cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The case against utilization: deceptive performance measures in inpatient care capacity models

Health care capacity decisions are often based on average performance metrics such as utilization. However, such decisions can be misleading, as a large portion of the costs in service operations is due to the inability to provide service due to congestion. This paper will review sources of variation that affect inpatient care capacity and develop a series of models of patient flow in a health care facility. We demonstrate that even in settings where the patient population and services provided are fixed, models that do not account for natural variations in the arrival rate and correlation in patient lengths of stay in sequential units will show the same utilization, but underestimate congestion and the resulting costs. Therefore, we argue that utilization is an inappropriate measure for validating models and congestion metrics such as blocking and diversions should be used instead.
A perspective on photoperiodic phloem-mobile signals that control development

Phloem-mobile signals that are regulated by day length activate both flowering and tuber formation. Both signaling processes have numerous elements in common. In this review, FLOWERING LOCUS T and the three signals currently implicated in controlling tuberization, SP6A, miR172, and the StBEL5 complex, are discussed with a focus on their functional roles, their mechanisms of long-distance transport, and their possible interactions.
Inexpensive ground truth and performance evaluation for human tracking using multiple laser measurement sensors

This paper will describe a flexible and inexpensive method of obtaining ground truth for the evaluation of Human Tracking systems. It is expected to be appropriate for evaluating systems used to allow robots and/or autonomous vehicles to operate safely around humans. It is currently focused on tracking people as they stand still or walk. It relies on multiple Laser Measurement Sensors(LMS) also called laser line scanners. The LMS's are mounted to scan in a horizontal plane. A method for quickly calibrating the relative position and orientation of each of the sensors to each other is described. A basic human tracking algorithm using the LMS's is described along with how the algorithm can be combined with a priori knowledge of the walkers intended path during the test. A graphical user interface(GUI) displays both the data obtained directly from the LMS and the output of the tracking algorithm. The GUI allows the user to verify and adjust the tracking algorithm without needing to annotate every frame, and therefore at a lower cost than systems that require extensive annotation. Tests were performed with people walking or running though several patterns, while data was simultaniously recorded by a more expensive system require individual receivers on each participant for comparison.
Post-spawn migrations of hatchery-origin Oncorhynchus mykiss kelts in the Central Valley of California

We used acoustic telemetry to study the post-spawn movement of Oncorhynchus mykiss kelts released in April 2005 and 2006 from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery, Anderson, CA. Following release, O. mykiss kelts demonstrated both anadro- mous and non-anadromous life histories, with some fish alternating life history strategies between years. Anadromy was most common, characterized by a short-term residence near the release site, followed by sustained downstream emigration once initiated. O. mykiss kelts demonstrating anadromy arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge from April to mid-July. Repeat spawning migrations of anadromous O. mykiss kelts began from late-September through October of the year of release. High fidelity back to Battle Creek was ob- served, occurring from late-September through Novem- ber. While most O. mykiss kelts were anadromous, at least 10 % remained in freshwater, or residualized. O. mykiss kelts that residualized demonstrated two distinct patterns of movement: 1) residency near the release location, and 2) potamodromy. Overall survival was high with 36 % and 48 % of O. mykiss kelts released making a repeat spawning migration and demonstrating iteroparity in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Increase in body lengths of O. mykiss kelts that returned to the Coleman NFH were significantly greater for anadro- mous fish, compared to fish that residualized, but sur- vival was higher for fish that residualized. Release of hatchery O. mykiss kelts could result in both positive and negative genetic and ecological effects to hatchery- and naturally-producing salmonids. We believe the ben- efits of releasing O. mykiss kelts at the Coleman NFH, including increased numbers and size of fish in the recreational fishery and genetic and demographic bene- fitstothe hatcherybrood stock outweighthe limitedrisk to natural populations that would result from predation and competition of the relatively small number of O. mykiss kelts that resided in fresh water.
Ethics and the Computer: Children's Development of Moral Reasoning about Computer and Internet Use.

With increasing computer use in classrooms, there has been a growing concern of the resulting moral dilemmas that may emanate from their use. Though theorists have conducted extensive research on children's moral development, there has been little attempt to situate this within the digital domain. It is the purpose of this article to examine children's moral reasoning in relation to their use of computers and the Internet. This study reports on interviews conducted with 48 third-grade and fifth-grade students about moral dilemmas involving computer and Internet use. Scenarios involving computer use were developed and compared to Damon's dilemmas which involved moral reasoning about everyday situations. The results indicated that children's moral understandings fell into the expected developmental levels. Significant differences were found between children's moral reasoning in everyday situations compared to those involving computer and Internet use. However, gender differences were not consistently detect...
How Clinicians Develop Confidence in Their Competence in Performing Aspiration Abortion

