cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Applications | Pharmaceutical

NMR spectroscopy is a technology of central importance to pharmaceutical R&D with a variety of uses ranging all the way from target discovery, through to finished product analysis, that is, from the beginning to the end of the R&D process. Traditionally, pharmaceutical NMR spectroscopy was focused on molecular structure elucidation, isomer analysis, and impurity and degradation product analysis. Increasingly, NMR spectroscopy is being used in biochemical and biological application areas including hit and lead discovery, metabolite profiling, and in vivo spectroscopy (MRS) and imaging (MRI). This review highlights the key areas in this rich array of pharmaceutical applications of NMR spectroscopy.
Citrate alters Ca channel gating and selectivity in rabbit ventricular myocytes

Addition of 10 mM citrate at constant free extracellular Ca concentration [( Ca]o; 2 mM) reduced contraction in rabbit ventricular muscle and isolated myocytes. We have recently shown that extracellular citrate decreases contraction and Ca current (ICa) in cardiac muscle by a direct effect on Ca channels rather than by Ca buffering per se [D. M. Bers, L. V. Hryshko, S. M. Harrison, and D. Dawson. Am. J. Physiol. 260 (Cell Physiol. 29): C900-C909, 1991]. Citrate rapidly depressed peak ICa and shifted both the peak ICa and the apparent reversal potential (Erev) to more negative potentials. When the impermeant cations, tetraethylammonium or N-methylglucamine were used instead of intracellular Cs, the citrate-induced shift in Erev was reduced or eliminated but depression of ICa was still observed. Thus citrate appears to alter the selectivity (PCa/PCs) of the Ca channel and reduce ICa. We also studied the effects of citrate on Na current through the Ca channel, observed when the divalent cation concentration is submicromolar. This current, termed INS for nonspecific, also exhibited leftward shifts in peak INS and smaller changes in Erev in the presence of citrate. However, neither peak INS nor single-channel conductance were affected by citrate. Thus the reduced PCa/PCs is due primarily to alteration of Ca permeation rather than monovalent cation permeation. Activation and inactivation curves for both ICa and INS were shifted toward more negative potentials by citrate. The shifts in gating and peak current to more negative membrane potentials would be consistent with a surface charge effect. The much larger shift in Erev for ICa (than for INS) is consistent with a reduction in Ca selectivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Priorities governing the care of the critically ill.

Obviously, all patients brought to a critical care unit face the same immediate problem: survival. The chance of survival is greatly enhanced by a systematic approach that applies a certain set of ...
Real-time electron cyclotron oscillations observed by terahertz spectroscopy in high-mobility semiconductor quantum wells

The measurement of cyclotron resonance absorption is a well-established technique in the study of the properties of charge carriers in semiconductors. There are many ways of observing coupling between cyclotron resonance and other phenomena, such as plasmon modes. Recently, femtosecond optoelectronic techniques have been developed, permitting the generation and detection of ultrafast terahertz, electromagnetic transients (TEMT), which have been applied to the study of dynamical conductivity of a high-mobility 2-D electron gas.2 Here we report the observation of subpicosecond electric field oscillations due to coherent cyclotron motion of electrons in high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. The duration of these oscillations can be several times as long as the exciting terahertz pulse, and over 10 full periods have been seen, depending on the sample and the magnetic field. In addition, we have generated additional electrons (and holes) by means of femtosecond photopumping and have observed the coherent emission of cyclotron (and magnetoplasmon) radiation.
Attributes of Bone Machining

Any machining operation has certain key attributes depending upon the material undergoing the process, the type of process, and choice of process parameters. In case of bones and hard tissues, which are composite materials, these attributes very much characterize the uniqueness of their machining operations. Having discussed the basics about state of the art of orthopedic surgery, nature of bones, and fundamentals of various machining processes (conventional and non conventional ), the current chapter takes the discussion ahead with attributes of machining process.
A novel algorithm for secrecy rate analysis in massive MIMO system with target SINR requirements

Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system is regarded as an emerging technology to enhance the capacity (achievable rate) of wireless communication systems. In this paper, we present an iterative algorithm that adapts transmit signal vector and power of the user using game theory to enhance the physical-layer security (achievable secrecy rate) of massive MIMO system in the presence of eavesdropper and jammers. The proposed algorithm takes account of impact of jammers while meeting the target Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) and the impact of both eavesdropper and jammers while evaluating the secrecy rate of the users. Furthermore, we present the existence and uniqueness of Nash equilibrium of the game used in this paper. We evaluate the performance of the algorithm using numerical results obtained from simulations. When both eavesdropper and jammers are present close to the users, secrecy rate of legitimate users degrade significantly.
escapees with progenitor c ell properties in breast, lung and ovarian cancer.

