current limitation and fast interruption in AC and DC power systems. They are one of the key enabling technologies of multi-terminal DC transmission and distribution systems. As the power rating of DC power systems increases, mechanical switches in the normal conduction path are chosen to provide low on-state loss in a hybrid circuit breaker topology. These mechanical switches require fast actuation to achieve sub- millisecond switching capability, for which only a few actuation mechanisms have been reported to be suitable. Besides electromagnetic repulsion methods like the Thomson coil, piezoelectric actuators also appear to be a good candidate. This paper provides a survey on potential mechanical switches for hybrid circuit breakers considering different actuation mechanisms. Performances of mechanical switches reported in the literature have been summarized and compared, such as response time, displacement, and required actuation energy.
An Efficient and Non-destructive Grounding Method for Passive Voltage Contrast Fault Isolation

Voltage contrast is widely utilized as a localization method for opens (or shorts) on circuits and test structures. Conventional Passive Voltage Contrast grounding methods are mainly grouped into two types. First method, laser ablation forming a hole down to substrate and connecting the substrate with grounding pad using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Pt deposition. Second method, FIB ion mill a hole down to substrate and then connect substrate with grounding pad using FIB Pt deposition. New grounding method using OmniProbe micromanipulator introduced to eliminate contamination due to laser ablation, re-deposition during FIB milling and it is non-destructive with the ease to switch grounding pad as needed.
On the wrong DNA track: Molecular mechanisms of repeat-mediated genome instability

Expansions of simple tandem repeats are responsible for almost 50 human diseases, the majority of which are severe, degenerative, and not currently treatable or preventable. In this review, we first describe the molecular mechanisms of repeat-induced toxicity, which is the connecting link between repeat expansions and pathology. We then survey alternative DNA structures that are formed by expandable repeats and review the evidence that formation of these structures is at the core of repeat instability. Next, we describe the consequences of the presence of long structure-forming repeats at the molecular level: somatic and intergenerational instability, fragility, and repeat-induced mutagenesis. We discuss the reasons for gender bias in intergenerational repeat instability and the tissue specificity of somatic repeat instability. We also review the known pathways in which DNA replication, transcription, DNA repair, and chromatin state interact and thereby promote repeat instability. We then discuss possible reasons for the persistence of disease-causing DNA repeats in the genome. We describe evidence suggesting that these repeats are a payoff for the advantages of having abundant simple-sequence repeats for eukaryotic genome function and evolvability. Finally, we discuss two unresolved fundamental questions: (i) why does repeat behavior differ between model systems and human pedigrees, and (ii) can we use current knowledge on repeat instability mechanisms to cure repeat expansion diseases?
Abstract A100: Downregulation of type 1 interferon receptor (IFNAR1) regulates the balance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in tumor microenvironment

Solid tumors are infiltrated by not only CD8+ effector T cells (CTLs) exerting tumoricidal function, but also by regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are a key barrier to antitumor immunity (1). In the tumor microenvironment, the type 1 interferon (IFN) signaling is downregulated due to proteolytic degradation of IFNAR1 (2). Reduced IFNAR1 levels in tumor stroma are important for establishing the immune privileged niche to support tumor development and progression (3). IFN pathway plays complex and controversial roles in regulating immune responses ([4-7). In this study, we show that loss of IFNAR1 leads to changes in the activities of Tregs and CTLs. Genetic stabilization of IFNAR1 (Ifnar1S526A, SA) recruits more CTLs in the tumor microenvironment; however, it does not change the frequency of Tregs. In addition, in SA tumor tissues, the CTLs appear to exhibit a greater tumoricidal activity. Furthermore, we find that SA Treg lost their inhibitory function and SA CTLs are resistant to Treg-mediated immune suppression. In all, we discuss putative mechanisms underlying these phenotypes that IFN pathway regulates the balance of Treg and CTL activities in the tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Hongru Zhang, Jun Gui, Angelica Ortiz, Serge Fuchs. Downregulation of type 1 interferon receptor (IFNAR1) regulates the balance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2019 Nov 17-20; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2020;8(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A100.
Using Progressive Time Delay to Increase Levels of Peer Imitation During Play With Preschoolers With Disabilities