In this article we explore how nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse midwives in California (collectively referred to as clinicians) developed confidence while learning to provide vacuum aspiration abortion. We interviewed clinicians (n = 30) who worked in reproductive health care settings and had participated in a large abortion-training study. Although the training had moral and political significance for the trainees, in this article we focus on their experience of skill development and how they gained confidence and competence in aspiration abortion, a procedure typically performed by physicians. We argue that confidence is not one dimensional. Understanding the diverse ways in which clinicians arrive at confidence might inform health care training and education generally. By examining attained competency from the clinicians’ perspectives, we continue the discussion within the social science of health care and medicine about how clinicians know what they know and what expertise feels li...
Multilayer Dielectric Resonator Antenna Operating at Degenerate Band Edge Modes

A multilayer rectangular dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) operating at a new hybrid mode is presented. The DRA is formed by a dispersion engineered combination of isotropic/anisotropic dielectric layers. These layers are optimized to operate at a degenerate band edge (DBE) mode with the introduction of misaligned anisotropic layers. A prototype DBE-DRA antenna is realized by emulating the anisotropic medium with a periodic assembly of two-tone dielectrics (barium-titanate and alumina).
Social Justice in Local Systems of Interpersonal Influence

The enlargement of the public sphere of visible local events has increased the demand for social justice, which penetrates into social life as a superordinate evaluative dimension of all action. Issues of social justice are increasingly included in the domain of common objects of interest and arousal for collectivities of individuals. The evolving culture of social justice is manifested in individuals’ displayed positions on whether particular actions are justified, their definition and meaning, and what punitive or compensatory responses, if any, are called for. This chapter is focused on the social process of interpersonal influence that may alter individuals’ positions on particular issues of social justice, and the implications of interpersonal influences unfolding on social network structures.
Seismic imaging of the water-column deep layer associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The submerged hydrocarbon layer at a depth of approximately 1100–1200 m in the water column near the Deepwater Horizon well site was associated with a temperature anomaly that was imaged by seismic reflection data collected two days before and one day after the well shut-in. Conventional multichannel seismic reflection profiling data were processed to enhance water-column reflections by filtering out low-frequency energy and applying higher gain than typically used for imaging subsurface geology. The deep layer reflectivity, within a few km of the well site, has an impedance less than seawater by about a factor of approximately 3.6×10−4, or equivalently, a negative sound-velocity step of about 0.5 m/s. Water-column profile data collected at the same time as the seismic data show a comparable sound velocity and temperature decrease associated with the deep layer. Mixing of less dense hydrocarbons entrains cold seawater, resulting in a temperature anomaly within the deep layer at the level of neutral buoya...
Female Enteropsis roscoffensis Chatton & Brément (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Ascidicolidae) living in the solitary ascidian Dendrodoa grossularia

Abstract The female of Enteropsis roscoffensis Chatton & Brement, 1909 (Enteropsinae) is fully redescribed based on a single specimen living in the type ascidian host Dendrodoa grossularia (van Beneden, 1847) collected at the Ile de Callot (near Roscoff). The cephalosome has a crown-shaped dorsal cephalic sclerite, which is symmetrical and consists of narrow inner portions (right and left sides not fused medially) and broad outer portions, each with three extensions (1 anterior, 2 posterior). The anus opens as a short longitudinal slit on a rounded protrusion of the dorsal urosome posterior to the genital area. It is thought that these characters are specific for the species. The displacement of the anus (longitudinal slit, variously shaped) to the dorsal side (location varies) of the body is perhaps typical of females of the genus.
The Role of Mannitol as a Nephroprotectant in Patients Receiving Cisplatin Therapy

Objective:To review the efficacy and safety of concomitant mannitol administration with cisplatin therapy to reduce the incidence of nephrotoxicity.Data Sources:A literature search was performed via MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library (1945-August 2011) using the terms mannitol, cisplatin, nephrotoxicity, and forced diuresis. Reference citations from the publications identified were also reviewed.Study Selection and Data Extraction:The search was limited to studies conducted in humans. All studies in which mannitol was used for forced diuresis with cisplatin therapy were evaluated.Data Synthesis:Cisplatin therapy can lead to transient and permanent renal impairment. Molecular and histologic changes occur in the renal tubules, which contribute to nephrotoxicity. The adverse effect profile of cisplatin is well documented, but the prevention strategies to alleviate renal impairment due to treatment are less understood. Mannitol plus hydration has been used for several years to alleviate toxicity associ...
Relational Implications of Gay and Lesbian Workplace Romances: Understanding Trust, Deception, and Credibility

This study examines the relational implications of same-sex workplace romances (WRs) and compares results with findings for heterosexual WRs. Working adults (N = 147; M age = 30.87 years old) read ...
Digital determinism: culture industries in the USA-Australia Free Trade Agreement