Fifth AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Nov 12-15, 2006 A123 The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis states that the cancer-initiating cell is a transformed tissue stem cell, which retains the essential property of self-protection through the activity of multiple drug resistance. When tumor cells are exposed to chemotherapeutic agents or radiation, they undergo the premature or accelerated cellular senescence (ACS): terminal growtharrest and adopt morphologic and marker features suggestiveof cellular senescence. It was shown that few tumor cells can escape the senescence. Here, we test the hypothesis thatsenescence escapees have stem cell properties. Three cell lines, H460 (lung cancer), OVCAR3 (ovarian cancer) and MCF7 (breast cancer) were treated with a clinically relevant dose of adriamycin or cisplatin.Two weeks following induction of senescence , clonal outgrowthswere expanded and characterized in terms of senescence-associateds-galactosidase activity. Propogated senescence escapee and untreated cultured cells were analyzed by flow cytometry using Hoechst 33342 for identification of a sub-population termed "side population: SP" that is thought to correspond to CSC. Concentration of SP cells in untreated cells did not exceed 0.01%, whereas in escapees SP increased up to 60%. Next, senescence escapee cells were analyzed for stem cell surface markers using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry methods. Cultured senescence escapee cells expressed ABCG2, CD117, CD90 markers and the putative stem cell marker Oct-4. Moreover, propagated senescence H460 escapees gave rise to new tumors when as few as 104 cells were injected into the SCID mice thus confirming their cancer CSC phenotype. Inflammation is a well known risk factor for tumor progression. To assess possible correlation between CSC population and inflammation during tumor formation we analyzed the multiple cytokines and growth factors secreted into the culture medium using xMAP technology from Luminex, Inc. We observed secretion of multiple cytokines by CSC cells. These cytokines may be responsible for pro-inflammatory effects during tumor progression. In addition, cytokines, such as VEGF, IL-6, IL-8 and others may induce neoangiogenesis and protect surrounding cells by inhibiting apoptosis and inducing cell proliferation. In this study, we retrospectively confirm that senescence escapee cells represent a tumorogenic stem cell like subpopulation within lung, breast and ovarian cancers.
Folgen einer Partynacht

Anamnese und klinischer Befund: Eine 18-jahrige Patientin mit progredienter Odynodysphagie wurde mit einer schweren, endoskopisch nicht passierbaren hamorrhagischen Osophagitis stationar aufgenommen. Drei Wochen zuvor hatte sie auf einer Party aus einer kleinen Flasche mit ihr unbekanntem Inhalt getrunken. Wie sich spater herausstellte, handelte es sich hierbei um die Schnuffel-Party- und Sex-Droge „Poppers“. Zum Aufnahmezeitpunkt bereiteten der Patientin selbst das Schlucken von Flussigkeiten und Speichel Schwierigkeiten; sie hatte in den vergangenen Wochen 8 kg abgenommen. Bei der klinischen Untersuchung fanden sich neben einer Tachykardie ein leichter epigastrischer Druckschmerz und sparliche Darmgerausche. Untersuchungen, Therapie und Verlauf: Die initiale Endoskopie zeigte eine massive Osophagusveratzung mit einer auch fur das 4,9 mm-Gerat nicht passierbaren Stenose bei ca. 40 cm ab Zahnreihe. Nach einer passager eingelegten Ernahrungssonde konnte die Stenose wenige Tage spater passiert und im Verlauf mittels Savary-Bougies dilatiert werden. Im Verlauf der nachsten Jahre kam es zu Restenosierungstendenzen durch Narbenbildung, die unter zusatzlicher Anwendung von Steroidinjektionen mit Triamcinolon und Nadelmesserinzisionen in der Longitudinalachse des Osophagus behandelt wurden. Der Osophagus ist auch 5 Jahre nach der Ingestion weiterhin langstreckig vernarbt und masig stenosiert. Folgerung: Die Partydroge Poppers, ein in den letzten Jahren zunehmend als „Schnuffelstoff“ verwendetes organisches Nitrit oder Nitritgemisch, kann nach akzidenteller Ingestion zu schweren lebensbedrohlichen oder invalidisierenden Osophagusveratzungen fuhren. Bei einer (auch unspezifischen) Erstsymptomatik nach oraler Ingestion einer unbekannten flussigen Partydroge sollte an die Moglichkeit einer Ingestion von Poppers gedacht werden.
Voluntary upregulation of reflex cough is possible in healthy older adults and Parkinson's disease.

Aspiration pneumonia is a leading cause of death in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and results from concurrent dysphagia and dystussia (cough dysfunction). This is the first study to demonstrate that peo...
Towards Practical Default-On Multi-Core Record/Replay

We present Castor, a record/replay system for multi-core applications that provides consistently low and predictable overheads. With Castor, developers can leave record and replay on by default, making it practical to record and reproduce production bugs, or employ fault tolerance to recover from hardware failures.Castor is inspired by several observations: First, an efficient mechanism for logging non-deterministic events is critical for recording demanding workloads with low overhead. Through careful use of hardware we were able to increase log throughput by 10x or more, e.g., we could record a server handling 10x more requests per second for the same record overhead. Second, most applications can be recorded without modifying source code by using the compiler to instrument language level sources of non-determinism, in conjunction with more familiar techniques like shared library interposition. Third, while Castor cannot deterministically replay all data races, this limitation is generally unimportant in practice, contrary to what prior work has assumed.Castor currently supports applications written in C, C++, and Go on FreeBSD. We have evaluated Castor on parallel and server workloads, including a commercial implementation of memcached in Go, which runs Castor in production.
Physiological Effect of Cutting Height and High Temperature on Regrowth Vigor in Orchardgrass.