Research suggests peer imitation can be taught using systematic procedures and can be embedded into ongoing play contexts with preschool-age children. However, additional research is needed to test procedures that may increase levels of peer imitation with toddlers with disabilities and in generalized contexts. We used a multiple probe across participants research design to evaluate the effectiveness of progressive time delay (PTD) to teach peer imitation to preschoolers with disabilities during a play activity with a peer. We also examined the efficacy of PTD in a generalized context (i.e., new peers, implementer, and materials). Visual analysis indicated a functional relation between PTD and unprompted peer imitation; however, generalization was variable across participants. Our results support previous research indicating PTD is effective in teaching children with disabilities to imitate their peers.
Variability of clinical and biochemical phenotype in liver phosphorylase kinase deficiency with variants in the phosphorylase kinase (PHKG2) gene

Background PHKG2-related liver phosphorylase kinase deficiency is inherited in autosomal recessive pattern and is a rare type of liver glycogenosis. We demonstrated the clinical presentation and genetic determinants involved in children with PHKG2- related liver phosphorylase kinase deficiency. Methodology Ten Pakistani children with liver phosphorylase kinase from seven different families, were enrolled over a period of 18 months. All regions of the PHKG2 gene spanning exons and splicing sites were evaluated through targeted exome sequencing. Variants were analyzed using different bioinformatics tools. Novel variants were reconfirmed by direct sequencing. Results Seven different variants were identified in PHKG2 gene including five novel variants: three stop codons (c.226C>T [p.R76*], c.454C>T [p.R152*] and c.958C>T [p.R320*]), one missense variant c.107C>T (p.S36F) and one splice site variant (c.557-3C>G). All five novel variants were predicted to be damaging by in Silico analysis. The variants are being transmitted through recessive pattern of inheritance except one family (two siblings) has compound heterozygotes. Laboratory data revealed elevated transaminases and triglycerides, normal creatinine phosphokinase and uric acid levels but with glycogen loaded hepatocytes on liver histology. Conclusion PHKG2 related liver phosphorylase kinase deficiency can mimic both liver glycogenosis type I (glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency) & III(amylo-1,6 glucosidase) and characterized by early childhood onset of hepatomegaly, growth restriction, elevated liver enzymes and triglycerides. Molecular analysis would be helpful in accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. The symptoms and biochemical abnormalities in liver glycogenosis due phosphorylase kinase deficiency tend to improve with proper dietary restrictions but need to be monitored for long-term complications such as liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Measuring Stakeholder Perceptions: A Review of Social Validity Reporting in ASHA Journals.

Purpose Intervention research in speech-language pathology is growing; however, there remains a gap between research and clinical practice. To promote evidence-based practice, stakeholder input may...
The relative and incremental value relevance of goodwill before and after SFAS No. 142

Abstract We explore the value relevance of goodwill against two benchmarks: other accounting information and long-lived tangible assets. Prior research suggests that fair value estimates for goodwill must be inferred from other available information because of the nature of goodwill, including its intangibility. Such inferences are highly discretionary and may limit the usefulness of reported goodwill estimates. Because Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 142 relies exclusively on fair value estimates to subsequently measure goodwill, reported values considering management’s increased discretion may be less reliable and less value relevant when presented in conjunction with other accounting information. However, the subsequent accounting measurement for goodwill is not dissimilar from the subsequent measurement for long-lived tangible assets, which are also subject to impairment. In general, impairment measurement is subjective; management may have greater insight, even in the presence of management incentives and other accounting information, that may help confirm or disconfirm investors’ own goodwill estimates. Using other accounting information and long-lived tangible assets as benchmarks for the value relevance of goodwill, we find that reported goodwill provides greater value relevance relative to other accounting information after SFAS 142 and that the difference between the value relevance of goodwill and other long-lived tangible assets is also significantly greater following SFAS 142.
Origin of Fast Catalysis in Allylic Amination Reactions Catalyzed by Pd–Ti Heterobimetallic Complexes

