cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methimazole Pharmacology in Man: Studies Using a Newly Developed Radioimmunoassay for Methimazole*

Methimazole [1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole (MMI)] was given to normal male rats in their drinking water in concentrations ranging from 0.0001-0.05% for either 1 week or 1 month. Serum MMI levels in the rats ranged from 0.008-19.6 micrograms/ml, and were similar after 1 week and 1 month of treatment. Serum MMI was linearly related to the MMI concentration in the drinking water (r = 0.98, P less than 0.001). In contrast, intrathyroid MMI content plateaued with increasing MMI concentrations in the water, and was linearly related to the logarithm of the MMI concentration. At the highest MMI concentration (0.05%), thyroid MMI contents were similar in the 1-week and 1-month groups (approximately 1 X 10(-4) M). Surprisingly, at lower MMI concentrations, thyroid MMI content was significantly higher in the 1-week group than the 1-month group. Thyroid function was inhibited by MMI with similar depression of serum T4 or T3 after 1 week or 1 month of MMI treatment. Although the MMI concentration for 50% suppression of thyroid PBI was 0.003% in both groups, thyroid MMI content at this MMI concentration was 97 microM after 1 week but only 15 microM after 1 month. The continued thyroid-inhibiting activity of MMI at 1 month, despite a striking decrease in thyroid MMI content, may relate to intrathyroid iodide depletion, which was more severe after 1 month (thyroid 127I = 40 microM) than after 1 week (thyroid 127I = 140 microM) or in controls (470 microM). Rats were given 0.05% MMI for either 1 week or 1 month, and the drug was then withdrawn. In the 1-week group, serum MMI disappeared biexponentially, with a rapidly declining phase (t1/2 = 3.2 h) and a second, slower disappearance phase (t1/2 = 47.7 h). Similar findings were noted after 1 month of treatment. The disappearance of thyroid MMI was also biexponential after 1 week, but this variable could not be evaluated after 1 month because thyroid MMI fell rapidly to undetectable levels. There was a highly significant correlation in the 1-week group between the disappearance of MMI from the thyroid and the recovery of thyroid function as assessed by thyroid PBI (r = 0.81, P less than 0.01). Despite the very rapid disappearance of MMI from the thyroid after 1 month of treatment, the recovery time of thyroid PBI was significantly longer than after 1 week of treatment (2.1 days vs. 1.4 days for 50% recovery, P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Drying of poloxamer hydrogel films

ThedryingofhydrogelfilmsformedbyPoloxamer407poly(ethyleneoxide)- poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) amphiphilic block copolymer was investi- gated at various air relative humidity (RH) conditions ranging from 11 to 97%. Initially, the amount of water lost increased linearly with the drying time. After this linear region (stage I), a nonlinear behavior was observed (stage II). The drying rate increased with decreasing RH, thus greatly shortening the drying time. A decrease of the film thickness also shortened the drying time; however, the drying mechanism did not change. Three models for one-dimensional water diffusion were used to fit the experimental results at differentRHconditionsandfilmthicknesses.Model1assumessemi-infinitemediumand constant diffusion coefficient, and fits very well the data in stage I of the drying process. The fitted water diffusion coefficient (D )i s 5� 10 � 10 m 2 /s, whereas the effects of the RH are captured by a proportionality constant (a) that appears in the boundary condition. Model 2 considers a finite (constant) film thickness and captures the experimental observations over the whole drying period for the same D and a as in Model 1. The analytical solutions available for Models 1 and 2, used together with the experimentally derivedmodelparametersDanda,allowforeasyestimationofdryingtimeandwaterloss from Poloxamer hydrogel films of various compositions and thicknesses and at different relative humidities. Numerical solutions for water diffusion under conditions of decreas- ing film thickness and diffusion coefficient being a function of concentration are also presented (Model 3). It becomes apparent from the fit of the data to the different models that the drying rate is more sensitive to the boundary condition at the film-air interface (representedbya)thantothediffusioninthefilm.Itisnotablethattheavaluesobtained fromthefitsofthePoloxamerhydrogeldryingratearecomparabletothoseobtainedfrom drying of water films under the same experimental conditions. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 93:1454-1470, 2004
Efficacy of surgical treatment of de novo, adult-onset, cryptogenic, refractory focal status epilepticus.