Producers of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) hay in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. have experienced a reduction in regrowth vigor and a decline in the persistence of their swards. The common management practice for the region is to harvest the first growth of hay by cutting at 2.5 – 7.5 cm height in May or June. We hypothesize that high temperature and low cutting height interact to limit the regrowth rate. To test this, orchardgrass plants were cut to either 2.5 or 7.5 cm and then placed into environmentally-controlled chambers with a constant temperature of 20 or 35C. Stubble was harvested on days 0, 1, 3, and 11 following cutting and subjected to metabolite analysis. Photosynthetic parameters were measured in the regrown leaves on days 3 and 11, and regrowth biomass was recorded on day 11. Under optimal growth temperature (20C), vegetative regrowth upon defoliation was significantly enhanced when more stubble tissue remained. However, this advantage was not observed under heat stress. Defoliation generally decreases the abundance of carbohydrate reserves in stubble. Interestingly, high temperature stimulated the accumulation of starch and ethanol-soluble carbohydrates in plants cut to 7.5 cm. The similar trends were also observed in protein, amino acids, nitrate, and ammonium. These responses were not pronounced in plants cut to 2.5 cm, presumably due to inhibited photosynthesis and photosystem II photochemistry. Overall, we anticipated that heat-activated metabolite accumulation is part of adaptive response to the stress. However, modified allocation of carbohydrate and nitrogen reserves leads to reduced vegetative regrowth upon defoliation. These data suggest that cutting height management for orchardgrass may be more effective for its regrowth vigor and productivity in cool seasons or when cool weather follows hay harvest.
Factional Behavior of Textile Yarns1

A method and an apparatus for determining frictional properties of continuous filament textile yarns are described. A general hypothesis relating friction with boundary, semi-boundary, and hydrodynamic conditions is presented along with a discussion on stick-slip friction. The influence of guide surface roughness, lubricant viscosity, threadline speed, guide temperature, guide diameter, and lubricant concentration on yarn friction is described. The relationship between friction mechanism and guide wear is also discussed.
Disposable single-use choledochoscopy may facilitate recanalization of occlusive biliary anastomotic strictures

Biliary interventions are commonplace in interventional radiology. Occasionally, an anastomotic occlusion is encountered that cannot be traversed with fluoroscopy alone. Endoscopy is a tool that should be added to the interventional radiology armamentarium. Unfortunately, most departments do not have endoscopes regularly available for use by nonendoscopists. The disposable single-use flexible LithoVue scope has the potential to provide many applications for interventional radiologists. It is relatively low cost and is easy to use with a simple setup for novice endoscopists.
The Harvard Automated Processing Pipeline for Electroencephalography (HAPPE): Standardized Processing Software for Developmental and High-Artifact Data

Electroenchephalography (EEG) recordings collected with developmental populations present particular challenges from a data processing perspective. These EEGs have a high degree of artifact contamination and often short recording lengths. As both sample sizes and EEG channel densities increase, traditional processing approaches like manual data rejection are becoming unsustainable. Moreover, such subjective approaches preclude standardized metrics of data quality, despite the heightened importance of such measures for EEGs with high rates of initial artifact contamination. There is presently a paucity of automated resources for processing these EEG data and no consistent reporting of data quality measures. To address these challenges, we propose the Harvard Automated Processing Pipeline for EEG (HAPPE) as a standardized, automated pipeline compatible with EEG recordings of variable lengths and artifact contamination levels, including high-artifact and short EEG recordings from young children or those with neurodevelopmental disorders. HAPPE processes event-related and resting-state EEG data from raw files through a series of filtering, artifact rejection, and re-referencing steps to processed EEG suitable for time-frequency-domain analyses. HAPPE also includes a post-processing report of data quality metrics to facilitate the evaluation and reporting of data quality in a standardized manner. Here, we describe each processing step in HAPPE, perform an example analysis with EEG files we have made freely available, and show that HAPPE outperforms seven alternative, widely-used processing approaches. HAPPE removes more artifact than all alternative approaches while simultaneously preserving greater or equivalent amounts of EEG signal in almost all instances. We also provide distributions of HAPPE's data quality metrics in an 867 file dataset as a reference distribution and in support of HAPPE's performance across EEG data with variable artifact contamination and recording lengths. HAPPE software is freely available under the terms of the GNU General Public License at https://github.com/lcnhappe/happe.
IUE Observations of Quasars

