cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of EDTA and Lysozyme on the Antimicrobial Activity of Ovotransferrin against Listeria monocytogenes

This study evaluated the effect of EDTA and lysozyme on the antibacterial activities of activated ovotransferrin against 5 strains of L. monocytogenes. First, a disc test was performed to screen the concentrations of EDTA or lysozyme that showed antibacterial activities in ovotransferrin (O) or ovotransferrin in 100 mM NaHCO3 (OS) solution. Turbidity and viability test were conducted using O or OS solution combined with either lysozyme (OL and OSL) or EDTA (OE and OSE). Also, OS combined with 2 mg/ml lysozyme (OSL) or/and 1 mg/ml EDTA (OSLE) were applied on commercial hams to determine if the solutions show antibacterial activities on meat products. The effect of initial cell population on the antibacterial activities of ovotransferrin combined with either EDTA or lysozyme was also determined. L. monocytogenes started to grow after 1 day of incubation in the presence of > 2.0 mg/ml lysozyme. OL groups showed weak antibacterial activities against L. monocytogenes in BHI broth culture and their activities were bacteriostatic. OSL groups were bactericidal against L. monocytogenes, resulting in 1 log reduction from initial cell population. Even though OSL showed stronger antibacterial activity than OS, lysozyme had no significant effect on antibacterial activity of OS against L. monocytogenes. Also, EDTA itself at 1.0 and 2.0 mg/ml were bacteriostatic against 5 strains of L. monocytogenes. They were more susceptible to EDTA than lysozyme, and OSE1 and OSE2 had bactericidal activity against L. monocytogenes. There was a significant difference in the survivor cell populations between OS and OSE groups (p < 0.05). Therefore, EDTA enhanced the antibacterial activity of OS against L. monocytogenes. However, ovotransferrin plus either lysozyme or/and EDTA did not show any antibacterial effect in commercial hams during storage at 10 o C. In addition, the initial population of L. monocytogenes cells influenced the antibacterial activity of OSL or OSE.
Extracranial Cervical Artery Dissections

Cervical artery dissections (CeAD) include both internal carotid and vertebral artery dissections. They are rare but important causes of stroke, especially in younger patients. CeAD should be considered in patients with strokelike symptoms, a new-onset headache and/or neck pain, and/or other risk factors. Early imaging with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is key to making the diagnosis. Treatment may vary depending on the extent of the dissection, timing of the dissection, and other comorbidities. The overall prognosis is good, but does depend on the initial severity of symptoms.
Narrative Review of Evidence Based Intervention Approaches for Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

This review studies the current literature available on intervention approaches of auditory processing disorder (APDAPD intervention approaches should be based on specific deficits and customized to accommodate the needs of each patient. The discussion on the efficacy of various APD treatment approaches suggested that there is lack of evidence that short-term intervention improves auditory functioning. Increased understanding of the pathophysiologic bases of APD and systematic long-term research on APD interventions would fill the gaps in our knowledge and provide more definitive intervention recommendations.
Using GPS to measure truck service times in a container terminal

If a truck is equipped with GPS, one can programmatically track its movement within the container terminal. It is then possible to identify the yards that were visited, infer the types of containers dropped off or picked up, and measure the time spent stopped in each yard, as well as the time spent driving. This allows a much more granular measurement of terminal service times than the commonly reported aggregate statistic “truck turn-time.” Furthermore, the process requires no resources from the terminal. Our methodology is adapted from map-matching, which attempts to align a sequence of GPS readings with a road network. In this case, we attempt to align GPS readings with each of the typical sequences of terminal operations, so as to find the most likely sequence.
Facile Synthesis, Geometry, and 2′-Substituent-Dependent in Vivo Activity of 5′-(E)- and 5′-(Z)-Vinylphosphonate-Modified siRNA Conjugates

(E)-Vinylphosphonate ((E)-VP), a metabolically stable phosphate mimic at the 5'-end of the antisense strand, enhances the in vivo potency of siRNA. Here we describe a straightforward synthetic approach to incorporate a nucleotide carrying a vinylphosphonate (VP) moiety at the 5'-end of oligonucleotides under standard solid-phase synthesis and deprotection conditions by utilizing pivaloyloxymethyl (POM) protected VP-nucleoside phosphoramidites. The POM protection enhances scope and scalability of 5'-VP-modified oligonucleotides and, in a broader sense, the synthesis of oligonucleotides modified with phosphonate moieties. Trivalent N-acetylgalactosamine-conjugated small interfering RNA (GalNAc-siRNA) comprising (E)-geometrical isomer of VP showed improved RISC loading with robust RNAi-mediated gene silencing in mice compared to the corresponding (Z)-isomer despite similar tissue accumulation. We also obtained structural insights into why bulkier 2'-ribosugar substitutions such as 2'-O-[2-(methylamino)-2-oxoethyl] are well tolerated only when combined with 5'-(E)-VP.
An Elementary Approach to Operator Lipschitz Type Estimates