The USA—Australia Free Trade Agreement was one of several bilateral free trade agreements signed in the early to mid-2000s that explicitly incorporated free trade in digital content. This article argues that Australian policymakers failed to recognize the consequences of the agreement for national culture industries such as film, television and popular music. The agreement introduced a complex range of policy considerations. These included the circumvention of multilateral cultural policymaking and the US assertion of Intellectual Property Rights which reduced Australia’s ability to develop and enhance its culture industries in the face of the dominating power of US media, communications and entertainment industries.The result is digital determinism.The Free Trade Agreement negatively impacts national culture industries in the global networked context, reducing employment and creative opportunities for artists and producers, thereby challenging the human rights of workers in these sectors.
The Racketeer Menace and Antiunionism in the Mid-Twentieth Century US

In the postwar era, conservatives manipulated concerns about union corruption and organized crime in order to score political points against New Deal Democrats and to win new legal restrictions on union power. The resulting racketeer menace had much in common with the contemporary red scare. Antiunion conservatives framed the issue of labor racketeering in terms that resembled the language then being mobilized against internal communist espionage and subversion. This rhetoric proliferated in the congressional debates of the postwar era. Proponents of the Taft-Hartley Act invoked the racketeer menace in 1946 and 1947. They depicted the law as an effort to curb racketeering and thus protect workers and the general public by restricting abusive union power. In the years that followed, a series of congressional hearings into union corruption kept attention focused on the issue of racketeering. For the Eisenhower Administration this campaign against labor racketeering offered a chance to peel the working-class vote away from the Democratic Party by politically dividing union members from their leadership. The culmination of this trend came at the end of the 1950s during the McClellan Committee hearings, which was the largest congressional investigation up to that time. Those hearings transformed Teamsters President James R. Hoffa into a potent symbol of the danger posed by labor racketeering. The committee's revelations and the publicity they received undercut the labor movement. Polls showed growing public skepticism toward unions, and especially union leaders. Such attitudes helped conservatives win a new round of legislative restrictions on organized labor in the form of the Landrum-Griffin Act (1959).
Diversity of Glutamatergic Synaptic Strength in Lateral Prefrontal versus Primary Visual Cortices in the Rhesus Monkey

Understanding commonalities and differences in glutamatergic synaptic signaling is essential for understanding cortical functional diversity, especially in the highly complex primate brain. Previously, we have shown that spontaneous EPSCs differed markedly in layer 3 pyramidal neurons of two specialized cortical areas in the rhesus monkey, the high-order lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the primary visual cortex (V1). Here, we used patch-clamp recordings and confocal and electron microscopy to determine whether these distinct synaptic responses are due to differences in firing rates of presynaptic neurons and/or in the features of presynaptic or postsynaptic entities. As with spontaneous EPSCs, TTX-insensitive (action potential-independent) miniature EPSCs exhibited significantly higher frequency, greater amplitude, and slower kinetics in LPFC compared with V1 neurons. Consistent with these physiological differences, LPFC neurons possessed higher densities of spines, and the mean width of large spines was greater compared with those on V1 neurons. Axospinous synapses in layers 2–3 of LPFC had larger postsynaptic density surface areas and a higher proportion of large perforated synapses compared with V1. Axonal boutons in LPFC were also larger in volume and contained ∼1.6× more vesicles than did those in V1. Further, LPFC had a higher density of AMPA GluR2 receptor labeling than V1. The properties of spines and synaptic currents of individual layer 3 pyramidal neurons measured here were significantly correlated, consistent with the idea that significantly more frequent and larger synaptic currents are likely due to more numerous, larger, and more powerful synapses in LPFC compared with V1.
Combining localization cues and source model constraints for binaural source separation

We describe a system for separating multiple sources from a two-channel recording based on interaural cues and prior knowledge of the statistics of the underlying source signals. The proposed algorithm effectively combines information derived from low level perceptual cues, similar to those used by the human auditory system, with higher level information related to speaker identity. We combine a probabilistic model of the observed interaural level and phase differences with a prior model of the source statistics and derive an EM algorithm for finding the maximum likelihood parameters of the joint model. The system is able to separate more sound sources than there are observed channels in the presence of reverberation. In simulated mixtures of speech from two and three speakers the proposed algorithm gives a signal-to-noise ratio improvement of 1.7dB over a baseline algorithm which uses only interaural cues. Further improvement is obtained by incorporating eigenvoice speaker adaptation to enable the source model to better match the sources present in the signal. This improves performance over the baseline by 2.7dB when the speakers used for training and testing are matched. However, the improvement is minimal when the test data is very different from that used in training.
Initiation of Human Parturition: XIII. Phospholipase C, Phospholipase A2, and Diacylglycerol Lipase Activities in Fetal Membranes and Decidua Vera Tissues from Early and Late Gestation

Phospholipase C, phospholipase A2, and diacylglycerol lipase activities in human amnion, chorion laeve, and uterine decidua vera tissues obtained in early and late gestation were examined. The specific activities of phospholipase C in amnion tissues obtained at 13-17 and 38-41 weeks gestation were 1.1 and 6.3 �imoI h’ mg’ protein, respectively. A similar fold-increase in the specific activity of phospholipase A2 in amnion tissue obtained from early and late gestational
Control system for the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility

A new accelerator control system is being implemented as part of the development of the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF), a first generation radioactive ion beam (RIB) facility. The pre-existing accelerator control systems are based on 1970's technology and addition or alteration of controls is cumbersome and costly. A new, unified control system for the cyclotron and tandem accelerators, the RIB injector, ion sources, and accelerator beam lines is based on a commercial product from Vista Control Systems, Inc. Several other accelerator facilities, as well as numerous industrial sites, are now using this system. The control system is distributed over a number of computers which communicate over Ethernet and is easily extensible. Presently, implementation at the HRIBF is based on VAX/VMS, VAX/ELN, VME, and Allen-Bradley PLC5 programmable logic controller architectures. Expansion to include UNIX platforms and CAMAC hardware support is planned. Operator interface is via X-terminals. The system has proven to be quite powerful, yet it has been easy to implement with a small staff. A Vista users group has resulted in shared software to implement specific controls. This paper details present system features and future implementations at the HRIBF.
Medium access control protocols using directional antennas in ad hoc networks

Using directional antennas can be beneficial for wireless ad hoc networks consisting of a collection of wireless hosts. To best utilize directional antennas, a suitable medium access control (MAC) protocol must be designed. Current MAC protocols, such as the IEEE 802.11 standard, do not benefit when using directional antennas, because these protocols have been designed for omnidirectional antennas. In this paper, we attempt to design new MAC protocols suitable for ad hoc networks based on directional antennas.
Inhibitors of LRRK2 kinase attenuate neurodegeneration and Parkinson-like phenotypes in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila Parkinson's disease models

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) have been identified as a genetic cause of familial Parkinson's disease (PD) and have also been found in the more common sporadic form of PD, thus positioning LRRK2 as important in the pathogenesis of PD. Biochemical studies of the disease-causing mutants of LRRK2 implicates an enhancement of kinase activity as the basis of neuronal toxicity and thus possibly the pathogenesis of PD due to LRRK2 mutations. Previously, a chemical library screen identified inhibitors of LRRK2 kinase activity. Here, two of these inhibitors, GW5074 and sorafenib, are shown to protect against G2019S LRRK2-induced neurodegeneration in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans and in Drosophila. These findings indicate that increased kinase activity of LRRK2 is neurotoxic and that inhibition of LRRK2 activity can have a disease-modifying effect. This suggests that inhibition of LRRK2 holds promise as a treatment for PD.
Calcareous rock outcrop vegetation of eastern North America (exclusive of the Nashville Basin), with particular reference to use of the term “cedar glades”

The term “cedar glades” has been applied to several different types of plant communities that occur on rocky calcareous soils in eastern North America. A previous paper by the first two authors reviewed in considerable detail the use of this term with regard to type of vegetation on rocky limestone soils in the Nashville (Central) Basin of Tennessee. The present paper reviews use of “cedar glades” as a descriptive term for vegetation in other physiographic regions of eastern North America. In the Nashville Basin, and in some other physiographic regions, the term has been applied to true open cedar glades (“glades”) plus the surrounding redcedar/redcedar-hardwood forest, or (more recently) to the natural rocky treeless openings only. However, outside the Nashville Basin, it has also been used to describe several other disparate vegetation types, such as xeric limestone prairies (limestone glades, prairie barrens), redcedar-little bluestem savanna, dense redcedar forest, redcedar-hardwood forest, and even an open stand of redcedar-pine-sweetgum with warm-season perennial prairie grasses in the understory. In the Great Lakes region of North America and in the Baltic region of Europe, some alvars are similar to cedar glades sensu stricto of southeastern United States. Since many of the rocky calcareous openings in eastern North America can be classified as either cedar glades or xeric limestone prairies, a suite of abiotic, biotic, and anthropogenic-related factors is presented for use in distinguishing between these two vegetation types.
The Varied Law of Autonomous Weapon Systems

What law governs autonomous weapon systems? Those who have addressed this subject tend to focus on the law of armed conflict and debate whether it is sufficiently flexible to regulate such weaponry. But while it will undoubtedly be one of the more significant sources of states’ legal obligations, the international laws applicable to the development or use of autonomous weapon systems are hardly limited to those rules regarding the conduct of hostilities. Other legal regimes — including international human rights law, the law of the sea, space law, and the law of state responsibility — may also be relevant to how states may lawfully create or employ autonomous weapon systems, resulting in a complex and evolving web of international governance.
Emerging genetic and pharmacologic therapies for controlling hemostasis: beyond recombinant clotting factors