Spectra of six quasars have been obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite. Five of the six show no evidence for strong Lyα absorption between the redshifted and rest wavelengths, for .23≤ zem ≤1.72. In addition, the quasar PG 1115+080 at z=1.72 shows no evidence for strong He I absorption from the resonance transition at λ584 A. These results confirm that the intergalactic medium must be both tenuous and hot enough to produce an optical depth <0.1 in neutral hydrogen and helium. In no case was the Lyman edge detected in absorption near zem. Four of the objects produce an average Lyα/Hβ intensity ratio of 6.3, in disagreement with the theoretical prediction for Case B optically thick recombination of 30. Also, two of the objects show Lyγ in emission, a result unexpected from Case B line transfer assumptions. The Lyα emission line in 3C 351 shows the identical sharp core plus 20,000 km s−1 broad wings observed in Hβ and Mg II, implying a common origin in the same dynamical ensemble of emitting regions. These quasars show systematically steeper spectral indices when the energy distributions are fit from the ultraviolet through the visible than those derived from the visible spectra alone. PG 1115+080 shows a featureless continuum down to an observed λ1173 A. The ionizing spectrum, with fν αν−2.0, therefore persists beyond 2 Rydbergs. The spectrum of PG 1247+268, with z=2.038, contains a strong absorption line at observed λ2697 A, with no net flux detected from λ2000 A down to the observed limit at λ1150 A. This result is interpreted as absorption in Lyα and the Ly edge at z=1.218. Low dispersion optical spectra show no evidence for Mg II or C IV absorption in the same system; the signal to noise ratio is too low in the IUE spectrum to confirm Lyβ. We conclude that the line of sight intersects a metal-poor cloud with τ ≲ 1 in the Ly continuum, at (1+zem)/(1 + zabs) = 1.37.
The Fear Memory Network

Pavlovian fear conditioning has become the paradigm of choice to study the mechanisms of mammalian associative memory and those of anxiety disorders that are characterized by persistent, unwanted fear memories. In this chapter, I first review what is known about the neural network underlying simple forms of Pavlovian fear conditioning, including an in-depth look at the mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity and memory formation in the amygdala and throughout the wider fear network. Next, I review more complex aspects of fear learning, including a discussion of the neural network and mechanisms underlying contextual fear conditioning and fear extinction. Finally, I briefly summarize what is known about the fear-learning system of the human brain and its relevance for understanding and treating anxiety disorders that are characterized by acquired fears.
Analysis of a Class of Buffer Storage Systems with Markov-Correlated Input and Bulk Service

ABSTRACT In this paper we consider a class of discrete time buffer storage systems where the number of packets arriving in successive time intervals are correlated according to a finite Markov chain. The number of packets that can be transmitted in each time slot is constant and equal to m. This model is applicable to a variety of communication systems with complex input processes. In particular, we consider the modeling of classes of time varying sources, output queues of an ATM switch and a statistical multiplexer arising from the superposition of ON-OFF sources. By proper definition and partition of the overall system's state space, the problem can be shown to have a structure where Matrix Analytic techniques can be used to compute queue length distribution and other statistical parameters of the system. Numerical examples illustrate the results.
НОВЫЕ ДАННЫЕ ПО ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ 13-ВАЛЕНТНОЙ ПНЕВМОКОККОВОЙ КОНЪЮГИРОВАННОЙ ВАКЦИНЫ В ОТНОШЕНИИ ИНВАЗИВНЫХ ПНЕВМОКОККОВЫХ ИНФЕКЦИЙ, ПНЕВМОНИЙ, ОСТРОГО СРЕДНЕГО ОТИТА И НАЗОФАРИНГЕАЛЬНОГО НОСИТЕЛЬСТВА

A new WHO position paper has been published recently stressing the high priority of the inclusion of PCVs in childhood immunization programs worldwide. Planning for national use of pneumococcal vaccines should take besides other factors the distribution of pneumococcal serotypes in different age groups into consideration. In addition to the serotypes included in PCV7, PCV13 contains serotypes 1, 3, 5, 6A, 7F and 19A and this vaccine provides the broadest serotype coverage of PCVs globally. In Europe and the US, the vaccine was approved in late 2009 and early 2010, respectively. Only two years after introduction of PCV13 introduction into many NIPs globally, vaccine effectiveness for the PCV13 serotypes has been documented for several clinical outcomes (invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), including sepsis/bacteremia and acute meningitis, community-acquired pneumonia, and acute otitis media) and nasopharyngeal carriage from several countries (USA, England and Wales, Germany, Spain, Uruguay, Israel). Moreover, serotype-specific effectiveness has been demonstrated for serotypes 1, 6A, 7F and 19A, which were the most prevalent and emerging serotypes pre-PCV13 immunization.
Anxiety masquerading as autonomic dysreflexia

Context: Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is characterized by a sudden onset of hypertension in those with spinal cord injuries (SCI) at T6 or above. Prompt recognition and treatment of AD is important. ...
Species-Area Relationships Indicate Large-Scale Data Gaps in Herbarium Collections

Species-area relationships (SAR) are useful in predicting species richness for a given geographical area. Using SAR and the state of Texas as a case study, we present a model that provides a quantifiable and objective approach for identifying large scale data gaps in species inventories and museum collections by comparing documented species richness (determined by herbarium records) to predicted species richness. For Texas our results indicate that 88% of the counties have documented species richness values that are below predicted values based upon our results from the proposed model. Many biological survey and inventory programs are funded to document species occurrence and richness. Such studies help identify species of concern and enhance species conservation efforts. Future species inventories may benefit from such predictive models in identifying regions of large scale data gaps.
Speeding up the discovery of combinations of differentially expressed genes for disease prediction and classification.