The paper brings an elementary approach to Lipschitz type estimates for functions of operators. The approach is based on the reduction to the case of operators on finite-dimensional inner product spaces. This allows us to avoid double and triple operator integrals and consider instead double and triple operator sums. Unlike in the case of double and triple operator integrals, double and triple operator sums can be defined for arbitrary functions which completely eliminates the problem of definitions of double operator integrals and various types of triple operator integrals.
Toward a Signature Pedagogy for Public Administration

Every profession rests upon a particular body of text, thought, and practice. This corpus is taught, in all esteemed professions, by way of a signature pedagogy. Many conclude that, because the pra...
100% clean and renewable Wind, Water, and Sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for 53 towns and cities in North America

Abstract Towns and cities worldwide emit significant pollution and are also increasingly affected by pollution’s health and climate impacts. Local decision makers can alleviate these impacts by transitioning the energy they control to 100% clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. This study develops roadmaps to transition 53 towns and cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico to 100% wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) in all energy sectors by no later than 2050, with at least 80% by 2030. The roadmaps call for electrifying transportation and industrial heat; using electricity, solar heat, or geothermal heat for water and air heating in buildings; storing electricity, cold, heat, and hydrogen; and providing all electricity and heat with WWS. This full transition in the 53 towns and cities examined may reduce 2050 air pollution premature mortality by up to 7000 (1700-16,000)/yr, reduce global climate costs in 2050 by $393 (221–836) billion/yr (2015 USD), save each person ∼$133/yr in energy costs, and create ∼93,000 more permanent, full-time jobs than lost.
Fever and Infection

The causes of fever and infection during pregnancy are discussed in this chapter. The complications of various infections are also discussed. Furthermore, the most common organisms for these infections are listed.
I Am my (High-Power) Role: Power as a Determinant of Role Identification

Individuals strongly identify with high power roles behaving in ways congruent with role expectations. Rather than liberating individuals to behave in self determined ways, having power impels the ...
Mixed land use and neighborhood crime

The concentration of certain land uses has been linked to crime rates; yet, it remains to be seen whether mixed land use, defined as heterogeneity among several land uses, independently affects neighborhood crime. The goal of the current study, therefore, is to build upon the extant literature by examining how mixed land use influences crime, net of specific land uses and sociodemographic characteristics. Using data on Los Angeles block groups, a Herfindahl index was constructed of eight specific land uses to capture mixed land use, and a series of negative binomial regression models were estimated to assess the main and moderating effects of mixed land use on neighborhood crime. Although mixed land use was found to exert a deleterious influence on two crime types, concentrated disadvantage moderated the effect of mixed land use on all crime types. The implications of these findings for criminology, urban studies, and policy are discussed.
Tunable Superconducting Cavity using Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Metamaterials

Here we consider a tunable superconducting cavity that can be used either as a tunable coupler to a qubit inside the cavity or as a tunable low noise, low temperature, RF filter. Our design consists of an array of radio-frequency superconducting quantum interference devices (rf SQUIDs) inside a superconducting cavity. This forms a tunable metamaterial structure which couples to the cavity through its magnetic plasma frequency. By tuning the resonant frequency of the metamaterial through an applied magnetic flux, one can tune the cavity mode profile. This allows us to detune the cavity initially centered at 5.593 GHz by over 200 MHz. The maximum quality factor approaches that of the empty cavity, which is 4.5 × 106. The metamaterial electromagnetic response is controlled via a low-frequency or dc magnetic flux bias, and we present a control line architecture that is capable of applying sufficient magnetic flux bias with minimal parasitic coupling. Together this design allows for an in-situ tunable cavity which enables low-temperature quantum control applications.
The application of harmonic techniques to enhance resolution in mesh-based x-ray phase imaging

X-ray phase-contrast imaging produces significantly higher contrast than the conventional attenuation-based imaging. However, phase contrast typically requires small low-power sources or precisely machined and aligned gratings to generate the required spatial coherence. To overcome this limitation, we use a simple wire mesh to produce a periodic intensity pattern in the illumination. Distortions in this pattern upon propagation through an object can be used to produce phase contrast images. Unlike Talbot-grating-based techniques, this directly provides a measure of the phase gradient. Due to periodicity, fast Fourier transforms enable rapid retrieval of the phase contrast image. The high contrast of the mesh pattern allows a significant relaxation of the coherence requirement. However, the resolution of the phase contrast image is normally limited by the mesh period. We demonstrate that employing wider windowing functions during the Fourier processing substantially improves the spatial resolution at the cost of introducing artifacts in the reconstructed images. In order to remove these artifacts, a method is presented to combine images acquired while spatially shifting the mesh. Experimental results demonstrate the successful removal of these artifacts. This offers a method for significant resolution improvement in mesh-based phase-contrast imaging, enabling high resolution phase contrast images with a significant relaxation of source coherence requirements.
Abstract 4414: Inhibition of CDK2 overcomes primary and acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors

The cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) family of proteins is associated with cell cycle progression and transcriptional regulation. Abnormalities in the cell cycle, including modifications to the function of CDKs, their regulators (cyclins), or their natural inhibitors, are frequently associated with the formation and growth of tumors. While recent advances in treatments using CDK inhibition have focused on targeting CDK4/6, with regulatory approvals of palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib, these compounds only target tumors sensitive to CDK4/6 inhibitors. We are focused on developing a novel, potent, and selective inhibitor of CDK2 to treat patients whose tumors are insensitive to CDK4/6 inhibition, either by primary resistance or acquired resistance by prior treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. CDK2, a serine-threonine kinase, is a member of the CDK family that binds two regulatory cyclins, E and A. CDK2 when complexed to cyclin E is involved in the G1 to S-phase transition. However, when CDK2 is complexed with cyclin A, the cell will progress through the S to M-phase. Overexpression of cyclin E has been described in a subset of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), tumors with acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition such as ER+ Her2- breast cancer, as well as ovarian, lung, and other tumor types. We have utilized medicinal chemistry and structure activity relationship (SAR) modeling, starting from our proprietary scaffold, to generate a series of small molecule CDK2 inhibitors with drug-like properties. These compounds were initially screened for potency and selectivity using an array of biochemical and in-vitro assays. We identified multiple small molecule inhibitors with sub-nanomolar biochemical IC50s for CDK2 when complexed with either cyclin E or cyclin A and evaluated their activity in normal cell lines, a breast cancer cell line resistant to CDK4/6 inhibition, TNBC, and other tumor cell lines. We examined cell cycle analysis, EdU incorporation, cell proliferation, caspase activation, and western blot analysis of genes associated with the downstream targets of CDK2. These CDK2 inhibitors potently arrest cells in the G2/M-phase and inhibit proliferation in a manner dependent on time and dose, with a corresponding decrease in phosphorylated Rb. Our lead compound was also evaluated in mouse xenograft studies for efficacy, investigating tumor growth inhibition in a model with cyclin E overexpression and a model with an acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibition. These potent CDK2 inhibitors demonstrate a potentially promising method of treating tumors with primary or acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Citation Format: Claire R. Hall, John E. Bisi, Jay C. Strum. Inhibition of CDK2 overcomes primary and acquired resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4414.
Novel Agents and Paradigms in Development in HNSCC

ABSTRACT HNSCC is a particularly challenging disease due to the rarity of activating oncogene mutations and prevalence of mutations in tumor suppressor genes such as P53 and NOTCH1 with 47% and 19% mutation rates, respectively. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor cetuximab is the only targeted drug for HNSCC, but to date, and despite its relatively low clinical efficacy, there are no validated patient selection strategies. HPV types 16 and 18 through integration and replication of the E6/E7 proteins are the etiologic cause of an increasing percentage of HNSCC, which is becoming an epidemic among younger patients in Western countries. There is growing evidence that HPV+ and HPV- HNSCC have a different biology, and we can expect it will require different therapy. In addition to embellishments to anti-EGFR therapy new areas of research in HNSCC include PI3K inhibition (with the role of genetic selection still to be determined), novel anti-angiogenesis and anti-lymphangiogenesis such as ALK1 modulators, multikinase inhibitors, multi-targeted monoclonal antibodies aimed at more efficiently abrogating EGFR signaling and co-activated pathways, and agents aiming at inhibiting the HNSCC stem cell compartment such as Hedgehog pathway inhibitors. Disclosure A. Jimeno: Research laboratory funding: - Infinity - Oncothyreon - Onconova Patent ownership: - Oncothyreon - Onconova
Educators on diversity, social justice, and schooling: a reader

The preface of Educators on Diversity, Social Justice, and Schooling: A Reader, an edited volume, opens with two important reminders: 1) the “ … need for teacher educators to reflect on schooling p...
Reaction time assessment for coaching defensive players in NCAA division 1 American football: A comprehensive literature review

Abstract This comprehensive literature review seeks to understand the contributing factors that impact the reaction time in decision making of collegiate level, American football players who play on the defensive side of the ball. The goal of this study was to work with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 coaches to identify possible limitations and challenges for coaching staff to understand when training student-athletes to react to movement during game-time scenarios. Current literature focusing on football or other similar sports is limited; as such, this review gathers data across many fields of study and applies the findings to the reaction time in football players. This crossover of information was found to have a correlation to football as several individual decision-making factors were found to impact reaction time such as: cognitive fatigue, age, experience, player position, expectancy, uncertainty, and visual ability. These factors play a significant role in negatively increasing the reaction time for players, which thereby hampers the opportunity to stop the opposing team and impedes the continual positive progression of the football player. In addition to the contributing factors, the authors provided literature-based solutions to these issues which assist in achieving the highest performance of student-athletes. Relevance to industry This study highlights gaps in research related to reaction time in decision making. This study focuses on correlations of reaction time-based research to sports, specifically American football. However, the available, relevant information in cognitive fatigue, experience, uncertainty, and expectancy applies across all tasks in which information is gathered via observation.
Top-Down Analysis of In-Source HDX of Native Protein Ions