Background There have been few published reports of successful surgical treatment of focal status epilepticus. Surgical intervention is considered a last resort after medical strategies have been exhausted. Objective To report a case of an adult who was initially seen with de novo, medically refractory, cryptogenic focal status epilepticus and underwent resection of an electrographically defined portion of the left middle frontal gyrus with multiple subpial transections of the adjacent cortex resulting in termination of the electroclinical seizure activity. Design Report of a case of successful surgical treatment of cryptogenic focal status epilepticus. Intervention After an initial 35 days of oral antiepileptic drug therapy and subsequent 16 days of continuous electroencephalography-guided intravenous antiepileptic drug therapy in an intensive care unit setting, and after extensive preoperative and intraoperative characterization of the epileptogenic zone, a tailored resection of the left middle frontal gyrus with multiple subpial transections of the surrounding cortex was performed. Results The restricted surgical resection and multiple subpial transections terminated the seizure activity. Neuropathological examination of the resected tissue revealed moderate inflammatory changes and a few abnormally located neurons without any definitive evidence of dysplasia, which was suspected preoperatively. Conclusions We suggest that focal cortical resection may be an appropriate intervention in medically refractory focal status epilepticus even when an overt structural etiology is not evident preoperatively and should be considered as an option at the onset of intractability.
After-School Supervision, Psychosocial Impact, and Adolescent Smoking and Alcohol Use in China

We examined effects of self-care after school hours and psychosocial factors on cigarette smoking and alcohol use among adolescents in China. Survey data were obtained from 4734 7th and 11th grade students from seven cities across China. Students were queried about the frequency and quantity of unsupervised self-care after school in an average week. Tobacco and alcohol usage were also obtained. Odds ratios were calculated to determine the strength of association between unsupervised self-care after school and substance use. Results indicated that the amount of self-care after-school (how many days and how many hours per week) was significantly associated with increased risk for smoking and alcohol use among Chinese adolescents. These associations remained significant even after controlling for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and peer influence. The interaction between unsupervised self-care after school and peer influence indicated that unsupervised self-care after school is a stronger risk factor for smoking among adolescents with pro-smoking friends. The findings suggest that substance use prevention programs for youth in China should try to enhance parental monitoring. As it may not be feasible for families to revert to a lifestyle that includes supervision by relatives, other approaches such as organized after-school care are worthy of consideration.
Optic nerve signals in a neuromorphic chip I: Outer and inner retina models

We present a novel model for the mammalian retina and analyze its behavior. Our outer retina model performs bandpass spatiotemporal filtering. It is comprised of two reciprocally connected resistive grids that model the cone and horizontal cell syncytia. We show analytically that its sensitivity is proportional to the space-constant-ratio of the two grids while its half-max response is set by the local average intensity. Thus, this outer retina model realizes luminance adaptation. Our inner retina model performs high-pass temporal filtering. It features slow negative feedback whose strength is modulated by a locally computed measure of temporal contrast, modeling two kinds of amacrine cells, one narrow-field, the other wide-field. We show analytically that, when the input is spectrally pure, the corner-frequency tracks the input frequency. But when the input is broadband, the corner frequency is proportional to contrast. Thus, this inner retina model realizes temporal frequency adaptation as well as contrast gain control. We present CMOS circuit designs for our retina model in this paper as well. Experimental measurements from the fabricated chip, and validation of our analytical results, are presented in the companion paper [Zaghloul and Boahen (2004)].
Robust Voltage Fitting Techniques for Meteor Doppler Speed Determination

The nonlinear least square fitting techniques that the authors have employed until recently for measuring the Doppler velocities of head-echo meteor returns have proven to be limited in their effectiveness under certain circumstances where significant incoherent scattering from the ionosphere is present. Two alternative methods developed to independently but jointly determine the Doppler speeds are presented. The first method uses the Moore-Penrose matrix inverse to obtain the relevant meteor parameters. The second method is the steepest descent searching technique. These techniques have been applied to simulated meteor returns as well as meteor data set from February 2001. The Doppler velocities obtained using the new algorithms are presented. The implications of the improved Doppler resolution as well as robustness of the new approach are also discussed
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in rat forebrain that bind 18F-nifene: relating PET imaging, autoradiography and behavior

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain are important for cognitive function; however, their specific role in relevant brain regions remains unclear. In this study, we used the novel compound 18 F-nifene to examine the distribu- tion of nAChRs in the rat forebrain, and for individual animals related the results to behavioral performance on an auditory-cognitive task. We first show negligible binding of 18 F-nifene in mice lacking the b2 nAChR subunit, consistent with previous findings that 18 F-nifene binds to a4b2* nAChRs. We then examined the distribution of 18 F-nifene in rat using three methods: in vivo PET, ex vivo PET and autoradiography. Generally, 18 F-nifene labeled forebrain regions known to contain nAChRs, and the three methods produced similar relative binding among regions. Importantly, 18 F-nifene also labeled some white matter (myelinated axon) tracts, most prominently in the temporal subcortical region that contains the auditory thalamocortical pathway. Finally, we related 18 F-nifene binding in several forebrain regions to each animal's performance on an auditory-cued, active avoidance task. The strongest correlations with performance after 14 days training were found for 18 F-nifene binding in the tem- poral subcortical white matter, subiculum, and medial frontal cortex (correlation coeffi- cients, r > 0.8); there was no correlation with binding in the auditory thalamus or auditory cortex. These findings suggest that individual performance is linked to nicotinic functions in specific brain regions, and further support a role for nAChRs in sensory-cognitive function. Synapse 66:418-434, 2012. V C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Construction of mid-crustal sheeted plutons: Examples from the North Cascades, Washington