Abstract Background and objective: Finding combinations (i.e., pairs, or more generally, q-tuples with q ≥ 2) of genes whose behavior as a group differs significantly between two classes has received a lot of attention in the quest for the discovery of simple, accurate, and easily interpretable decision rules for disease classification and prediction. For example, the Top Scoring Pair (TSP) method seeks to find pairs of genes so that the probability of the reversal of the relative ranking of the expression levels of the genes in the two classes is maximized. The computational cost of finding a q-tuple of genes that scores highest under a given metric is O(Gq), where G is the total number of genes. This cost is often problematic or prohibitive in practice (even for q = 2 ), as the number of genes G is often in the order of tens of thousands. Methods: In this paper, we show that this computational cost can be significantly reduced by excluding from consideration genes whose behavior is almost identical in the two classes and therefore their inclusion in any q-tuple is rather non-informative. Our criterion for the exclusion of genes is supported by a statistically robust metric, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the corresponding Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. By filtering out genes whose AUC value is below a user-chosen threshold, as determined by a procedure that we describe in the paper, dramatic reductions in the run times are obtained while maintaining the same classification accuracy. Results: We have experimentally verified the gains of this approach on several case studies involving ovarian, colon, leukemia, breast and prostate cancers, and diffuse large b-cell lymphoma. Conclusions: The proposed method is not only faster (for example, we observed an average 78.65% reduction over the run time of TSP) while maintaining the same classification accuracy, but it can even result in better classification accuracy due to its inherent ability to avoid the so-called “pivot” (non-informative) genes that may intrude in q-tuples chosen otherwise.
Tidal Freshwater Wetlands

Tidal freshwater wetlands occur primarily at the upper end of estuaries at the point of discharge of large rivers, although they may occur at the periphery of any marine wetland or tidal stream where there is enough groundwater or freshwater surface input to dilute tidal inputs of saline water to <0.5 ppt salinity (ppt = parts per thousand). Rising oceanic tides push freshwater upriver or towards uplands creating a tidal wave that transports salty water upstream or to the periphery of wetlands. Local morphology and amount of freshwater discharge control the tidal amplitude and salt content at any point. Tidal wetlands are considered to be tidal fresh water wetlands when salinity drops to or below 0.5 ppt. Plant communities are fairly diverse and often separate into elevational zones controlled by inundation. Plant productivity is high, and much of this organic matter persists as detritus which can serve as food for small animals and supports an abundant community of microorganisms. Microbial growth during detritus decomposition can remove excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous from surface waters. Additionally, bacterial consumption of nitrate in the absence of oxygen is a significant process and, overall, these ecosystems act to improve water quality. Since they occur in places with generally high human population and use of the surroundings, these wetlands have often been reduced in extent and/or have been degraded. Restoration is difficult due to the need to finely balance the hydrology that gives them their unique attributes and alteration of the adjacent uplands by humans.
Effect of Topical Phenylephrine 2.5% on Episcleral Venous Pressure in Normal Human Eyes.

Purpose Phenylephrine has been shown to affect intraocular pressure (IOP) but the mechanism of action is poorly understood. However, its action as a vasoconstrictor suggests possible effects on episcleral venous pressure (EVP). In this study, we evaluated the effect of phenylephrine on EVP and IOP in healthy subjects. Methods Forty eyes of 20 subjects were included. Each subject received 3 drops of phenylephrine 2.5% in one eye at 1-minute intervals. The fellow eye served as control. Blood pressure, heart rate, and IOP and EVP of both eyes were measured at baseline, 15 minutes, and 60 minutes after instillation of phenylephrine. IOP was measured by pneumatonometry. EVP was assessed by using a computer-controlled episcleral venomanometer. Changes in IOP, EVP, blood pressure, and heart rate at 15 and 60 minutes were analyzed by paired t-tests. Results IOP increased 15 minutes after instillation of phenylephrine in both treated (P = 0.001) and control eyes (P = 0.01) and returned to baseline at 60 minutes. The change in IOP at 15 minutes was not significantly different between the 2 groups. EVP in treated eyes was unchanged at 15 minutes (P = 0.8) but decreased significantly at 60 minutes (P 0.6). There were no significant changes from baseline in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate after instillation of phenylephrine. Conclusions IOP elevation associated with topical phenylephrine is not caused by an increase in EVP in healthy subjects. Instead, EVP decreases with phenylephrine, but the mechanism remains to be determined.
Medical research and media circuses.