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) is used in protein biophysics to probe folding dynamics, intermolecular interactions, epitope and other mapping. A typical procedure often involves HDX in buffered D2O solution followed by pepsin digestion, and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis. In this work, HDX of protein ions was conducted in the ESI source. Both native electrospray droplets of ubiquitin and denatured myoglobin were exposed to D2O vapor in the source region of a Bruker SolariX 12T FTICR-mass spectrometer. Electron capture dissociation was used to assess deuterium incorporation at the residue level. This in-source HDX, on the millisecond-time scale, exchanges side-chain hydrogens and fast-exchanging amides compared to conventional minutes-to-hours HDX of backbone hydrogens in solution with less sample preparation (i.e., no D2O/protein mixing and incubation, no quenching, protein digestion, or LC separation).
Design and Implementation of Three-Dimensional Printable Optomechanical Components.

Fused filament fabrication 3D printing is a process by which three-dimensional objects are created by depositing layers of a material onto a hard, flat surface by a robot. It is often referred to as an “additive manufacturing” technique because material is added in successive layers to create an object. Because many scientific applications require parts that are expensive to purchase or manufacture, 3D printing custom parts for scientific instrumentation can save (shipping and/or manufacturing) time and money and requires only one compact, computer-controlled robot. Thus, 3D printable scientific parts and equipment can drive down the costs of scientific teaching and research. Here, we present a library of 3D printable optomechanical components that are compatible with commercial optomechanical parts. These components were tested for their functionality in home-built optical systems constructed entirely from 3D printed optomechanical components, and we demonstrate that optical systems built using 3D printable optomechanical components are comparable to their more expensive, commercially available counterparts, albeit not as durable as commercial parts. Thus, we conclude that our library of 28 3D printable optomechanical components is appropriate for use in scientific teaching laboratories.
Healthcare Providers’ Pregnancy Prevention Counseling of Trans and Non-Binary Assigned Female at Birth (TNB/AFAB) Patients

Transgender and non-binary people assigned female at birth (TNB/AFAB) have unintended pregnancies, but there is a dearth of information about effective pregnancy prevention care for this population...
Refractory Effusions, Crumbly Bones, Mystifying Cachexia and an Absent Mind: An Unusual Presentation of Whipple's Disease with Review of Literature.

Whipple’s disease is a bacterial infection caused by Tropheryma whipplei and is known to cause perplexing clinical presentations, making its diagnosis challenging. The beginning by the involvement of the gastrointestinal tract, Whipple's disease can slowly progress to affect almost any organ system and lead to chronic multi-system inflammatory disease. Hereby, we present a middle age man who initially manifested with shortness of breath and chronic weight loss. He subsequently developed pleuro-pericardial effusion, ascites, mesenteric lymphadenopathy, possible myocarditis, and severe osteopenia with multiple vertebral fractures during his illness. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy with the biopsy and subsequent molecular confirmation of disease led to the confirmation of WD. Therapeutic management included two separate antibiotic regimens in an attempt to address the refractory course of WD in this patient.
Leaders’ Negotiation of Teacher Evaluation Policy in Immigrant-Serving Schools

This paper examines how school leaders working within schools serving immigrant English Learners negotiate teacher evaluation policies, including how they influence compliance with mandated policie...
Impact of a Statewide Multi-Payer Patient-Centered Medical Home Program on Antihypertensive Medication Adherence.

Evidence suggests that the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of primary care improves management of chronic disease, but there is limited research contrasting this model's effect when fina...
Medulloblastoma: novel insights into emerging therapeutic targets

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain cancer in children, and most frequently arises in the cerebellum [1–3]. Molecular profiling has allowed their classification into four subgroups: ...
Healthcare System Design

This book includes several design applications in several fields: energy, large systems, manufacturing, and many more. In this chapter, we turn our focus to the design of healthcare systems. But first, we ask what exactly do we mean by healthcare systems? This chapter will describe the large scale and scope of what is meant by the phrase “healthcare systems.” A broad definition of Healthcare System Design consequently leads to the recognition of the large number of stakeholders affected by such designs. The need for appropriate, effective, timely, sustainable, and cost-effective healthcare services has been recognized globally, and has led to an increasingly growing healthcare sector. As the healthcare sector continues to expand, there are several unique challenges that have risen due to the many siloed designers acting on different parts of the healthcare system. The goal of this chapter is to orient the reader to the various scale and scope of healthcare systems and to present a structure that allows the reader to thoughtfully consider the design process relative to stakeholders, system boundary, system functions for functional requirement (FR) selection, system form for design parameter selection (DP), and consequently the process variables (PV).
Cultural Mistrust and Social Media Relationships