For more than 3 decades, the scientific community has pursued gene correction of hemophilia, with the goal that an individual with congenitally deficient factor VIII or factor IX might synthesize adequate endogenous clotting factor to be relieved of burdensome repeated clotting factor infusions, as well as the emotional weight of continuous hemorrhage risk. Recent reports of successful factor IX gene therapy and partial correction of the bleeding phenotype have raised the bar for success for a robust crop of new clinical gene therapy efforts for both hemophilia A and B. At the same time that gene therapy is gaining momentum, suggesting the possibility of relief from regular intravenous coagulation protein replacement, a number of innovative technologies that enhance hemostatic potential independently of replacement factor administration are demonstrating success in human clinical application. Human clinical trial progress is reviewed regarding a recombinant bispecific IgG antibody to factors IXa and X that mimics factor VIII cofactor activity, as well as monoclonal antibody and short interfering RNA strategies that demonstrate hemostatic efficacy via opposing inhibitors of coagulation. These strategies, associated with prolonged hemostatic potential following subcutaneous (ACE910, ALN-AT3, Concizumab) or single administration (eg, gene therapy) make it possible to imagine a day when recombinant clotting factor administration, rather than being a daily preoccupation, is relegated to an adjunctive role in supporting more novel standard of care therapies.
Two-Photon Spectroscopy of the Q-Bands of meso-Tetraphenyl-Porphyrin and -Chlorin Framework Derivatives

The two-photon absorption and excitation spectra in the Q-band region (900–1360 nm) were measured for a number of porphyrinoids, including simple porphyrins (porphin, meso-tetraphenyl-porphyrin), chlorins (meso-tetraphenyl-2,3-dimethoxychlorin), and porphyrin and chlorin-like analogues (meso-tetraphenyl-porpholactone and meso-tetraphenyl-porpholactol, respectively). These molecules were chosen to provide a series of compounds that differed structurally only in “single points”. Vibronic structure is observed in the two-photon spectra for all porphyrinoids investigated, but their relative intensities show distinct differences from the vibronic development observed in the corresponding one-photon spectra. A Franck–Condon analysis provides insight into the observed differences. The calculations also indicate that the two-photon absorptivities are associated primarily with Type I processes involving multiple intermediate states, and that accurate assignment requires a summation over at least 30 intermediate st...
Binding Energies and Isomerization in Metallocene Ions from Threshold Photoelectron Photoion Coincidence Spectroscopy

Metallocene ions (Cp2M+, M = Cr, Co, Ni) were studied by threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy (TPEPICO) to investigate the mechanism, energetics, and kinetics of the ionic dissociation processes. The examined energy-selected Cp2M+ ions fragment by losing the neutral cyclopentadienyl ligand. In addition, CH and C2H2 losses appear as minor channels, while the cobaltocene ion also loses an H atom. A possible isomerization pathway has also been observed for Cp2Ni+, yielding a complex with pentafulvalene (C10H8) with a loss of H2. In order to determine the 0 K appearance energies for the CpM+ fragment ions, the asymmetric time-of-flight peak shapes and the breakdown diagrams of the energy-selected metallocene ions were modeled by both the rigid activated complex (RAC) Rice−Ramsperger−Kassel−Marcus (RRKM) theory and the simplified statistical adiabatic channel model (SSACM). The following appearance energies were obtained with SSACM, which is more reliable for loose transition states: 10.57...
RATES OF FLORAL EVOLUTION: ADAPTATION TO BUMBLEBEE POLLINATION IN AN ALPINE WILDFLOWER, POLEMONIUM VISCOSUM.

Animal pollinators are thought to shape floral evolution, yet the tempo of this process has seldom been measured. I used the prediction equation of quantitative genetics, R = h2 S, to predict the rate at which a change in pollinator abundance may have caused divergence in floral morphology of the alpine skypilot, Polemonium viscosum. A selection experiment determined the rate at which such divergence can actually proceed. Corolla flare in this species increases by 12% from populations pollinated by a wide assemblage of insect visitors to those pollinated only by bumblebees. To simulate the evolutionary process giving rise to this change, I used a pollinator selection experiment. Plants with broad flowers set significantly more seeds than plants with narrow flowers under bumblebee pollination but had equivalent fecundity when visited by other insects or hand-pollinated. Bumblebee-mediated selection for broad corolla flare intensified from 0.07 at seed set to 0.17 at progeny establishment. Maternal parent-offspring regression yielded a confidence interval of 0.22-1.00 for trait heritability. Given these parameter estimates, the prediction equation shows that broadly flared flowers of bumblebee-pollinated P. viscosum could have evolved from narrower ones in a single generation. This prediction is matched by an observed 9% increase in offspring corolla flare after a single bout of bumblebee-mediated selection, relative to offspring of unselected controls. Findings show that plant populations can adapt rapidly to abrupt changes in pollinator assemblages.
Mechanical characterization of tissue-engineered cartilage using microscopic magnetic resonance elastography.