In this issue of the Hastings Center Report, E. Haavi Morreim analyzes the appropriateness of a restrictive information dissemination policy that was implemented during the clinical trial of the AbioCor artificial heart by AbioMed, the device's manufacturer and trial sponsor. During the trial, some prominent critics compared it to a "gag order restricting public debate about a device that had been financed with millions of public dollars" and alleged that the company's predominant motive was to protect its business interests. Morreim urges consideration of the controversial events as a case study to illuminate the larger issues surrounding the relationship between scientific research and the media. She maintains that disclosure of moment-by-moment, patient-centered details should be discouraged because patient privacy cannot adequately be protected. Moreover, because the information is anecdotal and often competitively distorted, it does not support valid judgments about the interventions value, and its release risks the integrity of the research trial. Morreim identifies a complicated web of stakeholders in addition to "the public," and she recommends that sponsoring corporations and their collaborators formulate a disclosure policy at the outset of a trial that includes, at a minimum, periodic reports of material, cumulative data. Sharing the plan encourages collegiality among collaborators, manages the expectations of the press and the public, and enables patients and their families to be counseled about what information will be released (with and without their consent) and what factors patients and families themselves should consider before releasing information independently. Morreim cautions against drawing universal conclusions from the "intensely human-interest" AbioCor case study because it is not typical of "mainstream clinical research." Her warning inspires the question, why not? Does the sensational nature of a high-profile trial justify special disclosure rules? Certainly the heightened level of human interest calls for a media policy, some plan for handling inquiries about patients. None is needed in the typical, "non-intensely human-interest" research setting, in which no one asks for information. But imagine if someone did. What should be the response of an investigator of, say, a Phase 3 chemotherapeutic agent, to a reporter who asserts, "Tell me how your patients are doing today ... Of course I won't run their names, but I'd like to know their creatinine and albumin levels. I'll be checking in daily. …
Magneto-Quantum-Electric Effect

In this chapter we study the motion of the center of the cyclotron orbit when the electron in the orbit absorbs photons or phonons, and we also discuss related phenomena such as the magneto-quantum-electric effect and phonon amplification. As is discussed in detail by Zawadzki in Chapter 13 of this volume, the center of the cyclotron orbit is given by X 0 = -P x /mω c , Y 0 = y + (P x /mω c ) if we choose a gauge A = [0, H 0 x,0]. In this gauge the x coordinate of the center of the cyclotron orbit depends only on the “good quantum number” P y . Therefore we should be able to shift the cyclotron orbit in the x direction by giving a momentum ΔP y to an electron in cyclotron orbit. However, if we choose another gauge A’ = [—H 0 y, 0, 0], the center of cyclotron orbit is given by X 0 = x + (P y /mω c ), Y 0 = P x /mω c . In this case P y is not a good quantum number, and it is not easy to see what will happen when the electron absorbs a momentum ΔP y . To see what really happens to the cyclotron electron in absorbing a momentum from phonons or photons, we must carry out a gauge-independent calculation of a physical quantity such as the current associated with this shift of centers of orbits. This calculation is done in the next section. It turns out that the lateral displacement of the cyclotron orbits occurs when the momenta ZIP transfered to the electrons have components in the plane of the orbit in real space.
Factors Influencing Outcome in Neurosurgical Anesthesia

Neurosurgical outcomes data have become increasingly available, allowing the neuroanesthesiologist to better understand the perioperative environment for neurosurgical patients. Grossly little actionable evidence exists to endorse specific medical therapies. Most data regarding neurosurgical outcomes report more specifically on differences in timing of surgical intervention, technique, preoperative counseling, medical decision-making, and postoperative care. Suggested readings present the best currently available representations of evidence for perioperative care of the neurosurgical patient.
The effects of varied practice on the oral reading fluency of fourth-grade students

Abstract To improve oral reading fluency rate and promote its generalization to unpracticed texts, this study investigated a Varied Practice approach that involved passages with a high proportion of overlapping words (M = 85% unique word overlap). Fourth graders were randomly assigned either to the Varied Practice treatment (n = 405), where they read three different passages one time each, or the Repeated Reading comparison (n = 422), in which they read the same passage three times each. Both groups read with a partner for about 20 min, 3–4 times per week, over an average 12 weeks (30 total sessions). Results indicated that students in Varied Practice demonstrated significantly better fluency outcomes than students in Repeated Reading, but both groups demonstrated growth near the 90th percentile. Results of a quantile regression revealed that low-to-middle achievers benefited from Varied Practice the most. Overall, the findings suggest fluency approaches rooted in statistical learning hold promise as an alternative to approaches focused on practicing words in redundant contexts.
Comparative Methods in Teaching Cooking to the Congenitally vs. the Adventitiously Blind Adult

□ It was not my intention in this paper to outline concise steps for teaching cooking to the blind homemaker since many manuals are available on this subject. I have only tried to point out the dif...
Vitamin D, Cognitive Function, and Gait Speed in Older Adults: a NHANES Study