This study sought to examine the suitability of the Cultural Mistrust Inventory (CMI) items for contemporary interracial social relationships on social media. The study employed qualitative cogniti...
Suppressing non-local effects due to dynamic strain induced Doppler shifts in high-frequency Brillouin sensing

We demonstrate a fundamental limit in Brillouin fiber sensors wherein dynamic strain induced Doppler shifts produce non-local signals throughout the fiber. We present a technique to overcome this barrier, enabling high-bandwidth, low-noise dynamic strain measurements.
Understanding breast cancer patients’ journey from diagnosis through survivorship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to understand the lived experiences of women who have been diagnosed, treated and are cancer free as survivors. Design/methodology/approach – Using purposive sampling approach, participants were recruited from two Missouri cancer centers. A total of 15 breast cancer free women (ten white and five black) were interviewed. The participants ranged in age from 34 to 62 years, and all had at least a bachelor degree. Findings – Eight unique themes were identified from the interviews. The women noted that maintaining positive attitude, and support from family and friends were the greatest resources that helped them through their cancer journey. They were generally positive about their experiences but uncertain what “survivor” meant individually and personally. Research limitations/implications – All the women in this study had at least a college degree, stable family economic resources and health insurance. Originality/value – The women interviewed in this study did not wa...
The Kp index and solar wind speed relationship: Insights for improving space weather forecasts

[1] The Kp geomagnetic index forecasts are currently used to predict the aurora, MeV electron fluxes at geosynchronous, spacecraft anomalies and charging events, and times when accurate geological surveys can be performed. Many Kp forecasts rely on the upstream solar wind speed since the speed strongly correlates with the Kp index. However, the distribution of Kp and solar wind speed measurements is quite broad. To understand how common certain combinations of Kp and speed are, we plot the percentage of points in two-dimensional Kp and speed bins using a color scale. Using these color Kp-solar wind speed distributions for compressions, rarefactions, and Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections separately, we find that much of the variability in the Kp-solar wind speed distribution is attributable to the dynamic interaction between the fast and slow wind. We compare three different criteria for identifying compressions and rarefactions and find that density criteria provide greater separation between compressions and rarefactions than dynamic pressure or speed-time slope criteria. However, the speed-time slope provides enough separation to be useful given that the solar wind speed has a long autocorrelation time and can be predicted using solar observations (e.g., expansion factor models). To ensure our work can easily be incorporated into forecast models, we provide the Kp-speed distributions files for all three methods of identifying compressions and rarefactions. We describe a method to extend forecast lead times by estimating compression strength with a speed-time profile obtained from solar wind speed predictions based on solar, coronal, and/or heliospheric imaging observations.
Inhibitory mechanism of the Qβ lysis protein A2.

Summary The lysis protein A2, present as a single copy on the surface of Qβ virion particles, was previously shown to inhibit the activity of MurA, an enzyme that catalyses the first committed step of murein biosynthesis. Here we report experiments with a two-hybrid study that indicates A2 and MurA interact directly. Moreover, experiments with a soluble MBP–A2 fusion indicate that the interaction between MurA and A2 is dependent on a substrate-induced conformational change featured in the UDP-NAG-liganded state of MurA but not the tetrahedral intermediate state. Moreover, based on the location of L138Q, the original dominant A2-resistant mutant that identified MurA as the target, a directed mutagenesis strategy has identified a continuous surface required for A2 binding. This surface spans the catalytic loop/cleft and encompasses both the catalytic and C-terminal domains. These data support a model in which A2 preferentially binds MurA liganded with UDP-NAG, thereby preventing catalysis by occluding PEP from accessing the active site.
Formulas for Calculating Short-Circuit Stresses for Bus Supports for Rectangular Tubular Conductors

THE mechanical forces acting on bus-bar supports during short circuit are determined in some measure by all of the following: The magnitude and decrement factor of the short-circuit current. The mutual electromagnetic forces exerted among the individual conductors. The natural frequencies, motional resistance, and physical arrangement of the bus-bar structures.
Error motion of a kinematic spindle

A prototype spindle for low-force, low-speed applications that is kinematically constrained in accordance with the principles of exact constraint was designed, fabricated, and tested. In the prototype spindle, the position and orientation of the shaft (rotor) are constrained at five contact points; four constraints are arranged radially around the rotor, and one constraint is located at the end of the rotor. This paper describes the design of the prototype spindle and presents a study of its error motion for the hardened steel rotor sliding on brass and UHMW-PE bonded to ceramic. The error motion is observed to be highly repeatable with less than 100 nm asynchronous errors, and a simple analytical model enables the prediction of the synchronous error motion using measurements of the rotor’s roundness profiles.
Bayesian Inference for Prevalence in Longitudinal Two‐Phase Studies