Large parts of many orogenic belts consist of highly elongate plutons constructed by the injection of multiple sheets of magma. We describe in detail two such intrusions, the deep (∼20–25 km), mid-crustal Cardinal Peak and Entiat plutons, and emphasize the dynamic nature of these magma chambers. These ca. 72–73 Ma plutons consist of heterogeneous mafic complexes in their margins and tips that give way inward to thicker, but still abundant, sheets of tonalite. Intrusive and petrologic relationships provide evidence for injection of early mafic (mantle?) and crustal melts, development of heated pathways utilized by larger batches of more felsic magma, and potentially a filtering mechanism in which conduits represented by the plutons fed larger, more homogenized magma bodies at shallower crustal levels. Well-developed, gently to moderately dipping magmatic and subsolidus foliations in these plutons are commonly discordant to sheet contacts, internal layering, and pluton contacts, but are continuous with host- rock foliation. They define small to map- scale magmatic folds, which have orientations and geometries similar to those of regional host-rock folds. These magmatic structures thus primarily record regional contractional tectonism during chamber construction. Host rocks also record complex processes during chamber evolution with narrow structural aureoles displaying remarkable lateral variability. Deflection of gently to moderately dipping host-rock markers toward parallelism with steep pluton contacts indicates vertical and largely downward ductile material transfer along sheet margins during emplacement. Several sharply discordant segments of pluton contacts imply late stoping. Regional ductile flow and folding also played a role, but regional faulting did not. Further evidence for chamber construction is provided by host- rock rafts, which are abundant along sheet contacts in the Cardinal Peak pluton and particularly between marginal sheets of the Entiat pluton, but are sparse elsewhere in the latter pluton. We interpret these relationships to indicate a temporal sequence in which magmatic sheets initially intruded host rock, then wedged aside this rock and coalesced, preserving pieces of the host along margins, and eventually formed large, relatively inclusion-free chambers as host rock was detached and transported vertically downward through the chamber.
Occurrence and county-level distribution of ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) in Nebraska using passive surveillance.

A 100 yr (1911–2011) examination of tick submissions was compiled from the U.S. National Tick Collection and three state databases to determine tick species occurrence in Nebraska. Sixteen tick species were identified including Amblyomma americanum (L.), Dermacentor variabilis (Say), Dermacentor albipictus (Packard), Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille), and Otobius megnini (Duges). Amblyomma maculatum Koch and Ixodes scapularis Say were identified in only two and four submissions, respectively, but all identifications have occurred after 1990. County submissions were associated with county population, forested area, and number of recreation areas.
Assessing the External Validity of Analytical Results from National Brand and Store Brand Competition Models

This research has three objectives: (i) to compile analytical results on national brand and store brand marketing obtained from mathematical models, (ii) to assess the external validity of those results and thus the applicability of the results to practice, and (iii) to identify avenues for further research on national brand and store brand competition. A total of 44 analytical results (29 related to retailer strategies and 15 related to manufacturer strategies) are compiled from a survey of literature published between 1966 and 2006. Three criteria are then used to assess the external validity of these results---robustness (R), empirical support (E), and credibility (C) (collectively, REC). Each result is quantitatively assessed (scored) using these three criteria. Robustness is measured as the total number of relevant market conditions for which the result has been shown to hold. Empirical support is measured as the number of independent empirical studies in which the findings are consistent with the analytical result. Credibility is measured as the believability of the theoretical result as perceived by experienced brand managers and retail executives. Thus, the REC scoring approach represents a triangulation of perspectives---robustness (modeler perspective), empirical support (empiricist perspective), and credibility (managerial perspective). In particular, this research serves in part as a bridge between scholars and practitioners in the context of national brand and store brand marketing.
New Results on Diffractive and Exclusive Production from CDF

We present results on central exclusive production of π + π i in ¯ pp collisions at p s = 900 and 1960 GeV using events with two charged hadrons in the final sta te within the pseudorapidity region |η| · 1.3 and no particles in |η| > 1.3. These results open a new window into hadron spectroscopy, and may be used as benchmarks for testing relevant theoretical models.
Errors from the 'Proportionality Assumption' in the Measurement of Offshoring: Application to German Labor Demand