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to poor cognition and neuromuscular impairment. We evaluated the relationships of vitamin D levels with cognitive function and gait speed in older adults. The study sample included 1076 individuals (age = > 60 years) from the 2001–2002 National Health Examination Survey (NHANES). The relationships between vitamin D and cognition and gait speed were studied. Cognitive function was measured as the number of questions correct on a digit-symbol test. Gait speed was measured as seconds to walk 20 ft. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured via the DiaSorin radioimmunoassay. In our study, 32% were deficient in vitamin D (< 20 ng/ml) and 43% were insufficient in vitamin D (20–29 ng/ml). Only 25% had vitamin D values in the normal range (30–100 ng/ml). The mean vitamin D level, cognition score, and gait speed were found to be 24.71 ng/ml, 48.55 number correct, and 6.80 s, respectively. The relationship between vitamin D and cognitive function was an inverted U-shaped curve. Maximum cognition score was at a vitamin D value of 28.09 ng/ml. The relationship between vitamin D and gait speed was U-shaped. Minimum walking time was at a vitamin D level of 31.42 ng/ml. Optimal vitamin D levels were similar for both cognition and gait speed. Given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the elderly, we recommend that older individuals are tested and treated to achieve 25(OH) D values at least between 28 and 30 ng/ml.
Association of plasma adiponectin with pulmonary hypertension, mortality and heart failure in African Americans: Jackson Heart Study.

BackgroundAdiponectin is a polypeptide hormone related to obesity, and a known modulator of pulmonary vascular remodeling. Association between plasma adiponectin levels and pulmonary hypertension (...
What We Do Not Know About the Costs of Immunization Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

• For many countries, there are limited data on the costs of running immunization services, and even less on the costs of increasing immunization coverage. • When considering different approaches for scaling up coverage, countries and funders need to understand the marginal change in coverage produced, costs of introduction, and how cost and coverage effects change depending on programmatic context. • Costing studies would benefit from improved, systematic reporting and leveraging ongoing program evaluation efforts to collect costing data. Long-term investments in the health system may allow for routine data collection and improved efficiency for budgeting and planning.
Design for emergency: An open platform to design and implement user-centered solutions in the COVID-19 pandemic

As a consequence of the lockdown enforced to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, people found themselves in a state of social isolation, uncertainty, and vulnerability. Design for Emergency is a data and design open platform launched to ideate and develop user-centered solutions addressing people's needs and emotions during and after the lockdown. The project is composed of four steps: Data collection, data analysis & visualization, design, and implementation. The initiative was launched in Italy, but it soon became global, covering 11 countries in three continents. As a result, data about people's experiences during the pandemic have been collected and visualized at a global level. The ideas repository, still growing, includes 36 seed ideas of solutions helping individuals and communities to cope with the pandemic. Ideas are openly available for development, and some of them are currently being implemented. This initiative can be used as a reference and a pilot project to create a framework for designing under uncertain conditions and in situations of emergency, or crisis, where design can quickly discover and address emerging feelings and needs. © 2020 Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. All rights reserved.
Development of an educational program using ultrasonography in vascular access for nurse practitioner students.

HIGHLIGHTS Ultrasonography is an important tool for vascular access practice. Ultrasound should be used for vascular access assessment and insertion. Ultrasonography should be incorporated into for...
The impact of a dedicated pediatric stroke discharge plan upon parent preparedness for clinic: Before and after the start of COVID-19

Background: The Colorado Pediatric Stroke Program provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for pediatric stroke patients and their families. The team, which includes dedicated inpatient and outpatient nurse coordinators, instituted a plan to support the transition from the inpatient to outpatient setting. Purpose: A survey was used to determine family preparedness for clinic and ease of scheduling their appointment. The data were collected before and after enacting remote scheduling and telehealth visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Our team provided educational materials and an outpatient appointment time to families at time of discharge starting in 2019. In January 2020, the stroke clinic staff surveyed parents and guardians about their preparedness for clinic. Telehealth encounters were initiated due to COVID-19 in March 2020, with staff conducting RedCAP surveys by telephone. The survey measured several components of visit preparedness and satisfaction including: understanding of diagnosis, reason for referral prior to clinic visit, familiarity with the stroke team prior to clinic visit, and ease in appointment scheduling. We compared results before and after March 2020 via two-tailed chisquare analysis or two-tailed Fischer's test. Results: Prior to telehealth, families favorably reported responses with 92% (47/52) knowing the reason for referral, 86% (42/49) receiving educational material prior to clinic, and 84% (42/50) reporting familiarity with our team. All patients (50/50) reported that scheduling was easy. Only scheduling ease had a significant change during the pandemic, with 11% (2/11) of patients reporting difficulties with scheduling after starting telehealth (P=0.03). Conclusion: Childhood stroke is a disease with significant morbidity and mortality, requiring close follow-up care. Families report robust preparedness for clinic after the implementation of a comprehensive discharge plan. Although small numbers, remote scheduling and telehealth transition may present previously unseen barriers to scheduling during the pandemic. During abrupt changes in clinical operations additional scheduling resources may be needed to ensure continuity of care.
Quantifying lung and diaphragm morphology using radiographs in normative pediatric subjects, and predicting CT‐derived lung volume