We consider Bayesian inference and model selection for prevalence estimation using a longitudinal two-phase design in which subjects initially receive a low-cost screening test followed by an expensive diagnostic test conducted on several occasions. The change in the subject's diagnostic probability over time is described using four mixed-effects probit models in which the subject-specific effects are captured by latent variables. The computations are performed using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. These models are then compared using the deviance information criterion. The methodology is illustrated with an analysis of alcohol and drug use in adolescents using data from the Great Smoky Mountains Study.
Microstructural evolution during recovery and recrystallization of a nanocrystalline Al-Mg alloy prepared by cryogenic ball milling

Abstract The microstructural evolution during thermal annealing of a cryogenically ball milled Al-7.6 at% Mg alloy with a grain size of ~25 nm was examined using differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Recovery occurs during annealing from 100 to 230 °C resulting in strain relaxation and grain coarsening, and recrystallization proceeds at higher temperatures up to about 370 °C with further grain growth. The stored enthalpy release during recovery was estimated to be ~450 J/mol, which is considerably higher than that in materials processed by other known cold-working methods. Only a fraction of the measured enthalpy was found to arise from the enthalpy releases due to grain coarsening and the reduction of high dislocation density. Both recovery and recrystallization give rise to non-uniform, bimodal grain-size distributions, which may result from heterogeneous nanostructures in the as-milled state. The detailed microscopic observations strongly support that grain coalescence is a feasible mechanism for grain coarsening during the recovery. In addition, the activation energy for recovery was calculated to be ~120 kJ/mol, indicating the process is diffusion-controlled (Mg in Al), whereas the activation energy for recrystallization was considerably higher, ~190 kJ/mol.
Finite Element Based Injury Metrics for Pulmonary Contusion From Vehicle to Vehicle Crash Simulations

Motor Vehicle Crashes (MVCs) are a public health problem in the United States. In 2009, 33,808 Americans were killed in a MVC and 2.22 million more were injured.4 Pulmonary contusion (PC) is a common injury following MVC with over 38% of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3+ thoracic injuries identified as some form of PC in a recent National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) study.5 Miller et al. correlated the percent injured lung to the possibility of developing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). The results indicated that if 20% of the lung was injured, the incidence of ARDS sharply increased with seventy-eight percent of those patients developing ARDS.2 The significance of these findings is that the volumetric measurement of PC can predict possible clinical outcomes.© 2012 ASME
Determinants of tachycardia recurrences after radiofrequency ablation of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia

Clinical and electrophysiologic parameters were analyzed to define the factors potentially related to tachycardia recurrences in 79 patients undergoing successful radiofrequency ablation of idiopathic right or left ventricular tachycardia. It was found that the endocardial activation time at the successful ablation site was the only independent predictor of tachycardia recurrences.
Structuring FP-style functional programs

Abstract A structure theorem for FP-style functional programs is proven. This result is combined with several pragmatic considerations to obtain a rather different form for many FP programs. The advantages of this form are discussed and a number of examples that illustrate its use are presented.
Ellagic acid promoted biomimetic synthesis of shape-controlled silver nanochains

In this work, ellagic acid (EA), a naturally occurring plant polyphenol, was utilized for the biomimetic synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles, which over a period of time formed extended branched nanochains of hexagonal-shaped silver nanoparticles. It was found that EA not only has the capability of reducing silver ions, resulting in the formation of Ag nanoparticles, due to its extended polyphenolic system, but also appears to recognize and affect the Ag nanocrystal growth on the (111) face, leading to the formation of hexagon-shaped Ag nanocrystals. Initially, various Ag nanocrystal shapes were observed; however, over a longer period of time, a majority of hexagonal-shaped nanocrystals were formed. Although the exact mechanism of formation of the nanocrystals is not known, it appears that EA attaches to the silver nuclei, leading to lower surface energy of the (111) face. Further, the nanocrystals fuse together, forming interfaces among the aggregates, and, with time, those interfaces become lesser, and the nanoparticles merge together and share the same single crystallographic orientation, which leads to the formation of long elongated chains of hexagonal nanoparticles. This biomimetic approach may be developed as a green synthetic method to prepare building blocks with tunable properties for the development of nanodevices. Further, we explored the antibacterial properties and found that the tandem of EA-Ag nanochains substantially enhanced the antibacterial properties of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria compared to silver nanoparticles or EA alone. Additionally, the materials were also utilized for imaging of mammalian NRK (normal rat kidney) cells.
The Role of Cerebral Metabolism in Determining the Local Cerebral Blood Flow Effects of Volatile Anesthetics: Evidence for Persistent Flow-Metabolism Coupling