Offshoring – the importing of intermediate materials and services – has expanded rapidly in most industrialized countries and its impact on the labor markets in these countries has been the source of enormous debate in both scholarly and popular circles. Since data on imported inputs at the sectoral level are not available for the US and the UK, empirical research has relied entirely on a proxy-based measure offshoring, using what the OECD refers to as the “proportionality assumption.” That is, every sector is assumed to import inputs of each material and service in the same proportion as its economy-wide use of that input.German input-output data differentiate between domestically purchased inputs and imported inputs, which permits us to calculate a direct measure of sectoral imported input use. In this paper, we compare this measure to the proxy-based measure based on the standard proportionality assumption. We find that the direct measure differs significantly from the proxy-based measure for both services and materials offshoring. To assess the significance of using different measures, we substitute them for each other in standard labor demand equations focusing on German manufacturing between 1995 and 2004. We find that using the direct measure of offshoring gives very different results for labor demand – sometimes of opposite sign – compared to estimates using the proxy-based measure.We perform a simple decomposition of the proxy-based measure and find that it fails to accurately capture the cross-sectoral variation in offshoring intensity because – as a result of the proportionality assumption – it is heavily influenced by the cross-sectoral variation in domestic input demand. The implications of our findings go beyond the case of Germany. They indicate that researchers must be cautious about drawing policy conclusions from estimates using the proxy-based measure of offshoring.
Getting There: Advocating for Access to Community-Based Orientation and Mobility Instruction

Many readers of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) are also parents of school-aged children. As a parent, imagine for a moment that you receive a telephone call from a teacher at your child's school, who says, "We'd like to have your child go out with a trained professional to learn how to travel better in the community." You would probably have many questions: "Who is the person who will be with my child? Can that person ensure my child's safety? What if they are near busy streets and areas where there are strange people? Why does my child need this type of instruction?" You might also wonder whether your child will miss important activities in the classroom and whether learning to travel independently will encourage your child to take too many risks. Finally, you might question whether it is really the school's job to teach children to travel; as a parent, you have taught many travel skills incidentally as your child grows older and your family travels in the community or to unfamiliar places. Professionals who work with people with visual impairments understand the importance of instruction in how to travel in the community at large. Given the significance of such travel, it is easy to overlook the reality that community-based travel instruction is very different from other things taught in schools: Learning to travel requires a child to leave campus regularly with an adult who is not the regular classroom teacher, travel to some lessons by car, go to places where traffic conditions may pose risks, and learn through physical activity instead of through reading, listening, or watching. Although there is now research-based evidence of a link between competence in independent travel and future employment, gathered through analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (McDonnall, 2011; Cmar, 2015; Wolffe & Kelly, 2011), it can still be difficult to convince school administrators, parents, and sometimes students themselves of the importance of targeted instruction in community travel. This month's Practice Perspectives, "Contradictory Instruction of Orientation and Mobility within Virginia's Schools," by Valery Kircher-Herrin, describes the inconsistency of instruction in community-based travel among schools in Virginia. Although both state and federal legislation cited by the author support instruction in this area as recommended by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, Ms. …
PERSISTENCE OF BRONCHIAL DYSPLASIA IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT OF INVASIVE SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Bronchial dysplasia (BD), a presumed precursor of pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), rarely progresses to invasive cancer. A high-risk cohort at the University of Colorado provided an opportunity to directly sample airway epithelium at mapped sites on successive bronchoscopies. We have hypothesized that persistent dysplastic lesions showing a similar or higher level of dysplasia on follow-up biopsy, are associated with increased risk for the development of SCC. Endoscopic biopsies from 188 high-risk subjects were histologically classified according to the current WHO classification for BD using a numeric histology score ranging from 1 to 8 representing normal bronchial mucosa through invasive lung cancer. Differences in follow-up histology scores were compared between sites classified by clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical variables. Subjects with a higher frequency of sites that persist or progress to high-grade dysplasia (≥37.5% persist/progress, N = 35 versus <37.5% persist/progress, N = 114) show a significant association with development of incident invasive SCC (adjusted HR, 7.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-39.39), and those with incident lung SCC have adjusted mean follow-up histology scores 1.55 U higher than in subjects without lung cancer. Current smoking, elevated Ki67 growth fraction, histologic features of angiogenic squamous dysplasia (ASD) and higher histology score in baseline biopsies are significantly associated with increased follow-up histology scores. These results show that persistent BD is associated with the development of invasive SCC. Furthermore, increased expression of Ki67, the presence of angiogenic change and degree of baseline atypia are associated with persistence of BD.
Total Synthesis of (+)-Cavicularin: The Pyrone Diels–Alder Reaction in Enantioselective Cyclophane Synthesis