Knowledge of mechanical properties of tissue-engineered cartilage is essential for the optimization of cartilage tissue engineering strategies. Microscopic magnetic resonance elastography (μMRE) is a recently developed MR-based technique that can nondestructively visualize shear wave motion. From the observed wave pattern in MR phase images the tissue mechanical properties (e.g., shear modulus or stiffness) can be extracted. For quantification of the dynamic shear properties of small and stiff tissue-engineered cartilage, μMRE needs to be performed at frequencies in the kilohertz range. However, at frequencies greater than 1 kHz shear waves are rapidly attenuated in soft tissues. In this study μMRE, with geometric focusing, was used to overcome the rapid wave attenuation at high frequencies, enabling the measurement of the shear modulus of tissue-engineered cartilage. This methodology was first tested at a frequency of 5 kHz using a model system composed of alginate beads embedded in agarose, and then app...
Preparation and in vitro dissolution of naftopidil sustained-release tablets

Objective To establish a release degree determination method and to study the preparation of Naftopidil sustained-release tablets. Methods We studied the tablets' preparation by using 0. 5 % sodium dodecyl sulfate as drug releasing media in vitro,dissolubility as index,HPMC as gelatin of Naftopidil sustained-release tablets. Results The dissolution behavior of the sustained-release tablets fit zero-order kinetic mechanism. Conclusions The formula of this preparation is stable and simple in technology,and it is worth further research.
Molecular Diagnostics for Viral Infections in Transplant Recipients

Viral infections are some of the most common complications in transplant recipients as a result of these patients' immunocompromised status. The ability to accurately detect and identify viral pathogens in transplant patients is important to tailor therapy and improve outcomes. In this chapter, we review the role of molecular tests in the diagnosis and management of human adenovirus (HAdV), BK virus (BKV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), herpes simplex virus (HSV), parvovirus B19, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients.
Preoperative Glycemic Control on Total Joint Arthroplasty Patient-Perceived Outcomes and Hospital Costs.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of preoperative glycemic control in diabetic patients undergoing a primary total hip or knee arthroplasty. We wanted to study patient-perceived outcomes in the medium term, the length of stay, hospital costs, and rate of short-term postoperative complications. Methods One hundred twenty consecutive primary total joint arthroplasties (TJAs) performed in type 2 diabetic patients were stratified into 2 groups representing optimal and suboptimal preoperative glycemic control, based on serum levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ), and those groups compared. Results The mean follow-up time was 5.9 years (range, 2.1-10.7 years). Both groups demonstrated improvement in all patient-perceived outcome measures after TJA, with no significant difference detected in any change of a measure between the groups. No significant difference was detected in the length of stay, hospital costs, or rate of short-term postoperative complications between the groups. Conclusion Preoperative glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients undergoing TJA did not affect patient-perceived outcomes in the medium term. Optimal vs suboptimal glycemic control in these patients also had no effect on the length of stay, hospital costs, or rate of short-term postoperative complications.
Efficacy of novel phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oximes as brain-penetrating reactivators of cholinesterase inhibited by surrogates of sarin and VX.

Pyridinium oximes are strong nucleophiles and many are effective reactivators of organophosphate-inhibited cholinesterase (ChE). However, the current oxime reactivators are ineffective at crossing the blood-brain barrier and reactivating brain ChE in the intact organism. Our laboratories have developed a series of substituted phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oximes (US patent 9,227,937 B2) with the goal of identifying reactivators effective in crossing the blood-brain barrier. The first 35 of the series were found to have similar in vitro efficacy as reactivators of ChE inhibited by a sarin surrogate (phthalimidyl isopropyl methylphosphonate, PIMP) or a VX surrogate (nitrophenyl ethyl methylphosphonate, NEMP) in bovine brain preparations as previously observed in rat brain preparations. A number of these novel oximes have shown the ability to decrease the level of ChE inhibition in the brains of rats treated with a high sublethal dosage of either a sarin surrogate (nitrophenyl isopropyl methylphosphonate, NIMP) or the VX surrogate NEMP. Levels of reactivation at 2 h after oxime administration were up to 35% while the currently approved therapeutic, 2-PAM, yielded no reduction in brain ChE inhibition. In addition, there was evidence of attenuation of seizure-like behavior with several of the more effective novel oximes, but not 2-PAM. Therefore these novel oximes have demonstrated an ability to reactivate inhibited ChE in brain preparations from two species and in vivo data support their ability to enter the brain and provide a therapeutic action. These novel oximes have the potential to be developed into improved antidotes for nerve agent therapy.
Coral reef health and management on the verge of a tourism boom: A case study from Miches, Dominican Republic