The effects of equipotent doses of halothane (1.05%) versus isoflurane (1.38%) anesthesia on CMRglc were determined autoradiographically using the 2-[14C]deoxyglucose technique in the rat. Eight anatomically standardized coronal sections were selected and digitized from the autoradiographs. Mean CMRglc was determined for hemispheric, neocortical, and subcortical regions at each anatomic level, and a neocortical/subcortical CMRglc ratio was calculated. In addition, the current CMRglc autoradiographs, as well as previous CBF autoradiographs obtained under identical experimental conditions were examined to characterize and compare flow/metabolism relationships for the two anesthetics. For this analysis, CBF was determined in 80 selected anatomic areas, and the values from each area were plotted against CMRglc values obtained from identical areas. In all major regions, mean CMRglc was greater with halothane than with isoflurane. The neocortical/subcortical ratio, reflecting the pattern of CMRglc distribution, was also greater during halothane anesthesia. This suggests that isoflurane has a disproportionate effect on neocortical metabolism resembling patterns previously seen for CBF. Analysis of CBF versus CMRglc plots for each anesthetic group showed two parallel lines with nearly identical slopes, but different Y intercepts. We conclude that the distribution of CMRglc observed during 1 MAC (minimum alveolar concentration) halothane and isoflurane anesthesia parallels the distribution of CBF. This finding supports the conclusion that flow-metabolism coupling is intact during halothane and isoflurane anesthesia, and that drug induced changes in cerebral metabolism may play an important role in determining the CBF response to that drug. Furthermore, there is evidence that, at a given level of CMRglc, isoflurane may have greater vasodilating capabilities than halothane.
Starch nanoparticle formation via reactive extrusion and related mechanism study

Abstract In this study, starch nanoparticles were prepared by a reactive extrusion method. The mechanism of starch nanoparticle formation during extrusion was investigated. The effects of extrusion conditions, including temperature (50–100 °C), screw speed, torque, starch water content and crosslinker addition, on particle size were studied. The results indicate that, with the addition of appropriate crosslinkers, the starch particles with an average size about 160 nm could be obtained. The morphology, crystalline property, and rheological properties of starch nanoparticles were also characterized.
Aberrant NF-κB Activity in HaCaT Cells Alters their Response to UVB Signaling

The immortalized keratinocyte cell line called HaCaT has been used in experiments as a convenient substitute for cultured normal human keratinocytes. However, some molecular differences have been identified that distinguish HaCaT cells from normal human keratinocytes, including differences in the NF- κ B signaling pathway and in their response to UVB irradiation. NF- κ B is a widely expressed transcription factor that is activated by a cacophony of stimuli, including inflammatory mediators such as TNF α and oxidative stressors such as UVB exposure. This report delineates and further elucidates the aberrant NF- κ B signaling pathway and its effect in HaCaT cells exposed to UVB radiation or inflammatory mediators. We demonstrate that NF- κ B DNA binding is activated by both UVB and TNF α , but discrepancies in the activation of key upstream signaling pathway components such as AKT phosphorylation and I κ B α degradation exist. Disruption of the constitutive NF- κ B activity in HaCaT cells resulted in alterations in NF- κ B signaling that were more consistent with the NF- κ B signaling pathway in normal human keratinocytes. These studies suggest that caution should be used in extrapolating the biological responses of HaCaT cells to those of normal human keratinocytes in the absence of confirmatory experiments.
Skeletal Muscle Ventricles, Left Ventricular Apex-to-Aorta Configuration 1 to 11 Weeks in Circulation

Background Skeletal muscle ventricles (SMVs) have been used in animals in a variety of configurations to provide circulatory assistance. Long-term survival and function have been demonstrated. Our laboratory recently obtained promising short-term hemodynamic data in a left ventricular apex-to-aorta model. Methods and Results SMVs were constructed from the left latissimus dorsi muscle in five adult mongrel dogs. After a 3-week period of vascular delay and 5 to 7 weeks of electrical conditioning, valved conduits were used to connect the left ventricular apex to the SMV and the SMV to the descending aorta. The SMV was then stimulated to contract during cardiac diastole. Initial measurements showed a significant increase in the mean femoral diastolic pressure (62±6 versus 51±5 mm Hg, P<.05). There was also a decrease in the left ventricular tension-time index (11.5±2.5 versus 14.6±2.1 mm Hg·s, P<.05), indicating a decrease in the work requirement of the left ventricle. During SMV stimulation, the majority of ...
ON THE POWER OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL PROCESSOR ARRAYS WITH RECONFIGURABLE BUS SYSTEMS