Experiments and density functional calculations were used to quantify the impact of the Pd–Ti interaction in the cationic heterobimetallic Cl2Ti(NtBuPPh2)2Pd(η3-methallyl) catalyst 1 used for allylic aminations. The catalytic significance of the Pd–Ti interaction was evaluated computationally by examining the catalytic cycle for catalyst 1 with a conformation where the Pd–Ti interaction is intact versus one where the Pd–Ti interaction is severed. Studies were also performed on the relative reactivity of the cationic monometallic (CH2)2(NtBuPPh2)2Pd(η3-methallyl) catalyst 2 where the Ti from catalyst 1 was replaced by an ethylene group. These computational and experimental studies revealed that the Pd–Ti interaction lowers the activation barrier for turnover-limiting amine reductive addition and accelerates catalysis up to 105. The Pd–Ti distance in 1 is the result of the NtBu groups enforcing a boat conformation that brings the two metals into close proximity, especially in the transition state. The turno...
Chapter 30 Muscle weakness in critical illness

Publisher Summary Muscle weakness is a common symptom in critically ill patients, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). This is often due to the primary disease or central nervous system disorders. However, a significant number of patients with critical illness weakness have polyneuropathy, neuromuscular junction disorders, or primary myopathies. Critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) is a toxicmetabolic, axonal polyneuropathy that is reversible; it is one of the several nervous system complications of sepsis and multiple-organ failure, now designated the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), induced by trauma as well as infection. Successful studies in the ICU depend upon close collaboration among neurologists, neurosurgeons, intensivists, and clinical neurophysiologists. Clinical assessment is difficult because of the depressed level of consciousness, endotracheal tube, vascular lines, splints, and bandages. Thus, electrophysiological studies are essential as they determine the neuromuscular cause of respiratory insufficiency or limb weakness in patients who have rapid onset of weakness before admission to the intensive care unit and those who develop it later as a complication of severe systemic illness or injury.
The Promise (and Limits) of Neuroeconomics

Neuroeconomics - the study of brain activity in people engaged in tasks of reasoning and choice - looks set to be the next behavioral economics: a set of findings about how people make decisions that casts both light and doubt on widely accepted premises about rationality and social life. This essay explains what is most exciting about the new field and lays out some specific research tasks for it. By enabling researchers to view the mind at work, neuroeconomics calls into question the value of a methodological premise of twentieth-century empiricism, sometimes called positivism or behaviorism: that people are black boxes to one another, and scientific social inquiry must observe only their objective behavior, what they say and do. This premise came to the center of neoclassical economic method via the 1930s work of the economist Lionel Robbins, and it occasioned a methodological split in social inquiry. Positivists (most importantly, economists) follow the strictures of studying observable behavior, while interpretivists insist that we cannot understand social life without interpreting the minds and intentions of others, even though we cannot view them directly. The limits of these two methods have restricted progress in understanding three critical issues for legal scholarship: 1) how people solve collective-action problems, 2) why some people are more susceptible than others to extremist political appeals, and 3) whether "commodification" creates a conflict between economic rationality and other values. I show how the progress already made in neuroeconomics could make each of these questions more tractable than it has recently seemed, with potentially significant payoffs.
Impact of rapid on-site evaluation on the adequacy of endoscopic-ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration of solid pancreatic lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) has the potential to improve adequacy rates for endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of solid pancreatic lesions, but its impact is context-dependent. No studies exist that summarize the relationship between ROSE, number of needle passes, and resulting adequacy rates. Aims To analyze data from previous studies to establish if ROSE is associated with improved adequacy rates; to evaluate the relationship between ROSE, number of needle passes, and the resulting adequacy rates of EUS-FNA for solid pancreatic lesions. Methods Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting the adequacy rates for EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic lesions. Results The search produced 3822 original studies, of which 70 studies met our inclusion criteria. The overall average adequacy rate was 96.2% (95% confidence interval: 95.5, 96.9). ROSE was associated with a statistically significant improvement of up to 3.5% in adequacy rates. There was heterogeneity in adequacy rates across all subgroups. No association between the assessor type and adequacy rates was found. Studies with ROSE have high per-case adequacy and a relatively high number of needle passes in contrast to non-ROSE studies. ROSE is an effect modifier of the relationship between number of needle passes and adequacy. Conclusions ROSE is associated with up to 3.5% improvement in adequacy rates for EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic lesions. ROSE assessor type has no impact on adequacy rates. ROSE is an effect modifier on the relationship between needle passes and per-case adequacy for EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic lesions.
Increased fetal scalp thickness: A new sign of fetal death