A pyrone Diels–Alder strategy was developed for the synthesis of the cyclophane natural product, cavicularin. The strategy uses a vinyl sulfone as an alkyne equivalent dienophile. An enantioselective variant delivered (+)-cavicularin.
Sediment-Transporting Characteristics of Streams

Natural streams may have an ill-defined relationship between sediment load and discharge. United States Geological Survey data for several western streams included information on temperature, velocity, depth, width, and bed material, as well as concentration and discharge. The variability of the load-discharge characteristics of these streams was assessed by the use of a relationship for the sediment-transporting capacity of streams and the measured variability of the factors determining the load. Although a direct comparison between prediction and observation was not feasible for every set of measurements, the predicted range of variation in sediment load was more than sufficient to explain the observed variation.
Reduced reward-driven eating accounts for the impact of a mindfulness-based diet and exercise intervention on weight loss: Data from the SHINE randomized controlled trial.

Many individuals with obesity report over eating despite intentions to maintain or lose weight. Two barriers to long-term weight loss are reward-driven eating, which is characterized by a lack of control over eating, a preoccupation with food, and a lack of satiety; and psychological stress. Mindfulness training may address these barriers by promoting awareness of hunger and satiety cues, self-regulatory control, and stress reduction. We examined these two barriers as potential mediators of weight loss in the Supporting Health by Integrating Nutrition and Exercise (SHINE) randomized controlled trial, which compared the effects of a 5.5-month diet and exercise intervention with or without mindfulness training on weight loss among adults with obesity. Intention-to-treat multiple mediation models tested whether post-intervention reward-driven eating and psychological stress mediated the impact of intervention arm on weight loss at 12- and 18-months post-baseline among 194 adults with obesity (BMI: 30-45). Mindfulness (relative to control) participants had significant reductions in reward-driven eating at 6 months (post-intervention), which, in turn, predicted weight loss at 12 months. Post-intervention reward-driven eating mediated 47.1% of the total intervention arm effect on weight loss at 12 months [β = -0.06, SE(β) = 0.03, p = .030, 95% CI (-0.12, -0.01)]. This mediated effect was reduced when predicting weight loss at 18 months (p = .396), accounting for 23.0% of the total intervention effect, despite similar weight loss at 12 months. Psychological stress did not mediate the effect of intervention arm on weight loss at 12 or 18 months. In conclusion, reducing reward-driven eating, which can be achieved using a diet and exercise intervention that includes mindfulness training, may promote weight loss (clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT00960414).
A Fibril-Like Assembly of Oligomers of a Peptide Derived from β-Amyloid

A macrocyclic β-sheet peptide containing two nonapeptide segments based on Aβ15–23 (QKLVFFAED) forms fibril-like assemblies of oligomers in the solid state. The X-ray crystallographic structure of macrocyclic β-sheet peptide 3 was determined at 1.75 A resolution. The macrocycle forms hydrogen-bonded dimers, which further assemble along the fibril axis in a fashion resembling a herringbone pattern. The extended β-sheet comprising the dimers is laminated against a second layer of dimers through hydrophobic interactions to form a fibril-like assembly that runs the length of the crystal lattice. The second layer is offset by one monomer subunit, so that the fibril-like assembly is composed of partially overlapping dimers, rather than discrete tetramers. In aqueous solution, macrocyclic β-sheet 3 and homologues 4 and 5 form discrete tetramers, rather than extended fibril-like assemblies. The fibril-like assemblies of oligomers formed in the solid state by macrocyclic β-sheet 3 represent a new mode of supramole...
Surgery in the treatment of low-back pain and sciatica; a follow-up study.

We have submitted the records of 115 patients operated upon for intervertebral-disc lesion to a rather searching analysis. The results in these patients have been classified according to arbitrarily established criteria and as many variables as possible were eliminated from the study. In addition, the figures were all submitted to statistical analysis. Significant findings are: 1. Patients with good historical, physical, and myelographic evidence of nerve-root compression obtain better results from disc surgery. 2. Patients who, at operation, are found to have completely extruded discs obtain better results. 3. In this series, the results in women are not significantly worse than in men. 4. In women, the majority of disc lesions are located at the fourth lumbar interspace. Many of these were also associated with degenerative discs at the fifth lumbar interspace. 5. In men, there appears to be no such predilection for any given interspace. 6. Fourteen (12 per cent) of the patients had recurrence; ten of these were on the same side as the original lesion, and four were on the opposite side. 7. Twenty-eight patients (24.3 per cent) probably should not have had an operation performed. It seems clear that if we remember the past history of low-back pain and sciatica and if we understand the pathological changes in the disc with the resulting altered function of the disc unit, we will limit surgery to those who continue to be disabled as a result of pain, or have progressive neurological alteration in spite of adequate conservative therapy. At the present time, it is our opinion that where conservative treatment fails and after careful study exploration reveals only a degenerated disc, spine fusion should be done. In those cases in which the operative finding is one of definite nerve-root compression, simple disc excision seems adequate. When the original operation fails or the patient has recurrence, fusion should be a part of the secondary operative procedure.
Multivariate Predictive Analytics of Wind Power Data for Robust Control of Energy Storage