OBJECTIVE To quantify the effect of age on two-dimensional (2D) radiographic lung and diaphragm morphology and determine if 2D radiographic lung measurements can be used to estimate computer tomography (CT)-derived lung volume in normative pediatric subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) were created using retrospective chest CT scans from 77 pediatric male and female subjects aged birth to 19 years. 2D lung and diaphragm measurements were made on the DRRs using custom MATLAB code, and Spearman correlations and exponential regression equations were used to relate 2D measurements with age. In addition, 3D lung volumes were segmented using CT scans, and power regression equations were fitted to predict each lung's CT-derived volume from 2D lung measurements. The coefficient of determination (R2 ) and standard error of the estimate (SEE) were used to assess the precision of the predictive equations with p < .05 indicating statistical significance. RESULTS All 2D radiographic lung and diaphragm measurements showed statistically significant positive correlations with age (p < .01), including lung major axis (Spearman rho ≥ 0.90). Precise estimations of CT-derived lung volumes can be made using 2D lung measurements (R2 ≥ 0.95), including lung major axis (R2 ≥ 0.97). INTERPRETATIONS The reported pediatric age-specific reference data on 2D lung and diaphragm morphology and growth rates could be clinically used to identify lung and diaphragm pathologies during chest X-ray evaluations. The simple, precise, and clinically adaptable radiographic method for estimating CT-derived lung volumes may be used when pulmonary function tests are not readily available or difficult to perform.
Characterization of aggregate interlocking in hot mix asphalt by mechanistic performance tests

The interlocking of aggregate is critical during compaction. Nevertheless, few mix design specifications include any specific requirements for locking points, mainly because it is difficult to dete...
Fast and Simplified Algorithms for SoC and SoH Estimation of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Typically, the electrochemical model and Equivalent Circuit Model-based (ECM) algorithms of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFB) are complex and require high computation-time, thus not suitable to be used in the Battery Management Systems (BMS). Therefore, two simplified fast ECM-based estimation algorithms are proposed for the VRFB's State of Charge (SoC) estimation. The methods are proposed based on two different parameter identification algorithms, namely discharge pulse response and the optimization-based parameter identification for the first-order ECM. The proposed approaches are further extended by an innovative, simplified mathematical model for the capacity fade of VRFBs based on the battery's electrochemical model. The simplified capacity loss model facilitates non-complex and fast estimation of VRFB's State of Health (SoH), useful for modeling in the BMS. This has been led to a more accurate SoC estimation in the long-term use of the battery when the VRFB's capacity fades due to electrolyte volume loss. Although the proposed joint estimation of VRFB's SoC and SoH estimations are simpler to be modeled in the BMS, the proposed estimations are still accurate since the models consider enough electrochemical details of VRFBs. The accuracy, less complexity, reduced computation-time, and lower BMS memory storage highlight the proposed algorithms.
"Going through it together": Being accompanied by loved ones during birth and abortion.

Abstract We sought to understand the meaning people who have given birth and have had an abortion ascribe to being accompanied by partners, family members and friends during these reproductive experiences. Incorporating this knowledge into clinical practice may contribute to improving the quality of these services, especially in abortion care, in which loved ones are often excluded. The study took place in Northern California in 2014. We conducted semi-structured, intensive interviews with twenty cis-women about their birth and abortion experiences and analyzed their narratives with respect to accompaniment using grounded theory. The roles of loved ones were complementary yet distinct to those of medical personnel. They were also multifaceted. Participants needed familiar individuals to bear witness, share the emotional experience and provide protection from perceived or possible harm associated with medical care. In some cases, more often in the context of abortion than childbirth, participants shielded their loved ones from emotional burdens of the reproductive process. Some pregnant people of color faced gendered racism, which also influenced their accompaniment needs. Male partners played a distinct role of upholding dominant social ideals related to pregnancy. As is commonplace in birth-related care, abortion services could be formally structured to include partners, family members and friends when desired by pregnant people to improve their experiences. Such integration should be balanced with considerations for privacy, safety and institutional resources. Working toward this goal may reduce structural abortion stigma and help alleviate pregnant people's burdens associated with reproduction.
In Honor of Angela Harris: Finding Breathing Space, Embracing the Contradictions, and "Education Work"

In Honor of Angela Harris: Finding Breathing Space, Embracing the Contradictions, and “Education Work,” serves as a tribute to Angela Harris. This essay explores Harris’ concept of education work, the work that people of color in predominantly white settings must do to maintain their own integrity and to help their white colleagues to build inclusive communities. Part I explores this idea of education work and suggests that whites need to undertake part of the load of this work. Education work by whites provides an opportunity to create allies and to work across racial lines. Part II addresses the idea of incorporating mindfulness into legal education. Again, Harris has been a pioneer in this area through her scholarship on reframing legal education. The essay includes breathing exercises in the yoga tradition and concludes with a recipe for chocolate chip cake, recognizing Harris’ and my love of chocolate.