Abstract The Miches Municipality lies in the second poorest province in the Dominican Republic, and its inhabitants rely heavily on nearby coral reefs for food and livelihoods. With the sudden influx of tourism from the completion of a new highway, now is a crucial time to ensure that future tourist development in this region is locally driven and environmentally responsible. As coral reefs are a foundation of Miches' identity, economy, and natural wealth, they play an integral role in the realization of this goal. This study employed global reef monitoring protocols to conduct the first-ever quantitative health assessment of Miches' reefs in order to guide future management practices. Surveys of multi-taxa indicator species were conducted alongside assessments of coral bleaching, disease prevalence, and evidence of anthropogenic impacts. Key findings include extremely low abundances of fishery-targeted species, high prevalence of diseased coral, anchor damage at nearly every site, and high abundances of indicator species for nutrient-based pollution such as fertilizers and raw sewage. Deeper, offshore reefs exhibited better health than shallow, inshore reefs, though they were still more degraded than comparable reefs in Dominican marine protected areas. Overall, Miches reefs are highly threatened by four main factors: overfishing, land-based pollution, human-related structural damage, and coral bleaching. To improve the well-being of the region's coral reefs and the communities that depend on them, an adaptive management plan is recommended that encompasses strong fisheries regulations, basic yet consistent monitoring efforts, and the integration of land-based and marine management practices.
Abl and Arg mediate cysteine cathepsin secretion to facilitate melanoma invasion and metastasis

The incidence of melanoma is increasing, particularly in young women, and the disease remains incurable for many because of its aggressive, metastatic nature and its high rate of resistance to conventional, targeted, and immunological agents. Cathepsins are proteases that are critical for melanoma progression and therapeutic resistance. Intracellular cathepsins cleave or degrade proteins that restrict cancer progression, whereas extracellular cathepsins directly cleave the extracellular matrix and activate proinvasive proteases in the tumor microenvironment. Cathepsin secretion is markedly increased in cancer cells. We investigated the signaling pathways leading to increased cathepsin secretion in melanoma cells. We found that the nonreceptor tyrosine kinases Abl and Arg (Abl/Arg) promoted the secretion of cathepsin B and cathepsin L by activating transcription factors (namely, Ets1, Sp1, and NF-κB/p65) that have key roles in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and therapeutic resistance. In some melanoma cell lines, Abl/Arg promoted the Ets1/p65-induced secretion of cathepsin B and cathepsin L in a kinase-independent manner, whereas in other melanoma lines, Abl/Arg promoted the kinase-dependent, Sp1/Ets1/p65–mediated induction of cathepsin L secretion and the Sp1/p65-mediated induction of cathepsin B secretion. As an indication of clinical relevance, the abundance of mRNAs encoding Abl/Arg, Sp1, Ets1, and cathepsins was positively correlated in primary melanomas, and Abl/Arg-driven invasion in culture and metastasis in vivo required cathepsin secretion. These data suggest that drugs targeting Abl kinases, many of which are FDA-approved, might inhibit cathepsin secretion in some melanomas and potentially other aggressive cancers harboring activated Abl kinases.
Analysis of non-posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in patients treated using the particle repositioning chair: A large, single-institution series.

Abstract Purpose Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) involving the horizontal and superior semicircular canals is difficult to study due to variability in diagnosis. We aim to compare disease, treatment, and outcome characteristics between patients with BPPV of non-posterior semicircular canals (NP-BPPV) and BPPV involving the posterior canal only (P-BPPV) using the particle repositioning chair as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Methods Retrospective review of patients diagnosed with and treated for BPPV at a high volume otology institution using the particle repositioning chair. Results A total of 610 patients with BPPV were identified, 19.0% of whom had NP-BPPV. Patients with NP-BPPV were more likely to have bilateral BPPV (52.6% vs. 27.6%, p Conclusions Comparison of NP-BPPV and P-BPPV is presented with reliable diagnosis by the particle repositioning chair. NP-BPPV affects 19% of patients with BPPV, and these patients are more likely to have bilateral BPPV and to require more treatment visits but have similar outcomes to those with P-BPPV. NP-BPPV is common and should be part of the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with positional vertigo.
Biohybrid Artificial Liver (BAL) Systems