Short-term forecasting is frequently identified as an important tool for the effective management of wind generation. However, forecasting errors, inherent to the point forecasts, increase requirements for energy storage and can affect optimal system operation. Probabilistic forecasts can help tackle this issue by providing a proper characterization of forecasting errors in the optimization process. This paper proposes a multivariate model of forecasting data for wind generation. Predictive uncertainty intervals of wind power can be obtained by sampling from the proposed model. The main goal is to use empirical data models without linear or Gaussian approximations of the distributional or temporal variations. The predictive modeling is utilized within a case study of an energy storage system. A modified robust convex programming is used to maintain the practical robustness and feasibility of the solution based on the sampled scenarios from the model.
Serodiagnosis of human bocavirus lower respiratory tract infection in children

Objective To study the application of serodiagnosis of human bocavirus (HBoV) lower respiratory tract infection in children. Method From January to April, 2013, samples including serum, sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) were obtained from 714 children hospitalized with ALRI. Serums were tested for HBoV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA and all kinds of samples were tested for HBoV DNA by quantitative real-time fluorescent PCR. The results of HBoV serologic tests, viral DNA in sputum and their combination were compared with those of HBoV DNA in serums and/or BALFs, which was considered as the "standard". Their consistence and differences were evaluated, and the diagnostic parameters including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, consistency rate, Kappa value and J value were calculated. Age distributions of the HBoV positive patients tested by the latter two methods were also compared. Result The positive rate of HBoV serology was 13.2%(94/714). The results of HBoV serology, its DNA in sputum and their combination were all consistent with those of HBoV DNA in serums and/or BALFs(χ2=91.834, 124.662, 138.643, P 3 years and in the group -6 months. Conclusion Diagnostic power can be improved and age distribution can be demonstrated when serologic tests were combined with traditional sputum DNA detection in children with HBoV lower respiratory tract infection. Key words: Human bocavirus; Respiratory tract infections; Antibodies, viral
Greening the Grid Special Topic: Facilitating the Integration of Renewable Energy through Balancing Cooperation

The Greening the Grid animation shows facilitating the integration of renewable energy through balancing cooperation step-by-step.
Bicycle Use and Cyclist Safety Following Boston’s Bicycle Infrastructure Expansion, 2009–2012

Objectives. To evaluate changes in bicycle use and cyclist safety in Boston, Massachusetts, following the rapid expansion of its bicycle infrastructure between 2007 and 2014.Methods. We measured bicycle lane mileage, a surrogate for bicycle infrastructure expansion, and quantified total estimated number of commuters. In addition, we calculated the number of reported bicycle accidents from 2009 to 2012. Bicycle accident and injury trends over time were assessed via generalized linear models. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with bicycle injuries.Results. Boston increased its total bicycle lane mileage from 0.034 miles in 2007 to 92.2 miles in 2014 (P < .001). The percentage of bicycle commuters increased from 0.9% in 2005 to 2.4% in 2014 (P = .002) and the total percentage of bicycle accidents involving injuries diminished significantly, from 82.7% in 2009 to 74.6% in 2012. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that for every 1-year increase in time f...
Social media and college student risk behaviors: A mini-review

Use of social media use is widespread and frequent among college students. Posting photos and text related to risk behaviors (e.g., problematic alcohol use, illicit drug use) on social media websites is common and has been linked to personal substance use and negative outcomes. This mini-review summarizes current findings related to associations between college students' social media use and engagement in risk behaviors. Conducting research on social media poses unique challenges for researchers; these challenges are reviewed and their impact on the state of the current literature discussed. Finally, implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed as well as recommendations regarding future research in the area of social media and college student risk behaviors.
In-Bore Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Targeted Prostate Biopsy

Over the last decade, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate has evolved to be the preferred imaging modality for detecting and staging prostate cancer (PCa). Compared to transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided systematic prostate biopsy (sPBx), MRI-guided prostate biopsy is more likely to detect clinically significant cancer with fewer cores. Gleason score obtained by MRI-guided biopsy also correlates better with the Gleason score of radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens. The precise identification of tumor location and aggressiveness allows for more confident selection of patients for active surveillance and focal ablation therapy. More accurate grading and staging of the tumor reduces the risk of inaccurate risk stratification and upgrading or upstaging the final diagnosis.
Characterization of α-MoO3 anode with aqueous beryllium sulfate for supercapacitors