Abstract Amniography has multiple applications, including confirmation of fetal death. A measurable increase in fetal scalp thickness, in the absence of Rh isoimmunization, was demonstrated in 5 cases of intrauterine death.
Improving flight condition situational awareness through Human Centered Design.

In aviation, there is currently a lack of accurate and timely situational information, specifically weather data, which is essential when dealing with the unpredictable complexities that can arise while flying. For example, weather conditions that require immediate evasive action by the flight crew, such as isolated heavy rain, micro bursts, and atmospheric turbulence, require that the flight crew receive near real-time and precise information about the type, position, and intensity of those condi- tions. Human factors issues arise in considering how to display the various sources of weather information to the users of that information and how to integrate this display into the existing environment. In designing weather information display systems, it is necessary to meet the demands of different users, which requires an examination of the way in which the users process and use weather information. Using Human Centered Design methodologies and concepts will result in a safer, more efficient and more intuitive solution. Specific goals of this approach include 1) Enabling better fuel planning; 2) Allowing better divert strategies; 3) Ensuring pilots, navigators, dispatchers and mission planners are referencing weather from the same sources; 4) Improving aircrew awareness of aviation hazards such as turbulence, icing, hail and convective activity; 5) Addressing incon- sistent availability of hazard forecasts outside the United States Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ); and 6) Promoting goal driven approaches versus event driven (prediction).
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band versus laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: ends justify the means?

In the United States, the most frequently performed bariatric procedure is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Worldwide, the most common operation performed is the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB). The expanding use of LAGB is probably driven by the encouraging data on its safety and effectiveness, in contrast to the disappointing morbidity and mortality rates reported for RYGB. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of LAGB versus RYGB at a single institution. Between November 2000 and July 2004, 590 bariatric procedures were performed. Of these, 120 patients (20%) had laparoscopic RYGB and 470 patients (80%) had LAGB. A retrospective review was performed. In the LAGB group, 376 patients (80%) were female, and the mean age was 41 years (range, 17–65). In the RYGB group, 110 patients (91%) were female, and the mean age was 41 years (range, 20–61). Preoperative body mass index was 47 ± 8 and 46 ± 5, respectively (p = not significant). Operative time and hospitalization were significantly shorter in LAGB patients (p < 0.001). Complications and the need for reoperation were comparable in both groups. Weight loss at 12, 18, 24, and 36 months for LAGB and RYGB was 39 ± 21 versus 65 ± 13, 39 ± 20 versus 62 ± 17, 45 ± 25 versus 67 ± 8, and 55 ± 20 versus 63 ± 9, respectively. The current study demonstrates that LAGB is a simpler, less invasive, and safer procedure than RYGB. Although mean percentage excess body weight loss (%EBWL) in RYGB patients increased rapidly during the first postoperative year, it remained nearly unchanged at 3 years. In contrast, in LAGB patients weight loss was slower but steady, achieving satisfactory %EBWL at 3 years. Therefore, we believe that LAGB should be considered the initial approach since it is safer than RYGB and is very effective at achieving weight loss.
RNA Synthesis in Temperature-Sensitive Mutants of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus

T-particle-free stocks of temperature-sensitive mutants representing the four Glasgow complementation groups of the Indiana serotype of vesicular stomatitis virus were used to study RNA synthesis at the permissive and nonpermissive temperatures of 31 and 39 C, respectively. Mutants selected from the four Glasgow complementation groups were characterized on the basis of particle and ribonucleoprotein formation. Intracellular RNAs were further characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. ts G22 (group II) and ts G41 (group IV), previously characterized as RNA negative at the nonpermissive temperature, synthesized low levels of RNA which could not be attributed to contaminating levels of revertants. Furthermore, the levels of synthesis could not be reduced by the addition of cycloheximide. These data suggest that ts G22 (group II) and ts G41 (group IV) contain a thermally stable, virion-encapsidated transcriptase, but fail to amplify RNA synthesis due to a thermally labile function presumably necessary for the synthesis of viral RNA. ts G31, a group III mutant, synthesized intracellular RNA at amplified levels at the nonpermissive temperature. Intracellular ribonucleoprotein complexes were isolated in copious amounts; however, no particles corresponding in size to finished virions were observed. These data suggest a thermally labile maturation factor or envelope associated structural protein to be defective in ts G31 (group III). ts G11 (group 1) showed no detectable RNA synthesis at the nonpermissive temperature. These data suggest ts G11 (group I) contains a thermally labile component involved in early transcription. This group may contain a number of mutants defective in different components of the transcription apparatus, which may not complement in vivo because of the physical improbability of subunit exchange between virion particles of the incoming inoculum.
Investigating of Helmholtz wave energy converter

Abstract This study examines a new concept of wave energy conversion inspired by natural wave pools which are able to trap ocean wave energy into a basin. A novel wave energy converter that uses the Helmholtz resonance frequency is introduced. This device which is called Helmholtz wave energy converter (HWEC) amplifies the oscillation amplitude of a fluid in a basin that is connected to the sea through a narrow channel. The main focus of the current study is to understand the mechanism of wave amplification at Helmholtz resonance frequency in a basin and experimentally investigate the geometry of an ideal wave pool in a wave tank utilizing the theoretical method previously has been done on tidal Helmholtz resonance. The geometry causes amplification in oscillating fluid velocity within the channel at the Helmholtz frequency. Geometric characteristics of HWEC were experimentally studied to determine the dimensions of the basin for inducing Helmholtz resonance. A 1/25th and a 1/7th scale models were used to correlate the Helmholtz frequency with the device geometry. In addition, the effects of the device's basin length and angle of winglets at the inlet of the channel were explored. Furthermore, Particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique was used to determine the velocity fields through the channel of the 1/25th scale model. The results suggest that reducing the angle of the winglets leads to fewer higher order harmonics resulting in better performance of the device in extracting the energy of the incoming waves. It is also shown that the alignment of the axis of the device relative to the incoming waves plays an important role in the overall efficiency of the device. The results of the current study can be used to optimize the design of HWEC devices for extracting wave energy. Moreover, the results reveal that resonance in the channel results in amplification of wave height relative to incoming waves and the corresponding wave power available for absorption. Appropriate location of the power take-off (PTO) in the channel can be empirically determined using PIV data. However this work does not examine the effect of the PTO in the device's energy absorption performance.
Biomechanical Analysis of the Kinetron II

------------------. The purpose of this study was to biomechanically analyze the lower extremity during exercise using the Kinetron II (Lumex, Cybex, Ronkonkoma, NY, USA). Two subjects performed a variety of exercise sequences while being recorded on videotape. Video analysis allowed a review of the alterations in joint angles seen at the hip, knee, and ankle. Recommendations for clinical application of the Kinetron II were determined.