A biohybrid artificial liver (BAL) system is an artificial extracorporeal supportive device which represents an important therapeutic strategy for patients with acute liver failure. Generally, a BAL system consists of functional liver cells supported by an artificial cell culture material. In particular, it incorporates hepatocytes into a bioreactor in which the cells are immobilized, cultured, and induced to perform the hepatic functions by processing the blood or plasma of liver failure patients. The BAL system acts as a bridge for the patients until a donor organ is available for transplantation or until liver regeneration. The development of a BAL system involves many design considerations. It must provide (1) an adhesion support to the cells; (2) adequate mass transfer of oxygen, nutrients, and toxic substances from the blood or plasma of patients to the cell compartments and proteins, catabolites, and other specific compounds produced by cells from the cell compartment to the blood or plasma; (3) immunoprotection of cells; and (4) biocompatibility. BAL devices are classified by the cell source, the type of culture system for the hepatocytes, and the configuration of the bioreactor. Several BAL systems have been evaluated preclinically in in vitro experiments and in large animal models of liver failure (Morelli et al. 2010). Currently, different types of BAL devices are in various stages of clinical evaluation, and some of them are listed in Table 1 (van de Kerkhove et al. 2004). Many of these devices use hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) as supports for the cultured hepatocytes and as immunoselective barriers between the plasma of the patients and the hepatocytes used in the bioreactor. Membranes also permit the transport of nutrients and metabolites to cells and the transport of catabolites and specific metabolic products to the blood. In the membrane bioreactors, mass transfer is determined by the molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) or pore diameter of the membrane and occurs by diffusion and/or convection in response to existing transmembrane concentration or pressure gradients. Most of the bioreactors for BAL systems use membranes with MWCO ranging from 70 to 100 kDa that allow the transport of serum albumin but exclude proteins with high MW such as immunoglobulins and cells. One of the first clinical devices using HFMs was developed by Sussman and coworkers, namely, the extracorporeal liver-assist device (ELAD) in which the human hepatocytes were located outside the hollow fiber and blood flows through the lumen of the hollow fibers. This
Postoperative Fever Evaluation Following Lumbar Fusion Procedures.

Objective This study aimed to determine the incidence of postoperative fever, the workup conducted for postoperative fever, the rate of subsequent fever-related diagnoses or complications, and the risk factors associated with fever following lumbar fusion. Methods A retrospective review of patients undergoing lumbar fusion was performed. For patients in whom fever (≥38.6°C) was documented, charts were reviewed for any fever workup or diagnosis. Multivariate regression was used to identify independent risk factors for the development of postoperative fever. Results A total of 868 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 105 exhibited at least 1 episode of fever during hospitalization. The first documentation of fever occurred during the first 24 hours in 43.8% of cases, during postoperative hours 24-48 in 53.3%, and later than 48 hours postoperatively in 2.9%. At least 1 component of a fever workup was conducted in 47 of the 105 patients who had fever, resulting in fever-associated diagnoses in 4 patients prior to discharge. Three patients who had fever during the inpatient stay developed complications after discharge. On multivariate analysis, operations longer than 150 minutes (relative risk [RR], 1.66; p=0.015) and narcotic consumption greater than 85 oral morphine equivalents on postoperative day 0 (RR, 1.53; p=0.038) were independently associated with an increased risk of developing postoperative fever. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that inpatient fever occurred in roughly 1 in 8 patients following lumbar fusion surgery. In most cases where a fever workup was performed, no cause of fever was detected. Longer operative time and increased early postoperative narcotic use may increase the risk of developing postoperative fever.
Monitoring temperature in additive manufacturing with physics-based compressive sensing

Abstract Sensing is one of the most important components in manufacturing systems to ensure the high quality of products. However, the deployment of a large number of sensors increases the costs of manufacturing systems for both operation and maintenance. Processing the large amount of sensor data for real-time process monitoring is also challenging. Recently compressive sampling or compressed sensing (CS) approaches have been developed to reduce the amount of data collection. However, the reduction is limited to individual sensor types and compression ratio is not high. In this paper, a physics-based compressive sensing (PBCS) approach is proposed to improve the traditional CS approach based on the physical knowledge of phenomenon in applications. The volume of data and the number of sensors needed for process monitoring are significantly reduced. This approach is applied to monitor the temperature field of additive manufacturing processes. In the experimental study, only a few number of thermal readings are needed to reconstruct the complete three-dimensional temperature field using the PBCS approach.
Dispersion versus Absorption (DISPA): Hilbert Transforms in Spectral Line Shape Analysis

Chapter 1 describes the origin and shape of a hypothetical spectral absorption signal arising from a single driven oscillator with a single natural frequency and a single relaxation time. Experimental spectra, on the other hand, often exhibit signals composed of a sum of two or more peaks of different natural frequencies and/or line widths. Most generally, one can distinguish between a superposition of lines of different position (Fig. 1a) and a superposition of lines of different width (Fig. 1b).
Intravital Two-Photon Excitation Microscopy in Neuroscience: General Concepts and Applications

Multiphoton excitation microscopy has revolutionized biomedical research during the last two decades by enabling high resolution fluorescent microscopy in intact tissues. This feature makes two-photon excitation (2PE) microscopy ideal for intravital imaging of neural tissue, permitting the observation of structural and functional neuronal dynamics in undisrupted neural circuits. Here we review the fundamental concepts of intravital 2PE microscopy, describe methods and techniques associated with it, and highlight the most significant findings reported on neuron and glia structure dynamics as well as on neuronal activity using this in vivo imaging technique.
Academic Administrators’ Beliefs About Diversity

As our nation and society becomes more racially and ethnically diverse, college campuses are experiencing a dynamic shift in the student demographic on campus as well. Purposes of the study were to...