Abstract α-MoO 3 is a well-investigated layer-structured material for intercalation of different ions. Here, for the first time , we utilized Be 2+ electrolyte for electrochemical characterization of α-MoO 3 for supercapacitor applications. Our studies revealed a minimized detrimental effect of proton (H + ) co-intercalation at a high current density 25 Ag −1 resulting in excellent cyclability with a specific capacitance of 169 Fg −1 and a retention of 81% capacitance after 2000 cycles. The electrochemical impedance and ionic diffusion measurements reflected a reduced intercalation of H + and higher diffusion coefficient of Be 2+ as the contributing factors for unusually high and stable capacitance of MoO 3 at high current density.
Dyslipidemic Diet-Induced Monocyte "Priming" and Dysfunction in Non-Human Primates Is Triggered by Elevated Plasma Cholesterol and Accompanied by Altered Histone Acetylation.

Monocytes and the recruitment of monocyte-derived macrophages into sites of inflammation play a key role in atherogenesis and other chronic inflammatory diseases linked to cardiometabolic syndrome and obesity. Previous studies from our group have shown that metabolic stress promotes monocyte priming, i.e. enhanced adhesion and accelerated chemotaxis of monocytes in response to chemokines, both in vitro and in dyslipidemic LDLR-/- mice. We also showed that metabolic stress-induced monocyte dysfunction is, at least to a large extent caused by the S-glutathionylation, inactivation, and subsequent degradation of MKP-1. Here, we analyzed the effects of a Western-style, dyslipidemic diet, which was composed of high levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and simple sugars, on monocyte (dys)function in non-human primates (NHP). We found that similar to mice, a dyslipidemic diet enhances monocyte chemotaxis in NHP within four weeks, occurring concordantly with the onset of hypercholesterolemia but prior to changes in triglycerides, blood glucose, monocytosis or changes in monocyte subset composition. In addition, we identified transitory decreases in the acetylation of histone H3 at the lysine residues 18 and 23 in metabolically primed monocytes, and we found that monocyte priming was correlated with the acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 after an eight-week dyslipidemic diet regimen. Our data show that metabolic stress promotes monocyte priming and hyper-chemotactic responses in NHP. The histone modifications accompanying monocyte priming in primates suggest a reprogramming of the epigenetic landscape, which may lead to dysregulated responses and functionalities in macrophages derived from primed monocytes that are recruited to sites of inflammation
Stagnation and Emerging Market Economies: Keynesian versus Schumpeterian Approach to World Issues

Policy makers in the advanced economies at the core of the global financial crisis can make the claim that they prevented a new “Great Depression”. However, recovery since the outbreak of the crisis more than 5 years ago has been sluggish and feeble. Since these macroeconomic outcomes have to some extent been shaped by policy mixes adopted in those economies in response to the crisis, the appropriateness of those policy choices is a question worth revisiting. This is particularly the case as one considers the hypothesis that a long-run trend toward stagnation may have already been at play during the pre-crisis period, even if temporarily countervailed by pervasive asset price booms.
Patient perspectives on loss of local obstetrical services in rural northern Minnesota.

BACKGROUND Obstetrical care has been declining in rural communities. We examined patient choices and perspectives from two rural northern Minnesota communities who lost their local obstetrical services in July 2015. Our purpose was to characterize obstetrical use patterns through the years leading to and following the closure and to explore the effects of the closure on these communities. METHODS Information introducing the project and providing access to the survey was mailed to women who received prenatal care in the communities of interest. Responses were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. FINDINGS Two hundred and one participants completed the survey with 356 deliveries reported from 1990 to 2016. Before the closure, there was a trend toward an increasing percentage of women electing regional delivery (P < .001); however, women were still 1.6 times more likely to choose local (62%) than regional (38%) delivery. Reasons for choosing delivery location changed over the decades. While birth experiences remained positive or extremely positive, anxiety about getting to the hospital rose 10-fold from 1990 to 2016 (5%-51%, P < .001). Women voiced substantial concern about the lack of local obstetrical services. Qualitative analysis revealed significant negative emotional reactions and concerns for the consequences of this loss for the viability of their rural communities. CONCLUSIONS Choices and opinions about obstetric care have significantly changed from 1990 to 2016 in rural Minnesota. Understanding these changes can help address shifting risks and costs to rural communities here and elsewhere in an effort to support and sustain healthy, viable rural communities.
Proprioceptive improvements of lower-limb amputees under training with a vibrotactile device — A pilot study