Quite recently it has been proved that a two-dimensional processor array with a reconfigurable bus system (PARBS, for short) is at least as powerful as the CRCW shared memory computer. In this note we argue that the well-known PARITY problem can be solved in O(1) time on a two-dimensional PARBS of (n+1)×n processors. Since it is known that PARITY cannot be solved in constant time on a CRCW even if a polynomial number of processors is available, our result shows that the two-dimensional PARBS is strictly more powerful than the CRCW.
Perceived Threat, Controlling Parenting, and Children's Achievement Orientations

Maternal perceptions of threat in the environment were examined as concomitants of controlling (vs. autonomy supportive) parenting. Forty mothers and their third-grade children were videotaped while completing homework-like tasks together. Maternal controlling (vs. autonomy supportive) behavior was measured both attitudinally by questionnaire, and behaviorally by coding of the videotapes. Mothers reported on their perceptions of environmental threat (worry, instability, scarcity). Results indicated that perceptions of threat were positively associated with controlling behaviors exhibited during the tasks, and negatively associated with children's motivation. Further, the relation between perceived instability and children's motivation was mediated by controlling parenting. Controlling parenting is associated with parental perceptions of threat and is one pathway through which threat may be associated with children's achievement goals.
Drug membrane transport enhancement using high energy drug polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) co-precipitates

Abstract Dissolution rate data obtained with sulfathiazole-povidone(PVP) co-precipitates and hydrocortisone-povidone co-precipitates were compared to cellophane membrane diffusion data obtained with the co-precipitates. The hypothesis, that the rate-limiting drug phases in the co-precipitate dissolution experiments were high energy amorphous phases of the drug, was tested. In regions of the dissolution rate studies where the carrier effects due to the PVP-drug complexes were small, the dissolution rates for the two PVP-drug systems agreed well with the results of the membrane diffusion experiments. The normalized fluxes were found to be about 3.5 for the high energy phase of sulfathiazole and 14–18 for that of hydrocortisone.
Strategic Modulation of Cognitive Control

The neural substrate of cognitive control is thought to comprise an evaluative component located in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and an executive component in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The control mechanism itself is mainly local, triggered by response conflict (monitored by the ACC) and involving the allocation of executive resources (recruited by the PFC) in a trial-to-trial fashion. However, another way to achieve control would be to use a strategic mechanism based on long-term prediction of upcoming events and on a chronic response strategy that ignores local features of the task. In the current study, we showed that such a strategic control mechanism was based on a functional dissociation or complementary relationship between the ACC and the PFC. When information in the environment was available to make predictions about upcoming stimuli, local task features (e.g., response conflict) were no longer used as a control signal. We suggest that having separate control mechanisms based on local or global task features allows humans to be persistent in pursuing their goals, yet flexible enough to adapt to changes in the environment.
Towards a predictive thermal explosion model for energetic materials

We present an overview of models and computational strategies for simulating the thermal response of high explosives using a multi-physics hydrodynamics code, ALE3D. Recent improvements to the code have aided our computational capability in modeling the behavior of energetic materials systems exposed to strong thermal environments such as fires. We apply these models and computational techniques to a thermal explosion experiment involving the slow heating of a confined explosive. The model includes the transition from slow heating to rapid deflagration in which the time scale decreases from days to hundreds of microseconds. Thermal, mechanical, and chemical effects are modeled during all phases of this process. The heating stage involves thermal expansion and decomposition according to an Arrhenius kinetics model while a pressure-dependent burn model is employed during the explosive phase. We describe and demonstrate the numerical strategies employed to make the transition from slow to fast dynamics. In addition, we investigate the sensitivity of wall expansion rates to numerical strategies and parameters. Results from a one-dimensional model show that violence is influenced by the presence of a gap between the explosive and container. In addition, a comparison is made between 2D model and measured results for the explosion temperature and tube wall expansion profiles.
Counterpoint: should fibrinolytics be routinely administered intrapleurally for management of a complicated parapneumonic effusion? No.

In this debate, the question involves three key terms: fibrinolytics, routine administration intrapleurally, and complicated parapneumonic effusion (PPE). Fibrinolytics promote lysis of fibrin by generating plasmin. The only currently available fibrinolytic in the United States is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Routine use implies that administration of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy represents a standard approach. Complicated PPE is a term introduced by Light1 to describe a PPE that evolved into the fibropurulent stage with a higher pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase level, a lower pleural fluid glucose level, and a higher likelihood of a positive pleural fluid Gram stain. Light1 suggested that complicated PPE would not resolve with antibiotic treatment but would require drainage. Instead of the term complicated PPE, we prefer the approach adopted by the American College of Chest Physicians consensus panel for the management of PPE for identifying those PPEs in need of effective drainage.2 This consensus panel divided PPE into four different groups with varying risks for poor outcomes based on pleural space anatomy, pleural fluid bacteriology, and pleural fluid chemistry criteria (Table 1). The groups at increased risk for poor outcomes, such as those with large or loculated effusions, empyema, or a pleural fluid pH < 7.20, would benefit from drainage.