Limited mobility severely impacts the quality of life of persons with lower-limb amputations. Therefore, it is imperative to develop proper rehabilitation techniques to prevent falls and injuries. A vibrotactile device was developed as a training tool to enhance the rehabilitation of persons with recent lower-limb amputations. Stimuli provided by the device trains the user to sense discrete perturbations and then perform a corrective movement to reduce the chance of a fall. This pilot study was conducted to test the functionality of the device in improving the prosthetic proprioception of lower-limb amputees and the effect of the training instruction on motor learning. Two subjects were included in this study, one control and one receiving experimental training, with both subjects performing standing and walking tasks. Standing trials were used to evaluate the improvements in response and movement times and walking trials were tested for improvements in correct movement. In the standing task, the control and the experimental subject showed a 0.1% and 17% improvement in response time, respectively. In the walking task, both subjects showed improvements in making correct movement. Future work will focus on the design improvements of the device and the experiment protocols to further evaluate the effectiveness of the training.
Client side calculation of ‘bacon number’

This paper presents an architecture for answering the popular ‘bacon number’ game utilizing the IMDB dataset. The unique contribution to this well-known game is this paper presents implementing a breadth traversal algorithm and rendering of the data completely in the client. This paper outlines the architecture and presents evidence of comparable speed in the complete clientside rendering of the computation of large data objects as compared to traditional server-side compiled languages.
Vaccines against intracellular pathogens.

Vaccination against intracellular pathogens presents unique problems that are specific to the growth environment used by these organisms. For all vaccines it is important to determine the best antigen(s) and inoculation method that will induce the proper strength and type of immune response as well as protect against subsequent challenge. With intracellular pathogens, however, the need for a cell-mediated immune response, limited direct access of the immune system to the infectious agent and potential for control of antigen processing and presentation in the host cell by the pathogen make vaccine design even more complex. The majority of the vaccines in use today, including those used for intracellular pathogens, were developed using traditional methods and the efficacies and inoculation methods determined empirically. The advent of molecular biology and the development of a better understanding of the mechanisms of immune protection should allow a more directed approach to vaccine design. Using Salmonella and mycobacteria as model intracellular pathogens, we review recent advances in our understanding of potential mechanisms of immune protection and methods of vaccine design and delivery. We propose directions for further study and strategies for the design and delivery of vaccines against intracellular pathogens based on current technology.
Recent Developments in the Management of Insomnia in Later Life

Insomnia impacts a significant proportion of older adults yet is not an inevitable consequence of aging and is amenable to intervention. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of recent recommendations and empirical findings regarding the management of insomnia in older adults. The treatment of insomnia with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) continues to be empirically supported and the recommended first-line intervention for adults. Accumulating evidence indicates that other non-pharmacological therapies for insomnia, such as mindfulness-based therapies, light therapy, and physical activity interventions, as well as treatment delivered by non-clinician “sleep coaches” also positively impact insomnia symptoms. Finally, recent systematic reviews offer guidelines and recommendations for pharmacological management of insomnia. CBT-I remains the recommended first-line treatment for insomnia across adult ages. There is a continued need to increase the availability and optimize the delivery of CBT-I and other therapies for older adults with insomnia to maximize treatment benefits. There is also evidence for some benefit of pharmacological agents to treat insomnia; however, these are not without risks, particularly in the geriatric population.
Genomic integration of ERRγ-HNF1β regulates renal bioenergetics and prevents chronic kidney disease

Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of both hereditary and acquired kidney diseases. However, it remains poorly understood how mitochondrial metabolism is regulated to support normal kidney function and how its dysregulation contributes to kidney disease. Here, we show that the nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 beta (HNF1β) link renal mitochondrial and reabsorptive functions through coordinated epigenomic programs. ERRγ directly regulates mitochondrial metabolism but cooperatively controls renal reabsorption via convergent binding with HNF1β. Deletion of ERRγ in renal epithelial cells (RECs), in which it is highly and specifically expressed, results in severe renal energetic and reabsorptive dysfunction and progressive renal failure that recapitulates phenotypes of animals and patients with HNF1β loss-of-function gene mutations. Moreover, ERRγ expression positively correlates with renal function and is decreased in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). REC-ERRγ KO mice share highly overlapping renal transcriptional signatures with human patients with CKD. Together these findings reveal a role for ERRγ in directing independent and HNF1β-integrated programs for energy production and use essential for normal renal function and the prevention of kidney disease.
Book review: Sara Keller and Michael Pearson (eds), Port Towns of Gujarat

Sara Keller and Michael Pearson (eds), Port Towns of Gujarat, Primus Books in association with Darshak Itihas Nidhi, Vadodara, 2015, xxvii+332 pp., ₹1,350.
Risk of Depression after Traumatic Brain Injury in a Large National Sample

Abstract Depression is associated with poorer recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet awareness of depression risk post-TBI among providers and patients is low. The aim of this study was t...